


The Difference in Reality [A Harry Potter Fanfiction]

by LeavenGreenleaf



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anxiety, Bisexual Female Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Dark Magic, Deamus, Death, F/F, F/M, Gay, Gen, Genderfluid, HP - Freeform, M/M, Magic, Queer Themes, References to Depression, Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 79
Words: 722,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23649943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeavenGreenleaf/pseuds/LeavenGreenleaf
Summary: "What was that for?" Willow demanded."You froze up. I don't like awkwardness, so I fixed it.""By shoving me off a cliff.""Yep.""That's your solution to awkwardness.""Yep.""Endangering my life without a second thought.""Yep."Meet Willow Guerrero, the bold, brilliant, bilingual Gryffindor idiot that, at times, can be a living hazard sign. Though a little broken, she meets new friends from all houses when she goes off to Hogwarts. She's just beginning to have fun when a family blood curse interrupts her life. Now, with her loved ones' lives at stake, her life becomes more turbulent by the minute. Each passing year brings newer and more difficult challenges. Join Willow as she navigates the dueling realities she now calls her life and find out: will she survive, or will she succumb to the darkness beyond?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Year 1: Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Harry Potter Universe. All in this book except for the original characters and events belong to JK Rowling and her publishing house.  
> Thank you for taking a chance my story!!!!! Please comment and let me know how I'm doing! Everything in this fan novel is completely canon to the book. I've done my research chapter by chapter and extensively try to search out any mistakes. Let me know if you find anything wrong! Thanks!

A knock sounded on Willow’s door. "I'm heading out now, Sweetheart. I'll be home at five o'clock sharp, I promise."

"You were a minute late last time. You're sure it'll be five sharp?"

Willow heard light chuckling in the hallway. "Yes, you sarcastic little lunatic. Love you."

"Love you too. Don't get killed by a graphorn."

A second later, Willow heard her father whisk himself off to wherever he was needed these days. His work required him to travel all over the world, which would have been fine had he been allowed to let Willow tag along. Whenever she asked why she couldn't accompany him on his ventures, it would always result in the same answer: "When you're older and finally learn how to not trip over your shoelaces, you can come with me, but for now, we're not going to risk you tumbling over a cliff."

To make it up to her, Willow's father took her on vacation every summer to a new grand and wonderful destination he had discovered on his travels. Last year, she relaxed in the Amazon among thousands of vibrantly colored birds, and the year before, Austrailia greeted them with terrifying insects and even more threatening landscapes. Willow loved those times. It was just her and her dad, nothing was wrong with the world, and they could receive each other's full attention without any disruptions. To her, that was paradise.

Willow rubbed her eyes and walked out of her room. The early morning sunlight streamed in through the glass windows that stretched across the back of her grand house, giving everything in it an inviting glow. Willow made her way to the kitchen and made herself a bowl of cereal, then sat down at her long table.

The mansion wasn't alike to others of its kind in any way except size. It had a everything a normal house had, but at a much greater scale, and came with a few extra rooms. The library and garden were Willow's favorite part of the entire house. She had played in those areas for hours when she was younger, running until her legs wouldn't run any more. Now, she mainly used the library for actual reading, and the garden for a nice stroll before school. Unlike most mansions, hers was decorated simply and more on the rustic side. Wooden beams crisscrossed high ceilings that opened up to enormous glass skylights, polished wooden furniture could be found in every room, and there were few electric lights, as Willow's father, Carlos, chose to light the house with natural light and installed many, many windows. Willow loved to sleep in the living room at times, simply staring at the constellations until sleep made her eyelids heavy with exhaustion. She spent a great deal of her time outdoors, thriving on challenge, and fresh air to supplement it. Her life was constantly on the move. Anything that couldn't keep up was left behind.

Suddenly, the front door burst open. Willow smiled ear to ear when she recognized the visitors.

"Abeula! Abuelo!" Willow cried, clambering off her chair and practically jumping into her grandma's arms.

"Willow! How have you been?" her grandma asked.

"Pretty good," Willow mumbled into her chest. She pried herself off and tackled her grandfather in turn. A small bark sounded from the front hall.

"Perrito! You brought him!" Willow exclaimed, scooping up the small dog in her hands.

Willow's grandparents immigrated from Mexico the the U.S. to search for work after they got married. They successfully went to college and got degrees there, securing careers as veterinarians with a side job of dog breeding. It was there that they had Willow's father and his two brothers. Then, when Willow's father grew up and married her mother, the whole family moved to Great Britain.

"Are you excited?" Willow's grandfather asked.

"More than I've ever been in my life! And to think it all started with a letter!"

"You're off to Hogwarts in a month!" Abuela said. "Do you have your list prepared?"

"Yes, I do. It's in my room."

"Good! Go and fetch it. We're here today to help you get to Diagon Alley. You'll be surprised how many textbooks you'll need, and it might take a while to get your wand."

Willow's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Go! Hurry up and get your list!"

Willow dashed up the stairs, excitement bubbling in her stomach. Her surprising Hogwarts letter had come only the day before, informing her about this fantastic school for children of magical abilities to go and harness their skills. She had never been told about this school before, even though magical blood was all around her family. Willow barely had been told that magic existed, let alone that there was a whole world of it out there. Abuela and Abuelo were of pureblood families, but weren't very happy with their relatives parading it around in others' faces. That's the main reason why they left and immigrated the the United States- to get rid of that scar on their morals. All three of their boys attended Ilvermorny and were successful in their studies. Her mum's side was also pureblood, but her mum was the only one in that wretched family that didn't flaunt her status...until a few years ago. It was odd for Willow to not have been told much about magic, but with her family being scattered and all, it was expected. Willow had spent her entire afternoon the day before questioning her father about the wizarding world. Her head was spinning even when she went to bed, she was so swamped with the overload of information. Magic is a lot more complicated than she had been led to believe.

Willow skidded to a halt in front of her grandparents, Perrito on her heels. "Here it is!"

"Perfect! Have you been taught about Apparation yet, dear?" Abuelo asked.

"Not yet..." Willow admitted.

"Curse our thick-headed son for being so dense," he muttered before smiling again and pulling out his wand. "In your sixth year of schooling, you'll get a chance to receive your Apparation license. Apparation is what your father does every morning to travel to work."

"Oh, that's what that is!" Willow gasped.

"You have a strong stomach, correct?" Abuela raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, why?"

"You'll need it."

Before she knew what was happening, Willow found herself holding back a scream as everything suddenly became twisted and insane. She felt like she was being randomly whipped around in a ping-pong game. The sensation only lasted a few seconds, though, and when she opened her eyes at last, a whole new scenery was laid out before her.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley!"

Willow's jaw dropped. There were shops as far as the eye could see. Witches and wizards in long, flowing robes hustled and bustled among the many shops lining either side of the cobbled street. The sun shone brightly overhead, casting a friendly glow about the place. Several children chased each other or stared excitedly into shop windows. Magic was evident around every corner, from hovering items on display to the self-propelled brooms that swept the streets. Willow smiled and jumped up and down, unable to contain her giddiness.

"Where do we go first! Where do we go first!"

"Easy, there!" Abuela soothed, shushing Willow. "Since we already have our galleons, we don't need to stop by Gringotts. Let's go to the bookstore first and get your textbooks for the year."

Willow followed her grandparents in a daze as she marveled at all the magic around her. She had never imagined, not even in her wildest dreams, that the world of wizardry was so big, so...real. It had always seemed a far-away, out-of-reach type thing that only a select few greats could take advantage of. Now, it was Willow's whole world. There were so many others like her, roaming the shops, gathering supplies for the new school year, daydreaming about the newest and greatest broomsticks, and meeting up with old friends for a snack or two. Willow could barely believe her eyes each time she saw a witch or wizard wave their wand and have something actually happen. It was all so new, but she didn't care. She couldn't wait to get familiar with it all.

The three stopped in front of a store called Flourish and Blotts. They entered, and Willow was immediately hit with her favorite smell: new book pages and parchment. The store wasn't nearly as large as others she'd seen before, but it contained enough books for her to get lost in. One in particular caught her eye (that probably shouldn't have, for she had no business with that kind of magic).

"Look here!" Willow said. "Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More by Professor Vindictus Viridian. Interesting."

"Why would you take any interest at all in something like that?" Abeulo chided.

"I don't know why you would, but I'd use it on my dreadful Cousin, Dudley," said a voice behind them.

Willow turned around to see a young boy around her age with black messy hair and scratched glasses staring at her. "Really? Is he that horrible?" she asked.

"Absolutely. Although I couldn't say that around my aunt and uncle. Don't tell them I said that!"

"I won't." Willow winked. "Are you a first year too?"

"Yes, but I didn't have a clue that any of this even existed until today."

"That's pretty much what happened to me too," Willow sighed. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Willow."

"I'm Harry," the boy said, shaking hands with her.

Willow tensed up as her grandmother gasped. "Harry? As in the Harry?"

Willow furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Abuelo struggled to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor. "Harry...Potter? The Boy Who Lived?"

"Yes, that's me, Harry Potter," Harry shrugged.

"It's wonderful to meet you, sir," Abeulo said, shaking hands with Harry as if he were meeting an idol from his childhood.

"I can't believe this! Willow, you get to go to school with Harry Potter! The Chosen One! The Boy Who Lived! Do you have any idea who you are speaking with?"

"No...?" Willow said uncertainly.

"Quite honestly, I don't understand all this racket about me, either," Harry whispered to her.

"Come, Willow, we'll explain later," Abuela said. "Let's get your textbooks. It was a pleasure to meet you, Harry Potter!"

"You too!" Harry replied. "See you at Hogwarts, Willow."

"See you there!" Willow said, turning away. Had she already made a friend? She hoped so.

Willow found her textbooks and paid for them, then continued to get everything on her list until only two items were left.

"So we can bring a pet to Hogwarts?" Willow questioned.

"Yes, and I'd suggest an owl. They're quite majestic and useful creatures," Abuelo suggested.

"Which kind of owl should I get?"

"Either Snowy or Tawny."

One shopping trip later saw Willow with a Tawny owl hooting quietly as she skipped to Olivander's, her last stop. Willow raced up the steps, excited now more than ever. She was about to get the very tool that would change her life forever!

A little bell rang deep within the store when Willow stepped through the door and held it open for her grandparents. She found herself pacing back and forth across the waiting area, goggling at all the old artifacts and displays. This magical world was very interesting to her.

All kinds of thoughts, feelings, and questions stewed inside her as she impatiently waited for this Olivander man. What kind of wand would she get? Would she get to choose it? Did she design it? She didn't know anything about wands, so she couldn't do that. Oh no, what if she didn't get a wand at all? No, she would get a wand, all witches and wizards do. She hoped that Olivander would guide her to the right one.

"Hello, young one!" an old voice croaked.

Willow turned to see an old man at the front of a long hallway to went deep into the store. It contained boxes upon boxes of what Willow assumed were wands waiting to be purchased. Olivander's face was slightly wrinkled and his eyes had that twinkle of humor bordering on madness; it was up to the viewer to decide which. She smiled and voted for the later.

"I'm here for my wand?" Willow said.

"Of course, of course!" Olivander laughed. "Let me see...let's try...this one!"

Willow was handed a rather short, light colored wand with a slight bend in the center. She waved it slightly, but nothing happened. Her heart sank. Willow fought hard to keep her nerves down. Just because this wand didn't do anything didn't mean she had no magical abilities, she reassured herself. Maybe certain wands worked for certain people?

"Let's try a different one, then..." Olivander said as he took back the wand and searched for another. He returned to Willow with a completely different one. "This wand should fit you better."

Willow took out the darker, sleeker wand and tried again, with the same result. Olivander grinned and shook his head, taking the wand back to the hallway.

"Now I know...aha! This one should do the trick."

Olivander held out a third wand to Willow. This time, she felt something in her longing for this one, unlike the other two. She gently took it in her right hand, then waved it.

Gold light shimmered around her, and all of her nerves faded away. It was as if the Heavens had opened up and showered her with praise and music. Willow felt...peaceful, understood. She beamed from ear to ear and glanced at Olivander.

"I think this one will work."

"I believe I must agree with you, Miss Willow. The irony of the whole thing is that this wand's wood is made of willow."

Willow laughed. "I guess it was meant to be!"

"Now, you can rest assured that this is a very good wand for you," Olivander explained. "This wand is not easily won, as it forms a strong bond with its master. It has a great deal of power and learns rather quickly. I'd advise you to be wise in how you go about your schooling, Miss Willow. With great power comes great risks, as this wand is the easiest to turn to the Dark Arts."

Olivander's tone took a grave turn as the warning sunk into Willow. "Be careful, and I assure you that everything will be fine. You seem to be one of those people that is hard to quake."

Willow straightened her posture. "Don't worry, sir. I'm not easily swayed. I'll study hard and stay on track, I promise!"

"That's the spirit! Have fun at school! Good day to you, ladies and gentleman!"

Willow and her grandparents thanked Olivander, then exited quickly. She turned to her grandparents the moment the door closed.

"I can't believe it! This is amazing! Do you know the exacts of my wand?"

"I think I overheard him saying Dragon Heartstring and willow wood, which you already know, but it's also 13" in length and unyielding flexibility," Abuelo replied.

"That's awesome! I can't wait to use it!"

"I'll tell you what: if you're good tonight, we'll teach you a few spells before we leave. How about that?"

"Wonderful!"

"Ready to Apparate?" Abuela asked.

"Sure!"

Several seconds of agonizing twisting, turning, and wringing out later, the three arrived back in the living room of the mansion. Willow flopped down on the couch.

"Who knew a day of shopping for school supplies could be so exhausting?" she panted.

"I certainly didn't know, but you better make sure your stuff is ready for tomorrow," Abuela said.

"What's tomorrow?"

"Your soccer game?"

"Oh, I almost forgot! I'll go get that done real quick." Willow disappeared into her room.

Abuelo laughed. "One day of magic and she's already overwhelmed."

"Do you think she'll make it through the school year?"

"She's tough; she could make it through a brick wall by just walking through it."

Perrito flew into the living room, landing on the couch and tumbling head over heels into Abuelo. He laughed and picked up the little dog.

"Did you miss us, little guy?" he cooed in between kisses.

"I missed him!" Willow chirped, running down the stairs. Perrito bolted across the room again and crashed head first into her legs. Willow scooped him up, letting him cover her in kisses.

Perrito refused to leave Willow's side the rest of night. The three ordered pizza, and after teaching Willow a successful defense spell, Willow's dad appeared in the front hall.

"Willow? Are you home yet?"

"Dad!" Willow sprang to her feet and nearly tackled her father in a hug. "I had the most amazing day!"

"Really?"

"I went to Diagon Alley and got all my stuff for Hogwarts! Do you want to meet my pet owl? I named her Iris!"

"Why Iris?"

"Because that's the messenger goddess in Greek mythology! I couldn't come up with anything else, really, not knowing about messenger owls until yesterday and all."

Willow's dad bit back his guilt. "Oh, I get it now. Let's see the animal!"

Willow whistled and Iris came flying down from the wooden beams above the living room. She landed perfectly on Willow's outstretched arm, accepting gentle petting on her head from Willow.

"You've been practicing, I see!" Willow's dad exclaimed.

The family sat down and chatted about the day's exciting events until Willow began to yawn. Then, the grandparents left with Perrito, and the house was quiet once more. Willow got ready for bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Willow was up at her usual time: 6:00am. She groggily threw on her soccer uniform before nearly tripping down the stairs to eat a light breakfast. Her father was no where to be found. Willow bit her lip and looked at the clock, hoping that he would remember to wake up in time. She marched up the stairs again and prepared the rest of her bag. Iris helped her find a mysteriously missing shinguard, and she gave her extra treats for it.

The time was 6:30am when Willow sauntered into the garden, allowing Iris to follow and spread her wings for a bit. It was quite humid in there, which was precisely her reasoning for being there before the soccer game; Willow suffered from exercise induced asthma, and practicing breathing in the conditions that caused her the most suffering helped it not feel so bad when the game started. She began breathing in for several counts and exhaling the same amount. Though her lungs felt like they were trying to constrict themselves, she had a sensation of relief and peacefulness wash over has as it slowly got better.

"There you are!" a jolly voice called.

Willow paused in her exercises and glanced back to see her father standing in the doorway. She giggled at the sight of his bedhead.

"Dad, you have hair sticking up everywhere!" Willow said. "You're going to embarrass me!"

"You better be paying more attention to the soccer field than me, or you're never going to get any playing time!"

Willow sighed. "Alright, fine. I get it. We're leaving at 6:50, right?"

Fifteen minutes later, Willow was in the car staring dejectedly at the rows of houses passing by. She never truly felt at home in this bustling city. It always smelled like car exhaust and factory fumes. Her only consolation was the occasional park visit, where there were enough trees and wildlife to make up for it.

They arrived at the soccer fields, and shortly after, Willow jumped out of the car, sprinting over to where her team was gathering to warm up.

"Have fun! Work hard!" her father called.

"I will!" Willow shouted over her shoulder.

Willow's father got out of the car and hauled a chair to the sidelines. Only a few parents were out of their cars yet, since most of them were still sipping on ridiculous amounts of coffee to wake themselves up. He sat down and began playing with the wand in his pocket. It was a rare occasion for Carlos to have time off of work, and when he did have time off, he spent every second of it with his daughter. He spoiled her from time to time, but he had taught Willow from an early age not to think too much of her rich heritage. She was a very down-to-Earth kid, and he couldn't be prouder of his successful parenting. It meant a lot to him that Willow was already following in his footsteps in loving magical creatures and animals.

The soccer game started, and Carlos clapped loudly for Willow and her team, cheering them on. They easily scored the first goal, giving Willow an assist. Her team began to struggle after that, though, as the opponents were quick and strong. Carlos started getting into the game as it got rougher and more fouls were called. He was one of those odd wizards- he and Willow both- that took a lot of interest in Muggle sports, especially soccer. Willow would never give up soccer just because she was going off to Hogwarts. Carlos chuckled to himself, imagining Willow dragging some unknowing purebloods into the grassy fields of the Hogwarts campus, then forcing them to play soccer. He wouldn't put it past his daughter to do something like that.

Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He thought it was a parent from the other team asking him to leave because he was being to vocal and riling up the kids.

"What do you want?" he growled.

"I think you know what I want," a voice said coolly.

Carlos's heart skipped a beat. He remembered that voice from the last time he had heard it- in an alley, during a confrontation with a magical creature smuggler. It became even harder to control his anger when he remembered the details of the fight.

"I'm trying to watch my daughter's soccer game. Leave us alone."

"Let's try this again. If you don't come with me peacefully right now, someone's going to get hurt."

Willow's dad could barely contain his frustration. He turned to look at the dark-haired low life of a man behind him. His crooked teeth and greasy hair completed the picture perfectly. Carlos sighed. He couldn't chance Willow getting hurt. Folding up his chair, he followed the man behind the maintenance shed for the fields. The man prompted him to give up his wand, and he complied without fighting, hoping that it would convince him to leave his daughter alone. Carlos cast a glance at Willow just as she scored a goal for her team. A little spark of hope lit in his chest as they celebrated together, smiling and cheering as a team.

"Let's go, Carlos."

Willow's dad grabbed the man's wrist, and in a blink, they were gone, leaving no trace of themselves.

Willow bade goodbye to her friends and began walking towards the opposite sideline where the cars were parked. She squinted her eyes, trying to find her dad, but with no such luck. Willow became confused when she realized that her dad's car was no where in sight. Her heart began to pick up the pace with worry. Did he forget her here? It was possible, but he had never forgotten anything as far as Willow could remember, even when she was a toddler. Where had he gone?

"Willow, are your parents here?" Coach asked as she walked up behind Willow.

"My dad brought me here and stayed to watch the game, as far as I know, but he and the car are gone now," Willow replied, fighting the panic rising in her system.

"Hm, let's wait a few more minutes for him to show up."

Willow frantically searched the horizon for any sign of her dad. He never just left. He always said something first, even if it was an emergency. She felt a lump form in her throat. This was becoming too much too fast. Where was her dad?

Just then, a familiar car turned into the complex. Willow breathed a sigh of relief and ran towards the car.

"Thank you, Coach!" she shouted.

"You're welcome, Willow!"

The driver's window rolled down and her father's face was smiling at her. "Sorry, Willow! I had an urgent call to attend to."

"That's okay!" Willow said as she got into the passenger seat.

Her father simply smiled at her for a good while, letting the car run. Willow suppressed an unexplained shiver. This was so unlike her father. He never stared at her, and was always in a hurry to get home. What was up with him today?

Suddenly, a cackling laughter that was most definitely not her father's burst from the driver's seat. "Little girl, you have so much to learn."

Willow's blood boiled. Of course. It's because this wasn't her father.

"Obviously. I'm only a first year," Willow seethed. "What do you want?" 

"I'm taking you home, to your real home, you ungrateful brat."

Willow froze. "My mum's?"

"Why would you think anywhere else is worthy of purebloods like us?"

"Because I didn't realize that certain geographical locations had anything to do with the 'worthiness' of someone's family," Willow snapped. "Pureblood mania is the reason you're such a scum."

The man in the seat next to her growled. "You better watch your tongue, girl. You'll be without it sooner than you'd like."

That shut her up real quick.

Willow watched in despair as her oblivious coach drove away, leaving her alone with this maniac from the despised half of her family. After a few minutes, the man barked at her to get out of the car. Willow opened the door and dropped to the ground.

Suddenly, an idea formed in Willow's head. She slipped her hand into the side pocket of her soccer bag where she kept emergency supplies. Willow found what she needed and stuffed it into her pocket. Before she could change her mind, she sprinted away from the car.

"Hey! Get back here! Hey!"

A burst of color whizzed past Willow's ear. Fear coursed through her veins, encouraging her legs to go faster. Footsteps pounded after her. Willow imagined the man breathing down her neck, and her legs were moved to go even faster than they've ever run before.

She had almost reached the busy intersection when Willow suddenly lost control of her legs. Willow fell face-first into the ground, knocking the air out of her as she did so. She desperately tried to move them but to no avail. Her mind went into super overdrive as the footsteps slowed. Willow shoved her hand into her pocket, gripping the item she had brought.

"You insolent child! What made you think running would help you? Petri-"

"Stupefy!" Willow shouted, revealing her wand as she did so.

"What- Agh!"

Willow nearly dropped her wand in shock when the man was knocked hard onto his back, but she recovered quickly when he started firing spells at her, the stunning spell only having a minuscule effect on him. She took off again towards her goal. There were at least ten cars passing by on that part of the road. If she could make it there, she could get help, and-

Willow's entire body went numb. She froze mid-stride and fell forward from her momentum. A cry managed to escape her lips as her face was painfully smashed into the asphalt road, leaving a nice bruise for later. Willow heard laughter from several feet away.

"Stupid girl! You don't know nearly enough yet!"

Willow truly wanted to cry as she was stripped of her wand and stood up on her feet. A few seconds later, completely unaffected by Apparation this time, Willow found herself in a sickeningly familiar house.

"Willow, darling!" an overly boisterous woman cooed.

"Hi, Auntie," Willow mumbled.

"Oh, I haven't seen you in ages! Do tell of your trip to gather your Hogwarts supplies?"

"Margret, not now," the man growled. "This brat needs to learn some respect for her superiors. Where is she?"

Margret sniffed indignantly. "Waiting for you in the dungeons. Try to be patient, Alex. She's in one of her moods."

So mum's new friend- or boyfriend, for all she knew- was Alex, the person her dad had dealt with not too long ago. Great. Willow recalled how terrible the story was that her father had told. Alex was dark, unfriendly, and certainly not allowed to touch a living creature ever again.

The counter-curse was cast, and Willow was free to move again. But she wasn't going anywhere fast. Alex snickered as he shoved her forward. Willow was poked harshly in the back before being guided through the long, wide hallways of her mother's estate. The whole place was dark and dreary. Wallpaper peeled off the walls; portraits of ancient relatives glowered as they passed. Every once in a while, Willow heard a house elf whimpering behind closed doors. Willow shivered when a far-off scream reached her ears. She had never liked the vibes her mother's house produced, and the leering decor didn't help one bit. The family artifacts were kept and displayed for all to see in spotless glass cases around the house, but most meant nothing to Willow. She didn't care for anything that belonged to such a disgusting family.

Willow cried out in pain when Alex jabbed her in the back again. "Turn left!"

Seething with anger, Willow stomped down the adjacent hallway until she reached the end, where a door materialized. Alex opened it with a key and shoved her through it. Willow wrinkled her nose as the overpowering smell of must and dampness smacked her in the face. All she could hear was the drip, drip, drip of an unknown leak and the pounding of her own heart. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden darkness. With everything wreathed in blackness, it gave the rusty cell doors and even more menacing look.

"Willow!"

"Dad!" Willow cried, breaking free from Alex's grasp and running to her father, who was stuck behind bars.

"What happened to you?" he asked, worry etched into his face as he stood up.

"I could ask the same question!"

"You were both kidnapped. What else would you expect?" Alex sighed dramatically, his voice laced with sarcasm. He flashed his silver eyes at Willow. "Don't get any ideas. You aren't trusted enough to roam around free, princess. You'll have your cell shortly."

"No! Why can't I stay with my father?" Willow yelled as Alex grabbed her from behind.

"Get your hands off my daughter!" Willow's dad yelled, shaking his cell door.

"Stop-touching-me!" Willow screamed.

Willow bit down hard on Alex's hand. He yowled in pain and dropped her, allowing her the time to put space between them. She faced up to her opponent as he glared at her.

"You will never be part of this family!" he shouted.

"When did I ever want to be a part of it?" Willow shot back.

Alex sprang onto her before she had time to react. The two slammed into the ground, all of the air suddenly escaping Willow. She coughed as she rolled over, kicking Alex off of her. He was back on his victim in seconds, repeatedly swinging his fists at her while Willow barely dodged the blows.

"Alex!" Willow's dad roared, pounding his cell door.

Willow saw an opportunity when Alex hesitated for half a second. She drew her hand back, then swung up with all her might and connected with Alex's jaw. A satisfying crack echoed through the chamber followed by the agonizing cries of Alex. Willow once again kicked him off of her, this time jumping to her feet. She pulled her foot back, pretended she was kicking a soccer ball through the goal netting, and hit Alex right where it hurts. His voice slipped to an octave higher when he screamed, then began squirming in pain.

"That's my girl, Willow!" her dad cheered.

"Think next time before you decide to attack little girls, you son of a- !"

"Silencio!"

Willow was cut short when a loud voice bounced from stone to stone in the dungeon, ringing in her ears. Her voice box shut down and she lost the ability to speak. She flipped herself around to find three women smiling patronizingly at her.

"Well done, Willow!" the woman who cast the spell mockingly applauded. "I did hope you had amounted to something over the past few years, but quite frankly, you have surprised me for once!"

"I missed you too," Willow mumbled.

"Speak louder when speaking to your mother!" she barked. Willow's mother resumed her falseness once more. "Now then, will you be a dear for me and have a seat? I think it's quite time we have a mother-daughter chat."

"Be careful Willow, she can- " Willow's dad warned.

"Silencio!" Willow's mother shouted again. "God, Carlos, you really are an annoying little prat."

Willow's dad glared daggers at the woman he once loved, appearing to Willow as if he wanted to bash her over the head. Instead, he looked on, trapped behind the rusty bars of his cell, unable to speak.

"Willow, dear, please take a seat."

Obeying, Willow lowered herself onto the wet cobblestone, ensuring that she was as far away from Alex as possible. Her mother stood towering above her, her purple hair giving Willow the impression of a punk rock star, but nothing like her favorite artist, who was actually compassionate and caring.

"How have you been?" Willow's mom asked.

"I could be worse."

"Football been okay?" She twirled her wand playfully, seeming to taunt Willow. The rage in her stomach spilled over.

"Look, just get to the point!" Willow exploded. "I know you don't care about me. You don't give a damn about Dad and I's well being, let alone what's happening in our daily lives. You were too coward to show your face with me in public, so you sent your new boyfriend here to do your dirty work for you! I've been kidnapped and held prisoner within my own family! What do you want with me?"

Willow's mother blinked several times before saying, "I love you, Willow! You're my only daughter! That's why I want you to come live with me."

Willow felt like she had just been run over by a truck. She blinked a few times, wondering if she'd heard her mother wrong. "Wait, wait, wait, you want me to come live with you?"

Her mother's eyes watered like she was genuinely hurt. "Why don't you want to come live with your mum? I never see you anymore!"

Willow's heart dropped like a stone. Whenever her mum did this, it made her remember what she was like before the incident: fun, happy, caring, and filled with all the love in the world. Willow bit her tongue as she pressed down those memories, her eyes threatening tears. She fumbled for words for a second before managing to speak again. "What about dad?"

The glimpse of tenderness was gone nearly as fast as it came. "Because he's an awful blood traitor that should never have come into this privileged family!"

Willow groaned. "I've heard this speech too many times, mum. And you're wrong. There's no such thing as a blood traitor. The only traitor in this house is you."

Willow's mother straightened herself and stiffened, a deadly fire in her eyes. "I see I have much work to do with you before you go off to Hogwarts. Put her in a cell! I'll see if she's learned her lesson by tomorrow."

Willow tried to run but was caught between two very strong womens' arms. She struggled and kicked against them, but in the end she was simply thrown into a wall and shut inside the cell adjacent to her father's. Her mother laughed when Willow struggled to get up.

"See, she's getting better already!" she observed in mock impressiveness. "Have a good evening, darling!"

Willow shot to her feet in anger but weakly fell against the bars of her cell, black dots dancing before her eyes.

"You coward!" Willow screamed.

The only response was distant laughter, the slam of a door, and a key turning in the lock. Willow hit the rusty cell door one last time before slumping against the wall.

"It's no use, Willow," her father said.

Willow huffed. "I just can't stand her! What did you ever see in her?"

"We've already talked about this, Will-"

"I know, I know, 'You can't see everything that happens in the future.' Still, how could you not notice that?"

Carlos sighed. "You and I both know it's not her fault."

Willow pulled her knees up to her chest. "I know, it's just hard to wrap my head around it. Here I had the best mother I could ever ask for, then she gets snatched away by some- some-" Willow paused as her voice shook. "I wish that she didn't have such a horrible family. I'll bet you a million pounds that they played some part in this."

"They probably did, but what have I always told you since you were little?"

"You've told me a lot since I was little."

Carlos laughed as the corners of Willow's mouth twitched in a slight smile. "No one is born good or evil. We decide as we get older which we are. It's the people around us that drive us to madness, or save us and teach us wrong and right, good and bad. Only you can succumb to darkness or defeat it with light."

Willow tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Mum was so brave- growing up with all these horrible, fake people, yet becoming the most incredible, considerate, caring woman in the world because of it."

Carlos wistfully recalled, "She was an angel when I first met her. I saw the good and bad in her, but chose to help her goodness shine brighter. It worked quite well until a few years ago."

Willow could hardly contain her tears. "I want Mum back."

Carlos sighed. "Me too, pumpkin. Me too."

Wiping her eyes, Willow said, "Well, I'd go get her myself, but I'm not sure I want to anymore after the bomb she just dropped."

"What do you mean?"

Willow drew his wand out of her pocket and tapped on the cell doors. Carlos grabbed it in astonishment, turning it over in his hands to make sure it was real.

"How did you get this?"

"Alex guards his pockets nearly as well as his groins in a fight."

Carlos bellowed with laughter again, unable to control himself. "That was absolutely textbook. You kicked his butt!"

Willow beamed proudly. "Alright, that's your wand. I have mine. If you can unlock yourself and get me out, I think I know where we can go to escape their Apparation spells."

Carlos stepped out his cell the second she finished her sentence. A few moments later, Willow was hugging her dad, welcoming his warmth and confidence. Carlos pulled away and glanced around, looking for possible exits.

"Where were you thinking?"

"Follow me," Willow said, striding quickly to the edge of the dungeon. A small window sat just below the ceiling here, allowing a few beams of light to pierce the darkness.

"There's water leaking a few meters to the right of this window," Willow observed. "I think there might be a body of water right up against this side of the house. Can you see through the window?"

Willow's dad stood on his tiptoes (he wasn't the tallest of people), squinting his eyes as he peered through the dirty glass. "Yes, good news! I think there's a small pond nearby."

"Perfect! If we could just weaken this wall and cause water to flood this dungeon, we might be able to swim outside and get out of their range."

Carlos suddenly furrowed his brow in thought. "Do you think Alex has figured out that we have our wands yet?"

"CARLOS!!!!!" a far off voice screamed at the top of his lungs.

"I think that answers your question," Willow said hurriedly. "Can you- ?"

"Reducto!"

Willow covered her ears just as the brick exploded. Water poured in, instantly soaking her shoes and sweeping her off her feet.

"Willow!" Carlos shouted.

Willow felt herself being yanked upright and pressed against the solid part of the wall. Water continued to gush into the basement, but thankfully didn't fill it up due to its massive size. Running footsteps sprinted across the flooring above their heads. Carlos whipped out his wand and sent a jet of light towards the door, right before the handle began being clicking.

"Carlos! Open this door!" Alex roared.

More voices began shouting but were drowned out by the onset of water rushing into the cavern. Carlos shifted his grip on Willow.

"Get ready to swim!" he yelled above the deafening sound.

Willow shoved her wand deep into her pocket, hoping that it wouldn't float away. Shocking shivers rippled down her spine with every bang on the door.

"1....2....3!"

Willow was shoved into the waves just as the door exploded off its hinges. She instantly began paddling as fast as she could, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her father's reassuring strokes fueled her will to keep going against the impossible current. Willow was quickly tiring, though, her soccer game having taken a toll on her energy level.

Her lungs burned. Her legs ached. Her arms were jelly. Darkness deepened around her eyes and drug her down, slowing her efforts. She was so close, yet so far...

Suddenly, Willow burst through the surface. She gasped for air as she treaded water, struggling to stay afloat. Her mind was scattered. Willow almost called out for help when her father grabbed her in his strong arms and towed her to the nearby shore.

"Hang on, pumpkin," her father encouraged. "We're almost there."

Willow thought her arms must have weighed a ton each. It was a struggle to even remove herself from the water. Coughing and spluttering, she hacked up all the water that invaded her lungs as she drug herself across the small, sandy beach.

"Thank God I'm a swimmer, or you'd be sleeping with the fishes."

"Shut- up," Willow wheezed.

"I know, 'Dad, I hate water!' You'll get plenty of practice in the lake at Hogwarts."

For once, Willow felt a match light a spark of hope in her chest. Hogwarts would rescue her from this ridiculous reality. She could stay there all year, escape it all...

"But...you'll still be stuck out here, dodging them," Willow said, gesturing towards the dark house looming to their right.

Carlos straightened up. "Don't worry about me, Willow. Speaking of dodging, let's get out of range before they start firing at us."

Willow stood up with help from her dad, then began the long run to the edge of the property. The fence that marked the boundary also marked the edge of the spells that protected and helped monitor the home. Willow had paid close attention when her mother would take her here while she was younger, and that information was about to save her life. She vowed to count her lucky stars every night for this.

"Almost there," Willow panted. "As soon as we get beyond the fence, we can Apparate out of this place."

"Good. I'm looking forward to a nice, long nap."

"Me to- "

"There they are!"

The two runaways froze for a second when Alex's chilling voice carried over the fields. They glanced back and saw several witches and wizards on broomsticks, scouring the property. Carlos grabbed Willow and violently shoved her forward.

"Run!" he ordered.

Willow tried her best not to stumble as she sprinted for her life. Her blood roared in her ears, heart pounding like a drum. She struggled to control her breathing as panic threatened to take over.

They were going to be overtaken within the minute. Flying on broomsticks is a much quicker method of transportation than running, and with skilled witches and wizards on them, the pursuants closed in even faster. Willow began falling behind her dad when she heard the evil cackling of her mother high above the ground, sending fear rocketing through her every vein.

"Come on, Willow! We're almost there!" Carlos yelled. "We can make it!"

The fence was only two football fields away now. They were so close, it was agonizing. Willow felt as if her lungs would collapse at any moment, followed closely by her legs.

Breathe, you fool, a voice echoed in Willow's head.

Willow nearly stopped short in her tracks. She was reminded to keep running, however, when a spell smashed into the ground a few inches from her feet. Yelping, Willow shot off again, faster than ever before.

Control yourself. You're going to destroy your lungs, dummy.

Willow gave up all of her last efforts to controlling her breathing. Though black dots began to dance before her eyes, she obeyed; in four counts, out four counts; in four counts, out four counts.

You are wild. You are free. No one can tame you- obviously, since you're a Guerrero.

Confidence surged through Willow from an unknown source. She closed her eyes, keeping her inhaling and exhaling steady.

You are a magnificent creature, a rarity among the masses. No one can harm you. You're meant for much bigger things than this moment in time, so don't screw up.

Willow no longer heard her dad's screaming. She did not pay the slightest attention to jets of color creating craters in the earth all around her, missing by inches. Willow did not even hear her own heart beating anymore; all she knew was her breath on the wind, untamable, intangible.

You are as strong as an ox, as free as the wind, as restless as a newborn foul.

No one can be you. Now watch this, because it's going to be really cool.

Willow didn't even register the transformation as it occurred. One moment she was an eleven-year-old girl running for her life, the next she was a beautiful mare, hooves pounding the ground, galloping at speeds unfathomable towards the fence. She opened her eyes and saw herself catch up to her father in a matter of seconds. Willow's heart jumped. What was happening to her? Had someone bewitched her mind? Was she going crazy? Another jet of light split the earth nearby and reminded her that there was no room for panic. She took advantage of her new speed, pushed away all concerns, and sprinted towards her father.

Willow tried to speak, but failed. Instead, a loud whiny followed by a neigh alerted her father to her presence. He almost tripped in shock, eyes widening farther than humanely possible. But his survival instincts prevailed. He grabbed Willow's mane in his strong hands and swung himself onto her back. Willow tossed her head and willed herself into a full gallop towards the edge of the property. Her new body and lungs allowed her to stretch herself farther beyond her human abilities than she ever could have imagined. Not in her wildest dreams had Willow thought that she would be able to run nearly forty kilometers per hour.

Willow didn't run away in fear from the hundreds of spells that tossed up the earth around her. She didn't feel the pain in her lungs. She didn't think about anything except reaching that wooden fence now merely meters away.

Fifty meters...forty meters...

The witches and wizards cursed and hexed and jinxed with everything they had, outraged at this sudden turn in events.

Thirty meters...twenty meters...

A spell showered rocks and dirt in Willow's eyes, but she ignored the pain and blinked it out. Her long, slender legs rippled with muscle as she rocketed towards her goal.

Ten meters...

She was so close to the fence. Just a few more strides, and...

"Willow, jump!" Carlos shouted frantically.

Willow gathered herself, tensed her muscles, and launched herself far over the fence. She soared several meters before hitting the ground running. Carlos suddenly lost his grip and began bumping up and down on Willow's back. Then, he cried out as he flew off, hitting the grass with a sickening thud.

Willow immediately skidded to a stop and turned herself around. By the time she was back at her father's side, she had made the transition from horse to witch again. Willow barely noticed.

"Dad!" she shouted, shaking his limp body.

Willow frantically glanced up at the sky, horrified to see her family flying merely a half football field away. They fired spells at them with increasing fury and accuracy.

"Dad! We need to get out of here! Now!"

Carlos's eyes flew open. He took one look at the sky before whipping his wand out and transporting them kilometers away instantaneously.

Willow gasped when she found herself back in a familiar setting. She collapsed in a heap on her living room floor, her father already on his feet. He made eye contact with his daughter, a mix of emotions swimming in them.

"Willow, I'm so sorry, pumpkin," he apologized.

"It's not- your...fault," Willow choked out between heaving breaths.

"We can't stay here. Your mother will find us if we do."

"I figured," Willow coughed, her chest tightening. Apparently, all that work she had done as a horse was taking its toll. She struggled to breathe at all, but stayed strong and listened to her father.

"We have to pack our stuff and go. I know a place where we can hide for the remainder of the summer."

"Where?"

"I can't tell you yet. Just shove as much stuff into your suitcase as you can. I'll enchant it for you."

Willow painfully rose to her feet, then rushed upstairs. She hurriedly began opening up her drawers and shoving every article of clothing in sight into her suitcase. Her father was in shortly and placed a strong spell on the suitcase that apparently made its storage capacity increase so that she could fit in it. Willow didn't hesitate for a second until all of her clothes had disappeared into the depths of her suitcase. Then, she grabbed her cosmetic bag, thankful that she kept all of her essentials in one place.

"Willow, are you ready?" Carlos feverishly asked.

"One second!" she insisted.

Willow dragged her suitcase over to her nightstand where she kept the few items that she held close to her heart: her writing kit, her camera, and her photo album. She stuffed all of it into her suitcase, then dragged it with surprisingly little difficulty onto the landing outside of her room.

"Alright, we're going to Apparate one more time, pumpkin, then we'll be safe. Okay?" her dad promised.

"Let's go."

Carlos took Willow's free hand in his, and in a flash, they were gone.

Willow stumbled and fell into her father when they reappeared. She was met with soft grass tickling her nose and a gentle breeze caressing her sore back. When she picked her head up, Willow saw a wonderful sight.

A tall, teetering house that seemed to be a patchwork of mismatched rooms stacked on top of one another stood in the distance, strangely fitting together in a backwards kind of way. The chimney pumped out puffs of smoke that drifted lazily into the atmosphere. A long gravel driveway connected it to an old country road that pried a path through kilometers upon kilometers of cornfields. There was a single old, blue car sitting in front of the house. Willow wondered how the whole family could fit in there if there were indeed as many people living in that house as the structure suggested.

"Come on, Willow," her father urged. "We just have to make it into the house, and we're in the clear."

Willow shakily stood up and trudged slowly towards the house, exhaustion creeping in now that the adrenaline was wearing off. Every step felt like moving a cement block. Her mind was cloudy and full of fuzz; she couldn't even begin to process the events that lead up to her arrival here. Everything had happened too quickly. She would have plenty of time after a good night's sleep to catch herself up.

After what seemed like an eternity, Willow and her father reached the front doorstep. Carlos rang the doorbell. A pleasant chime was sent throughout the house, answered by footsteps running towards them. Willow wanted to cry with relief when a middle-aged woman answered the door, her eyes widening with shock.

"Carlos? What are you doing here?" she asked. The woman caught sight of Willow. "And with your daughter!"

"My wife decided to have us pay a visit," Willow's dad replied, his tone wreathed in acid.

"Oh, dear God!" the woman exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand. "Come in, come in!"

The woman ushered Willow and Carlos inside, making them sit down on the couch. She took the pair's bags and set them aside for the time being. 

"Arthur, get down here this instant!" the woman called upstairs.

A man came stomping down the stairs. "Jeez, Molly, what could possibly- !" He stopped short when he saw Willow's dad. "Carlos?"

"Arthur, I couldn't be more glad to see your face," Willow's dad said, cracking a painful smile.

"Carlos! What on Earth happened to you? You look terrible!"

Indeed, both Willow and her dad had the appearance of two homeless persons that got into a street fight. Their eyes had heavy bags under them from strain; their faces were covered with dirt and scratches; their breathing was rather ragged and heavy.

"Not now, Arthur," the woman named Molly chided. "They need food and rest, not chatter. Where are Fred and George?"

"Upstairs. Should I- "

"Call them! I need their help."

Arthur walked over to the stairs. "Fred! George! Your mother requires your assistance."

"Aw, dad!"

"We were just playing with- "

"Boys, now!" Molly shouted.

More footsteps cascaded down the stairs.

"Blimey, Mum."

"We were coming, you know."

Willow turned as two red-headed boys hit the ground floor. They looked like exact copies of each other, and Willow- who could normally tell apart any set of twins- found no indication of a difference between them. Both wore the same goofy smile on their face, giving Willow the impression that they were troublemakers.

"Boys, I would like you to meet Carlos and Willow, some friends of your father from the Ministry."

Fred and George turned their gazes to the newcomers. Willow shyly smiled in return, wanting to shrink under all the sudden attention.

"They need to stay here for a little while before school begins. Take their bags upstairs to the guest bedroom, please."

"Yes, Mum," they said in unison before taking the bags and flying up the stairs again. Molly and Arthur took this chance to sit down with their guests.

"Willow, are you alright, dear?" Molly asked.

"I think so," Willow replied uncertainly. Her chest hurt worse than it had ever hurt before, but that was probably because of the whole horse thing. Willow's brain began firing again as that memory shot to the surface.

"Dad, what in the heck did I do?" Willow asked.

"I'm not exactly sure myself, but I'll give you my best crack at it later, Willow," Carlos promised.

Molly and Arthur didn't seem bothered by this small side conversation in the least. "Well, you can tell your story later," Molly said. "For now, you both need food and rest. I'll fix something for you real quick."

Molly and Arthur worked together to prepare a small meal while Fred and George returned from their trip upstairs, bickering with each other.

"Oi, Freddy, I beat you to the door!"

"No, I got you by at least half a meter, George."

"You're a lier!"

"You're a cheat!"

"Boys! Stop it!" Molly ordered. The boys instantly ceased their petty argument. Willow marveled at how well the entire household listened to Mrs. Weasley, as if it revolved around her leadership. "Entertain our guests in the meantime, will you?"

Fred and George happily complied and plopped down on the couch across from Willow and Carlos.

"So, are you a first year, Willow?" George asked.

"Yes."

"You're in the same year as ickle Ronniekins, then!" Fred said.

"Is that your brother?"

"Yes, and he's quite something, you'll see," George added, winking jokingly at Willow.

"Oh, he's something, alright," Fred said sarcastically.

"I think any friend I can make before school begins will make my life a thousand times easier," Willow admitted.

"That's true, I suppose."

"Unless that friend is your twin."

"Oh, shut up, George!"

"I speak the truth, Freddy!"

Willow laughed. "If I had a sibling, I don't know what I'd do."

"You're an only child?"

"Yes, actually."

"Blimey, that's- Hang on a second, what happened to your face?" Fred asked. "I know it's got a lot of cuts and scratches on it, God knows Mum won't ever tell us why, but you've got an awful bruise."

"I do?" Willow asked, estimating that her face was probably all one shade of purple with the attention she was receiving. "That might be when Alex put me on my face. I really hate that man..."

"We better not ask, then," Gorge said. "But I can make Fred get some ice for you."

"That would be great," Willow admitted.

Fred got up and went into the kitchen, sneaking around Mrs. Weasley, and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. He threw it to Willow, who caught it with no problem.

"Even exhausted she's got better hands than Ron!" Fred said.

"I'm not that good, really," Willow promised, pressing the ice pack against her cheek bone. "I just have really good focus for some reason."

"Wish I had that..." George trailed off.

"Here we go! Eat up!" Molly exclaimed, setting plates full of food in front of Willow and Carlos.

Both ate in silence for a while. Mrs. Weasley sent the twins upstairs to get out of their hair. When they were finished with their food, Arthur helped them find the guest bedroom. Carlos went to the bathroom while Willow jumped straight into one of the two beds. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.


	2. Year 1: Chapter 2

Willow woke up around seven o'clock that evening. She sat up, stretching her stiff legs. Her father was laying in the bed next to her, out like a light. Careful not to wake him, she tiptoed past his bed and shut the door noiselessly.

Willow found her way down the stairs and into the Weasley's living room. Molly, Arthur, and the twins were seated at the kitchen table adjacent to it, along with several other redheaded children that Willow had not seen yet.

"Willow!" Molly exclaimed. "Did you sleep alright?"

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," Willow replied shyly. "Thank you very much."

"Oh, don't thank me, dear. You've been through a lot today."

"Come join us, Willow!" Arthur invited. "We were just talking about the new school year coming up!"

Willow accepted gratefully and joined the family. She took a seat between a girl and a boy similar in age.

"Hi!" the girl greeted cheerfully. "I'm Ginny!"

"I'm Ron," the boy next to her added awkwardly.

Willow laughed. "It's nice to meet you both."

"You hear that, Ronniekins?" Fred asked.

"It's 'nice to meet you'," George teased.

"Boys! Stop it!" Molly scolded.

Fred and George snickered from across the table while Ron reddened.

"Alright, where were we then...Ah, yes! Did you get all of your things at Diagon Alley yet, Willow?" Arthur inquired.

"I did just yesterday, actually."

"Ron still needs to get a few things from his list, so we may go some time this week," Arthur said.

"Can we all go?" Ginny burst out.

"Yes, Ginny, we always go as a family," Ron groaned.

"I thought Diagon Alley was quite lovely," Willow remarked. "Since I was so unaware of most magic, it was amazing to finally find out more about it. I even met Harry Potter in Flourish and Blotts."

Arthur did a double take. "The Harry Potter?"

"Bloody hell, how did you get that lucky?" Fred asked.

"Fred!" Molly snapped.

"Sorry Mum."

"I still don't understand quite who he is, and I'm afraid he doesn't know his own backstory, either," Willow admitted.

"You don't know the story?" Ron gasped, incredulous.

"Well, we can exchange stories later tonight," Mrs. Weasley said. "For now, would you mind telling Willow here a bit more about Hogwarts, Fred? George?"

"Gladly," the twins said in unison. Willow sensed mischief in their voices.

"For one thing, you better watch out for those prefects," Fred began.

"Yes, they can be dreadful at times," George agreed.

"I'm right here, you dimwits!" an older boy complained. "I'm Percy, by the way, and I'm going to be a prefect next year. You don't need to watch out for us, unlike these two. Us prefects are supposed to help you, and we keep grievances within our Houses so that the professors don't have to deal with every little problem students like Fred and George cause."

"Why do you always use us as an example?" George whined.

"That's because you two are always causing trouble!" Ginny interrupted.

"It can always brighten your day when you stir up a bit of fun," Fred said, winking at Willow. Mrs. Weasley gave him a death glare that made him slightly shrink away. "Anyway, on with the rest of the pointers and warnings about Hogwarts."

"Watch out for the moving staircases. You'll be late for class if you miss your interval."

"Don't let the portraits or ghosts distract you; George and I missed an entire Charms class chasing after Peeves once."

"There's such thing as ghosts?" Willow asked. "And how could portraits distract you?"

Fred and George smiled. "For a pureblood, you sure don't know much."

"What Freddy means is that ghosts are witches or wizards that decide to take that route of afterlife, and portraits contain live, moving images of people," George explained.

"Wow!" Willow breathed. "I have a lot of catching up to do."

"Don't fret; there's plenty of Muggleborns that will be catching up with you."

"What's a Muggleborn?"

"A witch or wizard born into a non-magical family," Ginny explained. "They don't know magic even exists until they get their Hogwarts letter."

"I guess I'm a little ahead, then."

"Does anyone care for a fire tonight?" Mr. Weasley asked, standing up.

"Me! Me! Me!" Ginny shouted.

"Come on outside, then!"

Willow followed as everyone filed out the front door and headed into the backyard, where an enormous firepit surrounded by a circle of stone waited patiently. The late afternoon light reflected onto the small patch of woods nearby, bathing the treetops in soft, warm colors.

"Everyone needs to gather some logs. Can you do that for me?" Arthur asked.

"Sure!" Willow said.

"Why can't we use magic?" Fred and George groaned.

"Because it's illegal! End of story! Now, go on and find some logs!"

Willow followed the children as they headed into the woods, sticking with Ginny as they began splitting up. The girls found some fairly decent wood rather quickly.

"Are you a first year, Ginny?" Willow questioned.

"No, but next year I will be," she replied, bending over to pick up a log.

"Wait, that log is wet," Willow warned.

"What?"

"I mean, it's easier to burn wood that's dry, that's all," Willow explained quietly, looking at her feet. She cursed internally at herself. She needed to work on keeping her extensive knowledge to herself. Thankfully, Ginny didn't mind.

"Oh, thank you!" Ginny said. She picked up a different log. "Is this one good?"

"I think so!" Willow replied, picking up one of her own.

"So, why have I never seen you before?" Ginny started as they began trekking back to the Burrow. "Our parents seem to know each other pretty well."

"My dad is never home, but he works at the Ministry, so I'm guessing he works closely with your father?"

"I think he's mentioned working on projects with a certain Carlos before."

"Well, my dad never really bothered to explain what magic was to me, or took the time to tell me what a wonderful world there was of it."

"Do you not get along very well with him?"

"Oh, no!" Willow chuckled. "I love my dad. It's not his fault that he's so overworked and gone all the time. He constantly wishes that he could stay home with me instead. But sometimes I do wonder if it would have killed him to tell me something."

"Parents have their reasons for withholding things from their children. It happens all the time to me."

"I suppose that's true."

"What about your mum? Does she live with you?"

Willow closed down for a second, glancing over her shoulder in embarrassment. "My parents split up two years ago. She's not exactly much of a mother figure to me anymore."

"Oh, Willow, I'm so sorry," Ginny apologized, her cheeks flooding with scarlet. "I didn't mean...I didn't mean to- "

"It's fine, Ginny," Willow cut in, smiling sadly. "You couldn't have known, and I'm sure it's hard to imagine when you live in such a happy family. I'm mostly over it."

"That's good."

"So...what do witches and wizards do for fun?"

"Well, there's this wonderful game called Quidditch that I'll have to explain to you later, but other than that there's several magical games. Wizard's chess is fairly popular among those who are smart enough for it. When I was a kid, we would play hide-and-jinx, which is like Muggle's hide-and-seek with jinxing the person you find instead of making them the next person it."

"Those all sound right up my alley."

"What about you? What do Muggles do for fun, other than hide-and-seek?"

"All kinds of things! There's sports, board games, video games, music, dancing, and a lot more that would take me forever to remember."

"Wow! I didn't know that Muggles came up with so much. They must really like their entertainment. I suppose their life would be quite boring without out magic, though, so it kind of makes sense."

"That does, actually, now that I think about it."

"What exactly are sports?" Ginny asked, changing the subject. "I've heard they're like the Muggle equivalent of Quidditch."

"Sort of. A few examples are hockey, baseball, soccer, and basketball. All of them are variations of games that use a ball, but with different objectives, rules, and other factors. I'll have to teach you how to play soccer- that's my favorite one."

"They sound so interesting!"

"It really is quite fun to watch. I'm going to have a hard time not playing for my soccer club anymore. Maybe I can find time and space to play on the Hogwarts ground when I'm there during the school year."

"Why?"

"I've played soccer my whole life! I don't remember a day that's gone by where I haven't at least watched a soccer game on TV. It's basically my life, other than music and school."

"Maybe we should make a trade: I take you to a Quidditch game, you take me to a soccer game. Deal?"

"Deal!"

Willow and Ginny arrived back at the Burrow by this point. The three boys had already returned, throwing their logs into the firepit, and they learned that Percy had decided to hole himself up in his room for the night. It didn't matter that much to Willow. Percy seemed nice enough, but she thought he was kind of fake. Ginny and she threw theirs logs in, then stepped back and watched as Mr. Weasley set them on fire with a flick of his wand.

"Dad, I thought you were trying to start fires the Muggle way!" Ron scolded.

"I've tried, son, and creating it without magic is impossible! I just don't understand how they do it!"

"Willow probably knows how!" Ginny blurted out.

"I do?" Willow whispered to herself.

"Another time, Ginny." Arthur waved her exclamation away and sat down near the edge of the pit, tending to the flames with a large stick.

The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon at this point. Willow showed Ginny how to make shadow-puppets that spanned the entire side of the Burrow. Fred and George inevitably joined in, and it became an all-out war for who had the biggest and baddest creature. Ron simply watched, his cheeks ruddy from laughter. Willow went down in flames when Fred crushed her lion with an enormous dragon. The fun ended when the sun went all the way down, covering the landscape in darkness. It was about that time that Carlos and Molly made an appearance.

"Good evening, Carlos!" Arthur greeted.

"Hello, Arthur. Wonderful fire you've got going tonight!"

Everyone found a comfortable spot and placed themselves in a ring around the fire, allowing a comfortable silence to settle. Willow found herself relaxing while she watched the flames. The Weasleys seemed to her like a wonderful family, full of fun love. She thought, as she traced the flame's dancing patterns with her eyes, that maybe she would be well off when she began school.

"Well, now seems as good a time as any to begin storytelling," Arthur announced suddenly. "Would you care to share about your crazy day, Willow? Carlos?"

"I will," Willow said, eyeing her exhausted-looking father.

"Wait, did something bad happen to you this morning?" Ginny asked worriedly, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Sadly, yes," Willow sighed. "I was at my soccer game this morning when my dad apparently disappeared. Since I was playing, I didn't know until afterwards. A guy named Alex used some sort of potion to disguise himself as my father when he came to pick me up in my dad's car. I didn't know until he started acting weird while we sat in the parking lot an extra five minutes."

"Ah, that's probably polyjuice potion," Molly said. "It changes a person's appearance into another's when you add someone's hair to the brew."

"You're probably right. Anyway, I brought my wand just in case, since my grandparents taught me a few spells yesterday, only one of which I'm any good at. I grabbed it and took off running. Alex chased me down and thought he had caught me, but I used the stunning spell to distract him while I ran away. It didn't last long before he hit me with a curse that paralyzed my entire body."

"Good God!" Carlos exclaimed. "You failed to mention that part, Willow!"

"Sorry."

"Those two spells were probably the jelly-legs jinx and the Full Body-Binding curse," Arthur implemented.

"How come she gets to use magic and we don't?" George whined.

"Not now, boys," Molly scolded. "Continue on, Willow dear."

"Well...we apparated to my mother's house, and they took me straight to the dungeon. My dad was already in a cell, and Alex tried to put me in one, so I fought him. He may have beaten me, but he's horrendous at defending his open pockets. I stole our wands back and kept them hidden when my mom came down and...chatted with me." Willow glanced at her dad. "I got angry with her, so they threw me behind bars, too. But I gave my dad his wand, and we escaped through some now major foundational damage that we may or may not have caused."

Carlos smiled. "I wish I could've seen the look on Alex's face when we got him soaked. He probably went crying to his mum for more money to replace his brand-new dress shoes!"

Everyone laughed at that joke. When Willow was able to control herself enough to continue, she thought back to the strangest part of her tale.

"This is the part where it gets interesting," she began. "We still had a long way to go from the basement to the edge of the property, where the anti-apparation spells stopped. During our run, we were spotted and chased down via broomstick. They really started catching us in the final stretch. I began to fall behind because I was exhausted and out of shape. Right as I was about to give up, something weird happened: I heard a voice in my head."

"A voice? Could anyone else hear this voice?" Arthur questioned.

"No, as far as I know. It seemed old and insightful, and I have a feeling it was trying to help me."

"What did it say to you?"

"I don't remember the exact words, but it seemed to be coaching me on controlling my breathing, and reaching out my feelings. It was kind of weird, and at the same time...right."

"What happened after that?"

Willow hesitated a moment, wondering if she shouldn't reveal the next part. All eyes turned to her. She wanted to shrink into a tiny insect and fly away at that second, but shoved off the inclination and spoke.

"I don't remember how or when, but one second I was myself, and the next I was a four-legged horse."

Eyes widened in shock and surprise, even Willow's dad's. Ginny beamed uncontrollably.

"That's so cool!" she exploded. "I can't believe you can turn into animals!"

"I don't know about cool, but it did save my dad and I's lives," Willow remarked. "At the time, I didn't believe it either. What really drove it home was when we arrived here, and all the energy and strain I used as a horse transferred to my human body. I had no idea that shape-shifting was even a thing in the magical world."

"There is such a thing as an Animagus," Molly offered. "It's where a magical person can transfigure themself into an animal that corresponds with their personality, but it's at will, never uncontrollable or spontaneous. Witches and wizards have to register to become Animagi."

"I guess I'm just a mystery, then," Willow sighed.

Nobody noticed Carlos shift uncomfortably.

"Well, it's late," Molly concluded. "Off to bed, children. Willow, you can stay out here if you'd like."

"Oh, it's okay, Mrs. Weasley. I'm tired anyway."

"Alright. Goodnight, dears!"

"Night, Mum," the Weasley children echoed.

The five all headed into the Burrow, stars shining overhead. Ginny invited Willow to sleep in her room on the spare bed.

"Sure!" Willow accepted.

The girls headed into the room, then got in the beds and turned the lights out. Willow stared at the ceiling for a bit before Ginny broke the silence.

"Willow?"

"Yeah?"

"What was it like, being a horse?"

Willow smiled. "It felt like I was wild and free, and nobody could harm me, not even my family that was chasing me down. I was untamable; all I had to do to reach my dreams was run towards the horizon."

"That sounds amazing."

"It was."

"Can I ride you next time you do that?"

Willow almost laughed at that. "Yes, Ginny. I'll get a saddle made and everything."

Ginny giggled. "I'll hold you to it."

"Goodnight, Ginny. I'm glad to have met you."

"Me too. Night, Willow."

Willow found herself drifting off to sleep, listening to the gentle breathing of her friend.

"Wake up! Willow, wake up!"

Groaning, Willow opened her eyes. "What?"

"It's morning! We're going to Diagon Alley soon!"

Willow sat bolt upright. "I almost forgot!"

"Come on! Let's go!"

Willow shot out of bed, hot on Ginny's heels. They found everyone, including Carlos, up and rushing around.

"Hurry up and grab a bite!" Arthur urged, seeing the girls first. "We want to get there early before the big rush swamps the place!"

Ginny and Willow grabbed a few pieces of bacon and toast and rushed back upstairs, getting dressed in record time. When they returned to the main floor, they found that they were the only ones ready besides the twins, who were pestering Ron.

"Ronnekins, are you excited for your big day?" Fred teased.

"Our ickle first year brother, getting his first textbooks!" George lamented mockingly.

"Shut up, the both of you," Ron grumbled.

"Oi, Freddy, our dear brother is getting emotional already!"

"He's growing up too fast!"

"Stop it!" Ron said, slapping Fred.

Ginny and Willow giggled quietly, fueling the twins' jeering.

"Watch this!" Ginny whispered to Willow.

"He's already acting out!"

"I think our dear Ronnekins is going to find himself in detention!"

"What will Mum and Dad say?"

"Oi, but they won't have to say anything! A howler should do the trick!"

Ron's eyes widened. "You can actually get those in school?"

"Of course you can!"

"A few unlucky chaps get one every once in a while, eh, George?"

"They become the laughing stock of the school for weeks!"

Ron's eyes widened. His expression changed to terror. "You're kidding, right? I-I wouldn't be allowed to get yelled at in front of the whole school. Mum would never do that to me, right?"

"I wouldn't push your luck."

"It would make for a great pranking opportunity!"

"Wonderful ones, at that."

"I'd like to thank that last bloke that got the brunt of his Mum's anger."

"That one was one of our best yet!"

"Please don't let me get a howler!" Ron begged. "I'll never hear the end of it! I'll never make any friends, all the professors would hate me, Merlin's Beard, they might kick me out of the school-"

"Oh, please, Ron," Ginny interrupted, chortling. "No one has gotten a howler for years. They're messing with you."

Ron angrily turned to his brothers. "You absolute dimwits!"

Fred and George began cracking up. "You should have seen your face!"

"Save me, Freddy!" George quoted.

"I did not say that!"

"Did too!"

"Did no-"

"Boys! Will you stop tricking your brother?" Molly yelled.

"Sorry, Mum!" the twins said, not sincere in the slightest.

The rest of the adults filed into the living room. Molly moved herself to the fireplace, then grabbed a handful of ash out of a bowl nearby.

"Everyone ready?" she asked.

"Yes," everyone replied.

"Be sure to meet in Flourish and Blotts if anything goes wrong!" Molly turned to the fireplace. "Diagon Alley!"

She threw the ashes into the fireplace. Willow stepped back, startled, as the flames suddenly engulfed Mrs. Weasley. They returned to their normal size nearly as quickly as they grew, and Molly had vanished. Fred noticed this and smirked playfully at Willow.

"Never traveled by the Floo Network, eh?"

"What do you think?" Willow countered shakily, smiling.

Fred chuckled at that one. "I think we'll make a prankster out of you yet."

Arthur and Ginny went together, then the twins, leaving Willow, her dad, Ron, and Percy. Ron dragged his older brother over to the fireplace and floo traveled before he could say anything stupid. Willow turned to her dad.

"I like the Weasleys, but I don't like this Percy," she whispered.

Carlos smiled. "Add me to the club."

Willow stepped up to the fireplace, taking a handful of ashes, holding her dad's hand in her free one.

"Diagon Alley!"

The flames swallowed the father and daughter pair, picking them up, sending them flying through the network, and shooting them out the Flourish and Blotts fireplace.

"Blimey, Willow!" Fred exclaimed.

Willow opened her eyes and realized that Fred had caught her when she stumbled out of the fireplace. She stood herself up, brushing off her t-shirt.

"Sorry about that," Willow apologized.

"To answer your question earlier, yes, I think this is definitely your first time using the Floo Network." Fred winked at Willow. She giggled as she followed him to where everyone else had gathered in the corner.

"Alright, Ron, let's take a look at your list," Arthur said, fishing it out of his pocket.

While Arthur began showing Ron where to get his books, George whistled at Fred and Willow.

"Oi! Let's get out of here, Freddy!"

"One moment!" Fred said. He got Carlos's attention. "Do you mind if I show Willow around? I doubt she found the time to explore every corner."

Carlos shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Fred grinned. "Come on, Willow!"

Willow gleefully followed Fred and George into the main street of Diagon Alley. The Weasleys were right to arrive early- a large amount of witches and wizards were now spilling into the streets, filling up every square centimeter of available space. Fred and George seemed accustomed to this, however, and navigated the streets like pros. Willow stayed right on their heels the whole way. Soon, they arrived at a shop with several children goggling at a broom in the window.

"In here, Willow."

George opened the door for Fred and Willow, then followed them inside.

Willow was hit with the refreshing scent of sports equipment the moment she stepped through the door. She immediately felt at home, remembering the hours she used to spend running around Muggle sporting goods stores. Fred and George darted straight for the broomsticks, where yet another crowd gathered to admire it.

"Is this a Quiditch store?" Willow asked.

"What do you think?" Fred's tone was sarcastic and playful.

"I think yes, judging by broomsticks and equipment," Willow replied cheekily.

"Wow, look at that Nimbus!" George exclaimed, pushing towards the front of the crowds.

Fred was right behind his brother, his eyes wide in admiration.

"Wow! Look how smooth it is! The wood is perfectly polished! Maybe if the Gryffindor team had these, we wouldn't be pulling splinters out of our uniforms after every game..." Fred said.

"How do you balance on that?" Willow asked.

"You figure it out during flying lessons your first year," George replied, not taking his eyes off of the broom.

"The Nimbus is the fastest broom on the market right now," Fred continued. "Boy, I wish I had enough galleons for that!"

"I can't believe an entire sport is played up in the sky," Willow said.

The boys tore themselves away from the broom before they could dream up any plans to get it for free. Willow tagged along as they showed her helmets, pads, clubs, and various balls from the game.

"So, how does Quidditch work, exactly?" Willow asked.

"You've never watched it?" George raised his eyebrows. "I thought you were a pureblood...?"

"How did your father forget to explain the greatest game of all time to you? How could he never even mention its name? I mean, that takes all of two seconds!" Fred exclaimed.

"Well, he's never home," Willow admitted. "I guess being a pureblood doesn't always come with any perks."

George sighed. "We'd know all about that, ay, Freddy?"

Fred groaned. "Stupid Malfoys, those stuck-up snots..."

"Who are the Malfoys?"

"Just some pureblood rats that care too much about their blood status and parading it around to think about anyone else."

"Hopefully their son won't give you trouble. He's the same year as you, unfortunately."

"I'll punch him if he comes anywhere near me," Willow threatened. "He sounds exactly like that girl that tried to bully me when I was little."

"Wait, what?" Fred stopped short. "You went to Muggle school? And got bullied?"

"Yes, but not for long." Willow grinned. "She tripped me and called me names and sabotaged my homework. It didn't bother me until it affected my grades. The day after I found out, I found her at recess and punched her. When she hit me back, I kicked her off the play set and she broke her arm. She didn't come near me after that."

George snickered. "Is it bad that I don't question one bit of that?"

"Not at all, mate," Fred answered. "I did get the feeling that I shouldn't get on your bad side, Willow."

Willow smirked. "Watch your back, Weasley."

"Is that a threat?"

"What do you think?"

"Are you doing that again?"

"...Yes."

Fred stared at Willow for a second before they both burst out laughing. George playfully rolled his eyes and continued to browse the shelves. Fred joined him after a few seconds, Willow behind him.

"Quiditch has a lot of gear," Willow observed. "Is it dangerous?"

"Full-contact sport, if that's what you mean," George said.

"That sounds perfect."

"You hear that, George? Sounds like we have an apprentice."

"Is it kind of like soccer?" Willow asked.

"What's soccer?"

"Sorry, my dad is from America. We call it soccer in my house. Here, it's called futbol."

"Oh! I've seen that before," George said. "Yes, it's very similar to that."

"Except with more balls on the pitch at once, and in the air on broomsticks, and with more goals."

"I think I might be good at that," Willow thought out loud. "Would you be willing to teach me?"

"Only if we get to practice Beating against you."

"Um...Sure?"

Fred and George exchanged a knowing glance before saying, "Deal."

"I have a feeling I got myself into a lot more than I bargained for."

George chuckled. "You have no idea."

After a few more minutes exploring the store, the twins and Willow once again fought the crowd. They only spent a few minutes in the streets before the twins pulled her into a small store.

Willow instantly lightened up. "Wow!"

"This is Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, where you'll find all sorts of magical items to get you through the year."

Willow stared at all around her in awe. There were signs hanging over piles of assorted items, grouping them according to their use. Immediately, Willow was attracted to the "Astronomy" section.

Fred and George wandered off on their own while Willow slowly soaked in all she was seeing. There were telescopes, portraits, starlight in a jar, and much more she never had imagined she could find in a shop like this. Something shiny caught her eye, and Willow touched it gently with her finger. It began unfolding itself automatically. Willow stepped back as it grew increasingly bigger. Eventually, it stopped, and Willow froze, stunned.

Before her was a moving map of all the constellations known. It seemed so real, and Willow only stopped herself from touching it again in fear that it would fold up. The stars were brighter than she had ever seen them in the sky. Each constellation was labeled, its outline traced into the shape it created. The planets and their moons slowly rotated in the directions of their orbits. It was amazing.

"Apparently touching potentially dangerous things is your specialty," George said, sauntering behind Willow.

"But this was worth breaking that rule," Fred retorted. "It's a cheat sheet for locating any star in the sky!"

"I love this!" Willow gasped. "It somehow folds itself up to pocket size! I didn't expect this out of what looked like a locket."

"You have a good eye for treasure, Willow."

"Thanks."

Willow tapped the map on one of its edges, and it rapidly folded itself into pocket size again. She caught it in her hand. It was surprisingly warm, and seemed to hum in her hands.

"Feel this, Fred," Willow said, handing it to him. He took it and gasped.

"It's freezing cold!"

"Really? It was super hot to me," Willow said.

"Let me try!" George insisted, taking the map from his brother. His expression changed to one of surprise.

"It's cold for me, too."

The twins turned to Willow, confused.

"What does that mean?" Willow questioned.

"I don't know. Maybe Professor Sinistra would know."

"Is she the astronomy teacher?"

"Yes, but a boring one at that."

"I'm sure Willow will find a way to liven her up," Fred assured.

Willow returned her gaze to the map. "Well, I think I'm going to get this."

Willow paid with the little bit of money she had taken with her, and they were on their way again. They found Ron and the others at the Magical Menagerie. Arthur was asking questions about caring for Ron's rat during the school year, while Ginny bounced up and down near a basket of fuzzballs.

"Please, Mum, please?" Ginny pleaded.

"Dear, Fred killed the last one!" Molly reminded her daughter.

As Willow neared her friend, she saw that the things in the bucket were actually alive. The sign on their container read, "Puffskeins- 7 galleons". Willow glanced at Fred.

"You killed your sister's Puffskein?" she inquired.

"Well..." Fred trailed off. "It wasn't exactly like that, but her Puffskein was being annoying, and I needed to practice Beating with George. We didn't have a bludger, so..."

"Willow! Look how cute they are!" Ginny exclaimed when she noticed her friend.

Willow bent down and gently began petting the fluffy creatures. "They are quite adorable."

"Please don't tell me you're thinking about getting one, too," George groaned.

"Oh, now I'm definitely getting one," Willow cunningly countered.

"George!"

"What?"

"We've gone over this several times!" Fred sighed. "Don't give them any ideas!"

While the twins bickered, Willow's dad caught sight of his daughter and walked over to her, giving her a hug from behind.

"How was it, pumpkin?" he asked.

"Great!" Willow replied, her voice muffled, as her father was a lot bigger than her and completely covered her smaller frame.

"Are you sure I can't get one?" Ginny implored her mother.

Molly sighed. "Alright, fine. If you can keep this one alive, you get to take it to Hogwarts with you next year."

"Yay!"

Ginny picked up one of the tiny creatures and nuzzled it against her cheek. The Puffskein licked her nose, apparently happy. Ginny giggled, rushing to the cashier to purchase her prize. Willow scooped up the Puffskein she had been petting and presented it to Carlos.

"Can I get one too? I have exactly seven galleons left!" she begged.

"But you already have an owl!"

"Please?"

Willow's dad sighed. "Fine," he relented. "But no more pets! You won't be able to keep up with them all!"

"Yes!"

Willow raced to pay for her new pet. Once it was hers, she and Ginny compared each other's Puffskeins, adoring their cute little faces and long, pink tongues. Fred and George sighed unhappily as they left the store.

"Did you have to get them?" George complained.

"Yes, just so I could spite you," Willow joked, beaming. "I do really like them, though."

"I'm going to name mine Snuffles!" Ginny announced.

"Merlin's beard, we're doomed!" Fred lamented.

Percy snickered at his brothers. "That's exactly what you get for causing the last one's demise."

Fred and George rolled their eyes. "Always throwing in his two cents. And with words that don't even make sense. Do you see what I did there, George?"

"I did, Freddy." George shook his head and stared after his older brother, who was swaggering away. "Percy and his stupid, tasteless fancy words-"

"Bandwagoning like you wouldn't believe-"

Willow giggled. "You know what, if you have any pranks in mind for Percy, I'll gladly help."

Fred winked at her. "Don't worry, we can only stand him for so long before we have to shake him up a bit."

The families decided to make one last stop before they left Diagon Alley. Willow was more than excited when she stepped into Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. They all ordered ice cream, then dispersed among the outdoor tables. The adults and Percy sat together while the twins, Ron, Willow, and Ginny gathered at a table far away from their parents.

"Well, how was Diagon Alley, Willow?" Ginny asked.

"There's so much here that I didn't even know about!" Willow exclaimed. "It's amazing, all of it! I can't wait to start flying lessons!"

"Oh no," Ron grumbled. "I'm going to hate that."

George grinned ear to ear. "Poor Ronniekins has never been stellar at navigating a broomstick."

"He always crashes into the fence."

"I do not!" Ron countered.

"Oh, hush up, you two!" Ginny said.

While the siblings fought among themselves, Willow stared back and forth between the twins, deep in thought. One of them was slightly different from the other, and in the most minuscule of ways. She smiled when she finally figured out a way to tell them apart.

"You know, I think I've got it," Willow interrupted.

Fred and George looked at her. "Got what?"

"A way to figure out which one of you is Fred and which one of you is George at any given time."

"Really?"

"Not many can."

"Well, I'm usually very good at telling twins apart. People at my Muggle school would come and challenge me to do it all the time. But, God, you guys are nearly identical. It was very difficult."

"Go ahead, then!"

"Well, Fred, your voice is slightly deeper than George's, and George, your hair is barely darker than Fred's."

Fred smirked at his twin. "I guess I'm more manly than you, brother!"

"You are not!"

"Yes I am!"

"Not again," Ginny sighed.

Willow allowed her Puffskein to lick the remains of her ice cream, then let it sit on the table for a while. Ginny did the same. Ron glowered at the fuzzballs, not liking them at all.

"Why would you keep them as pets? Their only use is in their fur. They're used to make potions."

"Oi, Freddy, did you hear that?" George interrupted.

"Ron has a brain!"

"Thank the Lord!"

"Maybe he won't have too much trouble with Snape."

"I'll have trouble with Snape regardless, if he's as bad as you say," Ron griped.

"Are all the teachers really as bad as you say?" Willow critiqued.

Fred and George smirked at the same time. "You'll see."

"Kids! Let's go! We'll pick up Ron's textbooks at Flourish and Blotts, then leave the way we came!"

Everyone got up and began heading in the direction of the lovely little bookshop. Willow made sure both of the Puffskeins were accounted for, then followed, a little ways behind the Weasleys and Carlos. They passed several shops, most of which were now bursting at the seam with customers. Willow stopped for a moment before one that particularly caught her eye.

"Twilfitt and Tatting's," Willow read aloud. "What kind of store would this be?"

"A boring one," a nearby voice sneered. "Don't you know anything about Diagon Alley?"

Willow shifted her gaze from the storefront to the bench right in front of one of its large display windows. A well-groomed, impeccably dressed blond boy rose to his feet, heading towards Willow.

"No, my father happened to neglect informing me about this part of the wizarding world," Willow shot back.

The boy wrinkled his nose. "You're a halfblood?"

"Why should you care?" Willow countered, raising her eyebrows.

"Nevermind," the blond boy sighed. "This is a high-end clothing store, unlike that other dump down the street. Only those with money can shop here."

"Oh, I didn't know that being a pampered, privileged wizard made any difference on where you could shop," Willow said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. The blond boy eyed her, seemingly deep in thought.

"Are you a first year at Hogwarts as well?"

"Yes."

"What house do you think you'll be in?"

"Um..." Willow trailed off. "My Mum's line has always been Slytherin, while my Dad's family was in North America as far back as I can remember, so....I have no idea."

The boy scoffed. "You don't know anything about the houses, do you?"

Willow shook her head. "Not really, no."

"Well, if you're a pureblood, as I assume, you should be Slytherin, where you belong," the boy said. "Only the greatest witches and wizards make it into that house."

Willow smiled deviously. "We'll have to see about that, won't we?"

"Willow!" Ginny called. "Where did you run off to?"

Willow glanced back at the blond boy. "I guess I'll see you on the Hogwarts train, then."

"Wait, what is your name?"

"Oh, sorry! How could I forget?" Willow held out her hand for the boy to shake. "I'm Willow."

The boy hesitantly shook it. "I'm Draco."

"Willow!"

"I'll be there in a second!" Willow called. "Bye, Draco! It was nice to meet you!"

Draco merely stared at her as Willow ran towards her friend, her dad a few feet behind Ginny.

"Willow! There you are," Carlos said. "Where did you go?"

"Sorry, I met a fellow first year at Twilfitt and Twiling's," Willow replied sheepishly.

"Oh, a rich kid, then?" Ginny guessed.

"Um, I think so- "

"Nevermind that," Willow's dad cut in. "The Weasleys are waiting!"

"Oh," Willow said, running after her dad and Ginny to the bookshop. The Weasley family had just begun traveling in pairs back home.

"There she is!" Arthur exclaimed.

"God, Willow, you disappear fast," Fred remarked.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting," Willow apologized, blood rushing to her cheeks.

"That's quite alright, dear," Molly said. "Let's get you home."

In pairs, the families dispersed through the fireplace. When they arrived back at the Burrow, it was already mid-afternoon. Willow wondered how so much time could go by so fast.

Ginny and Willow immediately ran upstairs to play with their Puffskeins. Willow put hers on her bed, Ginny following her lead.

"What did you name yours again?" Willow asked.

"Snuffles," Ginny replied, nuzzling her tiny pet.

"Hm..." Willow wondered what she should name hers. Then, a name popped into her head. "Achelous!"

"What the heck is that?" Ginny questioned.

"It's a river god in ancient Greece," Willow explained. "Hercules cut off one of his horns in battle and formed the Cornucopia, or the horn of plenty. It's a symbol of Thanksgiving these days."

"Oh! I see," Ginny said. "Your Puffskein practically eats everything you give it, so it's basically the reverse: you're providing it with plenty of food."

"Also, I don't finish my meals half the time, anyway, because I'm so used to saving a bit of food for my pets that we had when I was younger."

"What happened to them?"

Willow' voice grew quiet and hollow, remembering that terrible evening. "My mother slaughtered them all."

Ginny's face fell. "I'm so sorry, Willow. I wish you didn't have to go through that."

Willow sighed. "Well, it's the least of my worries now. I have two animals to take care of!"

"Wait, you have another pet?" Ginny cried.

"Yes, actually."

Willow opened up Ginny's window and whistled twice. A tawny owl flew in, landing on her shoulder.

"Wow!" Ginny exclaimed. "She's magnificent!"

"You think so?"

"Of course! All we have is a stupid, bloody Great Grey owl named Errol. He smashes into windows all the time."

Willow laughed at that one. "So far, Iris has been a great owl. I haven't sent a letter with her yet, though."

"Ooh! Maybe you can try sending me a letter from Hogwarts, and I'll send one back!"

"Perfect! That would be lovely to let Iris stretch her wings after a long train ride."

Ginny sighed. "I hate being the youngest. I want to go to Hogwarts already!"

Willow smiled. "It'll be here before you know it. I guess I'm lucky that I had no idea about it."

"Yes, you're very lucky."

The girls played with their new pets for a while, Iris trying to pick up the fluffy round creatures and toss them in the air. Willow sensed that the owl was merely playing, thankfully. That would have been horrible luck to lose a pet within 24 hours of purchasing it. Iris was taught to do a few tricks, with a little treat encouragement, and the Puffskeins learned to play leap frog with each other.

"Girls!" Molly called after about an hour. "Time for dinner!"

"Coming, Mum!" Ginny shouted down the stairs.

Willow walked to the window, hanging her arm out it. "Go ahead, Iris. I'll see you later."

Iris cuddled Willow's hand before flying off again. Willow raced after Ginny, thumping down the steps. They took their place at the table, everyone where they were before, except for the addition of Carlos. Willow enjoyed talking and laughing with everyone through the meal. Her day at Diagon Alley with the Weasley family opened up her eyes to what real friendship was like, and something else- something Willow hadn't felt in a long time. Willow felt like she was part of a family again. She was more confident than ever that she would survive her first year at Hogwarts, maybe even enjoy it.

After dinner, there was another campfire, and the evening was spent laughing, reminiscing, and chatting about the upcoming school year. Willow enjoyed the twins poking fun. She was more than happy about them teaching her quidditch, and hoped that she would become as good of a prankster as they were.

Eventually, the families went to bed, and Willow dreamed sweet dreams for the first time in years.


	3. Year 1: Chapter 3

"Psst, Willow!" a voice whispered.

"What?" Willow hissed sleepily.

"Wake up!"

Willow sat up, rubbing her eyes. She glanced at the clock, which read four thirty. Willow returned her gaze to the two figures in her door frame.

"What could you possibly want to do at four thirty?"

"Just get dressed! Come on!"

The twins shut the door. Willow, not at all bothered by the time, obeyed. She stepped out of her and Ginny's bedroom, noiselessly closing the door.

"You needed me for something?"

"We're going to prank Ron," Fred whispered.

"On the day we go off to Hogwarts?"

"Why not?" George grinned.

"I suppose it would be funny..."

"That's the spirit, Willow!"

"Let's get it done!"

The three went into the twins' bedroom to discuss.

"Alright, we're going to make Ron think he's late," Fred began.

"We need to cover up his windows-"

"Steal his trunk-"

"And change his alarm clock."

"Then, he'll wake up-"

"And be presented with a lovely spider."

Willow smiled. "Afraid of spiders, is he?"

Fred and George nodded. "Deathly."

Willow smirked. "I'll change the clock and take the spider. You guys go ahead and do whatever you need to do first."

"Perfect."

Fred handed Willow the fake spider, enchanted to be life-like. Even Willow thought she would mistake it for a real one if she hadn't any prior knowledge that it wasn't real. After a few minutes, the twins returned.

"Your turn."

Willow tiptoed into the hallway, then quietly opened Ron's door. She found his alarm clock, changed its time forward a few hours, and hung the spider from the ceiling. Its legs moved so realistically that Willow had to do a double take. When it was all set and done, Willow returned to the twins' room. 

"All done," Willow concluded.

"Great!"

"Now, we wait for him to wake up."

"In the meantime, George forgot to pack his bags-"

"No I did no- !"

"- so I'm going for a walk before we're whisked away for several months. Care to join me, Willow?"

"Sure!"

George groaned and began gathering things from all corners of his room while Willow followed Fred outside. They headed for the woods. The dew in the grass soaked Willow's bare feet, but she didn't care. Willow loved getting dirty outside. A cloud of steam rose from the ditch nearby, giving the morning a wonderful serene atmosphere. Willow wondered if every morning could be like this if she lived in the country.

"Are you ready for Hogwarts?" Fred asked, his voice quiet in the stillness of the morning.

"Yes, I think so, thanks to you," Willow replied curtly. "Without you guys, I would probably have starved to death in my mom's dungeon."

"You're welcome," Fred said cheekily.

"Is it hard, being away from home for so long?"

"Not really. You can come home over holidays, if you'd like. There's so much to do at Hogwarts that it's impossible to get bored, honestly."

"That's good. The only thing I'm worried about is how my dad is going to do without me."

"Carlos? Nah, he'll be fine."

"This is the first time he's spent more than a week with me without leaving."

"Well...that might affect him a bit, but I highly doubt he can't live without seeing you until the holidays. He's also very busy."

"Tell me about it."

"You were awful lonely before, weren't you?"

Willow's face fell slightly. "Yes. Not having brothers or sisters around to keep your spirits up makes it quite difficult to stay positive when your mum and dad are apart."

Fred was silent for a moment before saying, "That would suck. I can't imagine being without George."

"I'm pretty sure no one can," Willow chuckled. "You two are inseparable."

"That's not far from the truth."

"What is it like, having a twin?"

"It's bloody amazing, really. Your twin is your best friend. You know them almost as well as you know yourself. You've always got a shoulder to lean on, and they know exactly what to say to cheer you up. Your twin is like another half of you that's impossible to live without. I can't remember not being with George every second of every day."

"Do you ever get tired of each other?"

"Yes, but not for long. We might fight and bicker, but it never lasts for longer than a few hours, and we're back to loving each other again."

"I wish I had a twin," Willow wistfully thought out loud.

"Doesn't everyone?"

"Oh, shut up." Willow gently punched Fred in the shoulder.

"I've been hit!" Fred exclaimed, feigning injury. "Man down! Man down! George, go on without me!"

"The great Fred Weasley, in all his glory, struck down by a little girl!" Willow announced mockingly.

"George! This is end! Goodbye, dear brother!" Fred proclaimed, pretending to fall limply against a tree.

"Thus passes Fred Weasley, expert prankster of the land! What will George do without him?"

Suddenly, a scream sounded from the Burrow.

"FRED! GEORGE!" Ron roared. Fred and Willow exchanged a glance.

"I think George might be dead, too," Willow joked.

The two began cracking up, watching as George exploded out the front door, Ron hot on his trail.

"Help! My brother's a maniac! Help!" George yelled as Ron pelted after him.

Willow and Fred couldn't stop chortling as George ran in circles around the Burrow, Ron angrily shouting threats at him.

"Do you think we should help him?" Willow asked.

"Nah, he's fine," Fred declined. "I'm rather enjoying the show."

"On second thought, me too."

Willow was nearly crying she was laughing so hard when Ron face-planted into a patch of mud. Fred fell into the tree for real this time. He was laughing even harder than Willow.

"He's such a klutz!" Fred guffawed. "Ron's always been terribly uncoordinated!"

"I don't even care how mean that was anymore!" Willow gasped. "This is all worth it!"

Ron got up, shaking the majority of the mud off of him, then slumped his shoulders and shamefully marched inside. Fred and Willow emerged from the woods at this point and whistled to George, who trotted over to them.

"You- two- are- in- so much- trouble!" he panted.

"Hey, you're the one that forgot to pack your trunk yesterday, not me." Fred raised his hands in surrender.

"Uh oh," Willow said, pointing to the front door. The twins turned and slowly began retreating into the woods.

"Boy!" Molly shouted. "You are in so much trouble!"

"Oh no."

"Mum's mad."

"Not the first time-"

"But still not good!"

"Get in this house now!" Molly commanded.

"Willow, you can hide here for now if you'd like," Fred offered.

"No, I'd rather come see you guys get chewed out." Willow grinned mischeiviously.

"Blimey, Fred, you've recruited a tough one!" George remarked.

"Perfect pranking material. Come on, then. Let's get this over with."

The three held their heads low and didn't meet Molly's eyes until they were at the front door.

"Sorry, Mum," the twins said.

"You better be more than sorry! You're so lucky I'm letting you go off to Hogwarts. It's more an opportunity for you two to get out of my hair!"

The three secretly grinned, but quickly hid it before Molly could see it.

"Oh, and you've dragged Willow into this! Dear God, she'll be at it with your crazy antics before the year is out as well!"

Willow suppressed a small giggle at that one. "Too late," she whispered to the twins. They had trouble containing their smiles after that.

"Alright, go up to your rooms," Mrs. Weasley ordered. "Finish packing your stuff. And no more silliness! You hear me?"

"Yes, Mum!" the twins said in unison.

Willow followed them upstairs to their room, and no sooner had they shut the door than the three of them burst out laughing.

"Can you believe her?"

"We always end up going to Hogwarts!"

"You've dragged Willow into this!"

"She'll be at it, too!"

"I'm already too far gone to be saved now!" Willow said between fits.

"Welcome aboard, Willow!" George congratulated.

"You're one of us now!"

"I'm glad to be!"

After a few minutes of composing themselves, Willow returned to her room to wake up Ginny and finish up packing her stuff. Ginny happily played with Snuffles and Achelous while Willow gathered her remaining toiletries.

"I'm going to miss you, Ginny," Willow sighed.

"Me too. Every year I'm left behind, and now even Ron won't be here to play with me anymore," Ginny said.

"I promise I'll send owls and come to see you over the holidays."

"You better! Snuffles will miss his buddy!"

Two hours later, the Weasleys, Carlos, and Willow were driving through the countryside in a small blue car, the luggage stuffed in the trunk with the help of a few charms.

"Why can't we just fly there?" Percy whined.

"Shut up, prefect," George snapped.

"As if that's an insult."

"It would be a shame if something happened to his badge, wouldn't it, George?" Fred thought aloud.

"Yes, Freddy, a shame."

"What on Earth are you tal-" Percy tried to say.

"What would happen if it were, say, stolen, or tampered with?"

"I don't know, Fred, but I bet the consequences would be dire."

"You better not-"

"Perfect Percy would be running through the halls, in all his fury-"

"Give me back my prefect badge!"

"How dare you treat your superiors this way!"

"I would not!"

"I'm better than all of you younglings!"

"My perfect teeth, perfect grades, perfect attitude-"

"Boys!" Molly scolded. "That's enough!"

The twins snickered while Percy pouted, sticking his nose in the air. Willow gave them both a high five. Soon, they arrived at King's Cross Station. It was getting close to departure time- nearly eleven o'clock.

"Blimey, Dad, I thought we'd never get here. We're cutting it awful close," Ron pointed out.

"Relax, ickle Ronniekins," George said.

"Yes, you'll be fine," Fred assured him.

"They always get like this before first year," Ginny breathed to Willow. "They're nervous about something; maybe the Sorting Hat?"

"What's the Sorting Hat?" Willow asked as they began lugging their trunks into the station.

"It's a magical hat that they bring down on the first day of school for the sorting ceremony. Every year, it sings a song, then Professor McGonagall calls the first years up one by one to get sorted into their house."

"Woah! It reads your personality?"

"Kind of, yeah."

"That's bloody brilliant! I hope I get into Gryffindor," Willow added.

"So does Ron. That's why he's so scared right now."

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm a bit scared, too."

"Why?"

"My entire line on my mother's side was Slytherin, and my dad's line has never lived in Europe."

"Oh, that does sound a bit worrying, but knowing you, I don't think you'll get placed into Slytherin."

"Really?"

"Of course! You're too good and have actual morals. Slytherins never turn out good."

Willow remembered back to what Draco had told her about Slytherin being the best house. She wondered why there would be two such conflicting views. Deep down, she had a feeling that neither were true. Willow filed that information away for later discussion.

"We're here!" Ginny squealed.

Willow looked up. They had come to a stop between platform nine and platform ten, facing one of the brick columns that lined the station in between train tracks. Willow, confused, turned to Ginny with a questioning expression.

"Just watch."

Percy, pushing his trolley, went first, running straight towards the column. Panic seized Willow.

"What is he doing!"

"You'll see!"

Willow bit her tongue to keep herself from shouting. Percy picked up speed, getting closer and closer. Right when he was about to run into the brick, his cart disappeared where it touched it. Willow went numb with surprise as all of Percy and his trolley vanished.

"Woah!" Willow exclaimed. "How did that happen?"

Willow watched as both Fred and George went through, still in disbelief.

"Not much of a pureblood, are you?" Ginny teased.

A boy with black, ruffled hair drew Mrs. Weasley's attention away for a moment. Willow stared, feeling like she'd seen the boy before. It dawned on her as he charged the column that it was the boy she had met when she first went to Diagon Alley.

"I think that's Harry!" Willow said.

"Harry Potter?" Ginny repeated, in disbelief.

"If I'm not dreaming!"

Ron went through, and finally it was Willow's turn. Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly at her.

"You can do it, dear! Just run straight at it, and don't doubt yourself. You'll do perfectly."

Willow took a deep breath. "You right behind me, Ginny?"

"Yes ma'am!" Ginny replied.

Willow stared down the column. "I can't believe I'm doing this. If I crash, I'm blaming all of you. Actually, nevermind. I'm the one crazy enough to do this. Here goes nothing."

Pushing off with her strong legs, Willow charged the bricks, not daring to close her eyes, not daring to breath. She tried to empty her brain of Muggle reasoning, and pretended she had done this every day of her life. Willow was so close now, only meters away. One more second and she would be through. Forcing her mind to go blank, Willow unconsciously braced herself for the unexpected.

Suddenly, Willow was staring at much different scenery. She was no longer at King's Cross Station, but platform nine and three quarters, as the sign hanging above her head announced. A scarlet colored train puffed clouds of steam high into the ceiling above. Big, bold lettering on the side of it read, "Hogwarts Express". The train was long, and covered in big glass windows. Willow appreciated that little detail especially. Families covered every available inch of the platform, saying goodbye to their children, helping them get their trunks onto the train, assisting in last minute luggage checks. Ginny and Molly appeared behind Willow as she began walking towards the back of the train.

"Willow, over here!" Ron called.

Relieved to find a familiar face within the crowd, Willow trotted over to an overwhelmed Ron, standing at the entrance to the second to last train car. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley weren't too far behind.

"Oh, Ron," Ginny sighed. "You've got dirt on your nose still. From this morning."

"Blast those bloody twin brothers of mine," Ron cursed, attempting to wipe his nose off.

Molly called for the twins, who promptly hopped out of the train. They now carried Willow's trunk in for her while Mrs. Weasley got out her handkerchief to clean Ron's nose. Willow turned to Ginny, the reality of the situations causing her smile to turn sad.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, for now," Willow said.

Ginny hugged her tightly. Willow stood still, surprised for a moment, before wrapping her arms around the smaller girl.

"You better write to me," Ginny ordered, her voice muffled in Willow's chest.

"I promise."

Ginny stepped back. "Good. Go learn magic so that you can teach me some when you get home!"

"I will! Don't worry!"

Willow thanked Mrs. Weasley profusely and gave her a good hug, too, before boarding the train. She glanced to her left and saw Harry sitting alone in a compartment. Willow opened the glass door, surprising the dark-haired boy.

"Harry! How are you?"

"Oh, hi! Good. Better than I would be if I'd stayed home."

"Aren't we all." Willow sat down next to Harry. "You have a horrible home life too?"

Harry seemed to lighten up a bit, the redness in his cheeks subsiding. "Yes. I live alone with my cousin, Dudley, and my aunt and uncle. They're bloody awful, I tell you."

"What happened to your parents?"

"I've recently been informed that my aunt and uncle lied to me, that my parents did not die in a car crash, but at the hands of Voldemort."

Willow paused a moment. "I think I've heard that name before."

"He was the dark wizard that started the First Wizarding War."

"Ah, yes. That would be the one."

"So...what happened to your parents?"

"Well...my dad is fine, except for him being at the Ministry more than home, and I live with him in his mansion. My mum, though, she...she...she's an interesting case."

"Dead?"

"Might as well be, as wrecked as she is now."

"Oh. Your parents are divorced, then?"

"No, only separated. My dad and I keep hoping that she'll come around someday."

Just then, the train's whistle blew. Three redheads jumped on the train just as it began to move. Fred and George made goofy faces at Ginny to make her feel better, promising to send her that toilet seat, and Ron simply waved goodbye, embarrassed by his older brothers.

"Well, I better go. See you at Hogwarts, Harry," Willow said.

"See you at Hogwarts, Willow."

Willow passed Ron in the hall as she found the furthest back window in her train car to stick her head out of. Ginny was running after them, tears streaming out of her eyes despite her laughter.

"Bye, Ginny!"

"Bye, Willow!"

Willow blew a kiss to her friend as Ginny stopped, reaching the end of the platform. Ginny giggled, pretending to catch it, and waved goodbye. There was no question; Ginny was pretty much Willow's sister at this point. She sighed as she brought herself back into the accelerating train. Finding the twins, she followed them to where Ron was now seated with Harry. They bade goodbye to him, saying that someone named Lee Jordan had a tarantula.

"Can I come with you guys?"

George shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"You're obviously not afraid of spiders like ickle Ronniekins, here."

Ron ignored the last comment as the three moved farther up the train. They eventually reached a compartment crowded with curious children. Every once in a while, a student would scream after touching the spider.

"Lee, what do you have there?" Fred asked coolly.

"If it isn't my favorite two pranksters! Sit down, sit down!"

George sat next to Lee while Willow took the window side across from him.

"Fred, who's you're friend?"

"This is Willow, our new recruit."

Lee sized up Willow, a twinkle in his eye. Willow returned his gaze, taking in him as well. Lee was a slightly overweight boy with darker skin and chocolate brown eyes. She personally liked his dreadlocks, which seemed to fit his personality as far as Willow knew. He was on the short side for a third year, but Willow sensed that he was a boisterous one, and his enthusiasm made him seem ten times bigger than he actually was.

"She looks perfect to me," Lee approved. "You can see my tarantula after this lot is done pestering it."

After a few minutes (and a few screams), the arachnid was replaced on the table between them.

"Wow!" Willow exclaimed. "It's so big!"

"Go on, Willow, pet the thing," George encouraged.

"Yes, do it!" Fred commanded.

Willow gently began petting the spider across its back. The creature tensed up at first, then relaxed when it realized she wasn't a threat. Its spindly little legs were fuzzy and soft, but its feet were prickly, and they actually tickled her a little bit. The tarantula laid itself on the table when Willow apparently found its itchy spot.

"I think it likes me."

"You didn't even hesitate," Lee observed. "That's unusual for a first year girl."

"Yeah, I know," Willow said, shrugging. "I'm the farthest from normal you can get."

The twins and Lee chuckled. "She'll definitely make a fine prankster to stir up the school every once in a while."

The spider began to inch towards Willow until it rolled off the table into her arms. Shocked at first, Willow froze, then began tickling its stomach. Its legs began convulsing as if ticklish.

"I didn't know you were great with animals, Willow," George remarked.

"Well, this is an arachnid, not an animal, but whatever," Willow corrected.

"Watch out, George," Fred warned. "We've created a monster."

Lee smiled. "I like this one. Maybe I'll have to put in a good word for her at school."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Willow said coyly. "I'd rather a teacher hate me from my first day on than be disappointed."

"I don't think any teacher could hate you," George countered. His face contorted into a wince, though, when he reconsidered. "Well, except for Snape. I'm pretty sure he hates every student that's walked through his doors."

"He hates the world, for the most part," Lee agreed.

"Watch out for him in particular, Willow."

"He's a nasty one."

"I'll pretend I'm an angel," Willow promised. "But then I'll surprise him with a trick or two."

"Perfect."

The sliding glass door of their compartment slid open. A boy with dark hair and a tearful expression appeared, along with a wild-haired girl looking rather exasperated.

"Have you seen a toad anywhere?" the girl asked. "Neville here lost his."

"Yes, actually, when I was getting on the train earlier," George answered. "It was hopping towards the front, but I haven't seen it since."

"Thank you," the boy said in a defeated voice before trudging after the girl. George turned back to their conversation.

While the boys chatted about what they had done over the summer, professional Quidditch teams, and other such things, Willow stared out the window at the countryside racing by. Sheep, cattle, horses, and other barnyard animals dotted the horizon, giving Willow a sense of coziness. A hot, bright sun livened up the sky and gave warmth to everything in sight. The thrum of the engine and the monotony of the wheels chugging along drifted her off to sleep.

Of course, she had nightmares.

A woman burst into the bedroom, wand drawn against Carlos, who was standing in the doorway to a child's room.

Grace, no!

I have to, Carlos. If I don't, he'll kill me.

You don't have to do this. I'll protect you.

How? There's no where to run, no where to hide.

There's always a way.

Stop saying that! I'm trapped in a corner. There's nothing I can do.

Let me talk to him.

Never. He'll kill you the moment he sees you.

I can change anyone's mind.

Not his.

Since when were you on their side?

I was never on their side. My parents dragged me into this, plain and simple.

So you are?

No! I just don't have a choice in the matter!

You always have a choice!

Not this time, Carlos!

Grace, please-

He will kill us all if I don't do what's asked of me.

Suddenly, the roof collapsed. Several dark faces were behind Grace.

Go on, do it! one hissed.

Yes, get it over with!

Move, Carlos!

Kill him too!

No! Grace refused. The Dark Lord's orders were very specific. I will not kill anyone other than who I was instructed to. I do not want to face his wrath if I make a mistake.

You won't kill anyone!

You're a coward!

How can you disgrace us like this?

Stop it! Grace shouted. She glanced tearfully at her husband. Please, let me do what I have to do.

You know I can't let you do that!

Step aside, filth!

If you wanted to save your family, you should have joined us when you were summoned.

No! Grace! Don't do this!

Grace stepped into the room. Her arms trembled, her wand tip not able to steady itself on its target. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

I'm so sorry.

Grace stared at the child. She broke down sobbing, unable to contain her grief.

It's only a child. Why must I kill a child?

Because it's a danger to us all!

It's filth cannot coexist with our kind!

Kill it! Kill it now!

Grace stepped closer to the child, wand now against the it's heart.

Why me? Why must I belong to this cursed family?

Do it now!

Grace gazed at the child's perfect face, its beautiful dark hair. She suddenly lowered her wand and collapsed against the wall.

I can't do it!

Fine! I guess I'll have to make you, then!

Grace, look out! No!

Imperio!

No! Grace! No!

Avada Kedavra!

"Willow, wake up! Willow!"

Willow's eyes flew open. Fred had shaken her awake, worry clouding his eyes. George and Lee wore the same expression on their faces. Willow sat herself up, cheeks reddening.

"Sorry, just bad dreams," Willow explained.

"You sure?" Fred inquired. "It seemed a lot worse than that."

"Well..." Willow trailed off, fear paling her face. "I'd rather not say."

"I see."

There was an awkward silence before George said, "We're almost at Hogwarts. Any final words?"

Willow smiled. "Yes, actually. Please slap Fred for me when I die."

"Hey! Why me?"

Willow shrugged. "I have a feeling you're the one that comes up with all of the crazy ideas."

"You guessed right," George said quickly. "Put all the blame on him!"

"Oh, shut up. He's lying! George comes up with everything! I carry most of the plans out!"

"You dragged me into all of it!"

"I did not..."

"It's all Freddy! He's held me captive this whole time!"

"Okay, that I doubt," Willow commented. "Fred couldn't hold a Puffskein captive."

"Only because I'd use it for a Bludger first!"

George and Lee began to snicker while Fred tried to insult Willow, but ultimately failed.

"You know, you still have my tarantula on your lap, Willow," Lee began.

"Oh, sorry!" Willow exclaimed, picking up the sleeping spider and putting it back on the table.

"You are really good with nature. How is that?"

"I don't know, actually. My mother is awful, naturally, and my dad, well, seeing as he works in the Department of Magical Creatures in the Ministry, he's pretty great. Thankfully, I inherited my dad's loving touch for the natural world.

"That's good."

Just then, the conductor's voice came on the loud speaker, announcing that they'd arrive at Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Willow hoped her Puffskein wouldn't get jostled around too much in its bag.

"Don't look so nervous, Willow," George said. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Trust me, you'll get into Gryffindor," Lee assured. "If you're anything like us, you're Gryffindor material."

"One could only hope."

The train began screeching to a stop. Willow frantically glanced out the window, only to find that they were now surrounded by a dark forest. Her heart spiked in her chest. She was terrified of the dark, but not the forest.

"Jeez, Willow, the Forbidden Forest got you all worked up?" Fred whispered.

"The Forest isn't the part I'm scared of," Willow breathed back.

"Scared of what's in it, then? That's a reasonable motive."

"I guess so."

The train halted completely. "We have arrived at Hogwarts. Have a good term, and see you next holiday season!"

Fred helped Willow get off the train, then find the first years. A giant man with a lantern in his platter-sized hand called out to the first years, gathering them at the beginning of a dark path.

"This is Hagrid, the gamekeeper," Fred explained to Willow. "All the first years have to get to Hogwarts by boat."

"Wait, really?'

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Fred admitted. "I have to go catch a carriage with George and Lee. See you at the Gryffindor table!"

Fred parted and ran to catch up with his twin. Willow felt cold now that he had gone, and very alone. The woods were getting to her.

"Willow, is that you?" a voice called from the group of first years.

"Harry!"

Willow practically tripped herself running to her friend, relived beyond belief that she had someone to share her fear and anxiety with.

"Firs' years, this way!" Hagrid called, now lumbering down a dark path.

Harry and Willow found Ron, the bushy-haired girl, and Neville, and together they followed the bright lantern of Hagrid's down a dark, slippery path. Willow was quickly informed that the bushy-haired girl's name is Hermione. Her friends started down the slope at a pace much too fast for Willow's liking.

"Watch your step," she warned her friends. "It's super slippery here."

"How do you know it's slippery?" Ron asked.

"Can't you hear the dripping?"

The five were silent, but no one heard anything except Willow.

"Um, Willow? I think you need your ears checked," Harry suggested.

"Harry! I don't think that's it at all," Hermione berated. "Maybe you just have really good hearing, Willow."

"Now that I think about it, I've always passed my hearing tests with flying colors at Muggle school, and I've always been the first to hear things. Maybe I do have really good ears."

"I think your senses are- " Neville paused as he slipped on a rock, then regained his balance. "-good."

Willow laughed. "Glad to help."

They continued the treacherous journey down the slope, all the while Hermione making comments on how unsafe this was, and how this was giving first years the wrong idea of what Hogwarts was all about. Neville began to fall behind, but Willow waved the other three ahead.

"You guys go on. I've got a lot of traction."

Harry, Ron and Hermione continued at their normal pace while Willow guided Neville's feet to the right nooks and dry surfaces.

"Willow...I'm scared," Neville whimpered.

"Me too."

"I'm...still afraid of the dark."

"You're not the only one, Neville. I've been terrified of it since I was four."

"Oh, I've just been scared of it my whole life."

"Most people are. Careful! Don't put your foot there; it's soaking wet."

Neville began to increase speed when he didn't slip for several seconds at a time. Willow gently increased her pace, not wanting to rush him.

"Where are you from, Neville?"

"I'm not sure, really. I've never been good at remembering things."

"Really?"

"I'm bloody terrible at it. My grandmother barely got me a toad before I lost it!"

"I heard about it; I'm sorry I couldn't find it for you."

"That's okay. Trevor is just a toad, after all. Although, it was kind of a special gift..."

"Do you live with your grandmother?"

"Yes. My parents- aren't able to take care of me at the moment."

"Oh."

There was a lull in conversation before Willow asked, "Are they...in a mental hospital?"

"I guess you could call it that. It's not that their mental health is lacking, it's that their brains aren't exactly working right anymore."

Willow could tell she had touched a tender subject when Neville sniffed. She decided to open up to him to make things right.

"My mother's brain isn't working right, either."

"Really?"

"It's not like your parents, though. It's much, much worse."

Willow frowned at the same time Neville did. "My Mum has...fits, you could call them, where she is this awful, mean, vengeful beast. But every once in a while, the old mother I used to know shines through. It kills me. Every time she does that, I remember what she was like before she went crazy, and it makes me feel- it gives me hope that she can come back."

"Do you believe she can be fixed?"

Willow paused in thought for several moments. "Yes, I truly do. And what's more, I think your parents can, too."

Neville brightened up at that comment. "You think so?"

"I think anything is possible if a wizard puts their wand to it."

"Hey, you're rearranging a Muggle quote!" Neville chuckled.

"But it's a good one nonetheless."

"I can't disagree with that."

Willow smiled to herself, satisfied that she had cheered him up. The pair cleared the treeline and arrived at a dock filled with canoes. Their oars seemed to be moving by themselves, surprising Willow.

"I though for sure we'd have to row ourselves across the lake!" she whispered to Neville.

"Good thing we don't; I don't have any upper body strength."

Willow giggled. "Me neither, quite honestly."

Neville parted with Willow and went into a boat with Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Glancing around, the only other first year she recognized was Draco, sitting in a boat with two oversized boys.

"Well, if it isn't Willow coming to join the party," Draco drawled as Willow seated herself in front of him.

"There weren't any other boats open, so I hope you don't mind," Willow said courteously. Draco shrugged.

"Any pureblood can have my company at any time."

Willow tried not to be put off by that statement as the boats began rowing themselves across the lake. When she glanced to her right in curiosity, Willow gasped in astonishment.

There was Hogwarts, in all its glory. The castle gave a new meaning to vast, covering the entire mountainside it perched on. Its numerous turrets and towers stretched high into the sky, practically touching the clouds. Windows lit in warm candlelight flickered as if welcoming the first years home. Many sheer cliffs tumbled down its sides, giving it an old, safe feeling, as if it were meant to protect all its inhabitants from the outside world. Its strategic position allowed for warding off attacks on most sides while providing those inside with many a place to defend their home. Willow could almost see her imagination seep into real life: archers firing volley after volley onto enemy ships, knights with swords cutting the ropes of cliff scalers, flag bearers waving their armies in day and night, spreading hope and kindling the flame of fury in their fellow soldiers. It was the most magnificent sight Willow had ever had the chance to lay eyes on.

Soon, Hogwarts disappeared overhead as the canoes entered an underground tunnel. Braziers lined the walls, glaring off the water. Willow's senses were overwhelmed with echoes as the water sloshed against the walls of the archway. She tried to tune it out, but it was very difficult, as the passage amplified every noise to ten times its original sound.

"What's the matter? Claustrophobic?" Draco teased.

"No, I've got much worse things to fear in life."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, maybe accidentally getting expelled for punching an inconsiderate idiot that's getting on my nerves?"

Draco smirked. "I see you're a smart one. Hopefully you aren't wasted on Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Don't even get me started on those useless Hufflepuffs."

Willow frowned, her stories conflicted once more. "What's so special about Slytherin?"

"Only purebloods get into Slytherin. Salazar was the only one smart enough to see that wizards of unpure blood aren't worth the time to teach."

"Oh, so you're saying you shouldn't be taught? Because if your mouth is anything close to your blood, then it's one of the dirtiest I've ever heard of."

Draco's eyes burned with anger. "Watch your tongue, traitor."

"Who put that idea into your head?"

Draco was taken aback for a moment before regaining his composure. "No one. I make decisions for myself."

"Hey, I'm just asking a question to an apparently worthy wizard that knows his stuff."

Draco's nostrils flared. "Keep quiet."

"Sorry, your highness. I forgot that you can make whatever decision you want, even though you've never had enough experience with anything to form opinions on them."

"I said shut your mouth!"

"Make me."

Draco huffed. "Fine. See what I care that you get expelled on the first day."

Willow waited a moment, then burst out laughing. Draco angrily rounded on her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You should have seen your face! It was ridiculous!"

"What- was this all a joke?"

"Of course not! But it was hilarious!"

Draco growled. "You'll regret this."

"Maybe, maybe not. We'll see."

The canoes arrived at a large door where a platform jutted out from the wall, containing enough room to stand twice the amount of children that were exiting the boats. Hagrid got out, then began helping people.

"Right this way, firs' years!"

Eventually, Willow was out of her boat and standing with the rest of her fellow classmates. A tiny creature suddenly hopped on Willow's shoe while she waited. Picking it up before it could hop away, she handed it to Hagrid.

"I think this is someone's," Willow said.

Hagrid announced the finding of the toad, and Neville came forward almost immediately. He cradled Trevor in his hands as to not let him escape again.

Hagrid banged on the door. It swung open to reveal a witch dressed in robes of Willow's favorite shade of green: emerald. After a few formalities, Willow figured out that this was Professor McGonagall, and she would take them to the Sorting Ceremony.

"Do you get the feeling that we shouldn't cross her?" Ron whispered to Willow.

"Not at all," Willow replied. "She seems like she's not afraid to discipline, but would rather not."

"Hm. I think everyone else must agree with me."

Now that Willow thought about it, everyone's faces were slowly draining of all color as they kept their eyes fixed on McGonagall. She wondered why no one could see what she saw in her.

"Maybe I'm just lost...?" Willow thought aloud.

They soon reached a grand archway that's ceiling was no where to be found. The walls towered high, and it was big enough to contain a normal house from suburban London. Willow noticed a grand marble staircase off to her right that lead up into the higher levels of the castle, spiraling out of sight. She could hear the jumbled whispering of several far-off adults coming from that way. The door that she assumed lead to the Great Hall leaked plenty of noise to let her know that the rest of the school was already in place. Despite all the space, the first years were crowded into a small corner so that Professor McGonagall could address them.

McGonagall explained about the start-of-term-banquet that was about to occur, and how before that can begin, they must be sorted into their proper houses. They would pretty much eat, sleep, and breathe these houses, being stuck with them whether they like it or not for the rest of their Hogwarts career. According to McGonagall, all the houses were equal and produced great witches and wizards. Somehow Willow found herself believing her more than anyone else's take. She went to about the House Cup at the end of the year, lighting a competitive fire within some first year's eyes. Eventually, she left them to themselves for a few minutes, promising to come back for them when all was ready.

The first years began talking among themselves about this test that the Sorting Hat would try them with. Willow found herself relaxing, able to handle stress better than others. On the inside, her stomach may have been doing flips, but she was protected by her ignorance of how important this moment actually was. She soon overheard Ron and Harry chatting about it.

"A test?" Harry worried out loud.

"I'm almost positive Fred was joking," Ron reassured him, but his cheeks had lost all color, too.

"What did Fred tell you?" Willow skepticized.

"That the sorting hurts."

Willow chortled. "Ron, you don't seriously believe that, do you?"

"I don't know what to believe! He lies just as quick as he'll tell you the truth and disguise it as a lie!"

Willow grinned. "Your brother hasn't lied to me yet, and he informed me that it simply reads your character and figures out where to place you based on that."

"The keyword is yet, Willow."

Willow sighed. "Suit yourself, but it's helping me stay calm."

While the two boys fretted together, Willow found Neville, trying his best to fix his cloak in one hand while holding Trevor in the other.

"How do you- Trevor!- oh, blast this stupid thing-"

"Need any help?" Willow offered.

Neville gratefully accepted. "Can you hold Trevor for me?"

"Sure!"

Willow gently pet the toad as Neville took his time fixing his robes. Trevor croaked a few times in appreciation.

"Thanks, Willow!" Neville said, taking Trevor back.

"Glad I could help!"

Happy that she had distracted Neville enough, Willow wandered around aimlessly, simultaneously shoving down her anxiety at being placed in the wrong house. The only other person who didn't look scared out of their wits was Draco. Willow rolled her eyes. Of course pretty boy Draco knows he's going to be a Slytherin, if he's anything like the rest of his family, which he one hundred percent seemed to be.

"Hellooo, first years!" a voice boomed.

Willow turned to see several wispy forms cascading from the ceiling. She gasped when she saw that they resembled humans, floating over their heads and making small talk with other students.

"They're ghosts!" Willow cried.

All of the ghosts wished them well at getting into their houses, then flew off at the sight of McGonagall returning, ordering the students to form a line. The double doors then opened slowly on their ancient hinges, making way for the first years to be paraded into the Great Hall.

"Wow!" Willow gasped.

The hall was so large that Willow had to squint to see the other side of it. Its ceiling twinkled with stars amid a few clouds, leaving Willow to wonder if this was an enchantment or whether there was simply no roof at all. Four tables of immense length seated hundreds of students across the hall. Candles floated above the entire length of each table, giving the room a more comfortable, warm light. There were two fireplaces centered along either wall. At the end of the room sat another long table, where several professors watched over the procession. It was here that McGonagall took the first years, spreading them across the raised platform. All eyes were on McGonagall as she mutely placed a stool in front of the first years, a dirty, shabby, worn-out pointed hat on top of it.

"That's the sorting hat?" Willow asked. Ron barely nodded, his face beginning to turn green.

Suddenly, the hat began singing a song. It was a smart hat, it said. You couldn't hide anything from him because it was all inside your head. Gryffindors were chivalrous, brave individuals; Hufflepuffs were patient and loyal; Ravenclaws were wise and witty; Slytherins were cunning and relentless. Willow was put at ease. The way the hat described it, all the houses seemed equally great in their own way. Still, she hoped she didn't get Slytherin- the only people she knew so far that weren't first years were in Gryffindor.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

The hat stayed silent for a few seconds before announcing, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

A table with students sporting black and yellow merchandise erupted in cheers as Hannah took her place among them. Willow smiled.

"At least we know we'll be appreciated, right?" she whispered to Harry. He nodded, afraid to open his mouth.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat cried again.

Willow couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she wasn't placed in Gryffindor. Hufflepuff sure looked nice, but she didn't think much would become of her there.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table to the left of HufflePuff cried out as one and stood up to meet their new member. They were just as exuberant, if not more, than Hufflepuff. The boy sheepishly shook hands with a few older boys and girls before seating himself, cheeks bright red.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Willow nervously shuffle her feet, wishing that they would hurry up and call her already.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The table on the far left exploded into friendly cat-calls and enthusiastic cheering as Lavender Brown took her place at the table, practically skipping with glee. Willow thought maybe there was a chance for her after all.

"SLYTHERIN!"

All good sensations vanished at the sight of the next girl and her placement. Millicent marched over to Slytherin, receiving a strong, overenthusiastic welcome. It didn't help Willow to feel any better at all. She thought her stomach must be tearing itself apart at that point.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

One by one, the houses received their first years. Willow's gut twisted in fear every time Slytherin was called, wondering if her fate would be sealed with that single word. She knew Slytherin was not a bad house; it was the people in it that caused her conflict.

"Finnigan, Seamus!"

A sandy-haired boy placed himself on the stool, the hat falling over his eyes. Whispers began floating around as the hat talked to himself for ten seconds, then twenty, then forty.

"What's taking him so long?" Ron asked.

"I think that hat's having trouble deciding," Hermione whispered.

The poor boy lost all the color in his face as the talking in the hall got louder and louder. Willow pitied him. It was only the first day of school and already everyone was staring at him longer than was comfortable. At long last, after a minute, the hate decided, "GRYFFINDOR!"

More cheering and applause from the Gryffindor table. Another Ravenclaw was called, then, "Granger, Hermione."

Hermione practically sprinted to put the hat on. Unlike the last boy, it didn't hesitate for a millisecond before calling, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Ron groaned. "Now I don't know if I want to be in Gryffindor."

Yet another Hufflepuff was called. Then, McGonagall read the next name on the list.

"Guerrero, Willow."

Willow's blood ran cold. She froze up, unable to move her suddenly lead feet. Harry pushed her from behind.

"Go on, Willow!" he urged. "Go!"

Willow forced herself to move forward. McGonagall smiled empathetically at her as she inched towards the stool, her wits scattered. Willow glanced at the Gryffindor table, frantically searching for Fred's face. He made eye contact with her, giving her the thumbs up. Lee and George crossed their fingers for her.

Now a tiny bit more confident, Willow inhaled deeply and allowed Professor McGonagall to lower the hat onto her head. It sprang to life immediately, moving about.

"Let's see what we have here...My, my, very peculiar, very peculiar indeed. Quite the lineage, I'd say."

Willow's knuckles turned white, her whole body tensing on the stool.

"Interesting...Plenty of wit, lots of talent, strong determination- you'd do well in any, but where shall you benefit most?"

Please say Gryffindor, please say Gryffindor! Willow begged internally.

"Gryffindor, eh? You have lots of cunning, you'd go so far, but also loyalty and wisdom- still set on Gryffindor?"

Willow weighed up the possibilities. Her house would shape her and her future. Slytherin would no doubt send her dangerously close to darkness, but Hufflepuff would do almost nothing. Ravenclaw would benefit her drive for learning, of course, but when did she not have that?

Yes, Willow admitted.

"So much ability, so much power, so much nerve- what better than GRYFFINDOR!"

Willow nearly threw off the hat and ran to the Gryffindor table. Her heart and spirits soared, she was so ecstatic. The twins and Lee cheered the loudest, welcoming her and allowing her to sit in the seat they saved for her.

"That took forever!" George remarked.

"Well, it couldn't decide," Willow explained. "It thought I could be in any of the houses, really."

"Naw, you're a Gryffindor, through and through, just like us," Lee affirmed.

"What did I tell you, Willow?" Fred reminded her. "There's nothing to worry about at the Sorting Ceremony."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Longbottom, Neville!"

Neville started, then tripped over himself getting to the stool. His cheeks burned scarlet as the hat sat on his head for a while.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Neville got up and began running with the hat. McGonagall called after him, and he walked back amidst a wave of laughter to return it. He finally seated himself across from Willow, his round face scarlet.

Next, it was Draco's turn. He swaggered up the the hat, a devilish smirk on his lips. The hat didn't even need to touch his head before it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

A group of first years were split into other houses when suddenly McGonagall announced, "Potter, Harry!"

Whispers broke out among the students, excited to have the Boy-Who-Lived in their school. Harry sat on the stool for a while, gripping it hard, concentrating hard.

"What do you think is the matter with him?"

"Why would it take so long?"

"Which- "

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat finally shouted, cutting off all the students' theorizing.

Willow stood up to cheer for Harry as he made his way to the table. The entire hall clapped for him, but the Gryffindors gave him the loudest hurrah of the night. All this didn't bother Harry, though; he seemed immensely relieved that he didn't get dumped into Slytherin. The twins made quite the racket about how their house got the great Harry Potter, and Percy shook his hand profusely. At this point, only four first years were left, including Ron.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Weasley, Ron!"

Ron stepped up, his face pale green. His misery ended in a few short seconds, however, when the hat cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Yes, Ron!" Willow shouted with the rest of Gryffindor.

The last kid was sent to Slytherin, and Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of the school, stepped up to give a short speech. Willow's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she stared at all the food suddenly piled across the table. Everyone cheered at the end of Dumbledore's address, then began loading their plates.

"Where do they get all this food?" Willow questioned, still in shock.

"From the house elves down in the kitchen," Fred replied.

"Do they treat them well?"

George glanced quizzically at Willow. "Yes, of course they do, with Albus as the headmaster. In fact, they get paid to work here."

Willow relaxed, shaking her head. "Sorry, it's just...my mum..."

"I understand," Fred sympathized.

"God, Willow, are you going to eat or what?" Lee said, his plate already overloaded.

Willow grinned. "I've never been known to turn down a meal."

"Eat, then!"

Willow filled her plate full of roast beef, potatoes, gravy, carrots, peas, and bacon. She enjoyed listening to the twins pester each other while she ate, remembering how lonely she used to be eating dinner every night at her father's mansion. Neville chatted with her a bit during the meal, but otherwise, Willow was content to listen.

Nearly Headless Nick scared a few people with his head stunt, and dessert appeared shortly after. Willow couldn't resist and helped herself to some ice cream. While serving herself, she overheard everyone speaking about their families.

"Oy, Willow, what is your family like?" the boy named Seamus asked.

"Oh, um..." Willow hesitated. "My mum is a witch and my dad is a wizard, but I don't see much of either anymore."

"Hey, Neville, it sounds like you've got yourself a girlfriend!" Seamus teased. Neville turned even redder than he was before.

"Come off of it, Seamus," Willow said. "I'd like to see you try and get one by your seventh year!"

A chorus of "Oooh!" passed around those nearest. Seamus rolled his eyes and returned to stuffing his face with desert.

"Sharp tongue, eh, Willow?" Lee observed. "Good thing Gryffindors are tough and don't take things to heart."

"Well, most of us," George said, casting a glance at a group of girls at the end of the table.

"There's a handful like that in every house. You usually want to avoid them."

"Or you're likely their next target to be hexed."

"Or jinxed."

"Or cursed."

"I've dealt with worse in Muggle school," Willow said. "Usually, if I got on their nerves, they'd try to humiliate me. It never worked. I'd just read a book or laugh the entire time, and they'd run out of the room crying or screaming."

The third years chortled. "You continue to convince me that you're perfect material for our business."

"I aim to impress."

"Students!" Dumbledore bellowed from the front of the room.

All attention turned to Dumbledore as he began the start-of-term announcements. First, he reminded everyone that the Forbidden Forest was off limits to everyone, pointedly locking eyes with the twins for a moment. Willow gently punched Fred as Dumbledore moved on.

"What on Earth did you do?" Willow whispered.

"We may or may not have done a special Halloween joke last year," Fred answered slowly.

"Fred!"

"George was equally responsible!"

They listened to the final few announcements before commencing the school song. The twins, naturally, were the last to finish, and awarded with the biggest applause by Dumbledore. Then, they were sent off to their common rooms.

"You have to go with our prefect brother Percy," George said.

"We'll have to catch up with you tomorrow."

"Bye, guys!" Willow called as they went away with Lee.

Willow found Harry, Ron, and Hermione all following Percy. He lead them up staircases, through corridors, across the castle, and past many artifacts that Willow made a mental note to revisit that weekend. Peeves the poltergeist messed with them until Percy succeeded in shooing him off. At length, they reached a dead end. A portrait of an enormous woman dressed in an elegant fashion was singing quietly, her voice that of an opera singer. She stopped when she saw Percy leading all the first years.

"Password?"

"Caput Draconis."

The fat woman's painting swung open to reveal a tunnel. Everyone made it through, including Neville after some help from Willow and Hermione.

The Gryffindor common room was round, large, and very tall. Two spiral staircases lead up to the dormitories, girls on one side, boys on the other. There was a fireplace on one side and cozy, comfortable looking furniture scattered across the whole room. Willow's favorite part was, of course, the gigantic windows that allowed for an amazing view of the grounds.

"Girls, follow me," Percy said. "I'll show you boys where to go in a moment."

Willow said goodnight to the boys, then followed Hermione up several flights of stairs until they reached their dormitory. Seven beds lined the walls, shuttered windows separating each. Their trunks were already waiting for them on each bed. Oddly enough, one was empty.

"Here you are," Percy declared, shaking Willow's thoughts. "Goodnight."

The six girls thanked him before squealing and jumping on their beds, excited to move into their new home for the year. They unpacked their trunks and each chose a wardrobe to stuff their clothes in. Willow decided to let Achelous sleep on her nightstand. After an hour of chattering in the dark with her housemates, Willow fell asleep, and for once, didn't dream at all.


	4. Year 1: Chapter 4

Willow was awake by six, her internal clock not changed in the slightest. No one else was awake yet, so she quietly slipped out of bed, leaving Achelous there.

Willow tiptoed down the staircase and found herself alone in the commons. The fireplace was bare, only ashes in the grate. There was a warm light streaming in through the windows, and Willow decided to stand there, as she was slightly cold from the night before.

As she gazed out the window, Willow realized just how beautiful the grounds were. The Quidditch field stood in all its glory, hoops rising high into the sky, flags billowing in the morning breeze. A few curious deer had wandered onto the vast grasslands between the school and the lake. The Forbidden Forest stood tall and dark, mysterious in every way, but not exactly scary from a distance. It stopped abruptly in a straight line, not daring to encroach any farther upon Hogwarts. Willow wondered what kinds of creatures would dwell there. She got one answer when a few dots began emerging from the treetops. When she squinted her eyes, Willow could make out horse-like creatures with wings. She marveled at how they seemed to play peekaboo, emerging from the canopy of the forest, flapping their wings a few times, snorting and whinnying at each other, then gliding back down as gracefully as a swan. It looked like fun. Willow, oddly enough, longed to join them.

"I thought I'd find you here," a voice said.

Willow whirled around to see Fred leaning against the spiral staircase, rather sleepy-looking.

"I've always been an early riser. Guess going to Hogwarts doesn't change that small detail."

"It won't change you completely, but it definitely affects the outcome of your teenage years."

Willow's lips twitched upwards. "I'm pretty hard to change."

"You're a bloody Gryffindor. Of course you are!"

"I'm super happy that I didn't get dumped in Slytherin. The hat tried to convince me that I'd do well there, but I'd say no every time."

"Really? Well, now that I think about it, the hat tried to pull that on George and I, too. It didn't take as long for the hat to recognize our opposition to that house as yours, though."

"It kept saying that I could go so far, that I had so much potential. But I don't think I would have taken a step into Slytherin before all my ambitions died."

"You don't seem their type to me. They're cunning and will trample anyone to get to their goal."

"That makes them very susceptible to surprise attacks, then, if they're so obsessed with reaching their goals."

Fred grinned. "It's a wonder it didn't place you in Ravenclaw, Willow. You're almost too smart for this house."

"Tell that to Hermione."

"She sure went all out, didn't she?"

"I think she passed that a long time ago."

There was a pause before Fred spoke again. "Do you want to do something before breakfast?"

"Like what?"

"Maybe break a few rules in the way of showing you around the castle."

Willow smiled. "That sounds like a perfect morning, don't you?"

Fred lead Willow out of the common room, then headed east and down to the third floor. He lead her north through long hallways until they passed the Great Hall.

"It's so quiet in the morning."

"That's because the Slytherins are sleeping in the dungeons."

Willow stifled her laughter as they passed the third floor bathrooms. Fred steered her left, and they arrived at a locked door.

"Alohamora."

The door unlocked itself, and Fred swung it open to reveal a long corridor. Willow gasped.

Knights in shining armour lined the walls, standing at ready position, their swords in front of their faces. Windows nearly as tall as the knights themselves divided each onto their own pedestal. Their dark dark armour glinted in the bright light, casting it all over the room.

"What are these?"

"They're supposed to be extra defense, in case the school ever needs it," Fred explained. "But I just see a chance to piss off Filch. Their armour gets a bit dull after sitting in here and collecting dust for so long."

Fred drew his wand and began casting spells on the knights. Willow watched in awe as they changed from black to pink.

"You're changing the colors?"

"Not only that, but they're going to get some fresh weapons, too."

Willow stood there, trying to contain her giggles, as Fred began changing all of the knights a different color, and transfiguring their swords into various flowers. When he finished, Willow burst out laughing.

"Filch is going to be out for your blood!"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Fred admitted. "Come on, I have one more thing to show you."

Fred lead Willow into a room adjacent to the armory. It was filled with dusty glass cases from floor to ceiling. Willow cast her gaze around the room, wondering why on Earth Fred would want to show her this.

"Look at this, Willow!" Fred beckoned.

Willow made her way to Fred, trying to peer through the dirty glass case he was standing by.

"What is it?"

"See for yourself."

Willow used her sleeve to rub off a bit of grime, then stared in wonder at all the trophies within.

"Look at all these names! The dates go back so far!"

"They're Quidditch awards, and I'm hoping to add my name to this case."

"Hopefully I can second that."

Fred smiled, then shifted his gaze to a mirror at the end of the hall.

"This room is unlocked at all times," Fred informed Willow. "If they knew all the passageways, they really shouldn't."

"Why?"

Fred walked over to the mirror and shoved it aside. Behind it was a doorway, completely hidden to anyone who didn't know where to look.

"You can get to the fourth floor corridor from here, and also from behind that painting," Fred explained, pointing to a man's portrait. "George and I have used it to escape Filch once or twice. You'll need to know of it if you're going to prank with us."

Willow blinked. "Thank you, Fred. I'm sure I'll need it."

"Don't mention it. Really, don't tell anyone about it."

"I won't," she promised.

Willow trailed behind Fred as he led the way up a small flight of steps. A painted glass mosaic depicting four witches and wizards spread multicolored light across the staircase. Willow halted in front of it, mesmerized.

"Who are they?" she breathed.

"The founders of Hogwarts," Fred explained. "You'll learn all about them in History of Magic."

Willow pried herself away from the masterpiece, running up the last few steps before arriving on the fourth floor. Fred slid a bookcase to the side and shut it behind them.

"This is the library?" Willow asked.

Bookcase upon bookcase towered high, every available inch of space filled by books. Several tables with lamps on them were scattered here and there. The reception desk was large, round, full of binders, and thankfully, void of the librarian. Fred tapped Willow's shoulder.

"You have to be very quiet," he breathed. "Mrs. Noris will be all over your case in seconds if you're not."

"Who's that?"

"Filch's beloved cat. Wouldn't I love to give her a good kick across the grounds..."

"Don't you dare!"

"Joking, only joking."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Not at all."

Willow feigned slapping Fred before they snuck into a nearby isle, then the next, then the next. They passed several ancient-looking books that were nearly in tatters. At the opposite end of the library, Fred stopped in front of a locked section of books.

"I wish I could grab one of those without attracting any attention," he lamented.

"Why? What happens if you try?"

"The book screams the moment you take it off the shelf."

"Oh. So I better not try to steal any from here?"

"I'm not going to tell you not to."

Willow smirked. "What if I succeed?"

"That would be impressive."

"Challenge accepted."

"Don't let Filch catch you, whatever you do!"

The two continued their sneaking around through the library. Willow saw a light-filled staircase leading up into the highest floors of the castle up ahead. She shot Fred a quizzical glance before climbing the several flights of stairs, reaching the top within a few minutes. Willow gasped when she emerged from the shadows of the tower.

"It's so...beautiful."

Willow stood atop the Astronomy Tower, gazing down on the entirety of Hogwarts. She could see everything now. Willow mentally created a map for herself, floor by floor, wing by wing. She was rather good with directions, and opportunities like this were what made her the best with them. Willow could create a mental picture in seconds if only she was allowed the extra time to absorb it into the depths of her mind.

"Fred, this is incredible!" she exclaimed.

"You should see it at night. You'll have to stay up until midnight every Wednesday to stare at the stars."

"That's going to be a bit difficult, but I've always managed well under little sleep."

"I hated it, too, until I realized that sleep was completely overrated."

Willow chuckled. "Hopefully it won't be too hard."

As they stared out into the fields, rising sun sparkling on the lake, Willow found herself settling into a peace that she had not felt in the longest of times. Her mind slowed, her heart rate dropped, and her breath came in slow, even tones.

Believe.

Willow frowned, confused.

Believe what?

Breath in your peace.

Willow opened her eyes, her head now racing with thoughts.

I thought you only talked to me in bigger, dire moments..

You are at peace.

Why won't you answer me?

"Willow? Are you alright?" Fred asked, jolting her from the mental conversation.

"No, the voice is back again," Willow admitted.

Fred's eyes widened. "What is it telling you?"

Close your eyes. Listen...

"I think it's trying to tell me to be at peace."

Fred's eyes sparkled, excitement and wonder alight within them.

"Maybe it's trying to help you transform again!"

See the beauty all around you. Listen to its call.

Willow obeyed. She zoned in on the high-pitched chirping of birds, the splashing of the fish in the lake, the neighing of the horse-creatures in the Forest. Willow found her heart pumping in rhythm with beat of the life surrounding her.

Feel your soul mingling with life. It calls for you...

Willow could see every last rabbit in its burrow, every grasshopper in the lawn below. She could sense the breeze, the patterns of the rolling hills, the movements of tiny creatures in the undergrowth. Everything was in tune with her.

You are the balance. You are the peace to this world. Fly, spread your wings and fly, dove, bringer of good news, bringer of peace.

Willow subconsciously knew that her feet were stepping up onto the edge of the Astronomy Tower's walls, but in reality, she wasn't in control of her motions. She barely managed to squeak a warning to a paranoid Fred.

"Don't...panic..." she choked out, her throat reminding her of wet cement.

"Why? What's going on?"

Fly, dove! Be free! Spread the peace!

Before she knew what was happening, Willow threw her arms out, tipped forward, and began diving head-first towards the ground below.

"Willow!" Fred cried.

Willow didn't fear the height, nor the rapid decent. A burning sensation spread across her body as she fell closer and closer to the ground. Her body shrank, forming hooked claws, skinny legs, and a curved beak. The breeze caught in her pure white feathers, and she was suddenly facing the sky, her wings propelling her upwards.

"Willow...you're flying!" Fred shouted from the tower.

Craning her neck to see, Willow saw Fred jumping around on the open deck, hooting and hollering in his joy. Willow found control of her wings and dove back towards him. She nearly crashed into the roof, but figured out how to catch the wind just in time to veer out of the way. Willow circled Fred's head in delight.

"You're a dove!" Fred rambled. "A dove! First a horse, now a dove! What's next?"

Willow twittered in laughter, then with a strong flap of her wings, shot up to the bright blue sky. The wind gently guided her towards the lake, so she went with it and glided towards it. She dipped a wing and allowed it to brush the surface, sending ripples out in all directions. Willow let out an exhilarated whistle before rocketing to the heavens once again. She began to get dizzy with exertion and decided to land before a random bystander would witness a dove falling out of the sky. Willow circled the Astronomy Tower a few times, then set herself down in front of Fred. With a bright flash, Willow was suddenly her normal, human self again.

"Woah, Willow!" Fred warned, catching her as she stumbled into him.

"Sorry!" Willow apologized quickly, righting herself. She panted slightly, her dark hair now wild and windblown.

"That was amazing!" Fred burst out. "You just went into some sort of trance, then fell off the ledge, and all of a sudden you're flying as a dove! How did you do it?"

"I don't know," Willow admitted sheepishly. "It's kind of beyond my control, like someone else is doing it for me."

"That voice in your head is creepy."

"It is and it isn't. The creepy part is it knows more about me than I know about myself, but the helpful part is showing me what I can do and doing it for me."

"Let's hope you don't do that in the middle of potions. Snape might take fifty points from Gryffindor for that!"

Willow grinned. "I'll see how far I can go before he gives me detention."

"Do you have any idea how bad detention with Snape is?"

"What do you think?"

"No, obviously, since you haven't any scars or bruises. I've heard some pretty morbid horror stories."

Willow smirked. "Maybe I'll be the one giving the scars and bruises."

Fred backed away in fake fear. "I didn't do anything, I swear!"

Willow breezily laughed and began walking down the stairs.

"Come on, before Filch traps us up here."

Fred lead the way once more down the tower, through the library, and down a couple flights of stairs. They had just made it past the Defense Against the Dark Arts office when Willow heard a small growl behind her. She slowly pivoted, staring Mrs. Norris directly in the eye.

"Damn that stupid cat!" Fred hissed.

The two dashed to the end of the hallway, where a tapestry hung. Fred lifted it, revealing a hidden staircase.

"Watch the steps, one of them vanishes!" he warned.

Willow barely touched each step as she scrambled up them. She found herself dashing madly through a hallway parallel to the lake, then up a few flights of stairs. Willow rounded a corner, dead set on the common room, when she nearly ran into someone.

"Blimey, Willow!" he exclaimed.

"George! Sorry, so sorry!" Willow panted.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Um..."

"George! You'll never believe what I did!" Fred announced, appearing at the top of the stairwell.

"Freddy! What did you do this time?"

"I left Filch quite the puzzle to figure out. His knights are no longer in shining armour, exactly."

George shook his head. "You replaced me with Willow already? Lord, that was fast. What a shame."

"Willow! What are you doing up so early?" Harry asked, materializing from behind the Fat Lady.

"Nothing that you won't hear of soon," Fred replied for her. "Come on, I'm going to wake up Lee."

The group headed back into the common room, Harry and Willow electing to remain on the main floor. Willow flopped on a squishy couch while Harry plopped into an armchair.

"Are you excited for classes, Harry?" Willow asked.

"Yes, I guess so," Harry replied. "I'm still worried about not reading the material before coming here."

"That's just Hermione for you," Willow reassured. "I'm certain that loads of first years are in the same position you are."

"And you aren't?"

"Oh no, I've learned maybe one charm from my grandparents. Normally, I'm a big reader, but I was too excited and nervous to read the textbooks."

Harry seemed to relax a bit more with that information settling his mind. The storm within his emerald green eyes calmed a bit, causing them to become even more beautiful.

"Your eyes are a wonderful shade of green, Harry," Willow complimented. Harry's cheeks reddened.

"Thanks. Everyone keeps telling me they're exactly like my mum's."

"I bet she was very beautiful, then."

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "What is it like, having parents?"

Willow paused for a moment, the pure question taking her aback. She bit her lip in thought before saying, "It's wonderful and horrible at the same time. Everyone's parents are different. Mine were amazing when I was little. They would always play with me, keep me away from danger, make sure I was doing well in school, helping me with sports...It was nice to have someone care about you so much that they would give anything to protect you."

"I guess I can relate a little, then, because my mother is the reason I have a scar and not a grave."

Willow glanced empathetically at Harry. "I wish you didn't have to live with your cousin and aunt and uncle. They sound awful, really."

Harry shrugged, being used to their cruelty. "What happened to your mother, anyway?"

Willow froze. Several memories flashed before her eyes: screaming, crying, begging, pleading, flashes of light, strangers, blood and fear everywhere. She blinked hard, trying to ignore it.

"I'd rather not say, but I'll tell you this: she's probably the most cruel, inconsiderate, and broken person in the entire world right now."

Harry sighed, sadness hiding beneath his features. "We've both lost our mothers, haven't we?"

"Yes, we have," Willow said. "But I can pretend to be your sister, at least. I mean, I've already had a few people ask me yesterday if I was your sister, since we have the same color eyes and hair."

Harry half-smiled. "I'd be a poor substitute for a brother, just a fair warning."

"Come on, Lee! Don't want to be late to your first day, do ya?" George said loudly, interrupting their conversation.

"This is coming from you two?" Lee grumbled.

Willow glanced at Harry. "If you ever need to talk about it, just ask. I'll try to open up."

Harry smiled, truly glad that he had someone who understood. "Thanks, Willow."

The twins, Lee, Harry, and Willow talked loudly in the common room as everyone began to wake. Within a half hour, most of the room was filled with excited, drowsy Gryffindors. Around 7:30, the procession began towards the Great Hall. Most of the teachers were already there, and the food had been served, unlike the day before. Willow happily munched on some fresh strawberries as Fred and George discussed a plan with Lee to get out of Charms class later. Ron, Hermione, and Neville joined her and Harry shortly.

"Look at all of this!" Neville marveled. "I've never seen so much food at once in my life!"

"You did yesterday, silly," Hermione said.

"Yes, but this time it's breakfast!"

They dug into the toasts, jams, fruits, potatoes, and various other fancy foods that Willow had never even heard of before. The Great Hall slowly filled up, students trickling into it in packs. Draco and his bodyguards were some of the first ones at the Slytherin table. He tried taunting the Gryffindors from across the room, but Willow successfully managed to keep her friends from retaliating.

"I hate him," Harry muttered. "He's such a blithering idiot."

"Then don't speak to him. He'll only keep going if you fuel the flames."

"Still, why must he be such a prat?" Ron grumbled. "There's no call for it."

"He's in Slytherin, that's why," Lee said, glaring at the Slytherin table. "The whole lot of them are like that."

"I haven't met a nice Slytherin yet," George added. "They sleep in the dungeons for a reason."

Willow frowned. "I've heard nothing but negative things about Slytherins. What have the Slytherins done to you all?"

"They're brutes on the Quidditch field," said Fred.

"Always knocking people off their brooms, never getting called for it."

"Bullying first years every chance they get-"

"Cheating on exams-"

"Sucking up to teachers to get good grades-"

"Getting in trouble and pinning it on other houses-"

"Oh," Willow breathed. "That does sound horrible." But the students are placed in that house because they value cunning and manipulating resources, after all, she thought.

"Yes, I'd stay away from them if I were you," George warned.

"Especially that Malfoy, he'll be the worst, I'm telling you."

Willow nodded, but deep down she felt as if there was something not entirely true about those statements. She had recently received a nasty shock when the twins informed her that Draco was a Malfoy, that he was to be avoided entirely, and he couldn't be trusted. But Draco wasn't all that bad if you asked Willow. He was probably suffering the same as the rest of them, attending boarding school for the first time ever to learn all about this magical world that they were forbidden to tell the Muggles about. She was still going to give him a chance.

"Oy, look, the mail's here!" Ron exclaimed.

Hundreds of owls surged in through the high windows in the Great Hall, creating quite the astonished gasp from first years. Willow simply grinned as Iris swooped down and landed perfectly on her outstretched arm. Malfoy yelled at his owl as it landed in his glass of juice, causing everyone to chortle under their breath.

"Having trouble with your owl there, Draco?" Willow called in a sing-song voice.

"Shut up! Bloody thing..." Draco muttered.

The Gryffindors tore into their letters, excited to see what they'd gotten. Neville smiled at a short congratulatory letter from his grandparents, the Weasley boys groaned, and Willow stared at her three pieces of mail, wondering which one to open first.

"You didn't get anything, Hermione? Harry?" Neville asked.

"No, my parents don't understand how to use owls yet," Hermione explained.

"My parents can't exactly send me letters, so..." Harry trailed off.

Neville's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment, and he quickly buried his face in breakfast foods again. Willow bit her lip as she stared at the two bits of possible doom in front of her.

"What's the matter, Willow?" Fred inquired.

"Oh, nothing," she lied, smoothly picking up the one addressed to her from Ginny. It congratulated her on getting into Gryffindor, then saying that Snuffles was sad without Achelous to be there with her. Willow got out a pencil (she carried one in her pocket at all times) and scribbled:

Thank you, Ginny! It's nice to hear from you. Things are going well here, and Fred and George are taking good care of Ron and I. I can't wait for you to see this school! It's amazing! Hope to see you soon!

Willow Guerrero

Folding up the letter for later, Willow set it aside and took the next piece of parchment from Iris's leg.

Willow,

I hope you're having a good time at Hogwarts! I've been very busy at the Ministry. Newt has all sorts of things he needs help with these days, and I always seem to get the biggest share of it. Anyways, congratulations on getting into Gryffindor! I know you'll do just fine in all of your classes. You're a smart little cookie! Mom hasn't paid any unwelcome visits, so all is good here. Say hello to all your friends for me! And don't let those twins persuade you into doing anything stupid! You don't want to get expelled your first year- wait until the last week of your seventh year.

Love, Dad

Willow felt herself smiling. It was always nice to hear from her dad, him being so busy and all. He had the best advice and knew just how to make her day.

"My mum and dad always send the best candies, don't they, Goyle?" Malfoy drawled from across the room, obviously trying to get attention. Willow rolled her eyes.

Harry cursed under his breath. "This already? It's not even past noon!"

"What have your parents sent you, Potter?" Malfoy sneered. "Oh wait, that's right! You don't have any!"

"Hey, Draco!" Willow shouted, Harry's cheeks flushing in anger. "I would tell you, 'You know where to stick it,' but seeing as you're too incompetent to remember anything else about the Boy-Who-Lived, I'm going to keep my mouth shut. I suggest you do the same."

Malfoy's nostrils flared. "You'll regret that, Guerrero!"

"No I won't," Willow mumbled as she sat down, high-fiving Harry. The twins and Lee gave her the thumbs up.

"Aren't you going to open up that last letter, Willow?" asked Hermione.

"I almost forgot!"

Willow slowly tore open the last one. It had no sender's name. Dreading what was inside, she painstakingly slide it out, unfolding it to find untidy, almost maniacal scrawl across a small piece of parchment:

We are most disappointed in you, insolent girl! A whole family of Slytherins and you tarnish our family's blood with Gryffindor. How dare you give in to your weak father's words, those traitorous beasts you call friends? You and your father will pay for this! I will never rest until you learn proper reality, and become who you truly are!

You escaped me once, Willow. You'll never get so lucky again.

Can't wait to see you. Mum.

Willow turned white as a ghost. She threw down the parchment as if it were fire licking her fingers. Willow began trembling all over, fear and anxiety ramping up.

"Willow, what's the matter?" Harry questioned.

The twins picked up the words she had cast away, gasping as they finished. Their faces were a mix of shock, anger, and motivation to find Willow's mum and give her a piece of their mind.

"What kind of mother is that woman?"

"Who does she think she is?"

"What's going on?" Hermione butted in.

"M-my mother's t-trying to scare me on the f-first day, and so far i-it's working," Willow stuttered.

Tears threatened to spill from Willow's eyes as her first year friends read the threat as well.

"Oh my God, Willow!" Hermione exclaimed. "I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry, Willow," George said. "I'm sure your father is fine."

"We won't let anyone hurt you here. Hogwarts is the best protected school in the world, as far as I know."

"But what about when I go home?" Willow worried, her voice quaking.

"No one will be able to hurt you then, either," Fred promised. "Mum and dad would probably throw the entire Ministry of Magic at them before they came within fifty kilometers of you. They pretty much adopted you at this point, Willow."

"Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if Mum sews her a sweater for Christmas, too," George added.

The corner of Willow mouth twitched. "Your mother does that?"

"Sadly, yes, and it's bloody awful," Ron groaned. "I always get a maroon one. I hate maroon."

Willow brightened up a little at that. "I guess that makes me feel better. Thanks, guys."

Classes began in half an hour, so everyone dispersed, hoping they wouldn't get lost on the way to class. Fred and George offered to help Willow find Herbology, and she gladly accepted. They had rounded a corner for what felt like the thousandth time when they bumped into Draco.

"Draco, I'm so sorry," Willow burst out, brushing herself off. Draco simply glared.

"Blood traitor," he spat, then walked away.

"Jeez, what's with him today?" George wondered.

"I think he's mad Willow already won his own game this morning."

"That, and I stole his precious candy," Willow said slyly, holding up three boxes of Berti Bott's Every Flavored Beans.

"You're brilliant, Willow!"

The three enjoyed challenging each other to eat certain colored beans while walking to class. Willow accidentally ate a vomit flavored one, but surprisingly, it didn't bother her much. The twins scampered back into the castle after she arrived at the greenhouses.

"Oy, Willow!" Ron called. "Where have you been?"

Willow ran the rest of the way into the small, unique classroom. The glass walls were dripping with condensation, and there were no desks or even chairs. A few rows of rich soil laid empty in their raised platforms. Neville was acting super hyper, blabbering about how one of the only things he had been good at while living with his grandparents was taking care of their garden.

"Even Neville knows more than me," Harry whimpered. "I'm doomed."

"Cheer up, Harry," Willow said. "You'll learn quick. There's lots of Muggle-borns that don't have a clue."

"One could only hope."

A short, stout woman with graying hair appeared shortly. She introduced herself as Professor Sprout. The lesson began promptly, mainly an overview of products to assist in growth, handling, and extraction of plants. Hermione answered every question in a quick overview of the plants they'd be working with that month. Five total points were awarded to Gryffindor. The Hufflepuffs were nice enough, some even pairing up with the Gryffindors. Willow decided to work with Neville.

"How much do you know already?" Willow asked.

"Well...Loads, I guess, but I can't spontaneously come up with anything. I just know what the plant is and what to do with it when you place it in front of me."

"That's better than me. I don't have a clue about any of these magical plants."

Neville grinned. "Maybe I can teach you something for once."

The lesson commenced, and they began sowing their first seeds of a mysterious plant that Willow had already forgotten the name of. Professor Sprout awarded another five points to Gryffindor for Neville and Willow's "excellent work and green thumbs".

History of Magic put nearly everyone asleep. According to the older students, Professor Binns fell asleep, died in a fire, and came to teach as a ghost the next day. Willow thought that as terribly depressing, but she loved history and lectures, so she pretended to scribble down notes as she listened eagerly. Harry and Ron looked as though they were ready to explode they were so confused and lost. Hermione, as always, diligently scribbled down everything as fast as she could.

Charms was one of Willow's favorite classes. The teacher at his full height would barely reach Willow's hip. He had a pile of books that he always climbed up to take attendance and teach the lesson, once falling off on the first day when he called Harry's name. The class was full of surprises, marvels, and tricky pronunciations that had Dean and Seamus cursing at each other.

Transfiguration with McGonagall was a very sharp contrast to the other classes Willow had experienced so far. She gave them a short speech at the beginning of class, warning them how dangerous her class could be. Transfiguration was very complex and tricky, and it would take much time, effort, and attention in class to perform well. Willow happily scribbled down the difficult notes before getting paired up with Hermione to try and turn a match into a needle.

"This- is- very- difficult," Hermione puffed, failing several times to make anything happen to her match.

"Let me try!" Willow ordered excitedly.

Willow did all the fancy wand flicks, said all the correct words, and still nothing happened. The girls took a break after they worked for fifteen minutes and still had nothing.

"McGonagall was right, this is the toughest branch of magic so far," Willow noted.

"And frustrating beyond belief." Hermione slumped in her chair.

"One more try?" Willow urged, pushing the match towards her friend. Hermione sighed.

"Fine."

Hermione dejectedly flicked her wand, repeated the magic words, and watched wide-eyed as the match morphed into a metallic, pointy object. Professor McGonagall noticed right away and drew the attention of the class.

"Look here!" she announced. "Miss Granger has managed to transfigure her match!"

Everyone gazed at the match, wondering how on Earth Hermione managed to do that.

"Five points to Gryffindor for you tremendous work, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, smiling a tiny bit.

Willow copied the way Hermione had done hers, and was successful in producing a needle similar to Hermione's. Class ended shortly after. Harry and Ron practically ran out the door, furious that the know-it-all had succeeded again while they were miles behind her.

The rest of the week went by in a blur. Defense Against the Dark Arts with Quirrel was a joke. His room smelled awful, and Willow suspected something about his turban, but she couldn't put her finger on it. He stuttered in the middle of lessons and made it most difficult to learn. Even Hermione was slightly frustrated, which was saying a lot.

When Friday came, most of the first years had finally figured out their schedule and didn't get too lost anymore. Harry received his first letter of the year from Hagrid.

"Tea with Hagrid?" Willow read over his shoulder.

"Yes, you can come, if you'd like," Harry invited.

"I might. It depends on whether Snape decides to kill me today."

Iris flew in with a parcel from her father. Willow furrowed her brow in confusion.

"It's not even been a week since he last sent me a letter."

"What, is that abnormal for him?" Ron mumbled, his face full of porridge.

"Very."

Willow patted Iris quietly as she tore the top open and drew out a small piece of parchment with barely a few sentences on it:

Discovered something new about you. Keep transformations secret. Dangerous. Explain when next see me.

Dad

Willow clapped her hand over her mouth, shock the only readable emotion on her face.

"What does it say?" Harry inquired.

"He's never sent me something like this," Willow breathed, ignoring him.

"What?"

"My father is always very particular about writing in complete sentences. He never rushes a letter, especially one to me."

"What does that mean, then?" Fred butted in.

"It means my father is in trouble."

A silence settled over the table. Willow turned a ghostly shade of white, glimpses of the past flashing across her field of vision. What had happened? Her father had never gotten kidnapped before; he was too skilled and quick-witted, outmaneuvering most witches and wizards (or beasts) before they had a chance to pin him down. The keyword was most.

"The only person that's a match for him that I know of is-"

Willow paled even farther, if that was possible. She forgot how to produce sound for a moment.

"It's your mother, isn't it?" Hermione whispered.

"No, worse," Willow choked, her throat feeling as though a stone was lodged in it. "The people that corrupted my mother- her parents. He probably went looking for answers, but got caught snooping around and imprisoned. Only owls can get down into that cellar. I hope he's okay..."

"It might not be that at all, Willow," Fred suggested. "He might have been in a really big hurry for the Ministry and sent an owl as fast as he could."

"Yes, but still..."

Willow buried her face in her hands. "I need to stop psyching myself out. You're probably right, Fred. He's most likely fine, just stressed and has no extra time to send me a proper letter. This was pretty urgent, anyways."

"Um, what did it say, exactly?" George questioned.

"Oh, right. He discovered something about my transformations, but I have to keep it a secret. It's dangerous. Speaking of which," Willow lowered her voice, "I better not talk about this here."

"What transformations?" Hermione, Neville, and Harry whispered at the same time.

"I'll tell you later. For now, I can't have anyone else hearing. My dad wouldn't send this as a joke."

The Gryffindors finished their breakfast in silence, running off to their classes a half hour in advance. Willow followed her friends into the dungeons. The light vanished quickly, leaving them in almost complete darkness on the stairs. Braziers with lit torches guided them to their final class of the week, double potions with Slytherin.

"Why do we have to have it with Slytherin?" Ron grumbled. "Snape always favors them."

"Because we're Gryffindors, and we can take it, I guess," Neville replied uncertainly.

"Well, if anything gets too bad, just tell me who caused it and I'll hit them for you later," Willow offered.

"Willow! Violence does not solve problems!" Hermione scolded.

"It solved my bullying problem in Muggle school," Willow said.

"You punched a kid?" Harry blurted out.

Willow smirked. "Yeah, and no one ever messed with me again. Funny how that works. I wouldn't do it again, though, it kind of hurt my knuckles..."

Hermione scowled. "There's always a diplomatic solution."

"I'd already tried that with them, and it exploded in my face. They defiled my homework and nearly caused me to fail one of my classes. Some jerks need a good taste of reality before they realize they should leave you alone and figure out what to do with their pathetic life."

Hermione seemed to liven up a bit. "Well, considering it was your grade involved, I guess desperate measures were necessary..."

"Of course Hermione would relent at the slightest mention of grades," Ron said.

"And you wouldn't?"

"Look, if you need help with a bully, please let me at 'em," Willow interjected before an argument could break out. "I'm really good at pretending to be a sweet, diplomatic problem solver, then instantly showing my true colors by giving them some dark ones around their eye."

"Jeez, Willow, that's...scary," Harry said.

"Is anyone else getting the feeling that we should be careful around her?" Neville wondered aloud.

"Oh, Neville, there's where you're wrong. I have trouble hurting people that I care about. It physically hurt me to take care of the bullies that way, of course, but it emotionally hurt, too, because I didn't want to hurt them. I don't like taking that route of problem solving. Once you earn my loyalty, it's kind of hard to break it. I would run through all the walls of Hogwarts for you guys. I'm loyal to a fault, in a way."

"Yes, but don't let that reduce Gryffindor's points to rubble in class today," Hermione warned.

"I'll try not to. No promises."

"Willow! Don't you dare!"

The five found themselves in a dark, almost dingy classroom. A green glow illuminated the blinds drawn over the windows. A tall, dark man dressed in all black robes glowered at the students that entered his classroom. Neville instantly froze in fear.

"Don't be afraid, Neville," Willow whispered. "He's a professor. Snape can't, and won't, hurt you."

"He doesn't appear that way," Neville croaked.

Willow gently guided her friend to the corner of the room where several students were standing, expectantly staring at Snape with wide, petrified eyes. After a few minutes, when everyone had arrived, he began speaking in a slow, grumpy, almost sarcastic sort of monotone.

"You will be assigned a partner for the entire year whom you will sit next to and create potions with the rest of the term. I will hopefully find you a partner of similar competence."

Professor Snape began rattling off names from his list, each person called quickly seating themselves, fearing punishment. He stopped when he got to Harry's name, insulted him, and kept going until only Draco, his two goons, and Willow remained.

"You two seem of similar...ability level," Snape said to Crabbe and Goyle. "Please seat yourselves."

That left only Draco and Willow, who exchanged a glance of exasperation and dismay.

"You look like you can somewhat keep up with Mr. Malfoy, Miss Guerrero," Snape said. "Go find yourself an empty table."

Draco and Willow slumped into their desks but were soon barraged with notes from the blackboard. Snape began asking advanced questions to Harry, which annoyed Willow to no end, since Hermione was waving her hand like a lunatic.

"She obviously knows the answer, so why doesn't he call on her?" Willow breathed to Draco.

"Why doesn't the famous Potter know anything?" Draco shot back.

"Please don't make this any more difficult than it has to be," Willow groaned. "I don't want to dent your skull on the first day."

"You don't have the guts."

"At least I have more than you. If you haven't forgotten, Gryffindors value courage."

"And Slytherins don't?"

"Maybe others, but definitely not you."

Draco snorted. "Courage is useless. All it does is put on a show, then dies with the person that is able to summon it."

"You know nothing of courage, you privileged brat."

"Oh, so when have you drawn up a single ounce of courage, Willow?"

Willow shot him a sharp look. "When my mother tried to kidnap me this summer."

Draco's eyebrows flew up in shock. His facial features went slack, and he momentarily couldn't produce any sound.

"But you wouldn't know anything of family issues, would you, Draco? You live with two sane parents that give you everything you want. You've never had to raise a finger to be pampered, have you?"

Draco glared at her. "You don't know anything about me."

"You're right, I don't. But I do know that being a rich, pureblood elitist won't help you anywhere in life."

Draco whipped his head away from Willow. "Stop talking to me."

"I don't take orders from anyone that is stupid enough to believe that I am below them."

"So you're better than everyone else, is that it?"

Willow blinked. "No. And that's just sick. I can't believe someone like you would say that."

"What am I, then? What's so bad about me?"

"A lot, actually. But you have a lot good about you, too. I wish you would present that side of yourself instead of the you I'm seeing right now."

Draco stared at her, a strange mix of emotions in his eyes. Willow, normally an expert at reading these and picking them apart, couldn't decipher it.

"Today, you are making a simple potion to cure boils," Snape announced. "Work with your partner. I'll be around to make sure no one injures themselves too badly."

Snape swished his long cloak and swept about the room, a dark menace to most of the Gryffindors, who withered under his gaze. Willow gathered supplies for Draco as he got out his fancy cauldron.

"Now many pounds of dried nettle again?" Willow asked.

"I don't know, you're the one with the textbook."

Willow rolled her eyes and measured out an odd amount of nettles that the recipe called for, then counted out snake fangs. She purposely crushed them so that the juices would splatter on Draco's robes.

"Hey! Watch what you're doing!" he growled, brushing off his robes.

"Oops, sorry, did I ruin your perfect robes?"

"Traitor."

"Prick."

Malfoy vigorously brewed the potion as Willow prepared the horned slugs. Snape didn't spout off a few harsh words at them, so she assumed he was fairly impressed with their work.

"Why is he so mean to the Gryffindors?" Willow whispered, watching as Dean Thomas was smacked on the back of the head for teasing his partner with the slugs.

"Why are you so nosy?"

"Shut up. You know I'm not."

"Honestly, I don't know that," Draco sighed. Willow chucked the slugs into the cauldron, making sure it would splash on her partner.

"Will you stop that!" Malfoy fumed.

"No, I can't be bothered today," Willow said in a mockingly innocent voice.

"You are a bother every day. A pain in everyone's backside."

Snape suddenly appeared beside their cauldron. "Look here, you fools of first years. Seeing as many of you are too incompetent to understand simple brewing, I'd like you to observe how Mr. Malfoy here has perfectly brewed his horned slugs-"

A great hissing and sizzling broke out on the other side of the room. Green gas filled the air as Neville and Seamus backed away from their table, clutching their skin in pain. Their cauldron was a melted heap of mush, and their potion had spilled all over the floor, behaving like acid as it ate through everything, including people's shoes. The first years screamed and huddled into Willow and Draco's side of the class, where the fluid could not reach.

"Stupid Gryffindors!" Snape snarled, marching over to them. Willow noticed Neville's face was breaking out with painful-looking boils.

"I hope he's okay," Willow whispered.

"It doesn't matter if he is," Draco snickered. "He looks ridiculous! Look at him, he's doing an idiot's dance!"

The Slytherins began chortling, but the Gryffindors glared at Draco as if their eyes could burn holes through his robes. Willow angrily slapped him across the face while Snape wasn't paying attention.

"Hey!" Draco cried. "What was that for?"

"You have a long way to go if you think publicly making fun of other people's learning experiences is okay," Willow growled. "Especially when it's one of my friends."

Draco lowered his grey eyes from Willow's fiery ones. "Fine. I'm being silent now. But it's still-"

Willow silenced Draco with a sharp blow to the shoulder.

Snape sent the partners to the hospital wing while everyone else resumed brewing their potions. Willow and Draco stood in silence, finishing theirs way ahead of everyone else. Snape's expression improved to one of indifference when examining their final product. He displayed it for the rest of the class to see while Draco and Willow slouched in their chairs, ignoring each other.

When class ended, Willow headed back into the common room with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Draco stormed in the other direction without a word.

"I'm sorry you have to be paired up with that jerk," Harry sympathized.

"Yes, even though he's rather good at potions," Hermione lamented.

"It's okay. I've already hit him twice, so he's under control."

"That's bloody awesome, Willow!" Ron exclaimed as Harry and Hermione stared at her.

"You did what?" Hermione said. "I thought we've already talked about this!"

"Hermione, pipe down!" Harry commanded. "It made an impression on the other Slytherins, so it worked, see?"

The four peeked at the Slytherins behind them. They glanced warily at Willow, their eyes darting away if she made eye contact. Willow smirked.

"See, you make a show of strength against a leader, and the empire crumbles within seconds," she proclaimed. "They all look up to Draco, being their elitist pureblood rich boy. He draws attention to himself naturally. If you show that you're not afraid of someone that usually gets away with bullying everyone, their followers shy away."

"You'd make a great Muggle military leader, Willow," Ron remarked.

"Maybe, but that's a whole different playing field."

The four ran up a few flights of stairs to the hospital wing, rejoined with Neville, and darted off to the Great Hall. There, they found their other friends at the Gryffindor table and began eating lunch. Willow downed a light salad before digging into some bread.

"I counted all five of you, so I'm assuming you survived potions?" George said.

"For the most part, yes," Ron sighed.

"Nearly didn't make it out. Neville got sent to the hospital wing," Harry informed.

"So, all and all, a typical day with our dark, brooding Professor Snape?" Fred summed up.

"Yes, minus Willow giving Malfoy a good beating," Ron agreed.

"You hit Malfoy already?" Lee skepticized, raising his eyebrows.

Willow blushed. "Twice, actually."

"Wicked!" the twins said in unison.

"How did you manage that? Snape was all over Malfoy!" Neville inquired.

"Professor Snape was too busy yelling at you guys to notice me telling off his favorite little prick," Willow explained.

"Wait, you have Malfoy as your partner?" George said.

"Unfortunately," Willow replied. "But he's good at potions, so that's not a problem, and I can insult him all day long without him being able to do a thing about it."

"What did he say to make you hit him?" Fred questioned.

"He got everyone to laugh at Neville, so I tried to be diplomatic for a moment after slapping him the first time, but he continued to be a foul idiot, so I punched him in the shoulder. The prick should have a wonderful bruise for the next few days."

Neville smiled. "It's nice to know that someone can stand up to him."

"I don't think the other Slytherins will be messing with me anymore, either. They seemed pretty sketchy with me after that."

"Perfect. Try to keep it that way, Willow. You can use that to your advantage when you prank them," Fred said.

"If you two get her in trouble-" Hermione started.

"It's okay, Hermione," Willow interrupted, giggling. "I dare them to try and catch me."

Willow climbed the tower, ascending higher and higher towards the incessant hooting above her head. She emerged into the Owlery, Iris landing on her head before she could even try to look for her. A large, burly figure approached her from the other side of the room.

"Hello there!" he cheerfully called. "Who are ya? I don't think of met ya before."

"I'm Willow," Willow said. "Are you Hagrid?"

"Yes, that woul' be me," Hagrid agreed. "Official Keeper o' the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. I'm the gamekeeper as well."

"Harry's told me wonderful things about you," Willow said, causing Hagrid to grin.

"Bless that boy. What brings ya up here?"

"Oh, I was checking on my owl."

"Iris, right? She's a beauty, that tawny. Very smart, too. Probably smarter 'an me."

Willow chuckled. "I've always had a knack for understanding animals better than humans."

"That makes two o' us. Do ya wanna help me treat these 'ere owls?"

"I would love to!"

Willow watched as Hagrid refilled the bowls built into the ground along the circumference of the Owlery, then took a bag of her own and dumped interesting-smelling kibbles into them. The owls dove onto them almost instantaneously.

"They really love these, don't they?" Willow said, watching as owls tussled and ruffed each other up over the food.

"They go crazy for this stuff. Have ya used owls b'fore comin' ter Hogwarts?"

"No, not really."

"I bet yer lovin' 'em now. The Muggle mail is terribly slow."

"It really is. I hated it so much."

"Well, I best be off ter take care o' me pumpkins. They have ter be nice and ready for Halloween, ya know."

"Good luck, Hagrid. It was wonderful to meet you."

Hagrid paused at the exit. "How would ya like ter meet a few o' me beasts that I keep 'ere? You seem like yer a good fit fer takin' care of 'em."

"That would be amazing, Hagrid. Let me know when you want me!"

"Will do. Bye, Willow."

Willow watched as Hagrid descended down the stairs, leaving her alone with the owls. She stroked Iris's back.

"Do you know how Dad's doing?"

Iris simply hooted softly in response. Willow sighed.

"I really hope he's okay..."

There was no way to tell.


	5. Year 1: Chapter 5

Willow tossed and turned in her bed, mumbling to herself.

Grace, no!

Avada Kedavra!

Willow gasped as she woke up, sweat trailing down her neck. Her chest seemed to be constricted between two brick walls that were slowly torturing her by closing in. Willow's stomach churned, her face white as if she was about to be sick.

"What are you doing?" a voice whispered.

Lavender Brown's shining eyes peered at Willow's terrified ones.

"Nothing, just a bad dream," Willow smoothly lied. "Go back to sleep, Lavender."

Lavender yawned, settling back into a comfortable position before softly snoring. Willow glanced at the watch on her nightstand. It read 5:30am. She sighed, knowing her body wouldn't let her return to sleep, and rose from her bed, heading into the bathroom.

Willow found a matchbox, lit a candle, and inhaled deeply as the warm scent of cinnamon filled her nose. She splashed water all over her face, calming herself down. A little color spread into her cheeks after a few minutes. Willow gazed into the mirror, her reflection staring back with dead eyes and defeated posture.

You can't give up, Willow thought. Don't give in. Remember what happened last time?

Willow shuddered, recoiling at the memories. That would never happen again. Never.

The sun wasn't even beginning to rise when Willow silently made her way down the stairs and into the common room. She placed herself in the wide frame of the window, folding her knees into her chest, staring blankly outside. Willow desperately wished that her mind would stop with this nonsense.

It will, eventually, a voice echoed in her mind.

Willow's eyes flew wide. I thought you only came when I'm feeling extreme emotions.

She almost jumped when the voice replied, You are. But this time, I'm going to talk to you instead of help you transform.

Thank you, Willow thought gratefully. I had no idea I could actually talk to you.

You could always do this. Your mind simply wasn't thinking about replying before.

May I ask you a question?

Of course.

Who are you, exactly?

I cannot tell you, but I may give you a clue: they're never far away.

Another riddle.

You may figure it out another time.

Willow shifted her position, watching the winged horses play in the treetops. What did you want to talk about?

Your father was right to inform you of the danger of your secret getting out. Keep it well hidden, for not everyone will take it as well as your friends.

Willow actually stood up, adrenaline racing through her veins. How do you know that?

My dear, the voice almost chuckled, I can see everything that goes through your mind.

That's not creepy at all.

It's merely for the sake of protecting you, Willow. You're rather important to the wizarding world.

Willow sat herself down, her mind racing. Anything else you wanted to tell me?

Yes. You can transform without extreme emotions. It will take practice.

Really?

Really. There is much more to your power than you know, Willow. Transforming into other creatures is only the beginning. Soon, you will be able to see me.

You can reveal yourself to me?

Not yet, but soon. It will require a lot of guidance and practice that you do not have time for yet.

I can't wait! If I accidentally shape-shift in front of my classmates, I'm done for...

That's why I'm here- to make sure that doesn't happen. You need to concentrate when your emotions swell. You need to feel your emotions in a different way in order to block them or turn them away.

Will you help me with that?

Gladly. Whenever you need me, I'm here.

Willow smiled. Thank you.

Remember Willow: even though you may not see me, it does not mean I'm not there. I'm always here to help guide you through this troubling time.

The voice was gone. Willow was alone again, gazing longingly out the window.

The past few days had flashed by. Classes were moving along quickly, homework was increasing, and friendships were deepening. Hermione still managed to get on Harry and Ron's nerves, but Willow couldn't understand why. She thought it was possibly that she was in the same league of smartness as Hermione and the boys were miles behind. Willow was one of the few among the whole class of first years that managed to keep up with Hermione in every subject. She was a racehorse, that girl, winning points right and left, becoming every teacher's favorite student except Snape's, of course. Willow finally had someone to compete with (Muggle school had been full of students that were rather dull and unmotivated).

She stayed this way, her mind flicking from one subject to the next, for nearly an hour. Willow decided she had best wake up her friends at 7:30 when she noticed a poster on the wall near the fireplace.

"Dear God, we're dead!" Willow thought out loud.

The poster announced that the Gryffindors would begin flying lessons the next day- but with the Slytherins. Willow groaned, imagining Harry and Malfoy going at it several feet above the ground.

"They're going to kill each other!"

Willow shook her head as she climbed the stairs, knowing exactly how everyone would react.

"Guys, wake up!" Willow commanded, opening the shutters and blinds. "It's 7:30."

"I don' wanna," Parvati groaned.

"Do you want to know something that will wake you up?"

"Not really," Fay Dunbar yawned.

"Too bad, because you'll want to know. We have flying lessons on Thursday with Slytherin."

Everyone sat bolt upright. "No way!"

"This cannot be happening!"

"My hair's never going to be the same!"

"I told you it would wake you up," Willow said. "Now get your lazy butts up."

Hermione promptly made her bed, then went into the restroom. A ginger girl began rummaging through her dresser until she found a brush and began fixing her hair.

"Fay, what do you think, braids of pigtails today?" she asked her friend.

"Mia, you always look great no matter what you do with your hair," Fay replied.

"Braids it is then!"

Willow tidied up her bed, fed Achelous some scraps from last night's dinner, and gathered her books for class that day. She had way too much extra time and sat on her bed to study her wand.

"It's ridiculous! I can't believe Muggles play that stupid game!"

"They don't exactly have broomsticks that can fly, being Muggles!"

"Still, what's the fun of only one ball?"

"To work it around the field and put it in the goal!"

Willow jumped up from her bed and peered into the common room, where Dean Thomas and Ron were arguing.

"There's no fun in that!"

"How can you say that? You've never played soccer!"

"Oy, Ron!" Willow called. "Do you need a further explanation why soccer is the best sport?"

"Yes, I do!"

"Soccer is an articulate game that requires excessive physical stamina and extreme mental toughness. You must balance strength, agility, endurance, and ability. The only protective equipment is shinguards, and people hit heads all the time but keep playing with severe head injuries. Many people spend their whole life training just to get on the national team. Does Quidditch do that to a person?"

"Yes, it does!"

"But you don't have to run or exert yourself nearly as much when a broomstick is doing all the sprinting for you. Do you think you could run and sprint repeatedly for two forty-five minute halves?"

"No."

"Also, most of the game is knowing where everyone is at all times, creating combination plays, and hitting a ball perfectly with your feet at a split second's notice. Do you think any Quidditch player could do that?"

"No."

"My point exactly. Carry on!"

Willow whirled around while the boys stood there in shock. Dean began laughing while Ron stormed out of the room. She hadn't noticed Harry, Fred, and George standing there watching the whole exchange.

"You absolutely demolished him, Willow!" Harry cried.

"Poor Ronniekins never knew what hit him!"

"I doubt he'll ever argue with you again."

"That's the goal of all challenges," Willow said. "Win the first time, and they will never mess with you again."

"Ron's going to be pissed with you the rest of the week, you know," Harry said.

"Oh, I'm well aware," Willow chortled. "It's going to be fun, messing with him until he lightens up."

"Come on, we need to get breakfast before Ron eats all the food," Fred joked.

Fifteen minutes later, the Gryffindor table was alight with furious first years and some rather entertained older students.

"I can't believed they'd pair us up like that!" Hermione fumed as she tore into a bowl of porridge. "It's absolutely horrid! They're dirty cheats, all of them! The moment the professor turns their head, the Slytherins will knock us off our broomsticks!"

"I can't wait to see Draco fail," Harry said darkly. "He's been bragging about how good he is with a broom for the past week."

"Him and everyone else," Neville added. "It seems like everyone has ridden a broom before except me."

"That makes two of us," Willow sighed.

"Make that three," Harry chimed in.

"You know, it's really not that bad," Ron assured. "I'm bloody awful at most things that require coordination, but riding a broom doesn't seem to be one of them."

"I somehow find a way to goof up everything, though," Neville lamented. "I couldn't even brew the simplest potion in the book without getting sent to the hospital wing!"

"Cheer up, Neville," Hermione said. "You were probably just nervous."

"With Snape around, how could anyone not be?" Ron grumbled.

"Still, I can't help but feel that I'm going to make something bad happen again..."

A flock of owls flew in the windows, abruptly ending the conversation. Neville was stunned when a package was dropped on his lap.

"What did you get, Neville?" Willow excitedly asked.

"One moment..." Neville tore open the papers to reveal a small glass orb.

"I know what that is!" Ron exclaimed.

"Go on, tell us, then!" Hermione urged, curious about everything the wizarding world had to offer.

Neville went on to explain that it was a Remembrall. Willow was secretly happy that his grandmother had sent it to him, as she was awfully tired of reminding him to double check if he had everything before class. Neville's face fell when it turned red in the middle of his sentence, indicating that he'd already forgotten something.

"What's this, a cheap gift from your granny?" Draco drawled, swiping the ball from Neville's hands.

"Hey!" Neville shouted, snatching at the orb in an effort to get it back.

Harry and Ron were on their feet in seconds, but thankfully McGonagall noticed the trouble and was upon them in seconds. Willow didn't even pay attention to their exchange as she glared daggers at Malfoy. When he gave it back to Neville and glided out of the room, she pursued him.

"Willow, where are you going?" Harry asked.

"To take care of something real quick," Willow hissed.

Draco stopped outside the doors to the Great Hall, noticing Willow marching towards him.

"Enjoy the show, traitor?" he teased.

Willow simply drew back her fist and cracked Draco on the cheekbone with all the strength she possessed. She didn't even feel the throbbing in her hand as she backed up, giving him space to rise to his feet. Willow was too angry. She had been keeping all of her anger hidden, all of her pent-up outrage nearly making her explode. Now, she had been able to take it out on the person that was causing it.

"What the hell, Willow?" Draco said, rubbing his cheek.

"There's my opinion on your 'show'," Willow snarled. "Get your worthless butt out of my sight."

Draco turned and hastily walked away, his goons hurrying to keep up. Willow made sure they had gone completely before returning to the Gryffindor table.

"Willow, what did you do?" Hermione exclaimed, seeing her knuckles.

"I took care of things that a teacher couldn't," Willow replied, hiding her hand. Ron forced it on the table anyway. He bounced up and down in excitement, their argument forgotten.

"You gave him a nice punch, didn't you?" he said, everyone gawking at the purple spreading across her fingers.

"God, Willow, how hard did you hit him?" Fred asked.

"Do you really want to know, Freddy?" George chuckled.

"I hit him hard enough to let him know what he did was wrong," Willow said. "That git needs to realize that though I tolerate him, I don't tolerate his stupid shows, especially when he picks on Neville. Hopefully he got the message by now."

"Willow, you should really go to the hospital wing," Hermione fretted. "You could have broken something."

"The only thing I've broken is Draco's pride."

It sure did feel like she had broken something, though. Willow gritted her teeth to take her mind off the pain. Several different shades of purple, black, and blue spread across her once orange-tan hands.

"Willow! Your hand!" Neville gasped.

Her attention focused in her hand now, she noticed the colors suddenly begin to recede. The pain lessened exponentially until she was left with a single purple bruise. Everyone stared at her.

"Um, Willow?" Harry said. "I think your hand just healed itself."

"Not fully, but I think so too," Willow corrected.

"That's...unnatural," Hermione choked out.

"Have you always been able to heal super fast?" Ron asked.

Now that she thought about it, she had inexplicably healed much faster than other children in Muggle school. Willow had never given thought to the idea that this was abnormal.

"Maybe; I haven't exactly paid much attention to that before."

"At least we know who to call for when we need a potentially painful job done."

"Fred!"

"It's fine," Willow giggled.

"I can't wait to put Draco in his place at flying lessons today," Harry said.

"Didn't Willow already do that?"

"No, she just left a mark on his perfect face for me to aggravate him with."

"Please, tease him all you want, but don't kill him. That would ruin the fun."

"Ron!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

"Just please don't get in trouble. We can't lose any more points for Gryffindor," Hermione reminded.

"Don't worry. We won't get caught," Willow promised.

"I give up!"

Willow raced down the steps and out to the grounds, Hermione and the boys trailing behind her. She breathed in the sweet scent of oak leaves and long, lush grass. The wind was about perfect. In the distance, the Forbidden Forest stood strangely light and inviting at this time in the afternoon. Willow nearly jumped for joy at the sight of twenty broomsticks lined up waiting for her.

"I'm so excited to fly, I could care less that Slytherin is here!" she exclaimed.

"Willow, slow down!" Ron cried.

"Sorry, I can't help it!" Willow puffed. "Being outside does things to me. I get excitable really fast, then I start talking fast, then I start spouting off random facts about anything we're walking by-"

"Students!" Madam Hooch bellowed. "Is everyone here?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Madam Hooch ushered the group to the brooms, and they all began chorusing, "Up! Up!" Willow smirked as she saw Draco fail to summon his broom while hers instantly fitted itself to her grip. Harry was the only other one that the broom cooperated with right away.

"Hiding your face, pretty boy?" Willow whispered to Draco.

"Shut up," he barked, still making a discreet effort to hide the splotch of dark colors on his cheekbone. Willow couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. She then noticed Neville, who was on her immediate right, having trouble with his broom. Willow tapped him on the shoulder.

"You have to be confident, Neville," she explained. "I know that you'll be a great flyer. Being afraid of it only makes things harder."

"O- okay," Neville stuttered, his eyes betraying his fear. He took a calming breath before commanding, "UP!"

The broomstick was in his hand before he could blink. Neville did a mini celebration.

"Thanks, Willow!"

The last person from Slytherin managed to get their broomstick to obey them. Madam Hooch told them that on three, they would all push off the ground then come straight back down. Neville gaped and his happiness vanished.

"Willow, I'm not ready yet!" he breathed.

"Take pride in yourself, Neville! You'll do fine!"

Neville nodded, but his body remained trembling in fear. Madam Hooch began counting down.

"I'll be left behind!" Neville fretted, tensing his leg muscles.

"Neville, no!" Willow hissed.

Her warning did no good. Neville prematurely rocketed into the sky.

"Neville! Come back!" Willow cried, several students screaming.

She saw it coming before everyone else did. Neville began tilting off his broom twenty feet above the ground, face ghostly pale with fear. Willow shot in his direction.

"Neville! Steady yourself!" she screamed as she sprinted.

It was too late. Neville dipped forward and tumbled from the sky. Willow was nearly there, only feet away, but it was too late. Neville hit the ground with a nasty crack!

"Neville! Are you hurt?" Willow shouted, kneeling beside him as Madam Hooch appeared beside her.

Neville was sobbing, holding his wrist in pain. Willow stroked his cheek in an effort to calm him down. Madam Hooch tutted, declaring a broken wrist. She threatened everyone with immediate expulsion if they flew without her and whisked Neville away to the hospital wing. Willow stared after him, hoping that he would be okay. Sighing, she returned to the group of first years.

"Great. Now he'll never want to fly."

"At least that wasn't horrible," Hermione said optimistically. "He only fell."

"He lost his broom, too," Willow noticed, ignoring Hermione. Neville's broom was floating towards the Forbidden Forest.

"I better go get th-"

"Harry, don't you dare!" Hermione warned, surprising Willow.

"What?"

"Not you! Brainless wants to get expelled and lose points for Gryffindor in the process."

Willow now noticed Draco floating in the air, Neville's Remembrall in his hands. Her blood boiled with anger. Why did he have to be like this? Didn't he understand that nobody liked him because of these shows he put on?

"How dare he! What is his problem?" Willow seethed.

She watched as Harry began flying after Draco, cheering as he caught up with the practiced Slytherin. The turn in events made her forget all about her anger towards Draco, instead making her root for Harry, hoping that he would embarrass the git.

"He's a natural!" Willow noted to Ron, who was whooping with excitement.

Draco and Harry were arguing mid-air now. Willow glanced at the castle instinctively, hoping there were no teachers watching. Naturally, McGonagall was standing at her window.

"Harry's dead," Willow whispered to Hermione.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean McGonagall is watching this from her window. That woman can smell trouble from a kilometer away."

Ron and Hermione glanced at the window just as Draco threw the Remembrall.

"Go, Harry!" Willow cheered as several students screamed.

Harry dove after that orb like his life depended on it. He raced increasingly closer to the ground, ten feet, five feet, until he grabbed the Remembrall in his hand only inches from the ground. Harry pulled up at the last second and tumbled to a halt, the Remembrall safe in his hands.

"Yes, yes!" Willow yelled, the other Gryffindors following her lead. Harry stood up, smiling from ear to ear.

Willow barely blinked and there was McGonagall. She snatched up Harry, dragged him into the castle, and was gone. Everyone stood in a shocked silence.

"What are you all staring at? Back to your brooms!" Madam Hooch thundered, snapping everyone out of their daze.

When everyone was in place again, they restarted the lesson, kicked off, and were free to fly wherever they wanted as long as it was within the Hogwarts grounds. Willow found that she was rather good at flying, and immediately zoomed off as fast as she could.

She made a game of dodging the castle's towers, circling around them in a corkscrew until she was flying straight up into the air. Then, Willow flew from one end to the other, unable to fathom the sheer size of Hogwarts. She twisted, turned, looped, went straight up and down, then flew upside down for a bit. Willow was feeling quite brave when Draco found her midair.

"Still sore over Harry Potter showing you up?" Willow teased.

"No. That oaf has detention now, and quite possibly could be on the next train home."

Willow gasped. "You got him expelled!"

"How did you just now figure that-"

"You lying, lazy, selfish, incompetent, no good prick!" Willow shrilled as she darted towards Malfoy. He dodged her easily, but wasn't expecting her to make such a sharp one-eighty and was nearly knocked off his broom.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Draco said in a pitched voice.

"I should knock you off your broom for your actions," Willow spat. "After everything you've done to Neville, and now Harry, I can't believe I'm still giving you a chance."

Draco eyed her warily. "What chance?"

Willow snorted. "If you can't figure that out, maybe I really shouldn't."

"Shouldn't what?"

Willow raced off, leaving a clueless Draco trailing behind her. She found the lake and dove until she was hovering just above the surface.

"Willow, seriously!" Draco puffed, still following her. "What do you mean?"

"Good thing they didn't put you in Ravenclaw," Willow said.

"Willow, I'm serious," Draco said. "What. Do. You. Mean?"

"Look in the water, Draco," Willow murmured. "Maybe that will tell you."

Draco furrowed his brow in confusion before looking in the water. Willow gracefully stood up and began pacing on her broom, bouncing off the ends and pretending she was back in Muggle school's first grade, when she was in gymnastics. Draco snorted and returned his attention to Willow.

"There's nothing there. Tell me, or I'll push you in the la- What are you doing?"

Willow stopped momentarily. "Ignoring the world."

"I will push you into the lake."

"You wouldn't."

"You wanna bet?"

"No, I don't like gambling, thank you."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Are you trying to toy with me?"

"Why would I bother with someone as dull as you?"

Draco glared at Willow. "What is wrong with you today?"

"Why are you so rude every day?"

"I am not rude every day!"

"Tell that to everyone except your own house."

"They all hate us!"

Willow held Draco's gaze. "Yes, they do. Do you know why? Most of Slytherin has made the first impression that they treat everyone like dirt. I know that there's good Slytherins, despite what everyone else is telling me. It sucks when the only one I know is reinforcing the stereotype."

Draco's mouth dropped open for a second, but he quickly regained his composure. "I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Read people so easily! Figure things out so quickly! Think differently! Where did you learn to do that?"

Willow stared at him in shock for a second. "I didn't realize I was doing it differently than anyone else until you pointed it out."

"Normal people don't give Slytherins second chances, Willow."

"I suppose you're right."

Willow dropped her gaze to the water. It was a dark shade of gray, almost black, and Willow couldn't see more than a foot deep before the light ceased altogether. She could sense that there were creatures moving down there, and some of high intelligence.

Wait, how do I know that?

"You're just trying to make me forget what you said earlier, aren't you?" Draco suddenly said, tearing Willow from her thoughts.

"No, I'm really not, I sw-"

"Save it, Willow."

Willow paused for a moment. "That reminds me. I need to save Neville a worry or two and retrieve his broomstick."

"Why would you help that clumsy piece of-"

"Malfoy, I swear to God, if you badmouth Neville one more time, I'm going to drag you to the bottom of this lake and drown you. Clear?"

Draco silently nodded, recoiling from Willow in slight fear of her being serious. Willow flew off in the direction that she last saw Neville's broom.

"You know we're not supposed to go here during the lesson, right?" Draco reminded Willow, catching up to her.

"I am aware that that rule is in place, but since it's a dumb rule in the context of these circumstances, I'm ignoring it," Willow said.

"Okay then..."

The two stayed low, almost brushing the treetops as the searched for the broomstick. Thankfully, Madam Hooch was busy helping other first years learn to be brave on their broomsticks. Willow spotted something poking out from a gap in the trees below.

"There!" she pointed, circling down to the forest floor, Draco close behind.

They found the broomstick lodged in a bush. Willow went to remove it, but was confronted by a strange sound. It was a weird clicking and snorting that didn't spring any creature into her mind.

"Did you hear that?" Willow asked.

"Hear what?"

It came again. "That!"

"I didn't hear anything!"

"You must be deaf."

Willow began walking in the direction of the sound.

"Well, don't walk towards it!" Malfoy squeaked. "What it it's dangerous?"

"Then I'll deal with the consequences."

Willow pulled a low branch to the side and gasped.

"Draco, look! I've found something!"

Draco hurried over. "What?"

"Look!"

Draco squinted his eyes, but shook his head. "You're crazy, Willow."

"How can you not see them?"

Willow goggled at the horse-like creatures before her. She knew that these were the cute winged horses that played in the treetops every morning. They were all dark-colored and had magnificent wings that seemed equally feather and leather, their tails a silky white. But they disturbingly looked to Willow as if they had been risen from the dead, their bodies not resembling a normal horse's short-haired coat. Their eyes, however, offset this, as they were all warm variations of brown.

"Willow, you're creeping me out," Draco said. "There's nothing there."

"I wonder..." Willow trailed off as a thought occurred to her. "Have you- have you witnessed anything tragic?"

"No. Have you?"

"Yes."

"What was it?"

"Why should I tell you?" Willow raised an inquiring eyebrow.

Draco sighed. "Fine, stay as close-mouthed as a dumb oyster. What does a tragedy have anything to do with you seeing things?"

"I think that you can only see these horse-things if you've witnessed something awful," Willow proposed.

"That sounds awfully unlucky."

Willow glanced one last time at the creatures before wrenching herself away. She found a vine and tied Neville's broomstick to hers.

"You're never going to be able to tow that," Draco warned. "You're liable to crash, and I wouldn't help you if you did."

"So wonderful to know that you have my back," Willow sarcastically commented, rolling her eyes. "And who said anything about towing the broomstick?"

Willow stood up on her broomstick, then put Neville's above her head, sort of hanging in the space between them. Draco started laughing.

"You are so going to fail," he chortled.

"If only that were true," Willow mused.

Willow slowly rose above the treetops, Draco drifting along behind her, until they were across the border of the Forbidden Forest. Draco seemed mildly impressed.

"Your first venture in breaking the rules and you didn't get killed or receive a detention. What a pity."

"Speak for yourself, Malfoy."

Willow glided to the ground, where a few students were already getting off their broomsticks, having enough of flying for one day. A few gasps were heard as Willow floated to the ground.

"Willow! What on Earth do you think you're doing?" Hermione cried.

"Hush, Hermione! Madam Hooch will hear you from the other side of the school!" Ron scolded.

Indeed, their professor was on the opposite side of Hogwarts, lucky for Willow. She put Neville's broom below hers, stepped onto it, repeated that with hers, and kept stepping down until she reached the ground.

"That was pretty cool," Ron admitted.

"How did you do that, Willow?"

"You're such a good flier!"

"You should play Quidditch next year!"

"That's my goal," Willow shyly admitted, her cheeks warming from the attention of fellow classmates.

"What were you doing with Malfoy?" Ron asked, a disgusted expression on his face as his eyes followed the blond boy.

"It's none of your business," Willow said smartly. "When does class end?"

A half hour later, she was sitting in the common room, chatting merrily with Fred and George. Everyone else was holed up in their dorms, probably studying like they should have been, but since when had the twins been known to do that, and Willow either? They relaxed on the cushioned couches, their voices not matching their appearances as they talked in awe about Harry's flying lesson.

"I can't believe Harry did that on his first time out!" Fred exclaimed.

"Yes, you remember ours, don't you, Freddy?"

"How could I forget? We drove each other into a tree first thing! I still have the scar!"

"Do you think Harry will get expelled?" Willow quietly asked. "I think that would be awfully unfair, considering that he was chasing down Malfoy for breaking the rules in the first place, and since his performance was so amazing..."

"I can't say for sure, but he'll at least have detention for the next week."

"Or month."

"Or year."

"That doesn't sound promising," Willow grumbled.

"He'll be alright, Willow."

"Don't worry about Harry."

"McGonagall would never punish someone of her own house too badly."

Willow wasn't so sure. She stared out the window, her mind thrown into disarray from the insanity of the whole day.

"How were you at flying, Willow?" George said.

"Not bad, actually," Willow admitted. "I thought I'd fall of my broom like poor Neville, but I actually managed to balance myself on it enough to do a few crazy maneuvers around the towers. It was pretty fun to see Malfoy's face when I showed him up."

"Did you throw him in the lake?"

"Knock him off his broom?"

"It was tempting, but I didn't, unfortunately. Instead I almost knocked him off his broom and scared him half to death."

"Good enough for me," George shrugged.

"He also decided to tag along when we went into the Forbidden Forest to get Neville's broom."

"Draco Malfoy followed you and didn't try to get you in trouble? That's new," Fred remarked.

"I think he's too afraid of me to turn me in. The bruise I gave him this morning was quite prominent, and he wouldn't stop trying to hide it. He doesn't want a matching blemish on his other cheek, does he?"

"I would think not."

"Hopefully all this fancy flying will help you in Quidditch training," George said. "You'll need it."

"It's quite a contact sport, Quidditch."

"But we won't let any bludgers hit you."

"At least, only one or two."

"You better not!" Willow said, playfully punching George in the shoulder.

"If you dodge them, you won't get hit!"

"I can't really help it if I get chased by two bludgers at once," Willow countered. "And you can't spend the entire game protecting me when you should be knocking the Slytherin players off their brooms."

"Don't worry, at least one will be hit at the other team at all times. There's one of us for each bludger, you know."

"It's the best when you manage to knock a Slytherin off their broom."

"Bloody cheaters, they are."

"Their beaters are always trying to knock you off your broom with their beating clubs instead of bludgers..."

"Are there any fouls in this game?" Willow said in a pitched voice.

"Yes, but the Slytherins always manage to get away with it. The moment Madam Hooch turns her head, they try to send us flying into the stands. They're awful about targeting our girl players."

"I guess I'll have to learn their ways of cheating, then, and throw it back at them," Willow assumed. "Except for targeting the female players. That's bloody ridiculous. No wonder all three of the girl players are chasers- I bet they have to be quick to dodge the Slytherins."

"Please literally throw something at them. That usually does the trick."

"Are you two seriously advising Willow on cheating again?" Hermione interrupted.

"No," all three Gryffindors said at once. Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"If you three lose any points for Gryffindor, I swear..."

"Pipe down, Hermione," George said. "We never get caught, remember?"

"You two and your crazy antics!" Hermione exasperatedly cried as she walked away.

"What is it with her and being a know-it-all lately?" Fred asked.

"No idea. She's probably still adjusting to wizarding life," Willow suggested.

"God, someone please help her adjust faster."

Willow laughed. "I wish I could, but she has to do that on her own."

The twins went off to do their homework after some time mumbling about Hermione in all her glory. Willow elected to stay by the window, staring out at the bright blue sky where she had spent the last hour. She could hardly believe all that had happened in the past two weeks. Her life had done a complete one-eighty, turning from a boring, Muggle life to an exciting, dangerous magical one. Willow had never even dreamed of flying before, let alone being a natural at it. Now she was performing better than most of the students in her class. She had even taunted a pureblood several times and gotten away with it! What an amazing adventure her life was now.

Before, I was contemplating whether I would amount to anything. Now, I can bear to sit still because of everything that happens in a day.

Willow glanced down at her arms and stomach.

I shouldn't sit still, though. I'm getting out of shape!

Willow resolved to do some workouts in the morning from then on out. Her break from sports and exercise was over. Although it would be exhausting in addition to all the walking and flying she did in a day, Willow knew it would be worth it when she played summer soccer.

Just because your need for adventure is now being satisfied daily doesn't mean you can let everything else fall to pieces! Willow scolded herself. Don't you remember telling yourself how miserable the out-of-shape girls on the field looked?

Willow was thinking about maybe even going for a run before dinner when Harry suddenly crawled through the tunnel and appeared in the common room entrance. She shot to her feet and sprinted into him.

"Harry, thank God!" Willow exclaimed, engulfing the messy-haired boy in an enormous hug.

"Blimey, Willow, did you think I was dead?" Harry chuckled.

"Sorry, I was worried you'd been expelled!"

"You and me both."

"What happened, then, after McGonagall dragged you off?"

Harry's eyes sparkled in elation. "You're never going to believe this, but McGonagall was so impressed that she gave me the seeker's position on Gryffindor's quidditch team."

Willow's jaw slammed to the ground. "She did what?"

"I nearly laughed and told her off for lying to me, but she was serious!"

Willow couldn't control the ecstatic grin that spread across her face. "Harry, this is amazing! I'll bet there's never even been a first year on a quidditch team before!"

"Wood told me there hasn't, not in a century." Harry's ever-present modesty was causing him to shuffle awkwardly under all the attention from his friend, his cheeks burning red. Willow grabbed Harry's hands.

"Harry, quit being so modest and celebrate! You have a good reason to be proud of yourself!"

"I know, it's just hard when I didn't really work for it," Harry explained. "It was simply natural ability, probably from my dad, and the biggest bit of luck I've ever had in my life."

"Well, I think you deserve this. You didn't catch that Remembrall because you were showing off- unlike Malfoy. You caught it because you were defending your friends. I would have done the same thing if I had seen Draco the instant he picked it up." Willow feigned punching Harry in the arm. "You beat me to it!"

"I hope I don't turn out to be a disappointment to the team," Harry said, his face falling in concern. "I've never even watched quidditch before. How am I to learn the rules in time for the first practice?"

"You just will. You're a fast learner when you pay attention, you know."

"Hey, was that aimed at my work for Transfiguration?"

Willow smirked. "Maybe."

"You are so intolerable sometimes."

"So I've been told."

Harry brightened up. "You always figure out how to cheer people up, don't you?"

"I guess I'm perceptive."

"Now look who's being ultra modest."

Willow shook her head. "We're both at fault."

"Willow! Can you help me with our Transfiguration homework?" Mia called from the top of the stairs.

"Yes! One moment!" Willow shouted back. She glanced at Harry. "Duty calls."

"Thank you, Willow."

"I'll be cheering you on at every match!"

"I look forward to it!"

Willow found all five other girls in the bedroom. Hermione was on her bed, buried in one of the textbooks.

"The smart one won't give us any hints, so can you figure out what this means?" Fay asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

The girls spent the rest of the time until dinner collaborating on the tricky assignment (which Willow had completed nearly as fast as Hermione the day before). They were awed with how much Willow had already picked up from the textbook, enamored so much with her abilities that they asked if Willow could tutor them every day. She replied with a noncommittal "Maybe," before heading into the common room to find Fred and George before dinner.

"Lee, it's probably one we've already found!" George insisted.

"No, I promise you it's not! Come meet me after dinner!" Lee called over his shoulder as he escaped through the tunnel.

"Found a secret passage, has he?" Willow asked as she hit the bottom step.

"Thinks he has," Fred corrected. "We already found all the tunnels in the school."

"Do you want to come with us, Willow?" George invited. "We'll probably end up in the kitchens anyway."

"Sure!" Willow replied, jumping off the stairs and following the twins through the castle. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!" she exclaimed as they passed a rather large portrait. "Harry's flying lessons went so wrongly today that he got the seeker position."

Fred and George nearly jumped into each other. "He what?"

"Neville fell of his broom, so Malfoy stole his Remembrall after Madam Hooch took Neville to the hospital wing. Harry chased after him, and Malfoy threw it. You wouldn't have believed the fifty-foot dive he made to catch it! I thought my eyes had tricked me, but it was all true. Professor McGonagall saw the whole thing and took him to Wood right away. He's joining your practices soon."

"Blimey!" George whistled. "That's amazing!"

"We won't have to cancel the Quidditch season after all!"

"You guys almost forfeited?" Willow squeaked, shocked.

"Yes. It seems Gryffindor has been lacking a good Seeker since Harry's dad has left Hogwarts."

"Wait, Harry's father was a quidditch player?"

"One of the best around, from what I've heard. He probably could have gone farther if he wanted to."

"It runs in the family, then."

"Quidditch is funny like that."

Their conversation was halted as they reached the Great Hall. Willow watched as the twins immediately scampered off to find Harry and congratulate him.

"Get out of my way, you great oaf!" a familiar voice snarled from across the room.

Willow glanced in Malfoy's direction as he glared at a kid that he just knocked over. A tall, dark-haired boy wearing a yellow badger's crest on his robes trembled at Draco's feet. Malfoy proceeded to kick him.

"I- I'm sorry," the boy stuttered.

"Crabbe, Goyle, deal with him," Malfoy spat.

"Draco, stop it!" Willow yelled as she sprinted in his direction.

Crabbe and Goyle had wound up for a hefty punch by this time. Just before they swung, Willow darted in front of the boy. She unexpectedly took two punches to the shoulder and cheekbone. Willow didn't even feel the pain, instead shoving the two chubby giants backwards.

"Pick on someone your own size!" she angrily snapped.

The boys, remembering how Willow had hit Draco twice already, took a few paces back. Draco himself turned beet red, furious.

"What is going on here?" McGonagall demanded.

Everyone's blood ran cold. Her piercing eyes landed on Willow, who refused to cower in fear, even though her brain was screaming at her to do so.

"Nothing, Professor," Draco lied smoothly, forcing his expression to return to calm indifference. "Simply apologizing for running into a Hufflepuff boy."

Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes at Draco. "If I catch you next time, Mr. Malfoy, it will be detention and points from Slytherin for you. All three of you. Have a good evening."

Draco's jaw dropped as McGonagall seemingly floated away, back to the front table where several teachers had already gathered for the meal. Willow couldn't hide her snickering as his face paled slightly.

"What are you laughing at, traitor?" he growled.

"Nothing," Willow said sarcastically. Draco caught on, and Willow thought steam would explode from his head any minute.

"Crabbe, Goyle! Let's go," Malfoy barked. He glared at Willow. "I'll see you later."

Willow watched as Draco stormed out of the Great Hall. Though she wanted to, Willow didn't puzzle herself over his parting remarks, remembering the trembling boy beside her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, happy to see the color returning to his cheeks.

"Y-yeah," he boy said. He glanced up with conflicted eyes at Willow. "Are you going to hurt me?"

Willow laughed. "No, of course not! I only hurt people that hurt others. Can you stand?"

"I think so."

Willow helped the boy to his feet. She noticed that he was a good four inches taller than her, his frame rather small and underweight. His freckles stood out on his pale face. The feature she really noticed about him, however, were his eyes. They were a deep green that reminded Willow of the Forbidden Forest. A mixture of emotions stared in the face, clear as day.

"What is your name?" asked the boy.

"Willow. What is yours?"

"Oliver- Oliver Rivers."

Willow smiled. "That's one of my favorite names."

"Really?"

"Really."

The corner's of the boy's mouth twitched upward in a shy smile. "Thank you for helping me."

"I'd be glad to help any time, Oliver."

Oliver gave a small wave before he returned to the Hufflepuff table, joining a small group of first years. Fred and George finally left Harry and found Willow.

"Let's go find Lee, then!" Fred said.

The twins and Willow fled the chaos of the Great Hall, making their way to the corridor above the hall's entrance, where they found Lee standing in front of a statue.

"Lee, we told you-" George began.

"It's a way out!" Lee interrupted. "Right behind this statue, see. If you move it-"

"Lee, like we said, we've already found this one ages ago," Fred cut in. Lee slumped his shoulders.

"Fine, you were right. Let's go find some food."

The group traveled down a few floors to the kitchens. Now below the Great Hall, the twins and Lee lead Willow along a torch-lit path. They ended up at the first decoration Willow had seen on that floor: a portrait with a pear in it.

"Um...Where are the kitchens?" Willow asked, confused.

"Just watch," Lee said.

George stepped up the the painting and began tickling it. To Willow's great surprise, it began laughing, moving, then transforming into a doorknob. Fred twisted it and pushed forward, the now visible door swinging forward.

"That was unexpected," Willow commented.

She found herself in a very large room that was at least ten times the size of a normal kitchen. It had so many stoves lined up against the wall that Willow figured they could cook for the entire city of London. House elves ran around, washing plates that magically appeared beside the washbasin, drying them, putting them away, and cleaning up the area in general. Willow marveled at how content they all seemed.

"They sure don't come off as servants, do they?" Willow whispered to herself.

"Come this way, Willow," Fred beckoned, walking into the back part of the kitchens.

Willow followed and was again surprised with another large room, although this one was different. Every dry food you could imagine was stored here on shelves that stacked up to three times Willow's height. Many stools stood against the wall for house elves' use when necessary. Willow's nose tingled with the combination of so many delectable scents.

"Eat whatever you find, Willow," George said. "The house elves don't mind."

Willow gladly found some strawberries and began munching on them, not very hungry for some odd reason. She put the scraps in her pouch for Achelous's dinner.

"Not hungry, Willow?" Lee mumbled through a mouth full of potato.

"No, not tonight."

"Malfoy getting you down again?" George guessed.

"Yes, actually, not too long ago," Willow sighed.

"Don't tell me- he insulted you about being a blood traitor and you couldn't have a go with McGonagall watching you?"

"Not this time."

"Who gave you that bruise on your cheek, then?" Fred observed.

Willow fumbled for words for a second. "I- I have a bruise on my cheek?"

"Yes..."

Willow smacked her forehead. "Right. I almost forgot. Goyle hit me."

Fred nearly choked on his food. "Goyle hit you?"

"You always say important things so nonchalantly, Willow," Lee chortled.

"Well, I didn't feel any pain at the time, and it's just beginning to hurt now," Willow admitted.

"Why would Goyle hit you?"

"Oh, it was an accident. Malfoy knocked over a Hufflepuff boy and ordered those two brainless buffoons to take care of him. I jumped in front of him before they could and they got me instead." Willow rotated her shoulder. "Good Lord does Crabbe hit hard."

"Willow, how much trouble can you get in before Halloween?"

"You're one to talk," Lee said.

"That was rhetorical."

"Look, it doesn't matter," Willow said. "I'm fine. Draco was successfully foiled and threatened by Professor McGonagall. All in all, it's a good day."

"That is pretty good..."

"It will be even better after our next prank."

"It's always better after one of your pranks," Lee exaggerated.

"I can't wait to hear about it!" Willow said.

"Oh, you won't be hearing about it, you'll have a front row seat to watch," Fred informed, winking at her.

"You better make it good!"

"When do we not deliver?"

The group of pranksters finished up their dinnertime snacking and headed up to the common room just as everyone else was leaving the Great Hall. Willow caught up with Harry and Ron, who were furiously whispering with each other.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked.

The boys jumped and turned to Willow, hastily putting on jolly faces and pretending to chuckle.

"Oh, nothing," Ron said.

"You two are bloody awful liars." Willow rolled her eyes. "What are you planning?"

"It's none of your business," Ron quickly snipped.

"It's between us and Malfoy. Don't worry about it, Willow," Harry said.

"Now I am worried about it."

Both boys turned their eyes to the Heavens in defeat. "Fine," Harry relented. "You can follow us tonight. We're leaving the common room half-past eleven. Don't tell anyone else, and don't ask any questions."

"Maybe you can warn us if Filch comes along," Ron proposed.

"Why would- ?"

"Willow, please, just don't tell anyone," Harry pleaded. "I've already broken one school rule today. Getting away with another doesn't sound like great odds. I have to do this."

Willow sighed. "Fine. I'll be behind you every step of the way."

Her ears twitched when she heard the faintest of footsteps in the hallway outside her dorm. Glancing at her watch, Willow saw that it was nearly half past eleven. She decided that Lavender, Fay, and Mia's snoring chorus was enough to drown out any noise she made. Willow quietly tiptoed across the room and noiselessly evaded the attention of any sleeping girl.

Once she was at the bottom of the stairs, Willow nearly rammed into the boys.

"Bloody hell, Willow!" Ron hissed. "You're going to kill us before Malfoy even has the chance!"

"Shh! I hear something!" Harry warned.

In the last few embers that glowed in the fireplace, Willow could not make out any shapes except the shadows of the furniture strewn across the room. She had a sneaking suspicion that someone was watching them.

"Whatever happens, Willow, keep a good deal of distance behind us," Harry ordered. "This is our fault, not yours."

"Harry, she's the one that wants to foll-"

"Ron, be quiet."

Willow smirked to herself as the two boys made their way to the portrait hole. It was wiped off her face the moment a lamp suddenly flickered to life. She quickly dove behind an armchair before anyone could see her.

Willow heard voices arguing, eventually realizing that this was Hermione attempting to stop the boys from losing points for Gryffindor. She decided not to think about who was right in this situation and simply follow them, acting as damage control. Willow didn't get up until the lamp went out. She raced to the painting of the Fat Lady and clambered through the tunnel, not wanting to be left behind.

Willow tried to steady her heartbeat as began following the three's voices. She only stopped once when she heard them discussing with Neville, then resumed her pursuit. Willow flitted from moonbeam to moonbeam through the corridors. She stole across the castle, using her dark clothing to blend into the shadows. Willow never came within a hundred meters of the four first years and avoided confrontation with any professors or ghosts. Eventually, they wound up in the trophy room. Willow paused outside of the armory, taking up a watch position.

It wasn't long before her sensitive ears caught the sound of footsteps. Willow was on her toes in milliseconds, ready to divert.

Here is your chance, that voice echoed in her head again. Become an even bigger distraction! Transform!

Willow closed her eyes, relaxing her mind, attempting to clear it for a few seconds. All she needed to think about was what it felt like to be that animal, the emotions associated with it...

Good, very good, the voice praised. Now, focus...concentrate...

Willow elected to remember happiness and joy, companionship and loyalty. In her heart, she somehow knew it was perfectly right for the situation. She inhaled one long breath.

Now!

Willow imagined she was balling up all her power then catapulting it throughout her body. Her limbs burned, her veins pulsed much harder and faster, and she shrank. There was two legs, then four, then paws, and at last, curly black hair.

I did it! Willow exclaimed.

Good! Now run!

Willow's new tail uncontrollably wagged as she bowed her front half, barking sharply. Mrs. Norris, who was snaking around the corner, yowled and scurried off to find Filch. He was there in a few heartbeats, glaring at Willow.

"Go on, get out of here!" he ordered.

Willow, getting an idea, padded up to him and put a paw on his foot. Filch growled and yanked it away.

"I said git!" he said.

Willow's yapping was muffled as she sprinted away, Filch's shoe in her mouth. Filch finally noticed and ran after her.

"You filthy dog!" he shouted. "Give me that back!"

Willow's small little legs were surprisingly strong. She zipped around corners, bounced down long hallways, all the while giving soft barks of excitement. Filch was furious by the time she stopped in front of the library.

"Drop it!" he seethed.

Willow wagged her little tail. Mrs. Norris meowed in annoyance.

"I said drop it!" Filch reiterated.

Willow simply spat out the slipper. Filch snatched it up, holding his candle close to Willow.

"Go on, get out of here, mangy mutt," he grumbled.

Willow waited until he was a good thirty seconds gone until she followed him again. She transformed into human form somewhere along the way, not noticing as she was too intent upon her quarry. Filch was heading in the direction of the trophy room again.

Why? Willow wondered.

She was back in the place she started. Filch was following Mrs. Norris as she sniffed each suit of armor. Willow was utterly appalled, wondering if someone tipped him off. She would soon get her answer.

Clang! Bang!

Willow's heart stopped. One of the boys, probably either Ron or Neville, had run into the armour of the knights! Filch had found them!

She heard Harry yell, then the pounding of footsteps. They burst through the doors and galloped around the corner. Willow choked down a gasp and ducked behind the door, out of sight. She held her breath as Filch appeared moments later. He was after the group, though, and didn't see her. She breathed a sigh of relief and allowed herself to relax as he disappeared.

Willow's heart suddenly sank. She should have warned the group. Fred had shown her a secret passageway to the trophy room from the library less than two weeks before!

How stupid can I be? Willow wondered. What kind of friend am I if I can't even warn my friends?

"You stupid Gryffindor!" a voice hissed behind her.

Willow whipped around, startled from her thoughts, to find herself facing a very angry Draco, his face contorted in rage.

"You told them Filch was coming, didn't you?" Malfoy growled.

"No, and you're one to be talking! You tricked Harry and tipped off Filch!"

"He should have been expelled today!"

"So should you!"

Draco seethed in anger. "Potter should never be allowed on the Quidditch team! He's a first year! They're not allowed to play!"

"You're just jealous because Harry is better than you on a broom his first time out when you've been practicing for ages!"

"Of course I am! Why would I not be?"

"You could be happy for him!"

"I'm the only reason he's on the Quidditch team right now!" Draco exploded. "He should be thanking me!"

"Thanking you?" Willow scoffed. "He has absolutely nothing to thank you for. All he's ever done is tolerate you while you're horrible to him. You tried to get him expelled today!"

"Potter was showing off! That's the only reason he came after me in the first place!"

"He had no idea if he was even good at flying! Harry only flew after you because you were wronging his friend, Neville, yet again!"

Draco glared at Willow. "Why are you so defensive of your friends? They'd dump you the first sight of trouble, you know."

"What would you know about friends? All you have are two thugs that don't have the brains to do anything but serve you! One of them hit me today because you told him to hurt poor Oliver, and he was too submissive to think for himself when I got in the way!"

"That was totally your fault!"

"My fault?" Willow said, appalled. "Somehow it's my fault that I was defending a kid you were ganging up on?"

"You got that mark on your face because you didn't let me do what I had to do! He was an annoying half-blood in my way! That stupid boy is from a house full of dirty-blooded, good-for-nothing witches and wizards!"

"You think Hufflepuff is that kind of house? Take another glance around yours, Malfoy."

"Slytherin is full of superior witches and wizards from pure families that deserve everything Hogwarts is giving to them."

Willow stared at Draco, fed up with his elitist views on lineage. How could someone so young already have such bigoted opinions about something he'd never even had the chance to make his mind up about? It puzzled her how his parents could let him get this way, let alone make him this way.

"Sometimes I wonder how you got to be this way, Draco."

"What?"

"How you got to be a sad, lonely, friendless boy."

Draco turned his head so that he couldn't meet Willow's eyes. "Is that what you were talking about earlier?"

"When?"

"During flying lessons."

Willow sighed. "Yes."

"What were you going to s- ?"

"Listen, Draco," Willow interrupted. "I don't care that you're a Slytherin. I don't care that you're a Malfoy. I don't even care that you've tried to treat me like dirt several times. I just want to give you a chance to be my friend."

Draco took a step back in shock, his anger fading. "What?"

"Everyone sees Slytherins like you as nasty, cruel, uncompassionate people. I see it differently. What I see is a bunch of Slytherins becoming the norm because they're afraid to be anything else. You've been brainwashed to think like a pureblood elitist, and I really hate it, because I know you're better than that. I see the bad in you, but I also see the good that's been trapped behind a wall of uncertainty. You have a good heart, Draco. I wish you would see that too."

Draco's mouth opened in shock. He was at a loss for words.

"I want to be your friend, Draco. But that can't happen if you won't let me."

Willow slowly began walking away, leaving a stunned Draco behind to contemplate her words.


	6. Year 1: Chapter 6

Willow didn't sleep that whole night. She found Hermione in bed and asleep by the time she entered their dorm. Willow threw off her covers after staring at the ceiling for an hour, giving up and deciding she needed fresh air.

Merely a half hour later, Willow was in the courtyard, streaking towards the trees on the horizon. She reasoned that no teacher would be up and expecting a student to suddenly appear outside castle walls in the earliest hours of morning. There was no wind, and the stars sparkled like diamonds in the night sky, leading Willow away from the castle. She relished the feel of a night time run, however unexpected and short, as it cleared her head from the hectic day.

Willow's senses were overloaded with nocturnal sounds when she reached the Forbidden Forest's edge. Crickets chirped incessantly, owls hooted, mice squeaked, and branches creaked despite the windless night. For some odd reason, Willow was unafraid of the dark tonight, instead following its call faithfully. She slowed her gait to a walk when she passed the boundary.

I am breaking so many rules right now, Willow thought to herself.

She didn't make it very far before she was distracted by a tree that had oddly twisting limbs very close to the ground. She squealed in excitement, having not climbed a tree in years. Willow scrambled up it, her hands remembering familiar movements, her strong legs propelling her higher and higher until she found a final handhold at the top of the tree. She emerged from the canopy and looked up at the sky. Willow gasped the moment she did.

"Wow," she breathed.

Willow stared in awe at the galaxy millions of kilometers away. The stars were brighter than she had ever seen them before, the moon glowing so fiercely that the blind must be able to see its light. With no light pollution to distort their projections, Willow could see every last space object within viewing distance for its true brilliance. She was in complete and utter awe.

"This is stargazing," Willow whispered to herself.

She didn't know how long she crouched in that tree's boughs, gaping at the wonderful world that she had missed all of her life. Willow studied it until she knew where every constellation was positioned. It was calling to her, although she had no idea why. The sky simply paralyzed her in its glory.

The map, the voice suddenly boomed.

Willow fell down a few branches, startled. What map?

The one you bought in Diagon Alley.

What about it?

Bring it next time, silly girl, the voice chuckled.

Oh. Why?

But the voice had gone. Willow hit a branch in frustration, but instantly recoiled. She rubbed her bruised hand in anger.

"Why can't anyone tell me anything?" she sighed.

Willow made her way to the forest floor again. She began walking back towards Hogwarts when a noise in the bushes startled her.

"Who's there?" Willow stiffly cried.

There was no answer except more shuffling. She began backing away, expecting the worse. Her fear of the dark hit her all too soon.

"Show yourself!" Willow commanded in a shaky voice.

An animal grunted, then puffed as it poked its head around a tree. Willow immediately leaped into the air.

"Merlin's beard! They're real!" she shouted.

The unicorn whinnied softly and shook its flawless mane. Its pearly white coat rippled as it was caught in the moonlight. The foot-long horn on its head shone brightest of all, almost creating its own light. Willow had never seen anything more beautiful before.

"You're a unicorn," Willow said. "Unicorns are real."

The only response was a flick of the unicorn's tail. Willow barely held in a scream.

"I thought you were just a Muggle child's fantasy!" she breathed. "Apparently not."

The unicorn stepped towards Willow. Its charcoal black eyes were fluid and empathetic, seeming to Willow as if they were human. She slowly reached out with her hand.

"Can I- can I pet you?" Willow stuttered.

The perfect white beast stood there, not moving. Willow cocked her head in confusion.

"Wha- ?"

The unicorn neighed and stamped its hooves, obviously disgruntled. Willow threw up her hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay! I'll come to you."

Willow inched her way towards the creature, maintaining eye contact the whole time. The unicorn simply watched her as she closed the distance between them. Willow stopped at about a foot away.

"Please don't bite my hand off," she pleaded.

Willow cautiously put her hand forward until she felt contact. She closed her eyes.

"Oh my God," she breathed. "Your coat is so soft!"

Willow let out the breath she realized she had been holding and freely began stroking the unicorn's neck. It happily flicked its ears, liking the attention. Willow grinned from ear to ear.

"Thank you," she said, stepping back. "Merlin, the children's stories do you no justice."

The unicorn snorted, flicked its tail, and trotted away. Willow watched it go until the last bit of pure white disappeared into the night. Her heart was heavy with sadness at letting it wonder off alone.

"Unicorns are wild creatures, Willow. They take care o' themselves much better than we ever could."

Willow whipped around, heart in her mouth. "Hagrid!" she exclaimed, clutching her chest. "I didn't know you were here!"

"What are ya doing in the Forbidden Forest this early in the mornin'?" Hagrid questioned, raising his bushy eyebrows.

"I couldn't sleep," Willow explained. "It was such a beautiful night, I couldn't resist."

"There's a reason fer Hogwarts's rules, Willow," Hagrid said, eyeing her with concern. "Yer lucky ya found a unicorn an' not a werewolf tonight."

"There's werewolves in this forest?" Willow shrilled, her heart beating fast. "I- I'm sorry, Hagrid, I didn't know they were real. Of course, it's a full moon, how could I be so stupid?"

"Come on, Willow, let's get back to me hut," Hagrid said, ignoring her rambling. Willow quickly scrambled after him.

"Are you going to turn me in to Professor McGonagall?" she squeaked quietly.

"No, I'll tell ya what yer gonna do," Hagrid said. "Yer gonna help me dis mornin' with takin' care o' me pumpkins. They need to be nice an' ready fer Halloween. Can ya do that, Willow?"

"Yes, thank you, Hagrid!" she exclaimed.

Willow practically bounced along beside Hagrid. The forest began thinning out around them as they found the trail and headed back towards Hagrid's hut.

"How did you know to come looking for me?" Willow suddenly blurted out.

"Fang always wakes up an' starts barkin' when summat's near me house. We're already here."

Willow shifted her gaze ahead to a small, round house on the edge of the forest. Hagrid's home was made of wooden planks and various other strong materials to hold them together. A shackled roof gave way to a chimney that lazily puffed a smoke trail into the night sky. The garden beside it, however, was enormous. Willow thought it must be able to grow enough food for all of Hogwarts for a month. Several pumpkin vines had sprouted up already, but these weren't ordinary pumpkins. Willow realized as she got closer that these pumpkins were three times the size of normal ones.

"Hagrid, how much Miracle Gro do you use?" Willow asked.

"Is that da stuff dat Muggles use to grow their plants? Then no. I use somethin' special from Diagon Alley."

Willow waited outside Hagrid's front door as he went inside and retrieved a grand container of what Willow assumed was wizarding Miracle Gro. He handed it to Willow.

"Sprinkle this 'ere stuff on 'em," he said. "I'll watch ya ter make sure ya don' give 'em the wrong amount."

Willow happily sprinkled the plant food at the base of every pumpkin vine. She even made sure to bury it slightly, ensuring that it would get to the plant faster. It took her nearly an hour to do them all.

"Are you going to water them today, Hagrid?" Willow inquired.

"Yes, Fang usually helps wit that."

Inside the house, Fang groaned and flopped on the floor.

"Usually."

Willow giggled. "Fang sounds funny."

"He is a funny dog. Although, I coul' say I 'ave four funny dogs, but-" Hagrid suddenly cut himself off. "Ya don't need ter know that."

"Know what?"

"It's Hogwarts business, between Dumbledore an' me. Ya don' want to meddle in it."

Willow shrugged, pretending to be indifferent. "Okay."

"Good. Now, you better git back in the castle before firs' light, or the professors will see ya."

Willow nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Hagrid! I can't wait for Halloween!"

"Good night, Willow," Hagrid called after her.

Willow heard Hagrid shut the door to his hut as she streaked back towards the castle. The sun was almost beginning to peek up at this point, the eastern sky beginning to lighten with wisps of grey. Willow cleared a window, managed to sneak through the halls undetected, and found herself back in the common room before she was even breathing hard. She checked her watch, which said it was six in the morning. Willow wondered if she would ever succeed in sleeping until eight.

Outside the window, Willow noticed the winged horses were playing again. She thought to ask Hagrid what they were next time she saw him. Other than those funny creatures, though, the Forest was silent and void. There were no signs that unicorns or werewolves lived in those woods. Willow sighed, the image of that beautiful unicorn surfacing in her mind. How could there be so many beautiful things she didn't know existed?

Willow decided to try and sleep for a little while in her dorm. She quietly made it up the steps and into her bed without disturbing anyone. Hermione was still sound asleep, and the snoring chorus was the same as she had left it. Willow surprised herself when she yawned, finally feeling a bit tired. She laid down and fell asleep within ten minutes.

Alas, she only rested for an hour.

"WILLOW, GET UP!" Maia shrilled.

"Guys..." Willow groaned, stretching her stiff muscles.

"IT'S SEVEN!" Fay shouted. "GET YOUR LAZY BUTT UP!"

"I didn't sleep well..."

"WILLOW, BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE TO EAT IT, SO GET UP!" Lavender ordered.

"Fine..."

Willow opened her eyes and rolled over, only realizing her mistake when she smacked onto the floor. The girls erupted into hysterical laughter.

"Willow, you look like you were running around in the Forbidden Forest all night! Look at your hair!" Maia said.

"I was," Willow admitted before clapping a hand over her mouth. Parvati gasped.

"You what?"

"You're joking, right? We were joking too," Fay said.

Willow sighed. "No, I'm not joking. I really did."

"Willow!" Hermione barked, giving her a knowing glance. "What if Professor Snape had caught you? He would have advocated for your expulsion from the school! Do you have any idea how many points from Gryffindor you could have lost?"

"Yes, but I couldn't sleep. The best part was I saw a unicorn."

Fay, Maia, Parvati, and Lavender all dropped their hairbrushes and make-up kits. "What?"

"That was pretty much what I said. I didn't know they existed until this morning."

"Willow, you're absolutely insane!" Parvati exclaimed.

"It could have trampled you!"

"Those things are dangerous!"

"Why didn't you take me with you?"

"Guys, guys! I'm fine," Willow assured, waving away their complaints. She located her hairbrush and combed out the tangles in her hair. "I promise, I can take care of myself. The unicorn was fine. I got to pet it, actually."

All the girls suddenly stopped talking. It grew eerily silent in the dorm. Willow paused for a moment to stare at their dumbstruck faces. Their eyes were fixed on a point slightly above her head.

"What? Is there something stuck in my hair?" Willow asked.

"N-no," Maia stuttered.

"Your hair, Willow," Fay breathed.

"It's gorgeous!" Lavender squealed.

"What?" Willow said as the girls clambered over one another to get to her. They trampled her underfoot and started fighting with each other, pulling her every direction, yanking on her hair.

"Let me do your hair!"

"No, I'm the one with a mom as a hairdresser!"

"Let me do it!"

"Woah, woah, guys!" Willow said, backing up. "I like my hair how it is. It looks okay with the natural style. Plus I wouldn't want you guys to waste your hair products and time on me, seriously. I'm hopeless."

"Willow, please?"

"You're too pretty!"

"Let us do it!"

"My hair is nice plain, though. It's wavy, isn't it?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"I need to practice on you!"

"It's too perfect not to make it prettier!"

Willow groaned. "Fine. Let me finish brushing my hair."

The girls attacked her the moment Willow set her brush down. Hermione and Parvati looked on, giggling at Willow's pained expression, creating a picture-perfect moment that Hermione used Willow's camera to capture.

"Having fun there, Willow?" she teased, setting the camera back in her friend's trunk.

"You have no idea," Willow muttered.

Parvati and Hermione began cracking up as Willow soldiered through three different girls trying to decide what to do with her hair. It went in her face, tickled her ears, and was thrown every which way as the girls worked their magic. After fifteen long, slow, agonizing minutes, the girls stopped.

"Oh my God," Maia gasped.

"Willow, go look in the mirror, quick!" Fay squealed.

"It's absolutely gorgeous!" Lavender shrieked.

Willow raced into the bathroom, turning on the light. When she turned and looked in the mirror, she gasped, astonished.

Her long, dark hair was perfectly wavy because of the humid night before. The girls had fishtailed two side strands of her hair, wrapped them around her head, resting part of it on her ear, then rubber-banding the two strands together and letting the remaining bit cascade down with the rest. They had decorated it with some flowers that Mia's parents had enchanted to never die or whither. Willow stood there, stunned, as the other girls rushed in to see again.

"I- I..." Willow stuttered.

"You look like a princess!" Fay announced.

"Perfect hair for royalty!" Lavender added.

"Thank you," Willow breathed, unable to form words. Her hair had never been done before. Never had Willow had friends that were so willing to work with her and do nice things for her. She wondered if this was how other girls felt all the time.

"Let's show you off to that boyfriend of yours!" Maia said.

"B-boyfriend?" Willow stammered, the ridiculous statement scattering her thoughts. "I don't have one! Okay, yes, I spend a lot of time with boys, but-"

"Don't try to deny it, Willow!" Parvati interrupted. "You're always running off with those Weasley twins."

"What- no! I do not!" Willow retorted.

"Please, Willow," Fay droned. "Just give up. We've found you out."

"Guys, I'm eleven," Willow countered. "I can't possibly be interested in anyone yet."

"Stop being so difficult, Willow! This is going to be fun for you!" Mia insisted.

"Wait! She's not finished yet!" Lavender said. "One second!"

Lavender dashed into the room, bringing back a make-up box. She grabbed a bit of foundation and handed some blush to Fay.

"Help me with this!"

"Hold still, Willow!" Mia warned.

The girls once again tormented Willow until they were satisfied with their work. They squealed among themselves as everyone, including herself, saw Willow in the mirror.

"You look like a goddess!" Parvati admired.

"Let's go!"

"Wait, guys- " Willow started.

Willow helplessly glanced at Hermione, mouthed Help me! and was dragged into the common room. Hermione couldn't stop laughing as she followed the trail of first-year girls. Unfortunately, the twins, Harry, and Ron were all talking in front of the fireplace. They paused in their conversation when all the girls appeared.

"Guys, no!" Willow pleaded.

"So, what do you guys think of the new and improved Willow Guerrero?" Fay asked provocatively.

The girls all shoved Willow into view now, watching as the boy's expressions changed from amusement to wonder. Willow really did shine up well. Her face was flawless now, bringing out her bright green eyes and dark hair. The girls somehow had managed to make her bit of freckles that stretched across her nose and under her eyes more prominent. Her hair, however, was what surprised everyone. Normally, it was a mess that she never really bothered to tame. Now, it was as if a professional stylist had done it. The twins exchanged a glance with Ron and Harry. Willow wished she could melt into the floor.

"How did you girls manage to sneak in a Beauty Witch?" George asked coolly.

"And what did you do with Willow?"

The first year girls cheered, having succeeded in their first attempt at taming Willow.

"We'll leave you alone with you boyfriend, Willow," Maia taunted.

"Bye bye, now!" Fay called in a sing-song voice.

The girls left through the portrait hole, leaving Willow to face the boys. She seated herself before she could collapse with embarrassment, her cheeks blazing red.

"What is this about a boyfriend, Willow?" George teased, raising his eyebrows.

"It's nothing," Willow said much too quickly. "They just got a hold of me this morning before I could resist."

"Alright, alright, but don't ever think we'll forget this," Fred said, winking at Willow. She blushed an even deeper shade of scarlet if that was possible.

"You do look stunning, though, Willow," Harry said. "They did a very good job on you."

"I bloody hated it, but I guess I can deal with it," Willow sighed. "They were nice enough to take the time to try and fix me, so I can embrace it for them."

"Let's go get some food, your highness," George teased.

"I'm starving!" Ron said.

"You're always hungry."

The five made their way through the castle until they were in the Great Hall. Fred and George went away with Lee while Harry and Ron found Seamus and Dean. Hermione and Neville were speaking quietly a good deal away from them, so Willow decided to join them.

"I'm really scared now," Neville whimpered. "What if they're hiding something the whole world wants?"

"Who's hiding what?" Willow asked.

"Oh, sorry, Willow!" Hermione said. "I totally forgot to inform you on what happened last night."

Willow eyed the shaking Neville. "It must be bad. Did Filch catch you?"

"No, thanks to Peeves," Hermione said.

"Then what could possibly be worse than detention?"

Neville squeaked. "You're not going to believe this, but there's a- there's a-"

"A three-headed dog guarding a trapdoor on the third floor corridor," Hermione finished.

Willow's eyebrows shot up. "The forbidden one?"

"Yes," Neville said shakily.

An unsettling silence fell over the table. Willow began munching on some blueberries, Neville and Hermione continuing through their porridge. The Great Hall continued in its merry-making, oblivious to the dangerous news the two first years had delivered. Willow wondered why Hogwarts would be hiding something.

"Harry thinks it must be the package Hagrid and he retrieved from Hogwarts's vault at Gringotts this summer," Hermione commented, breaking the silence. "There was a break-in that same day."

"This sounds like a dangerous puzzle we weren't meant to play with," Willow observed.

"Whatever it is, I'm staying out of it," Neville sniffed. "I'm not going anywhere near those dogs."

"I don't blame you, Neville," Willow comforted, rubbing his shoulder. Neville smiled a bit. "Maybe I can convince Hagrid to let me help take care of it. He has to feed it everyday, right?"

Hermione nearly exploded. "Willow, are you mental? That thing would kill you first chance! And Hagrid would never let anyone touch his precious animal, he's very defensive."

"Well, this morning I helped him with his giant pumpkin patch."

Hermione and Neville stared at her. "What?"

Willow explained how she hadn't slept almost the entire night, and went into the Forbidden Forest after they were asleep. She remembered the map that was sitting next to Achelous back in the common room, but decided to keep quiet about it. Neville got excited when she talked about her encounter with the unicorn; Willow was glad to take his mind off of the three-headed dog for even a moment. Hermione was surprised when she recounted how Hagrid had "punished" her by making her take care of the garden.

"I still can't believe he let you in his garden," Hermione said.

"Me neither, but he seems to like me pretty well."

Suddenly, the owls exploded into the Great Hall. Willow caught sight of Iris and held out her arm, the owl swooping into a perfect landing. Stroking Iris on the head, Willow took the parcel attached to her leg. She opened it to find a letter from her mom.

"Oh no," Willow groaned. "What is it this time, a death threat?"

"Your mother sent you another letter?" Neville questioned.

"Yes, I'll open it in a little bit. I'd rather eat before this disgusting piece of garbage ruins my appetite."

Willow glanced to her right to see Harry and Ron jumping up and down about an object sitting on the table. They read a short notice that came with it, then gleefully exited the Great Hall in flurry of excitement.

"That's a Nimbus 2000!" George cried. "Wow, is Harry lucky!"

"Professor McGonagall sent him that?" Willow inquired.

"Yes, the youngest seeker of the century deserves the best, you know!" Fred exclaimed.

"Speaking of Quidditch, do you want to start practicing this afternoon, Willow? We can easily manage to grab a few broomsticks."

"I'd love to!" Willow replied, elated that she would begin practicing so soon.

"Good, we'll find you during lunch."

"Sounds perfect!"

Willow's mind was clouded with thoughts of her succeeding in Quidditch, impressing the twins, and possibly making the team. She could almost hear the crowd cheering her on as she raced after another player on the pitch. Willow didn't even notice that she finished her piece of toast until she accidentally bit her finger.

"Ouch," she mumbled, the good thoughts being chased away as she remembered her mother's letter.

"Better open this and see what it says."

Willow tore off the seal and threw the envelope on the table. She unfolded a very short piece of parchment.

Dearest Willow,

We hope you are doing well at school. Your father is certainly not.

Be careful or you'll share the same fate.

"Damn her!" Willow shouted, drawing the attention of her friends. "I'm going to burn this in the common room first chance I get."

"God, Willow, was it really that bad?" Lee asked.

"Read it for yourself!" Willow growled, chucking it across the table.

A hurricane of emotions were threatening to seize Willow as she sat back down. Her father was most likely at work, safe and sound. Her mother was probably bluffing, just trying to rattle her. But there was still a chance that he was in trouble. Not being able to know was killing Willow; she wanted to race to her mother's mansion that instant to check if her mother was for real, at the same time longing to stay at Hogwarts, knowing that it was doubtful her mother had blatantly captured herbusband. Willow thought her heart would explode with grief and rage. Why had the world taken her mother away from her?

"Willow, are you okay?" Fred worried. "You're looking quite pale."

"No, I'm really not," Willow said, clutching her chest. "Actually, not at all. What the- ?"

Willow gasped as her vision flicked from the present to her mother's mansion. The moment passed as quickly as it came, and she was staring at four fretting Gryffindors.

"Willow, what's going on?" Hermione demanded.

"I- I think I just saw my mum's house," Willow stuttered, feeling very dizzy.

"Why would you be seeing your mum's house?"

Her vision flickered again. Willow wrenched it back into the present. "God, I think my brain is trying to give me a vision."

"Why?"

"I have no idea!"

Willow shook her head, attempting to clear it. She stood up, disliking not being in control of her own brain. Willow nearly fell right back down.

"I don't want to suddenly start spouting off random things in the Great Hall."

"You're not going anywhere alone, Willow!" Neville squeaked. "What if you fall and hit your head?"

"Then I've got a concussion."

"Why must you always be so stubborn all the time?" Hermione complained.

"Ask my mum."

"Willow, it could be that you're really tired, and your brain is trying to dream while awake because it wants to be asleep," Hermione offered.

"If that's the case, I'm seriously considering giving myself a concussion."

The scene before her eyes changed for a whole three seconds this time before returning to normal. Willow swayed on her feet, making her friends at the Gryffindor table shoot to theirs.

"Um, Willow? This isn't good."

"You need to go to the hospital wing."

"I'm fine. I just need- "

No one found out what Willow needed. The last thing she saw before her vision was whisked away was Fred catching her right before she hit the ground.

Willow's eyes now perceived a very different scene, one where she was in her mother's dining room, watching as several people dressed in dark clothing were discussing something very seriously.

"Grace, what do you think we should do from here?" a man asked.

"I believe that we should keep her interested." Willow seethed with anger upon hearing her mother's voice. "As long as she believes we are a threat, she will obey."

"I like the way you think."

"Thank you, Alex."

Willow wanted to charge that horrible man and snap his neck, but her feet were rooted to the spot. She simply glared daggers at the back of his head.

"And what have you heard of the movements at Hogwarts?"

Willow's heart froze. She remembered Hermione's mention of the trapdoor. What could Hogwarts be doing?

"The Stone is well guarded. It will be hard to get to it, but our dear friend believes he holds the key to getting it in due time."

"Good, very good. And what of Willow?"

Grace smirked. "She will pay, in time. Patience. She will be punished accordingly, all in good time."

"Splendid. To victory!"

The group of dark-robed witches and wizards clinked their glasses in a toast. Willow gasped as her vision returned to the familiar halls of Hogwarts. She shot to her feet, only to be restrained by Fred, whose arms were still around her.

"Jeez, Willow, take it easy!" Fred commanded. "You may have only passed out for a few minutes, but it was still enough to make us worry."

Willow swallowed hard and tried to calm her panicked breathing. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay, we understand," Hermione sympathized.

"Good Lord, she's running before dawn, running during school, running after dark, running in her sleep; do you ever stop running, Willow?" Lee joked.

"Do you ever run?" she retorted light-heartedly.

George snickered. "She's definitely fine. Well played, Willow."

Fred gently guided Willow to her feet, still not freeing her from his grasp, as she was still light-headed and unbalanced. Neville, Hermione, Lee, and George looked on, worry etched into their faces.

"What did you see, Willow?" Neville asked.

"I'm not sure, exactly," Willow said. "It looked like some sort of meeting between my mum and her colleagues. They were talking about my dad, me, and something about the movements at Hogwarts."

"That sounds like a jumble of nonsense to me," Lee said.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Willow," Fred advised. "For now, you are not going to Potions today."

"Fred!" Hermione scolded.

"But- " Willow started.

"No if's, and's, or but's about it," George said. "Freddy and I weren't planning to attend today's classes, either."

"Where are we going, then?" Willow retorted.

"You'll see."

"If you lose points for Gryffindor, I swear- " Hermione began.

"Oh, come off it, Hermione," Lee interrupted. "They never get caught. I'm going to class so that at least one of us has notes. See you guys later."

"Fine! Don't say I didn't warn you! Neville, we're going."

A completely lost Neville was dragged away into the dungeons while Fred and George took Willow up to the common room. She was surprised when she was taken straight to the third year boys' dorm instead of hers.

"What- "

"We're going to mess with Professor Snape today, and your assistance is required," George explained.

Willow was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the boys' room. She thought it would be dirtier and smellier, but instead she was met with the smell of cologne and a spotless floor. Fred and George opened a closet door on the side of the room.

"Welcome to our pranking storage compartment," they announced. "It's not much yet, but we'll add more to it soon."

"Hopefully Mum doesn't catch us smuggling all this in next year..."

"Anyway, we've got loads of dungbombs, and I think Snape's due for a classroom disturbance."

Willow smirked. "I think I can make that happen."

"Good. You can use this to smuggle them in."

George handed her a satchel. When she gave him a quizzical glance, Fred explained, "It has an Undetectable Extension Charm on it. You can carry loads of dungbombs in here."

When Willow looked inside it, she found several dungbombs stuffed deep inside. She grinned with the anticipation of what was to come.

"When should I go?"

"Right now, if you'd like."

Willow glanced at her watch. It was eight fifty. She had about ten minutes until class started.

"I might even be able to attend what remains of his class afterwards," Willow thought out loud. "Thanks, guys!"

"Our pleasure!"

Willow ran through the castle until she reached the dungeon level. When she was outside the Potions classroom, she set a dungbomb so that it would explode in a minute's time. She stepped into the classroom and smiled as she spotted a shocked Hermione.

"Willow, I thought you weren't coming to class!" she hissed.

"I wasn't. This won't be class for much longer."

Hermione eyed the bag Willow was carrying with her. "What did you do?"

"Nothing, yet. You'll see."

Willow made her way to her table where Draco stood in all his rich-boy glory, sporting an expensive set of perfect robes. She rolled her eyes as he glared at her.

"What's that you've got with you, traitor?" he drawled.

"None of your business," Willow replied.

"You're going to do something, aren't you?"

"Can you tell the future? Sit down."

"Seat yourselves and turn to page sixty," Snape boomed from the front of the classroom. Everyone quickly obeyed, the room suddenly falling silent. "Today we will be working with- "

A few students screamed as the dungbomb went off outside the classroom with a loud bang! Snape was stalking angrily out the door within seconds, wand drawn. Willow seized her chance and set all the bombs inside the bag for a minute, then threw it at the foot of Snape's giant chalkboard. Draco glared at her.

"What did you do?" he barked.

"Absolutely nothing."

"Liar."

Willow stole a glance at Hermione, who gave her a quizzical one in return. She gave her a thumbs up. Hermione only responded by looking at the bag, then pointedly raising her eyebrows at Willow. Willow smiled innocently while Snape swept back into the room.

"That ridiculous poltergeist, Peeves," Snape muttered. "Anyway, as I was saying..."

Professor Snape began writing the ingredients for the newest potion they were brewing on the word. Willow scribbled a few notes down, then waited patiently.

"With your partner, you need to gather these items, then -"

BANG!

Willow thought Snape would jump through the ceiling when that bag of dungbombs exploded underneath his feet. Everyone began laughing hysterically as he waved his arms wildly, trying to find the source of this chaos. Snape angrily glared at everyone in the room.

"Which one of you miserable children is responsible for this?" he snarled. "Stand up!"

To no one's surprise, everyone stayed put. A few people, including Malfoy, glowered in Willow's direction, but Snape didn't see it. He growled threateningly.

"Everyone out. Class is dismissed while I clean up this mess!"

Willow tried to sprint away, but Draco grabbed her by the back of the neck and stopped her in her tracks.

"You filthy Gryffindor!" he snapped. "Why did you do that?"

"Are you so uptight that you can't enjoy Professor Snape being publicly humiliated?" Willow asked coolly.

"No, I'm just not stupid enough to do something that will get me detention."

"Honestly, Malfoy, live a little. Did your parents only teach you manners and forget about the fun?"

"Don't talk about my family."

Willow put her hands up in surrender. "Hey, I'm only telling it as I observe."

"Stay away from me, traitor."

"Whatever you say, blonde."

"Blonde?"

Willow swaggered away, proud of herself for accomplishing something that easily. Hermione seemed rather angry about missing Potions, but everyone else was excited to have an hour to themselves. Willow caught up with Neville on the way to the Gryffindor common room.

"I saw that it was you, Willow. That was brilliant!" Neville exclaimed, his eyes shining. "Where did you get all those dungbombs?"

"A professional never spills their secrets," Willow said.

"You're not a professional, I know you had help from my brothers," Ron said, he and Harry appearing beside Willow.

"I'm only joking, Ron," Willow chuckled.

"Thanks for getting us out of there. I can hardly think about anything except my new Nimbus!" Harry said.

"It was nothing, really. Just a fun prank on Snape. Go have fun with it!"

"We will!" the boys called as they ran ahead, hardly able to contain their elation.

When they arrived in the common room, Fred and George were gone, probably off to play some other prank on one of their teachers. Willow chatted with Hermione and Neville for a bit to pass the time.

The rest of the morning was a blur. Willow nearly fell asleep in class, receiving a sharp blow from Hermione at one point. She could hardly wait to get to lunch.

Willow was literally tripping over herself by the time she stumbled into the Gryffindor table. Fred and George had still not made an appearance, but Lee was there, stuffing his face with rolls.

"Lee, where are Fred and George?" Willow asked sleepily.

"Oh, they'll be here soon," Lee smirked. "You just wait. We're all in for a treat."

Willow perked up a bit. "What are they doing this time?"

"I can't say," Lee said. "It will ruin it."

Willow finally realized how hungry she was and began eating some pork sandwiches and glazed carrots. Harry and Ron were still chatting excitedly about the Nimbus, and Hermione had her back turned to them.

"Hermione, why are you ignoring them now?" Willow questioned.

"I told them not to go looking for trouble," Hermione fumed. "And what do they do? Almost get us killed by a three-headed dog!"

"So...?"

"So? They could have lost points for Gryffindor, or worse, been expelled!"

Willow raised her eyebrows. "You're not at all concerned about their safety?"

"Yes, but don't you think they could have prevented it in the first place?"

"I see."

"Exactly. Do they care about anything but themselves, the selfish idiots?"

Willow returned to eating in silence. Hermione continued muttering under her breath about Harry and Ron. Neville uncomfortably stared at his Remembrall, unsure what to do.

Lee tapped Willow on the shoulder. "Are you ready for this?"

"Ready for what?"

"Look up, above the teacher's table."

Willow shifted her gaze to the high windows that filtered a slight bit of light in. She couldn't stop the torrent of giggles that ensued.

"Snape is dead," Willow said between fits of laughter.

"Hey, Professor!" two redheads called.

Everyone looked up just in time to see Fred and George dump a bucketload of dungbombs and stink pellets onto an unsuspecting Snape. He tried to move at the last second, but it was too late. Snape was knocked to the ground with an explosive bang! The other staff simply stayed where they were, covering their mouths, trying not to laugh as Snape lashed out at thin air. Three students appeared above on broomsticks.

"Having a rough day, Professor?"

"Are you familiar with these dandy explosives?"

"You can thank Peeves for that!"

"Insolent brats!" Snape snapped. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor!"

Fred, George, and a dark-haired girl touched down at the front of the Gryffindor table, not put down in the slightest. The entire Great Hall erupted into cheers, minus Slytherin. Professor McGonagall looked conflicted, as if she wanted to get up and punish the three, but at the same time couldn't help enjoying Snape's moment of humility. The twins and the dark-haired girl bowed before sauntering over to Willow.

"Ready for a fly, princess?" the girl asked in a gruff voice.

Willow nodded excitedly, jumping up from her seat and following them into the entrance hall, ignoring the fact that everyone's eyes were on her.

"How was that for a prank on Snape, Willow?" Fred asked.

"Much better than what I did. It did get us a day off of Potions, though."

"Is this your prodigy you've told me so much about?" the girl said to George.

"Oh, yes! Sorry, I forgot you haven't been properly introduced. Willow, this is Paige. Paige, Willow."

"Pleasure to have you aboard," Paige grinned, holding out her hand. Willow shook it.

"Do you play Quidditch?"

"Only as a reserve," Paige grumbled, her mood turning sour instantly. "Wood's always going to be a better keeper than me."

"You're a keeper?"

"In soccer, too," Fred remarked. "Best one in London, I reckon."

"Not quite that good," Paige said modestly.

"I play soccer too! That's so cool!" Willow exclaimed.

"I thought you might like her," George said. "Here we are, Willow: the Gryffindor locker room."

Willow noticed that they had entered a small room decorated in red and gold. Large lockers lined the walls, and an open closet gave way to several uniforms and broomsticks. She watched with an excited gleam in her eyes as Paige grabbed a broomstick and threw it to her.

"You a good flier?" she questioned.

"See for yourself!"

Willow ran out the door as Paige raised her eyebrows skeptically. She mounted her broom, pushing off just as the three older kids emerged into the wind. Willow's muscles remembered the familiar roughness of the school's brooms, adjusting as necessary to allow her greater movement. She targeted the hoops that she guessed were the goals for the Chasers to throw the quaffle through. Willow weaved in a tight zigzag through them, then shot into the sky, nearly upside down. She surprised everyone present, including herself. Willow ceased her ascent and gently lowered herself until she was hovering in front of the third years.

"I knew you were good, but I didn't know you were that good, Willow," George said.

"You're a natural!"

"Should make teaching you Quidditch easier," Paige remarked, only seeming mildly impressed. Willow sensed that she was one of those people that never exposed her soft side and took this as a huge compliment.

"Well, would you like us to begin teaching you the other 95% of the game?" Fred teased.

"What else would I be here for?"

"Target practice," Paige said, the corner of her mouth twitching in a half-smile.

"Let's save that for later. Right now, you seriously need catching up," Fred emphasized.

The four launched into the air, giving Willow a tour of the pitch. Willow focused more than she had ever focused in her life. Every single detail was seared into her mind the moment she heard it. She learned about the positions, the three different types of balls, the rules, the risks. Willow paid attention to every precise movement of the twins. She mimicked their swing with their clubs, failing several times before she did it correctly. Then, Paige showed her the techniques for catching the quaffle. The four raced each other two laps around the field, then determined that Willow was ready for the real quaffles, bludgers, and the snitch. Paige stayed with Willow while the twins went to retrieve them.

"So, only an ickle first year?" Paige began.

"Yes, although I have a feeling I could easily be a second year," Willow said.

"You get good grades?" Paige raised her eyebrows. "That's rare for a Gryffindor. I wish I was smart."

Willow was beginning to pick up on the little things about Paige, like the way she sat so easily on her broom, her grumpy, don't-care attitude, the way she seemed so care-free yet grounded. She had a feeling that Paige was a rebellious teenager that couldn't be punished. Willow now knew why she had never seen the girl before- these traits were what drove most people off, but if they were anything like Willow, they could see straight through those things as if they were transparent.

"I bet you are smart," Willow countered. "Maybe not book smart, but in a different way."

Paige snorted. "What other way could anyone be smart?"

"Street-smart, sports-minded, excetera."

"If you can count pranking genius, then I guess you could pretend I have a brain."

Willow grinned. She was making a little progress against Paige's rock-solid defense systems.

"Did you play for a soccer team in London?" Willow asked.

"You can call it that. I bounced around a bit."

"Your parents moved around a lot, then?"

Paige eyed Willow with a perfect blend of remorse and hope, as if she was trying to say something, but couldn't bear to. "I don't exactly live with them."

"What?"

Paige shifted uncomfortably on her broom. Willow had obviously hit a sore subject. Her dark eyes betrayed that she didn't want to talk about her parents at all, and filled with relief when Fred and George zoomed back onto the pitch. Willow decided to file that information away for later discussion.

"How are you feeling, Willow?" George asked. "Ready for dodging bludgers?"

"I thought we were doing that later!" Willow exclaimed.

"Only joking," Fred winked.

"I have first dibs at chucking the quaffle at her!" Paige said, immediately reverting back to her usual self.

"What!"

Paige simply smirked at her while Fred and George got out the snitch. "We're going to time you while you chase after the snitch. Any longer than a ten minutes and we're releasing the bludgers."

"That's another joke, right?"

Fred shrugged. "You'll find out after ten minutes."

"You absolute- "

"And you're off!" George announced, tossing the snitch into the air.

Willow instantly ceased her bickering with the twins and hightailed it after the golden object glinting harshly in the afternoon sun. She locked her eyes on it, noticing the way it jerked from one position to the next, very seldom fluidly moving in one motion. Willow chased it twice around the quidditch pitch before it veered into the wooden supports that snaked around it. She sharply dove down, nearly hitting her head on a beam.

"Willow! What do you think about playing seeker now?" Paige taunted.

"You can shut up any time now!" she retorted.

Willow concentrated hard as the snitch began zooming through the railing, taking her on dangerous paths where a single sloppy turn could send her to the hospital wing for a week. She ignored the sensation of fear tickling the back of her mind. Willow was gaining on the snitch, inch by inch. Only a few meters more and she would have it.

Suddenly, the snitch shot straight up into the sky. Willow angled her broom up and raced after it. Her abs hurt with the effort of keeping her on the broom and not plummeting towards the grass below. The snitch disappeared into a cloud.

"You are not getting away from me!" Willow growled, her competitiveness surfacing.

She entered the cloud, slowing down as she did so. The fluffy grey mass doused her in what felt like buckets of water as she passed through. She squinted her eyes, peering into the shadowy realm, desperately searching for any sign of that winged golden ball. Willow was almost ready to give up when a small glint caught her eye. She groaned when she saw which direction it was heading.

"You've got to be kidding me," Willow complained.

She tipped her broom straight down and found herself descending fast towards the ground. The snitch was now only a meter away.

"Willow, don't do this!" a panicked Fred called.

"This isn't what you should be doing your first time out!" George yelled.

"Go for it!" Paige shouted, only seeming slightly interested.

"Paige!" the twins reprimanded in unison.

Willow ignored them. The wind buffeted her face, burning her skin. Her muscles were on fire, slowly giving out as the ground loomed closer and closer. Willow only had eyes for the snitch that was so close she could touch it.

"Stop it! You could kill yourself!" George cried.

"I'm fine! Watch!" Willow finally said.

The ground was now only ten meters below her. She was rocketing in faster than she had ever ridden a broom before. Willow gritted her teeth, taking a deep breath.

Here goes nothing.

Willow jumped, caught the snitch in her hand, and hit the ground tumbling. The three third years were instantly upon her.

"What the hell, Willow?"

"You could have hurt yourself!"

"Do you have any idea how fast you were flying?"

"That was bloody brilliant!"

The twins and Willow both turned to Paige, who was wearing a rare impressed expression on her face. She took the snitch out of Willow's hand.

"You're another daredevil, aren't you?"

"I guess so," Willow shyly replied. Fred and George nearly exploded.

"Brilliant? She could have ended up in the hospital wing for a week!"

"What if she had fallen off her broom?"

"Good God, have you two adopted her or something?" Paige scoffed.

Fred and George finally relented, realizing how defensive they were being. "Fine. But just for that, you're dodging bludgers, Willow!"

Willow threw up her hands in surrender. "You're right, I deserve whatever's coming at me now!"

"Oh, there's going to be plenty coming at you," Fred chortled.

At dinner, a very bruised and battered Willow was happily chatting with the twins and Paige.

"How many times did you get hit again?" Paige asked.

"Seventeen." Willow glanced at the twins. "You guys are very good beaters. If beaters are supposed to bloody up the other team, that is."

"That's pretty much our job," Fred agreed.

"And it's quite fun to rub it in afterward, ay, Freddy?" George said.

"Oh, shut it, you two," Willow said.

"Willow, what did you do?" Neville blurted out as he sat down with Hermione.

"I see you've bloodied up our future quidditch star," Lee remarked as he appeared beside George.

"Woah, I didn't know you played quidditch, Willow!" Neville said.

"I didn't either, until I nearly killed myself a total of...how many times?"

"Well, you nearly fell to your death, so that's one," George began.

"Then you almost got knocked off your broom all seventeen times you got in the way of a bludger," Fred added.

"And Paige threw you through the goals five times, so that's twenty three."

Hermione's appalled expression didn't shock anyone. "You taught Willow everything about quidditch in a single day?"

"Yes, and it was quite amusing," Paige mumbled through a mouthful of steak.

"But you could have killed her!"

"Relax, Hermione," Willow laughed. "I realized that fact while I was plummeting towards the ground after the snitch. It's really okay, I like a little bit of danger to make my life interesting."

Hermione huffed and withdrew herself from socializing. While Lee talked with the twins and Paige about their latest scheme, a letter dropped into Willow's lap. She caught sight of a flash of tawny white before Iris was gone. The owl was probably sleepy and didn't want attention at the moment. Shrugging, Willow undid the parchment to see that it was from Hagrid.

I need yer help tomorrow with takin' care of Fang. I'll be gone the whole day. He's got a water bucket and his food should be hanging inside the door.

Hagrid

Willow got out her pen and wrote a reminder for herself on her hand. She decided to head back to the common room early, seeing as she had a lot of studying to do over the weekend. Thanking the twins and Paige profusely for their training, she headed off towards the shortcut to the common room.

Willow was drowning in her onslaught of knowledge from the day as she made her way up the steps. She was so consumed in her own thoughts that she nearly dismissed the sounds of sniffling from the second floor. Willow had passed the floor when it finally registered in her brain that there was someone crying in the bathroom. She instantly turned on her heel, careful to not run, and headed towards the noise.

It was coming from the girls bathroom, which was out of order on this floor. Willow had assumed no one would use it because of this reason, but now it dawned on her that it was a good place to go and be left alone. She paused at the doorway. Upon glancing inside, she saw a girl with tear-stained cheeks standing in front of the mirror closest to the doorway. Willow gently knocked on it.

"Go away!" the girl sobbed.

"Um...are you sure you want me to leave?" Willow asked, knowing deep down that she didn't.

"I want to be alone!"

"Being alone only makes things worse."

"How would you know?" the girl demanded angrily, turning to face the door. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

Willow stepped out of the shadows, revealing herself. The girl didn't react. She simply stared at this stranger that had intruded upon her emotional moment.

"What is your name?" the girl demanded.

"Willow. Yours?"

"Sue."

Willow examined the pretty girl's face. She was a few shades darker than Willow, and her hair was almost black. Her robes told Willow that she was a Ravenclaw, the blue emblem standing out against the dark clothing. She had dark eyebrows and watery brown eyes. Willow sensed that she was incredibly smart, even for a Ravenclaw.

"What are you doing in here?" Willow said.

"Trying to be alone," Sue replied sharply.

"You shouldn't be alone, though. That makes it worse."

"What would you know about me?" Sue questioned, her face reddening in anger. "Do you know what it's like?"

"What what's like?"

"Never mind," Sue said, bitter sadness replacing the outburst. "I shouldn't say anything."

Willow was genuinely interested by this time. "Please, go on. I'd love to hear about this."

"Why would you care about the issues of a Muggleborn Japanese girl?" Sue retorted.

Willow shrugged. "I like to listen to everyone's story. It's a hobby, I guess."

Sue eyed Willow with a level of uncertainty, mistrusting, yet warming up to this curious Gryffindor. She sighed, and Willow could practically see the glimmer of hope shining within Sue.

"I was born in Japan. Until about a year ago, I lived there, surrounded by Japanese culture. I grew up there. It was really hard, moving to Britain for my parents' new jobs."

Sue's British accent began slipping away, revealing her Japanese one instead. "I didn't know that I possessed magic until I got my Hogwarts letter. It was hard enough trying to integrate into such a different culture, let alone adjust to the fact that I'd be coming here for the next seven years of my life. I've been trying to change too fast for too long. I- I just-"

Sue's voice trembled and gave way to sobs. "I can't keep this up. My parents were always telling me to act like a Brit; 'You grew up here, you lived her your whole life, you love your country,' they always tell me. But that's not the truth. I can't stand hiding anymore."

Willow's heart broke in two as the poor girl fell to her knees, uncontrollably crying. Sue was trusting her with so much so soon that Willow wondered if she had ever told anyone this before. Willow lowered herself to the floor as well, instinctively wrapping her arms around the girl.

"I hate it when people do this to people like you," Willow whispered. "You should never be put down for being different; it's what makes you unique. My dad always told me that those with the most differences were the ones that would rise above the rest."

Sue continued to cry into her arm. "I can't be myself. No one will accept me that way."

"That's where you're wrong," Willow said. "There are an equal amount of people out there that will put you down as support you. I'm one of those people that will bring you up, and I know for a fact that Ravenclaw has accepting individuals among their ranks."

Sue sniffled, her torrent of emotions calming a bit. "But it seems as if nearly everyone I've met hates me."

"That's all those dirty Slytherins, isn't it?"

Sue nodded. "They always call me names, and hit me with spells that I haven't even heard of before."

"Yeah, well, they're pigheaded pricks, all of them," Willow chuckled. "In fact, I've hit Draco Malfoy at least twice already."

Sue looked up at Willow, her eyes red and puffy despite her lips that were beginning to form a smile. "Really?"

"Yes, and if you'd like me to hit him again, that would be perfectly fine with me."

Sue laughed at that one. It was such a pure, light, fluffy sound that melted Willow's sense of hearing. Sue rubbed her eyes, brushing herself off.

"I think I'd like that. Thank you, Willow. I feel much better now."

"I'm glad I could help."

Sue surprised Willow by hugging her, but she didn't hesitate to hug her back.

Willow finally got more than a few hours of sleep, and the next morning she had already gone for a run, fed & played with Fang, and done a little bit of her homework before her roommates were even up. She elected to take a day off from their craziness and went to the library after breakfast to get some quality studying in. Madam Prince was at her usual post behind the circulation desk, reading an old, tattered book with a spine as thick as Willow's forearm. Willow found an empty table and laid out her numerous papers and textbooks, which covered the length of the dark wood.

"Good Lord, again with the potions homework," Willow sighed. "Why must he give us so much?"

Willow's senses subconsciously tuned into the familiarity of the library: the smell of old and new books wafting together, pages turning, soft whispers floating from every corner. She relaxed, transported back into her own library at home. It was always a place she could count on to go and be undisturbed. The quiet serenity of the library always felt like an oasis among her fast-paced life. Willow felt at home among the shelves upon shelves of parchment, a big contrast compared to being outdoors and in the whipping winds of the soccer field.

She was halfway through figuring out how to transfigure non-living objects into living ones when a familiar blond boy plopped into a chair across from her. Willow rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile.

"Since when does Blonde come to the library? Don't you have a crowd to please?" Willow droned.

"Is that my name now? Blonde?" Draco asked.

"It is now that you hate it."

Draco snorted. "You are completely mental."

"Likewise."

"If you're not going to be talkative, I guess I won't tell you the answers to the potions homework," Draco tempted.

Willow raised her eyebrows at Draco. "You? Share answers on homework with a Gryffindor? I highly doubt you even got them correct."

"See for yourself, if you're so sure."

Willow snatched the paper out of Draco's hands, her eyes furiously scanning the page. To her surprise, most of the answers matched up with what she had gotten. She glanced suspiciously at a smug Draco.

"You sure you didn't copy these answers from anyone?" Willow questioned.

"Of course I didn't," Draco sneered. "At least I know how to stay out of trouble, prankster. I know that you were the one that set off the dungbombs yesterday."

"Wow, Blonde is smart and observant."

"Seriously, what is with the nickname?"

"Give me one, if you're so fired up about it," Willow challenged, smirking.

"Fine, I will!"

"In the meantime, are you going to sit here all day and bother me? Or are you actually going to study?"

"I do whatever I want."

Draco moved Willow's papers out of the way to make room for his. The two scribbled down notes about various different subjects, doing homework, writing essays, comparing answers, taunting each other every once in a while, and so on. Outside, the sun grew brighter and brighter. It was turning out to be a beautiful day. Willow got so much done during those few hours with Draco, though, that she had hope of going out later. She could hardly believe the time when she checked her watch.

"How is it already half past twelve?" Willow thought out loud.

"Three hours passed, that's how," Draco said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Shut up, prick."

"Right back at you, dork."

"Let's go get some food," Willow suggested, packing up her stuff. "I pretty much skipped breakfast."

"Don't do that, imbecile, and maybe you won't be so hungry," Draco shot back, purposely slamming his textbook shut.

"You are so immature."

"You're one to talk."

The two exited the library, heading down the stairs. Everyone they passed backed off because of their constant bickering and name-calling. They had a clear passage to the Great Hall. Right before they went through the doors, Draco stopped Willow by roughly grabbing her shoulder.

"What do you want this time, Blonde?" Willow said sarcastically. "A parting gift?"

"I think I figured out a nickname for you," Draco announced, a mischievous smirk on his face.

"Oh no, what is it?" Willow mockingly sighed.

"Wisp."

Willow scoffed. "Seriously?"

"I'm going to use it now that you don't like it."

Willow gaped at Draco for a moment, realizing he had quoted her from earlier. "You little mierda!"

"You know, I could understand that without learning Spanish," Draco said, not put off by discovering her background in the slightest. "I know you're defensive of nature, and about that legend. You're always writing about it in your journal."

Willow's heart skipped a beat. How had he found that? She practically slapped Draco when he held it out in front of her, having stolen it from her in the library. Willow snatched it back immediately.

"You read my entries?"

"Only a few," Draco drawled, "but it was enough to tell a lot about you."

Willow rolled her eyes, pretending that she wasn't internally panicking. "Of course. You can totally learn everything about a person in a few sentences."

"You'd be surprised." Draco took pleasure in the shocked expression on Willow's face. "Have fun with your precious Gryffindor friends, Wisp."

"Go entertain that wonderful crowd of yours, Blonde," Willow exaggerated as she parted ways with him.

All throughout the rest of the day, the same thought reoccurred to Willow: what had Draco read so far? And what was he planning to do with that information?

Willow wanted to be alone after lunch. Taking advantage of the beautiful day, Willow went outside and sat on the edge of the cliff facing the Forbidden Forest. She swung her legs as if she were a child waiting on a bench, absent-minded and restless. Willow had written down some very personal entries recently. What if Draco had read the worst of them? She hated the idea that Draco had dirt on her, but she absolutely couldn't stand the fact that she knew nothing of how much Draco had learned. Frustrated beyond belief, Willow hugged her journal tight to her chest, wishing that everything she wrote about in it would come true.

Willow thought back to the last time she was this confused and angry. It was a few years ago, shortly after her mother's incident. She was waking up for the first time without the most cherished person in her life by her side. Willow had angrily punched a hole through the wall, thrown her favorite vase of flowers into the window, knocked over her furniture, scattered her clothing everywhere. Her dad had rushed in to find his daughter screaming out several names and abuse, her knuckles bleeding. Willow tried to resist when her father enveloped her entire body in a hug but failed.

Why, dad? Why is she gone? Willow had screamed.

I don't know, pumpkin, but it hurts like hell, doesn't it?

Willow had gone limp by that time, all the anger drained out of her and replaced with the real emotion she was feeling: terrible remorse. The only thing that hurts right now is my hand.

You're an awful liar, her dad chuckled.

Willow sniffed. Is Mummy going to come back soon, Dad? I miss her.

Honestly, I don't know, pumpkin. I miss her too.

Did Mum ever love me?

At that point, Carlos pulled away from his daughter, taking her tiny hands in his giant ones.

Mummy loves you very much, Willow. Sometimes you can love someone so much that you'll do bad things for them. Mummy had to do something very, very bad, Willow. She had to go away because of that. Can you understand?

Willow had nodded, her eyes tearing up. Are you going to leave me, too, Dad?

Never. And here's a little something to remind you that I'll keep my promise, no matter how dark the times may seem.

Carlos had handed Willow a very thick journal. It had a family picture on the front and inside cover. Willow had squealed and hugged her father, then looked at the photos for a while, reminiscing on the happiest times with her mother. She gazed at her journal now, caressing the beautiful face that once belonged to her mum. Tears threatened to drip from her eyelashes as she remembered that day.

"Hey Mum," Willow whispered in a shaky voice. "I miss you like crazy. It's been really hard to pretend I don't have hope that you'll come back, but I've managed." Willow swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Please try to remember. I love you still. I've seen the old you reappear, and every time it does you make me think that maybe, just maybe, there's hope for you yet. But then you go back to your new normal, and it breaks my heart. We're all broken now. Please, try. I'll wait forever if that's what it takes."

Willow sniffled, her chest actually hurting with longing for her mother. She blinked hard, driving out the happy and sad memories alike that threatened to overtake her mind. Willow was in a new place now. Her life was different than a few years ago. She had to enjoy what she had now, or she would take a turn for the worse. How could she move on otherwise?

Willow stood up, her journal still clutched tightly in her hand. She wasn't about to let her secrets escape any more than they already had. If anyone knew...

She bit her lip. Draco would never exploit me that badly. He just wouldn't.

Willow shook her head, inhaling deeply. Clearing her mind, she felt her steps lighten and her mood improve. She had simply needed time to contemplate the recent turn of events. Much better now, Willow began strolling back to the castle.

All of a sudden, Willow caught movement in the corner of her eye. She snapped to attention, focusing on the spot. Another flash of white appeared on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was right around the area where Willow and all the other first years had left the harbor in canoes. Shielding her eyes against the harsh sun, Willow peered onto the horizon, desperately searching for whatever had caught her eye. She didn't have to wait long. Two figures appeared, one supporting the other while limping itself. Willow gasped.

"Are those...are those students?" she wondered aloud.

Anything Willow had been pondering about earlier instantly vanished from her mind. She jogged down the cliff and towards the forest, sticking close to the edge of the lake. The giant squid decided to make an appearance and swam beside her the whole way.

"Remind me to never go swimming in here," Willow noted to herself.

The two figures made it to the small, sandy launch, then collapsed. Willow pushed her legs to go faster, somehow sensing that their vitals weren't doing well.

What is that all about, Mrs...I don't know your name.

Your powers are greater than you know, Willow. It will all make sense in due time. For now, rely on your instinct. The lives of these children are in your hands.

What?!

But the voice was gone. Willow's frustration was quickly overridden by her arrival at the beach. She fell to her knees and skidded to a stop in the crunchy sand.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked, her voice pitched.

"F-f-fine," a small voice croaked.

Willow turned the two over in her arms. The students were obvious twins, as their identical facial features and strawberry blond hair gave it away. They looked to be about the same age as her. One main difference between Willow and the twins, though- and a troubling one at that- was the bruises and dried blood that covered their arms and faces. Alarm bells rang in Willow's head louder than ever before.

"Can you hear me?" Willow questioned, her face taught with worry.

"Y-yes," the little girl stuttered softly.

Willow bit her lip. The boy was already unconscious, and the girl was fading fast.

"I'm going to get help. Don't move, okay?"

"Okay," the girl wheezed, her chest rising and falling much too quickly.

Willow sprinted up the hill, not caring that her asthma was acting up. Her lungs constricted themselves as if a snake was wrapping around them. She couldn't care less as she ran as fast as she could for the castle gates. Once inside, Willow shouted for several students to get out of her way as she raced for the hospital wing. Students stared and called after her to watch where she was going. Willow didn't even hear them as she zipped around corners, flying through the corridors as if a dragon was on her tail. Two familiar redheads stopped her in her tracks.

"Oy, Willow, where are you going in such a hurry?" Fred asked.

"Let me through! I need to see Madam Pomfrey!" Willow demanded, panting hard with adrenaline.

"Jeez, Willow, why- ?"

"Just fetch her for me, please!" Willow pleaded, staring at them both simultaneously. "It's urgent! I found two children down by the lake! They're badly injured and can't make it up to the castle!"

Fred and George's expressions changed to ones of confusion. "Why- ?"

"No time! Go!" Willow ordered, starting back down the hall the way she came. She glanced over her shoulder once to make sure the twins had gone after Madam Pomfrey, then pushed herself once more to run back outside and to the children.

"Willow, what on Earth are you doing?" Hermione shrilled as Willow shot past her.

"Not now, Hermione!" Willow shouted.

Willow rocketed out the front gates and down the hill once more. The grass was trampled underfoot as Willow practically soared over the fields. She was gasping for breath by the time she made it back to the beach.

"Oh no!" Willow cried upon seeing the two students.

They were both losing their color fast, ghostly white and passed out. Willow's heart stopped for a horrifying moment, thinking them dead, before realizing that their chests were still moving. She would have breathed a sigh of relief had it not been for the dire situation.

What do I do, what do I do?! Willow screamed at herself.

Trust your instincts, was all the voice echoed back.

How is that helping!

Willow's rib cage was in searing pain as she crouched beside the children, picking the boy up and laying him across her lap. She put her hand over his heart. The beating was frail and quick. Willow's mind began to descend into chaos.

I'm losing them!

Willow was about to try and pick the children up and carry them when her hands began tingling.

"What the- ?"

Willow nearly jumped up in fright when she glanced down at her hands and saw that they were glowing. They felt...powerful, as if something was fueling them. Willow gulped.

Um, help!

The lady did not answer. Willow closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself down.

"Trust your instincts..." she whispered to herself.

Willow didn't even know what was happening until she opened her eyes. She clasped her free hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.

Willow's instincts had worked, alright. Her hand was fixed upon the boy's chest, which was now glowing with a creamy golden light. Little trails of gold began snaking around his body, concentrating themselves in areas where the worst damage had occurred. The brightest place of all was his forehead, which puzzled Willow. She instinctively knew that her powers were healing the boy, but why would they be healing his head? Willow hadn't noticed any damage to it. Was there a wound there that Willow had not seen before?

The glow began to decrease until it only remained in Willow's hands. She removed them from the boy, noting that the injuries had lessened considerably, but only part of the way. Willow backed up as the boy coughed and spluttered, his chest now heaving at a safer rate than before. He didn't open his eyes, simply falling back asleep. But Willow was satisfied that his chances of making it out of the hospital wing were now much higher than before. She moved on to the girl and put her still-glowing hands across her chest, watching in wonder as the golden light once again spread across the girl's body, repairing skin and healing wounds. The girl's brightest spot was also her head.

I wonder why that is, Willow thought to herself.

"Willow! Willow!" a voice called.

She turned to see two wide-eyed twins running towards her. Her hands twitched, wondering if she should hid them, but the idea dissipated, as they had already seen it. Plus, she could trust them. These were the Weasleys. She could trust them to keep this secret.

"Bloody hell, what is with your hands?" Fred exclaimed, staring at her hands.

"Um...I'm not exactly sure, but I think it's healing them," Willow admitted.

"Not all the way, I see," George commented, crouching beside the unconscious boy.

The glow once again faded until it was only in Willow's hands. She removed them from the girl and laid her down in a comfortable position.

"They're still in critical condition," Willow said, surprising herself.

"How do you know that?" the twins questioned in unison.

"I- I have no idea." She glanced at both of them. "This is all new to me. Apparently I know a bit about someone's health by touching them. Lovely."

"Now we know who to go to when we fall off a broomstick, ay, Freddy?" George joked, naturally dealing with the extreme weight of the situation by lightening it.

"Don't you dare do it on purpose, or I'll refuse and just laugh until I can't move," Willow warned.

"Dear Lord, what happened?" Madam Pomfrey cried, making an appearance behind Fred.

"I don't know, Madam. All I know is that I saw them tumble out of the forest, then came down here and found them like this," Willow explained. "The girl was conscious, but not for long. Do you think they'll be okay?"

"As long as they're taken care of, their injuries don't seem too severe," Madam Pomfrey said, examining the children. "But one never knows. Let's get them back to the castle, quickly!"

That didn't do any good to the sinking sensation in the pit of Willow's stomach. Fred and George picked up the boy while Madam Pomfrey and Willow carried the girl. They walked at a brisk, meaningful pace that got them to the castle walls in a short amount of time. Students scuttled out of their way, gawking at the unconscious twins. They were nearly at a run when they finally reached the hospital wing.

"Lay them on these two beds, quickly," Madam Pomfrey ordered.

The twins were made comfortable in two beds, their sunken faces nearly blending in with the white fabric. Willow nearly choked on her own words when she saw how weak and frail they seemed. She walked in between them both, putting a hand on each of their foreheads.

"Good luck, and heal fast," Willow whispered, a lump forming in her throat.

She didn't know how, or why, but somehow, Willow felt connected to these two siblings despite not even knowing their names. They were already stealing a part of her heart. She couldn't stand to see them looking so vulnerable, so fragile. Willow had to be escorted out of the room by Madam Pomfrey with Fred and George nearly dragging her away.

"Go on, dear! They're in good hands now," Madam Pomfrey reassured her.

"Come on, Willow, you can see them when they're better," Fred promised.

"You've already done your part. Let Madam Pomfrey do hers," George said.

Willow reluctantly allowed herself to be taken out of the room and back to the Gryffindor common room. She was beginning to feel light-headed and dizzy, the adrenaline wearing off. Willow lost her balance once and fell into the wall to steady herself.

"Woah, Willow." Fred reached out and wrapped his arm behind her. "You okay there?"

"Yeah, I'm just- "

Willow's vision blurred. Her hand shot out to steady herself on the wall.

"- unbalanced," she finished.

The pain in her chest was doubling, perhaps even tripling. She coughed and wheezed a bit.

"This tends to happen when I run hard without a proper warm-up," Willow explained.

"Can you walk the rest of the way to the common room?" George asked.

"Yes, just make sure I don't suddenly slam into the floor."

"That's not reassuring."

Willow was in a daze as her vision flitted in and out of focus. Everything swam before her eyes, changing in shape and size constantly. She didn't know how she made it into the Gryffindor common room without falling into the wall. Willow's eyes only saw black dots by the time she was standing in front of the fireplace. All of her muscles were on fire, her chest burning worse than all of it combined.

"Willow, you need to sit do- " Fred began.

Willow didn't hear the rest of his sentence. Her vision was swallowed up by nothing but black for a whole minute. Willow's eyes fluttered open to find herself somehow on the couch, the twins pacing nearby.

"I hate it when that happens," Willow muttered.

"Bloody hell, Willow!" Fred cursed.

"Stop trying to give us a heart attack!"

"Sorry," Willow apologized.

Fred and George didn't give Willow the option of continuing a normal day. They had to restrain her several times from getting off the couch. Eventually, she ceased her efforts to escape and submitted herself to staying on the couch the rest of the day. They told her jokes, and taught her how to play wizarding chess. Willow beat them both by a lot once she go the hang of it. When night came, Paige took over supervision of the twins' patient. Willow was surprised but talked with her a bit, filling her in on the details of her day. Paige cracked a rare smile at the thought of Fred and George pacing around the common room.

"Now that's a sight I'd like to see," Paige said. "I could have sworn they lacked the ability to take anything seriously."

"Don't worry, they were as ridiculous as usual the rest of the day," Willow sleepily mumbled.

She closed her eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. Willow thought she must have been dreaming when she felt Paige stroking her hair. The last thing Willow knew before she fell asleep was Paige's strong arms carrying her upstairs and gently placing her in bed.


	7. Year 1: Chapter 7

"Willow, please!" Mia begged.

"No."

"But it's Halloween!" Fay whined.

"No."

"But your hair and clothing would fit the occasion so perfectly!" Lavender reasoned.

"Ugh, fine. Do whatever you want with me," Willow gave in.

She regretted her decision at once. It was the morning of Halloween, and everyone in Gryffindor, including Hermione and Parvati, were insisting upon dolling Willow up. Apparently, her dark features would go well with the holiday. Willow didn't see how her complexion had anything to do with dressing her up on certain days of the year.

"Hey, Parvati, can you grab my curling iron?" Fay asked, brushing out Willow's hair.

"Curling iron?" Willow said, raising her eyebrows.

"Be quiet! Do not interrupt my artistry!" Mia commanded.

Willow obeyed, allowing the girls to pull her hair every which way, cover her face in funny-smelling stuff she had never even heard of before, and pick out her clothes. Hermione stood by and watched the whole time, covering her mouth.

"It's not funny, Hermione," Willow grumbled, looking ridiculous with a grumpy expression on her makeup-coated face.

"I'm sorry, I'm really trying not to laugh," Hermione giggled.

"Willow, oh my God!" Parvati gasped. "Your nails are beautiful!"

"Paint them at once!" Fay ordered.

Parvati didn't need encouraging. She raced to her dresser, pulled out a nail kit, and began painting Willow's nails with a pitch black color. Willow pretended to be enjoying all the fuss. After what seemed like a millennia of gritting her teeth and enduring the torment of getting her hair and nails done, Willow was sent into the bathroom to put on her special Hogwarts uniform that Lavender had selected.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she thought aloud.

Willow took a deep breath, put on the skirt and fancy shirt, and stepped back into the bedroom.

"How do I look?" Willow breathed.

There was a long pause of silence. Everyone's jaws had dropped to the floor. Willow glanced in the mirror, then did a double take.

Staring back at her was the perfect face of a young girl Willow had not seen in a long time. She had slight warmth in her cheeks, her freckles left exposed. Her hair was in slight curls that had been brushed out to be more wavy than anything. Willow's nails were striking, and her green eyes were more brilliantly stunning than she had ever seen them before. Her clothing was completely black except for a Gryffindor patch on the sleeve and made of expensive-looking material. She glanced back at the girls. Lavender seemed as if she could explode, tugging hard with excitement on Fay's arm.

"AMAZING!" Mia finally squealed.

"Our work here is done!" Fay declared. "We have created a goddess worthy of the best heroes the world has to offer!"

"Th- Thank you," Willow stuttered, still overcome with emotion with how much these girls had done for her on a whim.

"Group hug!" Lavender announced.

Everyone gathered around Willow and nearly tackled her into the ground, ecstatic that all their hard work had paid off. Hermione dragged Willow out of the dorm and into the common room.

"I can't wait for everyone to see you!" Hermione said, uncharacteristically excited about Willow's appearance, something she normally didn't have an opinion of.

"Oh God, what have I done?" Willow thought out loud.

"Hush up, Willow! Everyone's going to love this!"

The Great Hall was buzzing with excitement. Halloween was always a fun time, and the teachers showed it by lightening up on the homework for a day. Most everyone, though, was looking forward to the Halloween dinner more than anything. Willow had been told they decorated the Great Hall specially for the occasion and brought in special food. She was happy for the change, having had a rather monotonous past two months.

"Listen up, everyone!" Hermione announced when they reached the Gryffindor table. "I present to you version 2.1 of Willow Guerrero, the Halloween Special."

Harry, Ron, Neville, the twins, Lee, and Paige turned to find themselves gaping at this gorgeous new Willow. Hermione couldn't stop grinning at the blush deepening in Willow's cheeks. Neville seemed to have lost his voice, and Paige regained her composure rather quickly, raising her eyebrows.

"Blimey, Willow! They've done a number on you this time!" Fred exclaimed.

"About time," Paige teased.

"Paige!" George said.

"No, it's fine," Willow chuckled, relieved that at least one person knew how to make her not feel awkward about being dressed up. Hermione and she sat down, the rest of their dormitory exploding into the hall and finding their seats as well.

"So, do you have any takers yet?" Maia asked.

"What? No!" Willow said.

"Oh, please, Willow, take your chance!" Lavender rolled her eyes.

"Guys, I don't- "

"We know, we know, 'I don't like anyone yet! I'm only eleven!' Branch out!" Fay scolded.

"Come on, just try to flirt, for our sake? Please?" Parvati begged.

"No, and I'm actually an awful flirt," Willow admitted.

"Really? I don't believe a word of it," Mia said.

"Pretty please?" Lavender insisted, batting her eyes at Willow.

"Fine, I'll try it later," she promised.

The girls squealed and enveloped Willow in more bone-crushing hugs. Willow wondered how she was still intact. She was about to begin picking out what she wanted for breakfast when an apple landed on her plate. Turning quickly, Willow saw that Draco Malfoy was standing behind her, a smirk on his face.

"Did I already scare you today, Wisp?" Draco drawled.

Willow lifted her eyes to the heavens. "No, but I'll have plenty of opportunities to scare you later, Blonde."

Draco snorted. "Like that's going to happen."

"I guess we'll see."

"We will. Enjoy your apple, Wisp."

"Enjoy your day while you can, Blonde."

Draco waltzed back to the Slytherin table. Everyone around her at the table was staring, wide-eyed, except for the twins and Paige, who were scowling after the rich boy. Willow furrowed her brow, confused.

"Why are you all staring at me like that?"

"You...you just talked to Draco Malfoy. Without hitting him," Neville said in disbelief.

"Or him bullying you," Ron added.

"Since when are you two friends?" Hermione gasped.

"Um, excuse me? Friends? Think about what you're saying!" Lavender squeaked.

"Draco totally likes you, Willow!"

"Woah, slow down, what?" Willow said.

"Willow, think about it!" Maia said. "He's totally into you. Plus, you've already got cute nicknames for each other! Willow, with a boyfriend like that, you would get whatever you wanted!"

"You'd have him wrapped around you little finger!"

"Guys, I already told you, I'm not into anyone, especially not elitist pricks like Malfoy," Willow groaned.

"Alright, suit yourself, but I would be all over that opportunity..." Fay trailed off.

Willow shook her head, picking up the apple and spinning it in her hand a few times. All the first years continued to gossip under their breath about Malfoy and her. She couldn't care less, though. Draco might prove to be a great friend in the future, but for now, she was content to simply get into his head. Willow had met her share of ignorant little twats. She knew that she was more than capable of handling Malfoy.

"Are you seriously going to eat that?" Lee questioned, breaking Willow's train of thought.

"I don't know, why?" Willow replied, picking up the apple.

"It's Malfoy," Fred emphasized, disgusted. "He must have poisoned it or something."

Willow shrugged. "If it's poisoned, don't let him have the satisfaction of watching me die."

The twins gawked at Willow as she took a bite of the apple while Paige couldn't stop the proud grin the spread across her face. Willow chewed it slowly, swallowed it, and smirked.

"Nope, no poison. I'm not dying any time soon," she declared.

George scowled at the Slytherin table. "I'd be careful with that sort, Willow. They're crafty and cunning. Malfoy could be trying to use you for something."

Willow's heart rate spiked as she remembered that Draco still had yet to reveal what he had read two months ago. She had almost forgotten about it until then. Trying her best to stop the color from draining from her face, Willow nodded.

"He might be. But I know what I'm doing. Plus, he's quite afraid of me, and Draco doesn't strike me as the type to risk his neck."

Breakfast ended shortly after, and Willow headed to her Charms class. She noticed that Harry and Ron were poking fun with each other while Hermione trailed behind them, scowling. Willow wondered what it was like to keep a grudge for that long. She had tried to hate the people that had bullied her in Muggle school, but it took so much time and energy to keep that up that she gave in and forgave her after less than a day. It was much easier to forgive. Willow had a bad habit of forgiving people too quickly, allowing for them to continue walking all over her. As a result, Willow found it hard to trust anyone until she spent quite a long time with them. Willow could count on her hands how many people she trusted with her life at that point.

"H- hey, Willow!" Neville greeted, appearing beside her. "You- You look really pretty today."

Willow felt the blush returning to her face. "Thank you, Neville. Your face is as cheery as ever."

Neville couldn't speak for a second, then awkwardly said, "Thank you, Willow. You're very nice."

Willow laughed at the redness creeping into Neville's chubby cheeks. Poor Neville, always so disorganized and cursed with clumsiness. Willow sympathized, having been in his position before. She nearly slapped herself when she thought about how cute Neville looked in his oversized robes with a bit of ruddiness in his cheeks.

The two arrived in Charms, rescuing Willow from her runaway train of thought. Professor Flitwick stood on his usual pile of books, again reminding Willow how short he was. The Gryffindors mainly migrated to the right side of the room while the Hufflepuffs gathered on the left. Neville found a place next to Dean Thomas and left to talk with him. Someone with a familiar Hufflepuff crest caught Willow's eye.

"Oliver! Happy Halloween!" she called.

Oliver turned around, his green eyes shining. "Hi, Willow!"

"May I sit with you today?"

"Sure!"

Willow and Oliver found themselves in the corner of the room. The lesson began, and Professor Flitwick announced some exciting news.

"Today, we are going to do a levitation spell. I believe you are all ready and fully capable of conjuring this simple charm."

A ecstatic buzz went around the room, making Professor Flitwick wait a few moments.

"It's all in the wrist. Swish, then flick! Practice it, go on!"

Willow and Oliver drew their wands. Upon seeing his, Willow gasped.

"I didn't know we had the same wand wood, Oliver," she said.

Oliver blinked, then smiled. "I guess we do. So, what is the motion again? I wasn't paying attention."

Willow chuckled. "Swish, then flick!"

The two copied Flitwick's motions with his wand, Oliver failing miserably before it got anywhere close to Flitwick's. They began play-fighting with their wands, pretending they were swords, getting Oliver to laugh for the first time since Willow had met him.

"You have an amazing laugh, Oliver," Willow observed, the sound music to her ears.

Oliver's face remained neutral, unlike Neville's. "Thank you. I get that a lot."

Flitwick then handed out feathers to each pair of students, telling them the magic word. A chorus of "Winguardium Leviosa!" went up around the high-ceilinged room. Willow let Oliver try first, who didn't make anything happen to the feather.

"How hard is it to levitate a feather?" Oliver puffed.

"I don't know; my grandparents taught me this spell before I came. Maybe I can try it later after you," Willow suggested.

Oliver flinched when Willow mentioned her grandparents, but hid it quickly. "Hopefully I can get it to do something. This is impossible."

Willow decided to explore a little into this sudden behavior, filing that bit of information away for later.

"So, I never got a chance to get to know you properly, Oliver," Willow began, changing the subject. "Are you a half-blood?"

Oliver shook his head. "Pureblood."

"Do you live with your parents?"

"No, do you?"

Willow raised her eyebrows. "I live with my dad. My mum lives with her family in a different part of the London area."

"Oh, are they divorced?"

Willow shook her head. "I honestly don't know at this point. My father isn't home much, working at the Ministry and all, and he doesn't like to open up about his marital issues."

"I don't blame him."

"Do your parents live in a different country?" Willow asked.

Oliver's face fell, turning away. "No. They're...they died when I was really little."

Willow's heart broke for him. "Oliver, I'm so sorry. If you don't want to answer any of my questions, just tell me. I won't be offended. You have a right to keep parts of your life private."

Oliver stared at Willow with a new light in his eyes. "Thank you. I'm sure you have some things you don't want to answer either, don't you?"

Willow nodded. "Sadly, yes."

Oliver sadly smiled. "I guess we both have parental issues, don't we?"

"You can say that again."

"I guess we both have parental issues, don't we?"

Willow chortled. "You're goofy. Come on, let's try and levitate this feather. Hermione just did it."

Oliver glanced at the Gryffindor side of the room, where Hermione was proudly pointing her wand at a now hovering feather, Ron angrily gaping in disbelief. Willow wondered if Hermione would ever make up with Ron and Harry.

"Alright, let's do this," Oliver said, twirling his wand in his fingers. "Winguardium Leviosa!"

Both Willow and Oliver gasped as the feather floated a foot off the desk. They glanced at each other, shocked.

"I didn't think that would work," Oliver admitted.

"My turn!" Willow exclaimed.

When the feather returned to the table, Willow executed a perfect levitation charm and the feather ascended until it hit the ceiling. Oliver quietly applauded her as she guided it back to their desk.

"That was amazing, Willow!" Oliver exclaimed. "You have definitely used this charm before."

"I have, actually, but I didn't know I was good at it. The only spell I'm good at is the stunning spell, stupefy, which my grandparents taught me just in case I needed it. Ironically, I used on a wizard that was trying to kidnap me the next day," Willow said before thinking.

"What?" Oliver blurted, practically having a heart attack at the sudden turn in events. "Someone tried to kidnap you?"

Willow cursed herself for being so stupid. "Yes, but it wasn't that bad," she lied. "I got away."

"You'll have to tell me that story sometime. I'd love to hear it!"

Willow glanced at Oliver with a newfound appreciation. He wasn't going crazy about her safety, he didn't press the matter right away, he just wanted to hear a cool story about how his new friend escaped a kidnapping. Willow grinned with enthusiasm.

"I'll hold myself to it."

The rest of class, Oliver and Willow continued to joke around, Willow figuring out that Oliver was extremely ticklish when she levitated the feather around his face. She could have cared less about all the stares that they were getting. When the bell rang, Willow was actually sad to go. Oliver was turning out to be an interesting friend in the making.

"I'll see you later, Oliver," Willow said.

"Bye, Willow!" Oliver called over his shoulder.

Willow stared after him, noticing that he wasn't walking with anyone. She wondered if he had any friends at all in Hufflepuff. Her thoughts were interrupted by her roommates surrounding her on her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Willow, that was perfect."

"I think your hair helped, if you ask me."

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked, confused.

"Duh, your flirting with that adorable Hufflepuff boy!"

"He's so dreamy..."

"Woah, guys, enough with the flirting thing!" Willow said. "I'm not old enough to date. Plus, he's just my friend. We can relate to each other, that's all."

"Of course you would say that," Mia droned. "Why don't you let yourself go, create some drama? We all love a good bit of gossip."

"Guys, I don't want to date anyone," Willow chuckled, amused by their efforts.

"Who wouldn't want to date the cutest guy in our year!" Fay exclaimed.

"Willow, apparently," Parvati said.

"Please, Willow, every girl in the school is drooling over him," Lavender dramatized. "You're the only one so far that's been able to get a peep out of him!"

Willow froze in her tracks. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, didn't you know that? He's super shy, which makes him even cuter..." Fay trailed off.

"It does."

"So even the Hufflepuff guys can't get him to talk to them?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, he hasn't spoken hardly a word since he arrived here."

"The poor boy. I would personally volunteer to keep him company."

"No, he's mine!"

"I called him first!"

Willow was deep in thought as the Gryffindor girls fought over who would get to date Oliver. He had seemed so laid back and easy to talk to during Charms. Now that she thought about it, Oliver had been in the corner, far away from everyone else. Maybe he was just super shy, but that didn't explain why he would suddenly talk to Willow. Yes, she had prevented him from getting a beating from Crabbe and Goyle, but that wasn't significant enough to make him open up a bit, was it?

Willow noticed that Hermione was not among the Gryffindor girls as they reached Quirrel's room. She spotted Ron and Harry glancing uncomfortably around the room, whispering to each other. Willow thought they might know where she had gone.

"Ron, Harry, do you know where Hermione is?" Willow asked.

"I don't know, she's run off," Ron answered much too quickly.

"She was crying. Maybe she went to the bathroom?" Harry suggested.

Willow got the vibe that these two were guilty of making Hermione cry, but she didn't interrogate them. Instead, she dumped her stuff at a desk and ran off to the nearest restroom.

"Hermione?" Willow called from the doorway.

"Go away!" an angry voice shouted.

"Hermione, what did Ron do?" Willow asked, hoping she was correct in her assumption.

"That pig-headed idiot made fun of me during class and afterwards said something that I won't repeat," Hermione sniffed. "It's not bad or anything, but it hurt."

"Hey, do you mind if I come in?"

"Yes. Stay away from me. I don't want you to see me like this."

Willow nodded, understanding. She hated to be seen at her weakest, too.

"Do you want to talk about it, then?"

"Not really."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Willow heard a small chuckle escape Hermione, but it was quickly covered by tears.

"So, whatever's on your mind, spill it," Willow said. "Spill it all out. I don't care how winy or dramatic it may seem, I'll listen. Just get it out of your system."

Hermione took a few deep breaths, calming her voice before she spoke. "I'm sick and tired of the Slytherins berating me about being a Mudblood. They do it when none of you are around me, see. It's truly hard to keep taking the beating each time and pretend it doesn't hurt. It does hurt."

Hermione coughed. "My parents are amazing, really. I don't find any fault in them being Muggles. They work hard at their dentistry business, and they passed that drive onto me. I always tried my best in school, and I was always successful. But I guess my parents never told me about knowing too much. It seemed like every question I answered correctly reduced my chances at making friends. I always come off as a know-it-all, and nothing anyone says is going to change that. For some reason, I don't understand it. I just..."

Willow sighed. "I had that same problem. Most of my friendships only lasted the school year. Each year, I had to start over again and make new friends. It really is hard to be smart and have everyone else be jealous of you, isn't it?"

"It is."

"The hardest part is not coming off as a know-it-all. I had to teach myself to watch every word that comes out of my mouth, analyze every aspect of every sentence, and decide whether it might offend people or not. It sucks, but it's what we smart people have to do."

Hermione sniffed. "I wonder every day why the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor. I'm not brave, I'm not courageous, I'm just smart. Where did it ever get the idea that I'm worthy of this house?"

"Courage has a funny way of revealing itself, Hermione," Willow said, flashing back to the summer.

"I wish mine would tell me what's going on, because right now I'm too scared to even face my problems," Hermione said bitterly. "Instead, I just cry like some dumb girl."

"But you're not a dumb girl. You're a strong, smart, independent young woman. Not every aspect of you is there yet. Trust me, it will be there, right when you need it."

Willow heard Hermione sigh. "I just wish that I could make friends. You don't have a problem with it."

That one made Willow laugh. "There's where you're wrong. I have serious trust issues. For some reason, I can only open up to certain people. I've only got a bit of luck on my side that I met all the people that I did. People like you, Hermione, are the few that I trust."

"Really?"

"Yes. I know, social life is hard, but sometimes you've got to tough it out, and it gets better. We're only eleven, after all. I'm sure that you'll be making friends left and right before you know it."

Willow peeked around the door frame and saw that Hermione was half-smiling, her mood lifted by a little bit.

"I'm going to go to class, okay, Hermione?" Willow said. "I don't think Professor Quirrel will punish you. In fact, he's probably afraid of the word 'detention'."

"Go on, Willow. I think I'm going to stay here. There's no way I could clean myself up in time to go to class."

"Alright. Bye, Hermione."

"Thank you, Willow."

Willow made her way back to Defense Against the Dark Arts, Parvati and Lavender bombarding her with questions when she walked into the room.

"Did you find Hermione?"

"What's wrong with her?"

"Is she okay?"

"What happened?"

"Hermione just needs some alone time right now," Willow explained.

"Was Hermione crying?" Lavender gasped.

Willow nodded. "I think she'll be okay. She needs some time to get it out of her system."

All through Defense Against the Dark Arts, Willow silently took notes for both her and Hermione. Quirrel was exceptionally fidgety that day. She got to chat with Sue, which had become a regular thing, as they had that class with Ravenclaw. Sue's mood and outlook on Hogwarts had improved dramatically over the past two months. She was becoming less and less affected by the snide comments Slytherin would say loudly while passing her in the halls. Willow enjoyed her company, and every once in a while Sue's friends would join in their conversation. It was a lovely way to make the class less dreary than usual.

When the bell rang, Willow was starving, as she had only eaten an apple for breakfast. Willow was plenty happy to fill her plate with rolls, chicken, and several cooked vegetables. She was already reaching for seconds by the time the twins, Lee, and Paige made their way to the table.

"God, Willow, slow down," George joked.

"Since when have you known me to do anything at a normal pace?" Willow countered.

"Never. All you ever do is run, play soccer, take really good notes, and get into trouble faster than we can blink," Lee said.

"Have you ever actually seen my notes?" Willow questioned.

Lee grinned. "I may or may have not made some copies- and a little extra change for when we go to Hogsmeade."

Willow made a sound between a laugh and a cough. "Lee!"

Lee glanced at Paige. "Hey, you haven't even asked for any yet. You sure you don't want any?"

"No," Paige said.

"I'll give you a discount."

"Screw off, Lee," Paige said.

"Fine, grumpy as usual, I see."

"Do you want me to bite your head off?" Paige threatened.

Willow covered her mouth before she could explode. Of course, Paige wasn't the best of friends with Lee yet, and she was an absolute monotone statue to anyone who tried to get her to do anything. Paige was definitely an odd character, that was for sure. Willow still couldn't get over the night and day difference between how she treated the twins and her compared to everyone else.

Paige pulled out a copy of The Daily Prophet and ignored everyone. That was another thing Willow had begun to notice- Paige always had something with her, whether it be a book, some writing supplies, or even a magical trinket, that allowed her to ignore everyone. She would instantly fold up into her own little world when someone like Lee was pestering her and wouldn't leave until at least ten minutes had passed since the annoyance. Paige was Paige. Willow couldn't find any other way to describe her.

"Hi there, Willow," a loud voice boomed behind everyone.

Willow turned around to find Hagrid beaming down at her. She returned the gesture. "Hi, Hagrid. Did you want me to help with the decorations?"

"Yes, that woul' be good. I'll be in me hut, waitin'."

"I will be out as soon as I can," Willow promised.

Hagrid lumbered off, his enormity causing a bit of a disturbance as he exited the Great Hall. Willow finished up her food as quickly as possible, bade goodbye to her friends, and left. Hermione was still no where to be found.

Willow was one of the few crazy students to still have exposed skin at that time of year. The cold weather had always been her favorite, as she overheated and couldn't breathe as well in the summer. She almost never got cold, only putting on a jacket when temperature fell below seven degrees Celsius. It drove Paige mad, as she was almost always cold. Paige always accused Willow of making her cold by just looking at her.

Hagrid was waiting in his hut, as promised. Willow was met with the sweet scent of pumpkins when she stepped through the door. There must have been around two hundred candles line up along Hagrid's entire house. He was manually taking the tops off of pumpkins and placing the candles inside.

"Ah, there ya are, Willow," he said as she shut the door. "It's time ter teach you a bit o' extra magic, eh?"

Hagrid taught Willow a spell to remove the top of the pumpkins, and she interchangeably used the levitation spell and her bare hands to move the candles inside the pumpkins. It took forty-five minutes at the most.

"Look there, all done!" Hagrid said. "Now I've just got ter load these up in ter that there cart outside."

Willow's magical levitating of the pumpkins helped tremendously in loading up all two hundred or so pumpkins. Hagrid dragged the cart up the hill, Willow following.

"Thank you, Willow. I'll have to give ya summat fer all this help you've bin givin' me," Hagrid said.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Hagrid," Willow politely countered. "I enjoy helping you."

"I know ya do, but it woul' be my treat. Just name summat and I'll get it fer ya. Within reason, o' course."

Willow thought for a few moments before requesting, "Can you teach me how to take care of Fluffy?"

Hagrid stared at Willow for a moment, then said, "Did Harry tell ya 'bout him?"

"Yes, and he sounds wonderful, Hagrid," Willow replied.

"I'm not sure, Willow. Dumbledore will be heavily against it. It's supposed to be top secret, ya know."

"Please, Hagrid? I promise I won't ask about the reasoning for him being there or anything like that. I only want to take care of a three-headed dog. It would be a remarkable thing to do, since they're so rare."

They arrived at the castle, Flitwick waiting at the entrance hall. Hagrid dropped the cart, then turned to Willow.

"I'll think about it," Hagrid promised. "Thanks again, Willow. Don't be late fer class, now."

"Thank you, Hagrid!"

Willow's spirits soared. She really did want to learn how to take care of such a fearsome creature. In reality, she would keep to her word, not asking any questions about what Fluffy was guarding, but she never said anything about observing and gathering all the information she could.

The rest of the evening flashed by in a blur. Her History of Magic class was stressful, as she didn't normally take notes and wrote down the key points afterwards, but since Hermione always took notes and still hadn't shown up, Willow scribbled everything down as fast as she could. She couldn't wait for dinner. When it finally did come, and Willow stepped into the Great Hall, she was rooted to the ground in shock.

The hundreds of jack-o-lanterns she had created floated above the five tables, replacing the traditional candles, turning slowly as to give them a better effect. Thousands of bats, live or fake, Willow couldn't tell, streamed through the windows in black blurs. The smell of baking pumpkin was melting her on the spot, more aromatic than it had been all day. Black and orange decorations dotted the enormous room. Flitwick had outdone himself for sure that time.

"Come on, Willow!"

"The feast will start soon!"

Two redheaded twins dragged Willow to the Gryffindor table, snapping her out of the temporary paralysis. Willow couldn't help the goofy giggling that threatened to overtake her when she saw the twins' hair.

"What did you guys do to each other?"

"We found an old charm book that has some spells for hair," Fred explained.

"And we tried them on each other."

Willow couldn't contain it any longer and burst out laughing, the sight of the twins' hair being too much. They had black ghost shapes dotting their fiery orange hair, the hair itself sticking up in random places. Paige arrived at that point. She took one look at the twins before nearly tripping herself, then unsuccessfully stopped herself from joining Willow's guffawing.

"What did you guys do?" Paige chortled.

Willow was distracted for a moment as the twins filled her in. Paige's laughter still rang in her ears, vibrating in her bone marrow, it felt like. Her chest felt unusually warm and jumpy, as if she were nervous, and that warmth circled around her heart and rocketed through the rest of her body. Willow was super confused the whole ten seconds that the sensation lasted. When it subsided, she shook her head, trying to clear it and make sense of what just happened at the same time. Paige's laughter was probably as rare as it was powerful.

"We also found some other charms," George said, yanking Willow back into the present.

"Would you like us to use them on you?" Fred offered.

"You're going to use Willow as your test subject?" Paige questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"Don't worry, we've already tested them on each other."

"They worked a lot better than the last one did."

"Sure, then, I don't mind," Willow said, knowing that she wouldn't care if they messed up. Her roommates would spend every last second of their lives finding the spell and fixing her hair if it became a disaster.

"If you screw her hair up, I swear..." Paige trailed off.

Fred drew his wand, spoke the magic word, and moved the tip across Willow's hair. She felt it grow slightly heavier. When Fred announced that he was finished, Paige handed Willow a small mirror that she kept in her pocket.

"Wow!" Willow exclaimed upon seeing herself.

There were tiny orange pumpkins spread throughout Willow's waving, dark hair. They showed up well against the shade of brown. Paige seemed mildly impressed.

"She looks good. Well done for not destroying her hair."

"That means a lot, coming from you, Paige," George remarked.

"Well, I may not have screwed up for once, but Willow always looks beautiful no matter what, so I couldn't mess it up, could I?" Fred reasoned.

Willow glanced at Fred. "Did you just- ?"

"Fred Weasley, I swear to God," Paige interrupted.

George began play-fighting and teasing his brother after Fred winked at Willow, causing her to gape at Paige.

"Don't ask me. I have no clue what goes through that messed-up head of his," she said.

Willow shook her head and tried to pretend her cheeks were not burning bright red.

Suddenly, Professor Quirrel burst into the Great Hall. He was absolute mess, his purple turban askew on his head, his face pale white. What made Willow most worried, however, was the rip in the sleeve of his robe and the massive bruise that was only visible when he flashed past Willow. He ran up to Dumbledore, said something about a troll, then fainted.

Everyone was screaming. Food was thrown from children's' grasps, Malfoy hid behind Crabbe and Goyle, and a stampede to get out of the Great Hall began to form. Dumbledore shot several purple firecrackers from his wand to silence them all, then instructed everyone to go back to their common rooms.

"Come on, Willow, let's go," Fred insisted.

"I'll catch up with you in a second. I need to make sure Hermione is in this crowd somewhere."

Both of the twins gave her a glance with a clear message: Don't you dare go after that troll. While they headed off towards the common room, Willow caught up with Harry and Ron, who were heading in the direction of the restrooms.

"Hermione?" Willow asked, reading their intentions.

"Yep," Harry replied, on the same wavelength.

"She has no idea there's even a troll here. What if it finds her?" Ron fretted.

"We'll get it before it finds her, don't worry," Harry reassured him. Willow suspected that Ron felt responsible for sending Hermione into her little fits. A sound brushed her ears.

"Woah, stop!" Willow commanded sharply. "I hear something."

The boys froze in place. Willow turned her ear in the direction of the sound she had heard, but it was coming from two directions.

"You guys go on towards Hermione. I think there's a troll heading that way," Willow instructed.

"Where are you going?" Ron squeaked.

"To find the other one," Willow said. "I hear two of them, and they're in opposite directions.

"What!" both boys hissed.

"You are not taking on a troll alone."

"I have to. You guys are going to have your work cut out for you as it is, because the bathroom is a dead end. There's no where to run. You'll have to fight it fast, and two wands are better than one to get that accomplished."

Harry and Ron glanced worriedly at Willow.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us? The teachers should be taking care of the trolls soon, you know."

"What kind of person am I if I don't try to prevent a second troll attacking my friends?" Willow countered.

Harry sighed. "Stay safe, Willow."

"Good luck, guys."

The boys took off down the corridor, while Willow dropped to the ground and pressed her ear against it. There were two sets of footsteps, alright, and one of them wasn't far to her right. If she could surprise it, maybe she had a chance of defeating it.

Willow cautiously stole around the corner, creeping along the wall. Her sensitive ears were picking up more complex sounds about the troll now, like the dragging of something that weighed a considerable amount, and slow, heavy breathing. Her nose was not liking the scent emanating from it. When she got to the end of the hallway, she paused, listening.

Willow could only hear the sound of her own breathing. Her heart hammered against her rib cage. She could still smell the foul creature. Why couldn't she hear it anymore?

Swiftly came the answer to Willow's questions with the swinging of a club. Willow yelped and jumped away from the wall, where a club had missed bashing her head in by mere inches. The troll appeared from around the corner, snarling in all its ugliness. Willow growled in a mixture of hostility and fear.

"You really think it's going to be that easy?" she snarled.

The troll apparently did, because it raised its arms for another blow. Willow saw it coming and easily sidestepped the club. She sized up her opponent as she dodged several attempts to crush her. The troll was tall, strong, and aggressive, but very slow. Willow realized what she had to do.

"Hey, blockhead!" Willow taunted. "Over here!"

The troll stumbled towards her, swinging its club wildly. Right before it reached her, she jumped sideways, calling out in her head.

Help me with this! she pleaded to the voice.

Willow focused with all of her willpower that she possessed, then commanded herself to change with such authority that the transformation was instant. She flapped her new wings, trying not to fall out of air.

You have already helped yourself! the voice chuckled.

You can shut up any time now! Willow shot back.

She danced around the troll, clawing at its eyes, flapping her wings hard enough to dislodge feathers in its face. The troll scrambled into the walls, dazed and unable to make any sort of frontal attack. Willow perched on its head at one point. It swung the club at itself, ending up cracking itself on the skull, as Willow had flown off already. The troll began to lose consciousness.

Uh oh, Willow thought.

Dashing out of the way, Willow watched from above as the troll fell face-first into the stony floor. Willow celebrated with a few loops in the air before touching down, transforming back into a human. She stared at the club that had rolled out of the giant's hand.

That would have been bad.

Willow shuddered, not wanting to think about what would have happened had she been hit with the spike-reinforced weapon. She began to make her way back to the common room when the beast stirred once more. Whipping around, Willow saw the troll standing up already, club in hand. It was angrier than it had been before.

Great. Why can't it just stay asleep?

Willow willed herself to change once more and was a hawk within seconds. She spread her wings and shot towards the ceiling, aggravating the wildly aggressive creature. Willow barely missed a thundering blow from the club.

Adrenaline pumped through Willow's veins. She dodged another wild swing, lashing out with her talons at the troll's exposed eyes. It roared in anger. Willow was struck with a glancing blow to the wing, causing her to veer into the wall. She fell to the ground. The troll only managed to step on her wing, then Willow tore herself free and took flight again, the pain dulled by her adrenaline rush.

Willow jabbed the troll in the butt, causing it to spin around, then nipped it on the wrist that was holding the club. She barely avoided a nasty cut by one of those spikes. Feathers flying everywhere, Willow scrambled out of the way as the troll growled and lunged for her.

Her head was scattered. The effects of her adrenaline were numbing her ability to make knowledgeable moves on the troll. Willow was losing energy fast, having never been in an animal form for that long. The troll pulled out a handful of feathers again as she flew by. Willow squawked in pain, falling to the ground. She was watching the scene with blurry vision as the troll picked up the club again and raised its arms above its head. The kill blow was coming. Willow took off at the last second, the rush of air from the swing grazing her tail feathers. She didn't stay airborne, though, and crash-landed back onto the floor, exhaustion creeping into her veins.

What's happening? Why am I shutting down? Willow screamed into the abyss of her mind when she could finally form complete thoughts.

You have to practice. I told you.

Stop pulling that with me! This is life or death right now!

Willow unwillingly was back into human form after a few seconds. It was awkward and weird, as she had not commanded the transformation to occur. She recovered quickly, though, and was on her feet before she could think. The troll lumbered towards her, menacing and terrible. Willow cursed herself for ever coming after this thing.

What can I do? Willow asked the voice.

You can try, and maybe succeed. It all depends how much you want it.

Willow jumped out of the way as the club came within inches of her face. She began to notice her ragged breathing, which meant she was running out of time, and quickly.

I'd say I want it a lot, and NOW!

Willow focused so hard that her mind began to hurt. She gritted her teeth, determination overriding everything else trying to take over her body. Willow's limbs extended, forming rock-hard muscles, her hands becoming padded and tough. Fingernails were replaced with claws, teeth with fangs, arms with forelegs. A tail was grown, her nose shortened, and grew whiskers. Her hair lengthened and thickened into pitch black fur. Panther Willow growled and flashed her fangs at the troll. It roared and threw its club at her, its rank smell now overpowering with her new sense of smell. Trying not to gag, Willow leaped out of the way and galloped down the corridor faster than she had ever been able to run before. The troll followed, giving her an idea.

Do you think it will work? Willow wondered.

That all depends on whether you're killed first.

Thanks. Your sarcasm is really helping right now.

Willow stopped at every corner she rounded, waiting for the troll and catching her breath at the same time. Her body was forcefully trying to change back into its regular human self. Willow was constantly fighting against the agonizing pain it caused, relying on pure willpower to stay as a large cat. She wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer.

Willow flashed by a small knight dressed in armour. She descended down several passageways that she barely remembered, the troll stupidly chasing her the whole way. It wasn't getting anywhere for all the racket it made. Willow fatally glanced over her shoulder and accidentally crashed into a portrait, causing her to yowl in pain. The loss in focus immediately made way for her to transform back into a human. She clutched her shoulder, warm blood seeping between her fingers. The troll caught up with her and smashed the painting to pieces, leaving her exposed. Willow didn't know whether she screamed in pain or fright, because both were equally evil forces at the time. She closed her eyes in a desperate attempt to shape-shift one more time.

There's too far left to run! I'll never make it on human legs!

Well, transform, then, you big oaf!

God, I will never let you forget how much you taunt me in serious situations. You are so unhelpful sometimes, you know that?

Oh, I definitely know it.

God help me.

Willow managed to scramble to her feet, her legs jelly, and began running down the corridor. Her chest was threatening to explode, her heaving breaths not helping matters. Willow forced air through her lungs, whether they liked it or not, and steadied what was left of her breathing. She somehow shifted into a panther on the run. The troll, which had gotten within striking distance, was left in the dust as Willow's panther muscles propelled her forward inhumanly fast. It shouted and grunted in frustration and again kept tracking her through the hallways.

Almost there, almost there, so close... Willow encouraged herself.

Actually, you have about two more corridors and one more flight of stairs to go.

Screw you.

Willow sprinted down another flight of stairs, then emerged into a darker corridor. She had made it to the dungeons. The troll stomped down behind her, raging and spitting. Fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins, causing her legs to shake. Willow would have cursed had she been capable of it. She slowed down slightly.

When Willow reached the pear's picture, she flashed back into a human and tickled it as fast as she could. It was then she realized the little blip in her plan that her brain would have foreseen had she not been so full of mind-blocking adrenaline. She would get smashed like a bug! The troll stormed closer and closer, Willow frantically yelling at the laughing fruit to hurry up. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours. The troll was a step away when the door appeared. Willow swung it open and jumped into the kitchen.

Then, she found herself being flung into a wall.

Willow yelped as she hit the bricks hard, her head ringing. Her vision was fuzzy and danced with black dots. Slumping on the floor, half-conscious, Willow was at the mercy of the troll. She limply tried to move her arms but to no avail. Willow's eyes could only focus on one thing: the troll smirking down at its next victim.

Everything happened in slow motion. The troll raised its club above its head, the spikes glinting in the light of the braziers. It grumbled and snorted, as if laughing at Willow. She almost wanted to laugh with it, thinking that this was all a dream, that she wasn't dying tonight, that someone would suddenly come to her rescue or the troll would drop dead of its own accord. But that didn't happen. Willow watched incomprehensively as the troll slammed the club straight into her stomach.

A second passed, then two. Willow stared at the club as the troll pulled it out of her stomach. Suddenly, the pain hammered into her like a tsunami's gale-force winds ripping a building from its foundation. She screamed a high-pitched scream, tears running down her face as her stomach burned with unimaginable pain that she didn't know existed until then.

Her senses went into high alert. Willow gave everything up to her survival instincts. While her body tried to repair itself and dull the pain, Willow shot to her feet, hand over her stomach, and surprised a gleeful troll by staggering into the kitchen. Warm, sticky blood was everywhere, soaking Willow's shirt, dripping onto the floor, pressing hard against her hand. Willow could barely feel anything anymore. She was in too much shock not to. All she could feel was the beating of her heart, pounding quickly but steadily as if it were one of those drums used at a ceremony, waiting to reveal something important. Willow couldn't even process what she was doing as she did it.

Her hand grabbed a knife of its own accord. Then, her legs pressed forward, towards the troll, towards the only barrier between life and death at that moment. She didn't think anything of the troll's shocked face, the way it stared stupidly with fear and cowardice at her livid face as she jumped on it.

Willow was definitely no longer in control of her actions, as she discovered later when she mulled over the events that took place after that moment.

Knife gripped firmly in her hand, Willow wildly slashed at every centimeter of hideous troll skin within sight. The beast roared and thrashed, yowled and screamed. Willow didn't feel anything at the sight of crimson covering the floor. She only kept going, using her wobbly legs to crawl all over the creature, her shaky arms uncontrollably marking the thing's body with slice after slice. Willow wondered later why she didn't target vital parts of the body, like the heart or the brain, but adrenaline does that to a person. She was in a complete and utter survival rage, unable to do anything but defeat the threat to her life. After only a few short minutes of this, Willow's body gave out, unable to do any more. She swayed against the wall, painfully coughing up blood. The troll stared at her with menacing eyes. They were black as coal and as emotionless and unsympathetic as Willow had ever seen. Without a second thought, Willow summoned the last of her strength and drove the knife home.

Willow held the handle of the knife tight in her hand, not letting the pressure go until the light left the creature's eyes. Then, she staggered a few paces back, not knowing exactly what she had done, and stared at the beast.

Suddenly, the situation slapped Willow across the face with stinging reality. She found herself sobbing. It wasn't because she was sad about killing the troll- she was dying, and alone, without a way to say goodbye to anyone. Her entire body was ghostly white. Scarlet spread everywhere across her cold, sweaty body. She gripped her stomach, the agony that it brought forth causing her to shout sharply in pain. Willow knew she didn't have much time before she bled out.

But she couldn't move. Her feet were rooted to the spot, every last bit of her energy spent. If she tried to move, it would make her bleed more, and besides, she wouldn't be able to make it far without falling, anyway. She was stuck down here. Willow knew she was about to die down in the dungeons.

I'm sorry, Dad, Willow thought. I'm sorry you didn't get to say goodbye to me- or Mum. I'll miss you.

Willow hacked up another bought of blood. She sniffed, her breathing now coming in haggard, uneven gasps. Her crying wasn't helping matters. Willow's vision was slowly dimming on her.

"Willow, what did you do?" a voice squeaked, unnaturally high-pitched.

Barely processing what she saw, Willow heard running footsteps, and a person stood in front of her. The only way she knew him was by his perfect blond hair.

"Hey, Blonde," Willow greeted weakly, deliriously grinning. Draco's face was in horrified shock.

"You stupid Gryffindors, always looking for trouble," he spat.

"And you Slytherins never have any fun."

Willow coughed again as Draco shrilled, "Fun? You call dying fun?"

Willow's mouth was unable to form any more words. Her vision was swallowed up by blackness, but she could still somehow hear.

"My God, Willow," Draco gasped. "How much blood have you lost? Never mind, you can't speak. Just don't die, okay?"

Willow almost imperceptibly nodded her leaden head. She heard Draco's voice rise in panic.

"Okay, Wisp, you're going to be fine. You hear me? You are going to be fine. Although, you did lose a lot of blood. That's not good. But who cares? I can't lose any more opportunities to embarrass you, can I?"

Willow smiled at Draco's attempt to be cool, even in the dire situation. Draco's feet began pounding the stone floor as the rest of her sense of hearing was about to give out.

"I'm going to get help. Don't you dare die, stupid Gryffindor!"

Willow laid there for several minutes. Her vision and hearing gone, she was only able to tell that she was still not passed out by the rapid rising and falling of her fleeting breaths within her lungs. The blood still flowed, though her hands were able to stifle it. Willow was practically a ghost already.

I'm sorry, everyone, she thought. I should have never been this stupid. Goodbye for now, I guess.

The last thing Willow felt before she totally lost consciousness was someone enveloping her in a full-body hug.

Willow gasped as she woke up.

"What- who- where am I?" she panted, cold water running down her face.

"If you thought you were in Heaven, think again."

Willow glanced to her right to find a familiar blond boy smirking at her, a glass of water in his hands. She groaned and relaxed herself.

"Of course, people don't wake up angels by throwing a bucket of cold water on their faces."

"Mr. Malfoy! I told you not to do that yesterday!" Madam Pomfrey scolded from across the room, where she was tending to another student.

Draco merely rolled his eyes. "Merlin, does she ever let up?"

"Never. Even when the Smith twins were awake, she wouldn't let me see them the whole first week they were here."

The Smith twins had actually been spending most of the past two months in the hospital wing, only receiving visitors for an hour per day. Willow cursed Madam Pomfrey for not letting her see them more often, but she was the healer, not Willow. They had made a slow recovery. The whole school had heard about them, and stories from those who claimed to know them were dark and not enlightening. Madam Pomfrey was surprised that they had made it to Hogwarts alive at all. They were in such bad shape, it had taken them several days to walk again. Willow had only been cleared to gently tutor them on what they had missed in class a month after they were found. In fact, only the week prior, they had been released to take all their classes on the condition that they were checked up by Madam Pomfrey every weekend.

Draco snorted. "Pity. Speaking of visitors, there's been three very unruly third years demanding to see you for the past two days. They've made several attempts to break the doors down, actually, and I think they've actually shouted some expletives at me..."

Willow's eyes widened. "Why hasn't Madam Pomfrey let them in?"

Draco raised his eyebrows. "You're seriously more worried about your friends caring too much about you than being out for two days?"

"Yes. I can catch up in my classes, and of course I'd be out for a while, I nearly died."

"You say that way too nonchalantly."

"What? Was it really that bad?"

Draco glanced at his shoes, not wanting to meet Willow's eyes. "You actually did die, Willow. I told you not to, but you did, you dimwit. Why won't you listen every once in a while?"

Willow sat bolt upright, clutching both sides of the bed. "I died?" she exclaimed, ignoring his extra comments.

"Yeah, you stopped breathing and everything. Madam Pomfrey had to use Muggle techniques to bring you back."

Willow let out a shaky laugh. "I was wondering why I saw bright lights."

"You are so pathetic. I can't believe Madam Pomfrey had to resort to non-magical methods."

"Of course, you'd be just so appalled because anything Muggle isn't worthy of a pureblood," Willow taunted.

Draco sighed exasperatedly. "Only joking, Wisp."

"Admit it, I scared you."

"What? No," Draco said much too quickly.

"Liar. I thought you said nothing could scare you?"

Draco threw a pillow at Willow. "Nothing scares me. I knew you were going to live. Besides, it was Halloween. I was expecting you to try and pull a stunt to scare me."

"Oh really? Then what was the, 'Don't you dare die on me, stupid Gryffindor!' thing?"

Willow pointedly stared at Draco. He let himself fall backwards on the bed he was sitting on.

"Fine, you worried me. Okay? Case closed."

Willow smiled. "That sounds like one point for me."

"Is this a competition, now?"

"I'll make it one if you want. Or if you don't. Either way, it's on."

"Are we tied then?"

"Nope. One point Wisp, negative one Blonde."

Draco sat up and scoffed. "Negative one?"

"Yep. And there's not a dang thing you can do about it," Willow declared, crossing her arms in mock toughness.

Madam Pomfrey walked over, a stopwatch in her hand. "Mr. Malfoy, your time is up. Run along now, she needs to rest."

Draco shot Willow a look that said, I told you she was crazy. Willow's mouth twitched up in a smile.

"Thank you for not letting me die, Draco," Willow said.

"My pleasure. You owe me big time for this."

Draco smirked at Willow's shocked face, then left. Willow watched him go, shaking her head, then shifted her gaze to Madam Pomfrey.

"When can I leave?"

"Definitely not tonight," Madam Pomfrey replied. "You were impaled, Willow. It will take at least another day until you're cleared for classes."

"Wrong answer."

Willow got up, ignoring the pain in her stomach, and marched towards the door. Madam Pomfrey nearly blew a gasket.

"Willow Guerrero! Get back in bed this instant!"

"No."

Willow pushed open the double set of doors, hearing the sound of Madam Pomfrey storming after her. She was surprised to find a pair of red-headed twins sitting against the wall. They jumped up and engulfed Willow in a passionate hug when they saw her.

"Willow! You're awake!"

"Took long enough!"

"WILLOW!" Madam Pomfrey shouted, interrupting the moment. "GET BACK IN BED!"

"No!" Willow shot back, standing with her arms crossed. Madam Pomfrey threw up her arms in exasperation.

"You children and refusing to heal properly!" she grumbled. "Don't make me put you in a full body-bind curse."

"Thank you for that suggestion, Madam," Willow said. She walked right past a flabbergasted Madam Pomfrey, grabbed her wand off the nightstand beside her bed, and pointed it at the poor woman.

"Sorry about this, Madam," Willow apologized. "Petrificus Totalus!"

When the jet of light hit Madam Pomfrey, she was suddenly locked in a straight position, then fell backwards onto the floor as if she were a statue. Willow grimaced, remembering how helpless she had felt when Alex cast that spell on her.

"Woah, Willow, what did you do to her?" George asked.

"Is she dead?"

"No, silly, she's not dead, just temporarily paralyzed," Willow said. "Come on, let's go."

"That's bloody brilliant, Willow!"

The twins took Willow away from the hospital wing, all three apologizing to Madam Pomfrey on their way out. Willow grimaced in pain, but knew by some unknown reason that there was nothing more any healer could do. All she could do now was let her body repair itself.

"The whole school's heard about the troll attack. They couldn't believe there were two let in, and that four first years went after them," George informed Willow.

"Are they alright, the other three?" Willow suddenly blurted out, not having seen them in the hospital wing.

"Yes, there were no injuries among the three," Fred answered.

"Thank God," Willow breathed, relieved.

"You, on the other hand, sustained enough injuries for all three of them."

"What were you thinking, Willow?"

"You knew that you shouldn't have done that!"

Willow turned red as a tomato. "I knew I shouldn't have. But I had to. I don't think I couldn't have gone after it even if all of the world pinned me down."

"Why, though?"

Willow thought about it for a moment. Deep down, she knew the answer, but it made her want to puke. Willow's voice got very quiet when she said, "Because I thought it might impress my mum."

To her surprise, Fred and George's eyes were ones of empathy, not disgust.

"We'd know all about that, wouldn't we, Freddy?"

Willow suddenly saw a different side to the twins that she had never seen before. Of course, she wouldn't have realized it at the time, but she thought she should have recognized it sooner. These were two boys in a large family where everyone had some special niche but them. Bill had been head boy, Percy was a prefect, Charlie was working with dragons, for crying out loud, Ron was the youngest boy, and Ginny was the only girl. The twins had nothing special about them to get attention except being, well, twins. So they became pranksters, causing all sorts of trouble to even get attention. They made their own niche. The only downside to this was that they had a hard time impressing their mother, and to get praise from her meant the world to them. Willow realized she had a lot more in common with them than she had thought.

The sad moment of understanding passed nearly as soon as it had come, and the twins were again on their game for causing laughter and happiness.

"How long do you think you'll get detention for?"

"A day?"

"A week?"

"A month?"

"Two years?"

"I doubt that I'm going to get it easy because I'm injured," Willow said.

"You know, Paige has got detention for the next week. You'll probably be joining her."

"Really? What did she do?"

Fred and George had to hold in their laughter so that they could answer her. "She started a fist fight with another student, then threw several desks across the room at the professor when he told her off. I think she said someone insulted you for going after the troll."

Willow nearly exploded with shock. "Since when does she care about anyone that much, especially me?"

"Apparently since you nearly died."

"I'd watch out, she might still be in a murderous rage."

The three had reached the Gryffindor common room. Fred gave the Fat Lady the password, then went through the tunnel, George and Willow not far behind. Her ribs throbbed. She wondered if they would ever stop hurting after a blow like that.

There was a sudden silence as Willow stepped into the room. When she looked up, Willow realized that several people were staring at her, making her shift uncomfortably. Their faces were all of admiration and wonder. Then, they all broke out into ridiculous grins.

"She's not dead after all!"

"Are the rumors true?"

"What was it like?"

"Calm down everyone, calm down! Give her time to breathe!" Fred ordered, him and his brother trying to restrain the swarm of Gryffindors from overwhelming Willow. They were the sole reason she even made it to the armchair in front of the fireplace.

"Back up everyone, back up! Don't suffocate her!" George insisted, shooing everyone away from a very shy, scared Willow. "She'll tell the tale later."

"Come on, please?"

"We've been waiting several days!"

"The other three have already- "

"WILLOW LUCIA GUERRERO," a voice boomed.

Everyone suddenly went silent as they craned their necks to see Paige standing at the back of the crowd. They scrambled to make a pathway for her as she purposefully marched towards the eleven-year-old. Willow wanted to curl up into a ball and hide.

"WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING?" Paige shouted. "You don't speak to me all day, you act like everything is fine, then nope! You go and chase after some dumb troll thinking you're a damn hero! And you didn't even say a thing! NOTHING AT ALL! You were impaled! You could have died! WHAT WERE YOU DOING?"

Willow gaped, unable to form any sort of intelligible sound. Paige angrily towered over her, radiating waves of pure rage and fury.

"Why did you do that, Willow? Why? ANSWER ME!"

"I- I couldn't help it," Willow stuttered.

"That's it? That's really it? You couldn't help it? YES YOU COULD! All you had to do was march your butt back to the common room like everyone else and let the teachers handle it!"

"I'm sorry," Willow squeaked.

"SORRY ISN'T GOING TO CUT IT," Paige yelled.

Everyone slowly began backing away, fearful of this small fireball of rage that could explode at any moment. Willow sighed, trying to calm herself, not wanting to start a verbal war.

"Look, Paige, I really am sorry. I thought I could handle the troll. They were heading towards Hermione, and I had to redirect at least one of them. I picked the wrong one. That one was rather nasty. If I had known what it was capable of, I wouldn't have gone after it."

"You and I both know that's a complete lie!"

"Yeahyou'reright," Willow said, practically blending her words together.

Paige stopped shouting now, her anger dissipating by the second. "I can't believe you, Willow. You could have gotten killed, and without even saying goodbye. That was selfish and stupid."

"I know."

"Don't you ever do anything at that level of stupidity ever again, you hear me?" Paige said forcefully, her hands on her hips.

"I promise, I won't."

"God, first years..." Paige trailed off.

The rest of the Gryffindors began filtering back into the side of the common room where Willow was, the danger cleared for the present. Paige sighed, exhaling the remainder of everything trapped inside her.

"You scared me to death, Willow. Don't ever do that again."

The entire common room gasped in extreme astonishment as Paige bent down and gave Willow a long, endearing hug. Willow was too shocked for a second to hug back. At length, Paige stood up again, glaring at the rest of the Gryffindors.

"If you think for one moment this means that I'm getting emotional or empathetic, then stop. Don't even think I won't hesitate to break a desk over your heads."

Everyone resumed normal activities at a record speed after that announcement, not wanting to get Paige fired up again. She flew up the stairs to her dorm, slamming the door. Willow turned to the twins, who were both wide-eyed and staring at the space Paige had just left.

"That was..."

"...unlike anything I've ever seen from Paige."

"What just happened?" Willow asked, blinking uncomprehendingly.

"I don't even think Paige knows at this point, Willow," Fred said.

The three sat there in silence for a while, completely shell-shocked. It took a harsh pecking at the window to snap them out of it.

"Iris, what are you doing?" Willow questioned her owl.

Iris hooted and flapped her wings, pecking once more at the window, leaving a few scratch marks this time. Willow let her in after seeing that she was bearing a letter.

"Thanks, girl," Willow said, letting her fly back out the window before closing it.

"Oh no."

"Ickle first year Willow is about to get her first detention."

"What's it going to be?"

Willow didn't like how the situation was turning out when she saw that Dumbledore had sent the letter. Her eyes scanned the piece of parchment before she collapsed back into the armchair, instantly regretting it when pain shot through her ribs.

"Ouch," Willow complained.

"What? Your ribs or the letter?"

"Both. My presence is requested at Dumbledore's office immediately."

The twins were silent a moment, then pretended to be all grim and dark.

"Goodbye, Willow."

"Nice knowing you."

"Hopefully your death won't be too painful."

"Oh, shut up, both of you," Willow chided. "I better get going. See you later."

"See you on the other side."

"Shut it already!"

The twins' laughter was cut off when the Fat Lady sealed the tunnel shut. Willow walked off in the direction of the Headmaster's quarters, wondering if she had even explored that part of the castle yet.

The evening sun was turning everything to a beautiful shade of red, painting the castle in scarlet. Its rays were still warm, and Willow stopped to rest in them every once in a while. Her ribs were throbbing more than she had let on. She had a twinge of regret at leaving the hospital wing, but it disappeared as fast as it had conjured itself. Madam Pomfrey was a bit ridiculous when it came to healing. Willow was one of those children who could never be held down, especially when they were injured. If she hadn't forced her way out, Madam Pomfrey would have kicked her out before long because of how intolerable she would become.

That was another thing weighing heavily on Willow's mind. Was she really getting detention, or was she heading into worse? Willow knew that she had broken at least fifteen rules in the past few days, from ignoring a school-wide lockdown to essentially attacking a teacher. There was a chance she could get expelled.

Willow felt strongly about being sent home from Hogwarts. The castle had become a part of her in the time she had been here; it was almost a second home to her. It certainly beat being locked in her mother's dungeons, starving to death and being berated by family members that would love her had they not been mixed up in the things they had gotten into. Willow loved everything about Hogwarts, from the diverse staff and students to the Forbidden Forest itself. She was just beginning to make some new friends, too. If Willow left now, she knew with certainty that Oliver would retract into his shell, Sue would go back to being super self-conscious and hide her true self, and Willow would never meet Sue's friends properly. She wouldn't be able to bear leaving such a place. Her heart would never be complete again.

Willow reached Dumbledore's office. Professor McGonagall was waiting, ready to take her up. She spoke a password to a statue, then helped a stunned Willow follow her up the stairs that spiraled up from the floor. They made it inside his office without any trouble. Dumbledore himself was waiting, staring at Willow with an expression she could not read.

"Ah, here's our prime troublemaker of the week," Dumbledore said. "Have a seat, will you?"

Willow allowed McGonagall to guide her to a pair of chairs that were across from Dumbledore, who was sitting at his desk. She gulped as she and McGonagall seated themselves.

"You broke a good deal of rule this week, young Willow," Dumbledore began. "As a result of that, you were badly injured by a troll. Had it not been for Draco Malfoy, you would have died. Madam Pomfrey is only equipped with magical remedies. We have learned a valuable lesson about Muggle techniques this week, you see."

Willow's stomach flipped. The way Dumbledore put it, he made it sound like Draco had been the one to save her. Now that she thought about it, there was no other way to interpret that statement. Why had Draco not told her? She struggled to hide her surprise.

"Speaking of Madam Pomfrey, we found her in a rather...tough position."

Willow winced, remembering how she had so easily disarmed Madam Pomfrey. What kind of monster had she become?

"Now, punishments must be dealt with in order to prevent this from happening again," Dumbledore continued. "If you are wondering whether you are being expelled or not, put that matter to rest. You have not done anything worthy of discontinuing your magical studies."

Relief washed over Willow. She wouldn't be going home after all! However, Dumbledore's next words quenched the hope left in her heart.

"Professor McGonagall will be in charge of punishing you accordingly. It would do you good to prepare yourself for little free time in the near future, Willow."

Willow nodded, her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach. The only thing that kept her hopes up was that she would be sharing the pain with Paige for at least a week. Dumbledore excused Professor McGonagall, but commanded Willow to stay for a moment.

"That was a great deed you did, Willow, but a foolish one," Dumbledore said. "Very seldom do first years defeat a mountain troll of high status among their kind. You would do well to remember that not all power can be contained. Control is necessary if one does not wish for an early demise."

Willow's eyes nearly popped out of her head. How did Dumbledore know about her powers? The Headmaster gave her a knowing look over his spectacles, then yawned.

"It is getting late, Willow. Off to bed with you. Goodnight."

"G- Goodnight, Professor."

Willow exited the office, feeling as if she had just announced to the whole world that she was a shape-shifter.

Why does everyone seem to know more about me than I know about myself?


	8. Year 1: Chapter 8

Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty, Willow counted in her head.

She puffed out a warm breath that was visible in the chilly morning air. Her lungs were ready to go at this point, and she took off, her turnover faster than ever. Willow was so happy about the temperature drop that she decided to take a four-mile run instead of her usual two that November morning.

A mist was rolling over the fields, and a cloud of fog floated lazily over the lake. The Quidditch pitch lay wreathed in the thickest cloud of moisture. Willow's stomach did flips with excitement when she remembered that Gryffindor would be facing down Slytherin later that day. Harry was about to play his first quidditch game ever, and Willow was determined to cheer him on louder than anyone else.

Willow ran around the pitch, the spectator towers alternating in color. She was over the moon about watching a live game. Willow had tried to imagine it in her head, players racing to and fro, beaters cracking a bludger or two into a few opposing players, keepers making amazing saves, but she knew that it wouldn't even come close to the real thing. Any game that required flying on a broomstick would be fun to watch, Willow thought.

She didn't slow down at the three mile mark, which surprised her. She never had this much strength and energy. Willow thought it must be the cold air, which never failed to invigorate her. She ran alongside the Forbidden Forest, listening to the playing winged horses, reminiscing on the times she had spent in the place. Willow remembered that she had failed to ask anyone about the horses, and she had never returned with the map after that night she spent stargazing.

You should have done that, you big dummy, Willow scolded herself. What if it's important?

Willow promised herself that she would accomplish those two thing before Christmas.

When she had finished the final sprint at the end of her run, Willow still wasn't all that tired. She still went inside right away, not wanting to get in trouble for being outside too long in the early morning. The castle had cooled considerably over the past few days. Every hallway had a draft now, and only Willow could tolerate it. Even Draco, who acted tough about everything, was shivering to death when he walked from class to class. Willow made it to the common room without disturbance and slipped inside. She was shocked to find that a pair of twins was also up.

"Sally? Samuel? What are you doing awake already?" Willow whispered.

The twins jumped up, wide-eyed, then relaxed when they saw who it was.

"Sorry, Willow," Sally apologized. "We didn't know it was you."

"We couldn't sleep last night, so we came down here this morning," Samuel explained.

"The fire is nice and warm, isn't it?" Willow commented, adding another log onto the hot coals.

"Yes, it is," Sally agreed. "Thank you."

"So, do you always have trouble sleeping?" Willow asked.

Both twins uncomfortably shifted on their feet, then Samuel said, "Yeah, I guess so."

"You know, I have the same problem."

The twins glanced at Willow at the same time. "Really?"

"Yes. Nightmares are the worst, aren't they?"

Sally's mouth dropped to the ground while Samuel blurted, "How did you know?"

"I rescued you, didn't I?" Willow said. They nodded. "I saw your injuries. Although I don't know details, I know that whatever happened to you, it was absolutely horrible. That kind of stuff doesn't go away. It decides to stay a little longer as nightmares. I hate it, but it does give me an advantage over other kids when we all have to stay up late studying."

The twins stared at Willow, their eyes sparkling with wonder and the tiniest bit of hope. Willow smiled warmly , sitting down in an armchair.

"I wouldn't have known had you not told us," Sally said.

"How do you hide it so well?"

Willow shrugged. "The longer ago it happened, the easier it is to deal with. I'm guessing you guys went through a lot very recently."

The twins nodded. Willow sensed that they were still processing events that had occurred before they came to Hogwarts. The poor things were drowning in classwork and homework, trying to catch up on everything they had missed. Willow had only missed a few days from the troll attack and was still catching up on homework. She couldn't imagine being in their shoes at the moment.

"Hey, if you ever need anything, just ask," Willow offered. "My doors are always open to you guys."

The twins smiled at her. "Thanks, Willow."

"You're welcome."

Students began filtering out of their dorms, gathering in the commons for a pre-breakfast hang out session. Willow wondered why everyone was so zombie-like in the morning. It was the start of a new day; why would anyone not want to get a head start? Mornings were so exciting! Waking up late was wasting daylight to Willow, and it nearly killed her to sleep past nine. That was the only thing about Paige that Willow couldn't stand, as Paige would stay up all night and sleep all day if anyone let her. Willow and the Weasley twins drove her crazy by forcing her to go to bed at least some sort of hour of the night.

Speaking of Paige, she was storming down the stairs, dragging two redheads by their ears. They couldn't stop laughing. Paige threw them into the couch, causing Willow and the Smith twins to back up.

"What did they do this time?" Willow asked.

"It is not funny to wake me up this early," Paige growled, glaring daggers at the twins. They refused to meet her gaze, only stifling laughter.

"You know, Paige, it's called an early birthday present for a reason," Fred reasoned.

"That's it, you're both dead!"

Paige threw a pillow at the twins. They hopped up and chucked pillows back at the angry third year, causing it to escalate into an all-out cushion-throwing war. Willow joined Paige's side and pelted the twins with couch cushions. The Smith twins spectated the whole thing with rare smiles on their faces, even laughing a few times. Willow was so happy to get them in this state that she put more effort into making a fool of herself than winning the war, even letting herself be thrown into the wall by a combined throw from both of the twins. A painting fell down and hit her on the head before covering her whole body. Hysterical laughter reached Willow's ears, and she was glad to take the hit if it meant entertaining the pair.

"Willow! How did this happen?" Paige chortled, her mood having been lifted with the pillow fight.

"It just happened," Willow plainly replied. Paige groaned, lifting the first year up.

"You are so ridiculous sometimes, you know?"

"I'm well aware, and I don't aim to stop any time soon."

"God help us."

"Do I have a bruise on my head?"

"Oh, yeah, let me fix that."

Paige took her wand out of her pocket and tapped it on Willow's forehead. Any bit of pain that had been in it before melted away in the blink of an eye. Paige half-smiled, satisfied with her work, and went back to her dorm to change.

"She would never have done that for us."

"Why does Paige like you better than us?"

Willow shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I have a better personality."

Fred and George scoffed. "I highly doubt that."

Breakfast came swiftly, and Willow was happy to scarf down inhuman quantities of eggs and toast. Her run from earlier had made her super hungry. All of Willow's friends were at the Gryffindor table at once, a rare occasion. She had a suspicion it was due to the quidditch match more than anything. Harry was picking at his food, Ron and Hermione trying to convince him to eat it. Dean didn't help matters by informing him that the Seeker always gets clobbered first. Poor Harry was white as a ghost and looked more stressed out than Willow had seen him in ages, possibly ever.

"Alright, Harry, listen up," Willow commanded, getting his attention. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I want to throw up."

"Perfect," Willow said, earning her a confused look from Harry. She elaborated before he could ask too many questions. "That's only nerves. That means you care a lot, which is a good sign, because you'll spare no effort to catch that snitch. You're a great Seeker, Harry, and absolute natural. If Slytherin hurts you, I will personally send your preferred amount of players to the hospital wing."

Harry half-smiled. "That sounds quite nice, actually."

"We've got your back, Harry. Don't sweat it. Whatever anyone says, don't listen- unless it's good advice from your teammates, of course. You'll do amazing Harry. I've got a feeling Gryffindor will win today."

"Let's hope you're right."

Harry seemed a little better after that, but he still excused himself from the table a half hour before breakfast ended, saying that he wanted to get ready early. Willow was left with her roommates, the rest of the first year Gryffindor boys, both the Smith and Weasley twins, Paige, and Lee. The third years were talking all about the quidditch match and all the bloodying up the twins would be doing to the Slytherins. Willow didn't understand enough about quidditch yet to talk about it with them, so she turned to her fellow classmates.

"We should do something for Harry to cheer him up," Willow suggested. "He seems awfully down and terrified today."

"Ooh! I know!" Lavender squealed. "We can make a banner!"

"I call making one for the Chasers!" Fay exclaimed.

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"The rest of you, do you want to make one for Harry?" Willow offered. "I'll make one for the twins."

"Sure! We can all help each other. I know a few charms to make them even better," Hermione said.

"Perfect! Let's get to work after breakfast."

When breakfast ended, the Gryffindors rushed to their common room to make the signs before the big game. Willow wished the twins luck before running off with her classmates. They invaded the first year boy's dorm and ripped Ron's sheet off his bed.

"Scabbers ruined this one," Ron explained, pointing to all the holes in it. "We can make a huge sign this way."

The girls found some extra bed sheets and gathered some supplies for themselves, while Willow and Hermione stuck with the boys and found some bright red-and-gold colored paints. Willow grabbed a tiny bit of paint for herself and rummaged through her trunk back in her own room. She had brought some poster boards just in case for exam studying at the end of the year, but she thought that it would be better put to use cheering Fred and George on. Willow got started right away.

"Don't you dare use profanity, Willow," Hermione warned.

"How did you know?" she asked, not denying anything in the slightest.

"Gee, I don't know, maybe the fact that you tend to push the limits on every rule installed at this school?"

Willow shrugged, half of her mouth angled upward in a smirk. "Hey, as long as I don't get caught, it's allowed."

"You spend way too much time with those three."

"Four, actually. And who says that they rub off on me?"

"Now you're really starting sound like them."

Willow laughed, holding up her sign for everyone to see. "I am cheering them on, I guess."

Everyone snickered when they read it. "Only you, Willow, only you."

Willow grinned, knowing that the twins would appreciate her humor. "How is your sign looking?"

"Great, actually," Seamus replied, gesturing to where Dean was drawing on the floor. When Willow saw Dean's art so far, she blinked several times, hardly able to believe how realistic it was.

"Wow, Dean that's awesome!" she exclaimed. "You're an amazing artist! I wish I could draw like that, but the last time I tried, it ended up being squiggly lines all over the page."

Dean blushed slightly, not wanting to take his eyes off the lion he was drawing. "Thanks. I try my best."

It took a little while, but the lion was finished at last, and Hermione cast a charm on it that made the lion roar and move. The group was proud of their work.

"I can't wait for Harry to see this!" Neville squeaked.

"Hopefully it will give him a confidence boost," Ron said. "He better catch that snitch!"

"He will, don't worry," Willow assured.

The other girls joined her as the whole group of Gryffindor first years left the common room and made their way towards the quidditch pitch. It seemed like the whole school was heading there, flooding the hallways with their house colors, creating a sea of red and gold, blue and bronze, yellow and black, green and silver. Willow couldn't believe how all-out students would go for these games. She had never seen this much school spirit in her life. Glancing down at her pathetic excuse of Gryffindor clothing, Willow wondered where she could get all that merchandise.

"I have an extra scarf, Willow," Neville offered, as if reading her mind.

"Oh, do you have it with you?" Willow asked, surprised.

"Yeah, my grandparents have a few extras that they sent with me," Neville explained, handing her a scarf. Willow put it around her neck, now feeling much better about herself.

"Thank you, Neville!" Willow said, hugging him. Neville's cheeks burned red again.

Outside, the November air nipped at the students, causing many to start shivering right away. Willow, as usual, was in her element, full of energy from the moment the cold air touched her skin. She ran ahead of the rest of her friends, unable to contain the sudden spike in happiness. The Forbidden Forest swayed in the distance. A layer of frost was finally melting off of everything, and the clouds hung in the sky, suspended in front of the sun and creating a half-sunny, half-cloudy day. This was Willow's favorite weather all across the board.

Willow waited for her friends to catch up once she got to a tower near the middle, but raced ahead again once they climbed the stairs. She was bouncing up and down by the time everyone was up in the stands.

"Jeez, Willow, what is up with you today?" Dean asked.

"I'm crazy!"

"We noticed," Seamus chuckled.

The wind was stronger up in the stands than on the ground. It whipped the flags around, piercing through everyone's jackets within seconds. Willow was only beginning to feel cold in her fingers and toes. The Slytherin players were already out on the field, warming each other up. A rather nasty brute was guarding the three hoops. Willow bit her lip, noticing that all of the Slytherin players were large and strong-looking. She desperately hoped that Harry would stay away from them.

"Hello there, Willow," Hagrid boomed, appearing at the top of the stairs.

"Hagrid!" Willow exclaimed. She noticed the pair of binoculars hanging around his neck. "Are you here to watch Harry?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Willow, along with all the other first years Gryffindors, cheered loudly as their team stepped out of the locker room and took to the field. She saw Harry glance at the banner, smile, then mount his broom and do a few practice sprints. Fred and George also turned her way and high-fived each other after reading the banner. Willow couldn't have been prouder of the way the whole Gryffindor team took their encouragement to heart. It seemed that way for the rest of her friends, too.

"Did you see Angelina?"

"They loved us!"

"I hope they make us popular after they win!"

Willow grinned, shaking her head at how crazy her friends were acting. Then again, she was crazier, they were what passed as normal girls. Willow had never been very girly, taking a liking to sports and toys that were typically for boys from an early age. She had always hated make-up and playing dress-up. The only thing that remotely resembled normal about Willow was that she loved singing and playing the piano, something her parents had taught her from when she was young. Willow had always wondered what it would be like to be a Lavender or a Mia for a day. But she was perfectly content to be a total tomboy and let other girls handle making her a beauty witch. Popularity and drama usually ruined a person's modesty, she found, and Willow was bound and determined to never get an ego.

A familiar dark-haired girl emerged from the steps, wrapped in Gryffindor blankets. Despite her hatred of the current weather conditions, she was rather bright-eyed and giddy.

"You'll never believe who's announcing the games this year," Paige said.

"Who?"

"Lee."

Willow almost laughed. "That's a joke, right?"

Paige shook her head. "Nope. I'm not kidding. McGonagall was ready to kill Dumbledore for allowing it, but he's already up there, getting the mic ready."

Willow followed her gaze to where the scoreboard was attached to a tower. A small figure was shuffling around in red and gold attire, a microphone in hand, McGonagall in the nearest spectator's tower. Willow snickered.

"This is going to be good."

"With Lee, how can it not?"

Paige sat down in front of Hagrid, shivering in the harsh wind. Willow's friends found seats, too, pinning down their signs with the textbooks they had brought. Hagrid may have been wide in girth, but he sure didn't make a very good wind blocker. Willow moved so that the wind was pounding on her back instead of Paige's. The third year tried to hide a smile.

"Here we go!" Ron exclaimed.

The game began. Chaos erupted everywhere as the stands were filled with cheers and chanting students while the players hacked away at each other. Bludgers zipped around, narrowly missing players. The quaffle was thrown from chaser to chaser faster than Willow's brain could process. So far, the snitch had yet to make an appearance, and Harry hung out in the air. McGonagall was on her feet and shouting at Lee within the first minute.

"Lee's already getting yelled at," Willow giggled.

"Let's hope he stays biased," Paige grumbled. "Look how dirty those Slytherin slugs are playing."

As Willow examined the game closer, she realized that the Slytherins were, indeed, throwing cheap shots at the Gryffindor players. An elbow here, a small shove there, just enough to imbalance the play, but not enough to get noticed for a foul. Willow found herself glaring daggers at the players, too.

"Now I see why everyone hates them," Willow said.

The game raged on, Gryffindor passing the quaffle. Willow was thankful for Lee's commentary, for she wouldn't have been able to keep up with all the names and all the plays at once. Gryffindor passed the quaffle around with such ease that it looked like the simplest game in the world from a spectator's point of view. Then Slytherin knocked the quaffle out of their hands, instantly on the offensive. Willow, along with her entire viewing section, stood up and gasped when Slytherin chucked a hard shot at the posts.

"No!" Willow breathed.

Then Wood was there, seemingly from nowhere, making an amazing save and putting the quaffle back into Katie Bell's hands. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor erupted into maniacal cheers.

"That was amazing!" Ron shouted, his eyes glazed over with awe. Willow had a feeling he looked up to Wood more than he let on.

Katie Bell dashed down the field amid a roaring crowd, only the Slytherins booing. Two Slytherin players closed in on her. She let them get closer and closer, keeping a steady course towards the opposite end. Right before they sandwiched her, Katie dove, the two boys crashing hard into each other and nearly falling off their brooms. Willow thought Lavender must have snapped her vocal chords with her high-pitched screaming.

"GO KATIE!"

Lavender, Maia, and Fay all held up their signs, standing up and hollering for all they were worth. The three Chaser girls for Gryffindor did some fancy passing, avoiding the Slytherins by mere centimeters. Katie Bell had the quaffle in her hands and was about to go one on one with Keeper Bletchy.

"I LOVE YOU KATIE!" Lavender shrilled.

Suddenly, a bludger crashed into the back of Katie's head. She dropped the quaffle as she wobbled and fell of her broom. Slytherins cheered while their chasers quickly grabbed the discarded ball and raced towards the opposite end, everyone else groaning. Alicia Spinnet caught Katie and got her back on her broom. Fred and George were furious, readying their clubs for any chances to give the Slytherins a good whack. Willow hoped they would get that chance and soon.

The Slytherin Chasers flew down the field, Angelina Johnson darting between them as they played a game of keep-away with her. She was keeping up surprisingly well. Willow marveled at the brave girl as she dodged several close attempts to knock her out of the air, flip her broom, or straight-up throw the quaffle at her head. Her roommates were going crazy by this point. Alicia and Katie were catching up quickly.

"Wow, looks like we missed quite a lot already," a quiet voice said.

Willow's attention was broken from the game as Sally and Samuel Smith sat down on either side of Willow. She gave them a quick overview of what had happened so far before they could even ask.

"No sign of the snitch yet?" Samuel double checked.

"Nope. And a darn good thing, as Harry's the smallest one out there, and those Slytherins are extra vicious today."

A battle between all six chasers had broken out. Each chaser was fighting with another from the opposition, Angelina on Adrian Pucey's tail, who had received the quaffle. Alicia was facing down Marcus Flint while Katie was showing up Graham Montague. The boy's facial expressions were quite comical to watch as they went from arrogance to surprise to complete and utter fury, the girls flying in an intricate pattern that had the boys going in circles. They didn't even try to chase down the girls by the time they were through with them, probably too dizzy to move, and possibly too afraid to do anything other than sit there and feel queasy, they were so disoriented. This prompted a bout of laughter from every house except Slytherin.

"The great oafs, don't they know they'll never out-fly our Chasers?" Paige snickered.

"I don't think they believe girls can play quidditch at all just by looking at their roster," Willow observed, seeing that even their reserves were all male.

"It helps on the field, though. They're too arrogant going in. Our girls kick their sorry arses every time."

Willow couldn't disagree, watching as the girls chased after their teammate to help her stop Adrian from scoring. It wasn't necessary, though, as George had found a bludger. He swung his club with all his might, redirecting it straight towards Adrian. The bludger slammed into the boy's back, prompting him to drop the quaffle, and Angelina was right there to scoop it up and whiz in the opposite direction. Harry's banner roared, the lion changing into fiery colors. Willow made a mental note to ask Hermione about that spell later.

"GO, GO, GO!" Fay yelled at the top of her lungs.

Angelina rocketed down the pitch, spinning to avoid the Slytherin beaters, her deft skills with the broomstick shining through more than ever. She dodged a bludger, now within range of the goals. Every Gryffindor was on their feet when she pulled back her arm and fired a shot at Bletchy. He dove, but the quaffle slipped underneath his arm. Paige hugged Willow and dropped her blankets in excitement. Even the Smith twins were acting like complete hooligans.

"That's ten points for Gryffindor!" Seamus informed the rest of them.

Slytherin received the quaffle at the center of the pitch, and the war continued.

Harry did a few loops in the sky with his broom to celebrate the goal. Hagrid cheered, spoke with Hermione and Ron a bit about how Harry was doing, then sat down and pulled out his binoculars again to see what was going on. Slytherin was starting to get really ticked off by that point, purposely knocking everyone within ten feet off course. Angelina Johnson took the brunt of most of these offenses. One of the Slytherin beaters got a hold of a bludger and beat it towards Harry, who was directly in its path, prompting all the first years to gasp.

"Harry!" Hermione squeaked.

Thankfully, Harry saw it coming out of the corner of his eye and flipped just in time. Fred was already on the trail, beating the bludger towards one of the Slytherin chasers. Willow let out a breath she realized she had been holding.

"That was close, wasn't it?" Hagrid said. The rest of them noiselessly nodded in agreement.

A bludger took out Alicia Spinnet and Marcus Flint, who were practically punching each other over the quaffle. The quaffle dropped directly into the hands of Adrian Pucey while they frantically regained control of their brooms. He raced off down the field, effortlessly avoiding being cracked in the face by both bludgers. The Weasley twins tried to get in his way, but Adrian was far more skilled than Willow previously thought, executing a fancy maneuver that had Slytherins on their feet and the other houses in a stunned silence. He purposely flew so close to Katie that the padding scratched her across the arm. Willow had to bite her tongue hard to keep it silent.

Adrian was now in shooting range, no one within twenty meters of him. Wood confidently kept his eyes locked on the quaffle. Willow could tell that Wood was faking the confidence, that he was actually shaking in his boots, as this was Adrian, after all. She could barely watch as Adrian pulled his arm back and prepared to hurtle the ball through one of the posts.

Suddenly, a flash of gold caught Willow's eye. She whipped her head in that direction, her stomach jolting as she did.

"Is that the snitch?" Willow whispered to Paige.

"Where?" Paige asked, her eyes still glued to Adrian.

"Over there!"

By this time, Lee had noticed it too, and now everyone was gazing at the golden orb, including the quidditch players. Adrian stopped mid-throw to watch as Harry and Terence Higgs darted after it.

Harry and Terence were right next to each other, both laser-focused on the snitch. Their descent was so fast that Willow could have missed fifty meters in a single blink. Harry's Nimbus started to get ahead, though, and Terence's face contorted in rage. Willow's throat seized up when she realized what was about to happen.

"Harry's going to get hit!" Willow choked out.

Despite the warning, there was a collective scream from her viewing tower as well as all others as Terence veered to the side and roughly checked Harry into the nearest tower, nearly unseating him. There was an uproar of fans booing and calling for disqualification. Willow and Paige were both booing the loudest, Madam Hooch actually glancing their way before blowing the whistle and flying up to the two seekers. Dean shouted something about giving him a red card. Hagrid grumbled in agreement, eyeing Terence with a fiery anger that Willow didn't want to be on the receiving end of.

"Have you ever gotten a red card, Dean?" Willow asked, trying to lighten the situation.

"No," Dean huffed. "But I would loved to have gotten thrown out from this one game I played. The other team gave our goalkeeper a concussion, and in the next play I hit him so hard that he had to be carried off the field. It was a hard decision to give me a yellow card instead of a red."

Willow grinned. "That sounds like something I'd do."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, except I never got carded." Willow's expression became more mischievous than anything. "I always go for the ball and the player at the same time. You see, as long as you play for the ball without intentionally hurting the other player, it's legal. I would simply go into the challenge as hard as I could with all that extra anger, and the other team would be down a player for the rest of the game."

Dean nodded, impressed. "I'll have to use that next time I play. Thanks, Willow."

"Don't mention it."

Madam Hooch called for a penalty, and the Gryffindors all stood up, whooping with elation as Alicia Spinnet was given the quaffle. She stared down Bletchy, Willow noticing that there was a bit of sweat forming on his forehead. He was mortified of Alicia. Willow had noticed that most of the Slytherin players seemed to avoid Alicia if possible. She wondered what it was about that girl that kept the Slytherin's sharp tongues silent and their cunning asleep.

Alicia drew back her arm, massive muscles tensed, and hurled it at the far left post. Bletchy barely had a chance to react before the ball fell through the hoop. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor exploded into cheers. Slytherin fans were beyond mere disappointment at that point in time. Willow caught sight of Draco throwing his hat on the ground. Gryffindor had the quaffle again and was fighting with the now bloodthirsty Slytherin players, Harry doing his best to avoid all the violence.

Willow's senses suddenly fired. She had a sudden absolute dread about something. Her brain, for some reason unknown to Willow, was subconsciously telling her to look up, as she realized later. Willow's eyes were dragged up until they were fixed upon Harry, her head hurting from all the signals burning through her brain at once. Dread fell like a stone in Willow's stomach.

"I think something's going to happen to Harry!" Willow hissed to Paige.

"What are you talking about?" Paige said, this time glancing at Willow with a confused expression.

"I mean- Oh no!"

Harry's broom was moving in irregular, jerky patterns, Harry's surprised expression more than enough to tell that he was no longer in control of his Nimbus. It bucked wildly, randomly zig-zagging in odd increments, Harry barely managing to hold on. The whole pitch stopped and stared as Harry's face turned white with fear. Lee stopped commentating, Harry's broom wildly ascending.

"Someone's jinxing that broom!" Paige said.

Neville started crying, desperately yelling at Harry to come back. But Harry could do no such thing. Willow sensed that something dark was going on here.

Why am I so aware about what's going on? Willow wondered to the voice.

It's a part of who you are, Willow. More on that later.

You sound like one of my teachers!

I am technically going to be your teacher, am I not?

Willow abruptly ended the conversation when Harry's broom turned over and he lost his grip on it. A collective scream ruptured Willow's sensitive eardrums. Harry managed to hold on by a single hand, suspended hundreds of meters over the quidditch pitch. Her stomach lurched.

"He's going die!" Neville sobbed, burying his face in Hagrid's jacket.

Hagrid didn't seem to notice. He, like everyone else, was hypnotized by Harry's predicament. Hermione caught Willow's eye and they exchanged a silent message. Willow nodded, and Hermione grabbed Hagrid's binoculars, adjusting them to find the teacher's section. Harry's broom gave a wild jerk and almost threw him off. Willow was about to ask Hermione what was going on when she found herself not facing Hermione, but several anxious teachers.

"What...?" Willow said out loud.

Although she was standing right in front of the teachers, none of them seemed bothered by her, a handful even looking right through her. Willow furrowed her brow. She wasn't invisible, as she could see herself. What was she even being shown?

Are you doing this? Willow demanded.

I've done absolutely nothing. This is all you.

How can I do something without even thinking about it? Willow fumed.

Oh, but you have.

Willow glanced at the surroundings, frustrated beyond belief, when reality doused her in cold water. She started violently when she saw herself from across the quidditch pitch, standing as still as a statue. The commotion over Harry continued. He flipped in the air again, his grip on the broom lessening. Willow's heart leaped into her mouth at his precarious position. Frantically, Willow cast around for the source of Dark Magic, anything that could possibly be harming Harry. But all she saw was Professor Quirrel and Professor Snape focused in on Harry's broom, both unblinking, whispering incantations.

Willow did a double take. Her eyes burned as she glanced over Professor Quirrel, her brain's electrical signals searing her head. What was she sensing? Professor Quirrel had never done her any harm, and why would he hurt anyone else, for that matter? He and Snape both seemed like they were trying to help. But when Willow checked again, turning to each man with a lengthy pause in between, only Quirrel was causing the signals. She wondered what that could mean.

A slight movement beneath the stands caught Willow's eye. She saw a little frame with bushy hair sneaking up the stairs, wand drawn. Hermione had her eyes fixed on Snape's dark cloak. Willow's throat seized with panic. She knew that Harry, Ron, and Hermione frequently complained about Snape, and had discussed the possibility of him trying to cause harm to Harry, maybe even possessing Dark Magic. Willow always listened and nodded during these grumblings, but never took them seriously. She liked Professor Snape underneath all of that brooding and anger- it was merely a wall that he used to shut people out, similar to Willow. He was really a good man. Now, Hermione and Ron had gotten the wrong idea and were going to stop Snape from whatever he was doing.

Willow tried to think of something before it was too late. She tried calling out, but her cries went unnoticed. Her attempts to get the attention of Hermione were also ignored. Willow knew that if she returned to her body from whatever she was doing, she would lose the opportunity to see close-up what was going on between the professors and Harry, and she would never get there in time to stop Hermione. All she could do was watch.

Willow wanted badly to turn away, but her eyes were glued to the scene. Hermione scrambled up the last few steps and knocked over Professor Quirrel on her way to Snape. Willow's senses yanked her head back so that she could see Harry, cursing at whoever or whatever was controlling her body movements. But her mouth was frozen shut when she saw that the broom had suddenly stopped moving. Harry was still clutching the broom with white knuckles, not trusting it to stay still for even a second. Her head was snapped back into a normal position and she saw that Hermione was currently lighting Snape's cape on fire. Willow noticed that Professor Snape was still muttering incantations, although the broom was still. The lack of screaming alerted Willow to the fact that Harry was now back on his broom. So what was Snape still doing to the broom?

She never got the chance to find out as Hermione slipped her wand into her pocket and fled the scene before she could get caught. Snape finally noticed the flames on his cape and broke his concentration with Harry's broomstick, pulling out his wand and putting the fire out. When he finally returned his gaze to the pitch once more, Willow could have sworn he had a strange mix of two emotions she had never seen in his eyes before: worry and regret.

Suddenly, Willow was back in her own body, falling into Paige, who caught her in surprise.

"Willow, what the he- !"

Paige was cut short by the sudden onslaught of cheering. Both she and Willow scrambled to their feet and screeched for Harry as he dove after the snitch with Terence Higgs way behind him. Victory was imminent.

"Neville, look! Harry's got control of his broom again. He's almost got the snitch!" Willow exclaimed.

Neville removed himself from Hagrid's jacket after Ron persuaded him, too. His pudgy freckled face red and slick, it suddenly changed to that wonderfully pitiful combination of laughing through tears. Neville stood up on his own two feet and clapped for Harry as he zoomed by their tower. The golden snitch's hummingbird-like wings were fluttering as quick as a jackhammer. Willow marveled at how Harry could keep his eyes on such a tiny, whirring object and catch it at the same time. He was getting dangerously close to the ground by that time. Willow covered her hand with her mouth, stifling a yelp as Harry began losing the grip on his broomstick.

What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion to Willow. Harry completely disconnected from his broomstick, his jaw dropping as he did. A flash of gold, and the snitch's wings folded up, forming a neat ball. It disappeared into Harry's mouth. The dark-haired boy tumbled head-over-heels into the grass, the crowd falling silent at this point. Even the wind held its breath at this point. Harry slowly rose to his feet, clutching his stomach. Willow could hardly contain herself as Harry gagged, coughed, then spat out the snitch into his hands, his eyes flying wide open. Harry triumphantly held up the golden ball, proclaiming victory for Gryffindor. The sun chose the perfect moment to peek out from behind the clouds, casting its rays onto the snitch, making it glow even more golden-bright than before.

"I- I guess that means Gryffindor wins!" Lee's voice boomed. "Harry Potter, Gryffindor seeker, has caught the snitch! One hundred and fifty points to Gryffindor!"

The stadium was silent a moment, then exploded. Slytherin booed dramatically, while the other three houses screamed their approval. All the Gryffindor players surrounded Harry and carried him off the field.

"Gryffindor one hundred and seventy, Slytherin sixty. Gryffindor has won! Slytherin's streak is broken!"

Willow hugged everyone in sight, excited beyond belief for Harry. They happily celebrated with all the other houses and joined in poking fun at the Slytherin house for their loss. Hermione was very proud of herself for helping contribute to their win and happily tested the boundaries by embracing the taunting, even taking part in some well-placed words against the slimy team. The Slytherins, dejected and used to this barrage, ignored the world and stormed into the dungeons.

Willow allowed Paige to drag her into the locker rooms, barely saying goodbye to her other friends. The Gryffindor team had just finished changing. Fred and George were out to greet them within seconds.

"What did you think of that bloodbath, Willow?"

"Still think you can handle it?"

"That was bloody awesome!" Willow hollered. "I can't wait to try it!"

George raised his eyebrows. "Impressive. Hope you weren't trying out for beater, or Fred might be out of a position."

"Hey!"

"You two were perfect," Paige interrupted. "Do me a favor and hit Bletchy with a bludger next time, will you?"

"Don't worry, they're all getting it next time," Fred promised.

"Let's go hatch a plan to drive that win home, shall we?" George suggested.

"You know me too well," Paige smirked. "You coming, Willow?"

"Why would I miss a chance to get back at the biggest gits in the whole school?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

The four made their way through the castle, blowing past everyone and rushing up the stairs to the third year boys dorm. Paige flopped on one of the twins' beds while they rummaged through their closet. Willow couldn't wait to hear their next greatest scheme. She hoped it would involve her managing to infiltrate the Slytherin common room. Willow would love to see the look on Draco's face!

"Scheming without me, are you?" Lee said, entering the room.

"Who says we're not scheming against you?" Paige questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Point taken."

"Come off it, Paige," George commanded. "We've got some pranking to do."

"What are we going to do? Break stuff?" Willow asked.

Fred chuckled. "Possibly, but that's not the main goal."

"We've taken inventory of all that we've got, and there's a good bit to work with."

"Plenty of dungbombs and stink pellets."

"Some spawning soap."

"Sugar quills."

"A few nose-biting teacups."

"There's a few other things here, and I don't know what they are, exactly," Fred chuckled, rummaging through their closet. "It's kind of sad, really. I should know what all of this is..."

"I'll gladly try them," Willow offered.

"So, who's going to get into the Slytherin common room?"

"Willow and I can do that no problem," Paige volunteered.

"Alright. This is going to be a rather loose plan, an as-we-go kind of thing. The end goal is definitely to cause a disturbance and yes, Willow, possibly demolish a few things as well."

"YAY!"

"Lee, Freddy and I will help deter any prefects or teachers that have decided to lurk around the dungeons this time of day."

"Perfecto," Willow spoke with a Spanish accent.

"That's the first time you've spoken in Spanish since I've met you, Willow." Lee raised his eyebrows. "First time for everyone else, too?"

"Sorry, I'll try to not speak Spanish."

Paige's lips turned upwards. "No, it's fine. Exotic is sexy."

"Paige!" all three boys scolded. Willow simply returned the expression on Paige's face and gathered some supplies into two separate bags, handing her one of them.

"Let's get going."

The boys shook their heads and followed the two girls out of the dorm, making sure not to draw too much attention to themselves. Once through the portrait hole, they made their way across the school, eventually reaching the dungeons. There was very little light streaming through the mosaics at the end of the halls, as it was noon. The boys broke off when the passed by the kitchen and promised to keep their word. Willow glanced over her shoulder several times, making sure that they were indeed roaming the halls. She hoped her eyes weren't tricking her when she saw the group split in three directions.

"So, any idea what all we're going to do?" Willow whispered to Paige.

"Follow my lead," Paige replied. "This is about to get messy."

Willow abided by Paige's commands and waited with her when she stopped in front of a large boulder. Furrowing her brow, Willow watched as Paige shuddered, then said, "Mudbloods- Mudbloods suck."

The boulder crumbled away at her words to reveal the Slytherin common room. Paige closed her eyes for a moment, sighing, then stepped into the somehow well-lit room.

"I hate their passwords," she muttered.

"Me too."

Willow had the sudden urge to cause as much damage as possible to these awful pricks. She knew for a fact that there were half-bloods in Slytherin, and maybe even a few Muggle-borns. Willow was absolutely certain that they were hated on and bullied 24/7 by their fellow housemates. McGonagall had been right when she said that their houses would be like their families- there were all kinds of families, and Slytherin was that one with so many fighting adults that the children didn't know where to look for advice on growing up. No wonder all of them turned bad by their seventh year.

"Alright, I've got an idea for the ultimate prank," Paige said. "Come here."

Willow stayed on Paige's heels as she went to the large table in the middle of the room. They set their packs down, being careful to not make any noise. All the Slytherins were in their dorms, fuming over the quidditch game, likely plotting revenge against Gryffindor. They were about to hate Gryffindor ten times more than before.

"Take their teacups and replace them with ours," Paige ordered.

The two girls quietly placed their charmed teacups on the table, then stuffed the regular ones in their bags. Paige beckoned Willow to come by the window that allowed students to view the fish in black lake. Willow hurried over, liking where this was going.

"Okay, we've got some fireworks to work with," Paige began. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Willow grinned. "Let's set up some explosions, shall we?"

Paige returned her expression. "Where have you been all my life?"

Willow grabbed some invisible string and tied it to a hammer, then attached the other end of it to where Paige was setting up the fireworks.

"These fireworks are the type that will fly without lighting anything," Paige explained. "If we position these correctly, when they pick up the hammer, it will pull the tab in them that sets them off, and they'll explode perfectly into the window. They'll flood instantly."

"Ooh! I have something to add!"

Willow grabbed ten frog-spawning soap bars and placed them under the window. Paige couldn't contain her giggles as Willow returned to her side.

"We're going to flood their common room and plague them with frogs?"

"Why not?' Willow shrugged.

"Seriously, you need to come with us more often."

The two girls were just about to leave the common room when a familiar voice shouted, "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Run!" Willow hissed.

Paige guided Willow out of the Slytherin common room and into the hallways. Draco Malfoy was on their heels, employing profanity to try and get them to stop. They ignored him and dashed around a few corners.

"Quick! In here!" Paige panted.

Willow was yanked into a small closet, then sealed into the darkness when Paige shut the door behind her. The two girls held their breath and listened. Draco's footfalls stopped not far from where they were hidden.

"You Gryffindor arseholes!" he roared. "I hope you get eaten by werewolves!"

The two girls let out a heavy breath after Draco's footfalls became inaudible. Paige was laughing a bit.

"What a prick."

"I can't wait to laugh in his face when he gets soaked later!" Willow squealed.

They were silent for a while after that. The closet was rather small and cramped, Paige and Willow unable to give each other personal space. Their breathing returned to normal far before Paige spoke again.

"You know, I meant it when I said exotic is sexy."

"Ay caramba," Willow said.

"Please speak in Spanish more often."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Quit joking and get us out of here. I don't care about appealing to guys."

"Who said I was joking?"

Willow was struck speechless, that thought actually entering her mind. Was Paige really joking? The older girl opened the door, the smirk on her face visible in the torchlight.

"Come on, Guerrero," Paige urged. "Let's get back to the common room before we have to serve more detentions together."

Willow shook her head to clear her mind as she tagged along behind Paige. They had certainly become friends over the course of the last few days, and gotten to know much more than the ordinary passerby would know about them. Willow had come to like Paige's grumpy attitude and constant mood swings. Sure, it was annoying as all get out every once in a while, but it was something new and fresh for Willow's monotony life. Paige was always keeping her on her toes, especially when she was joking around, like she had just been doing in the broom closet.

"There you are!" George greeted.

"We thought Filch had gotten you."

"If you thought that, why didn't you come find us?" Paige questioned, raising her eyebrow accusingly.

The twins put their hands up in defeat. "You always seem to handle yourself plenty well. Willow included."

"When will we find out if it worked?" Lee asked.

"Whenever the Slytherins decide to have a cup of tea," Paige replied, a mischievous expression on her face.

"I can't wait to see what happens," Willow said.

Later that evening, during dinner, only half of Slytherin dared to show up, and those brave souls that did were at least damp, if not soaking wet. Most had cuts and bruises on their noses, and several of the girls were acting like they had post-traumatic stress disorder from the frogs jumping around. Since no one could be identified for the crime, no points were lost. Draco glared accusingly Willow from across the room, his shoes squishing wherever he walked. 

"Serves the git right," Harry mentioned.

"I can't say that I feel any differently," Ron agreed.

Willow finished up the last of her mashed potatoes and sat back, her stomach stretched. "I hope I never lose the ability to down massive quantities of food ever again."

"Hermione, do you mind explaining what happened to Harry?" Neville asked from across the table.

"Well, here's what I know so far, Neville," Hermione began. The boys and Willow listened in. "Professor Snape was jinxing Harry's broom, which was why Harry nearly fell out of the sky."

"Why would he do something like that!" Neville exclaimed, then turned red. "I mean, he's terrifying, but even he wouldn't stoop so low as to try and kill Harry Potter."

"That's why we're so confused," Hermione continued. "We went to Hagrid and had a few cups of tea with him after the quidditch match. He let something slip about a certain Nicolas Flamel."

"Never heard of him before," Willow said. "I wonder where we could find more about him?"

"We've already started a search of the library," Harry informed. "Hermione, Ron and I are searching row by row for anything that could relate to him. So far, nothing."

"I'll help you as much as possible," Willow promised.

"Good. We're going to need it."

Changing the subject, Willow said, "I have something to tell you guys after dinner." She lowered her voice. "Something happened during the quidditch match today, and I need help talking it over and figuring out what it was."

"We'll hold you to it," Neville promised. "At least, I will."

The dinner carried on, the Slytherin girls complaining loudly about how their favorite clothes were ruined by all the flooding. Paige, the twins, and Lee poked fun at them with Willow, who found it rather refreshing for the Slytherins to be down in the dumps for a change. She didn't hate all of the house, only disliking those whom she had met and had not returned her respect, which happened to be the whiny girls present. Willow was almost sad to head back to the common room for the night. She was about to head into her dorm, where all of her roommates were, when Hermione and Harry dragged her into the boys' room.

"We're all here. Spill," Hermione commanded.

"Wait, how do Dean and Seamus know?" Willow questioned.

The two boys shrugged. "All part of being friends with you, I guess."

"We only overheard it once. No one directly told us."

"You aren't allowed to tell anyone about me, okay?" Willow said much to fast, her pulse quickening. "My father warned me that it's dangerous information in the wrong hands. Heck, I could be dangerous and not know it. Please, can you keep it a secret?"

"Of course, Willow," Seamus promised.

"Since I technically owe you for giving me soccer tips, I guess I can keep just this one..." Dean trailed off.

Willow playfully threw a stray shoe at the boy. "Soccer boys, I swear."

"Um, you had something to tell us?" Ron prompted.

"Oh, yeah." Willow straightened herself up, addressing the whole room. "While Hermione took Hagrid's binoculars and was looking for Snape, I somehow...sort of...left my body."

"You what?" Neville squeaked.

"Shh!" Hermione shushed.

"My real body was frozen in its last position, and I was suddenly transported across the quidditch pitch to where the teachers were sitting. They couldn't see me. I, on the other hand, was watching everything in real time. I watched Harry fight his broom and saw Hermione throughout the whole setting-Snape's-cape-on-fire thing. It was rather unsettling, seeing myself from across an entire pitch."

Willow was about to mention something about Professor Quirrel when some unknown force sealed her mouth shut. Her jaw felt heavy and locked in place, unable to move. Stomach flipping, Willow wondered why that bit of information was refusing to be let out into the open, concealing itself as a secret. Why shouldn't her friends know? When she asked the voice in her head what was going on, there was only silence.

"Okay, that's super creepy," Ron commented.

Willow stored the information away for later, forcing herself to look normal. "Yeah, it was. I thought that the shape-shifting powers were crazy, but this is the craziest of the now three things that have happened to me."

"Wait, three things?" Harry interrupted.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you about another thing," Willow said. "So, you already know about the animal powers, but I'm starting to be able to sense things that I shouldn't, like emotions, danger, and other things some animals can't even sense. It's rather odd. Sometimes I swear I can hear people's thoughts jumbling around inside my head."

"Willow, you should really go to Professor Dumbledore about this," Hermione urged. "He'll know what to do. Maybe he'll even find some way for you to talk to your father- "

"No," Willow rejected. "He somehow discovered everything about me already. I don't know how, but it's scary. When he talked to me in his office after I recovered from the troll incident, he warned me about my powers. I think he knows more about me than I know about myself!"

"Still, he might be able to help you, Willow," Harry insisted. "This is super important. We don't want you to get hurt, or worse."

Willow bit her tongue, willing herself to hold back anything about the woman that spoke to her. So far, she had only worked up the courage to tell her friends about transforming into animals and what she had just spilled. But something inside her prevented her from telling about the voice, as if it wanted to stay hidden. Willow decided not to test the boundaries on uncontrollable parts of her mind.

"I've gotten along fine up until this point. I can take care of myself."

Everyone eyed Willow with hints of suspicion and worry. Willow sighed, wishing she could spill everything.

"As long as you're sure," Hermione relented. "Be careful, okay?"

"I'll try."

The first years dispersed, Hermione heading into the girl's dorm, the boys filtering into the common room to have some fun before bed. Only Neville was left, awkwardly shuffling from foot to foot in Willow's presence.

"Oh, Neville, I never gave you this back," Willow remembered, unraveling the scarf from her neck. Neville's face lit up.

"No, you can keep it, I've got plenty," he insisted.

"Are you sure?"

"It's a- a gift, I suppose."

Willow smiled, both of their cheeks turning red. "Thank you, Neville."

Running over to Neville, Willow enveloped the smaller boy in a hug. She pecked him on the cheek before separating herself from him and walking away. Glancing over her shoulder, Willow saw Neville staring after her, mouth slightly agape, touching the spot where Willow had given him a small thank-you kiss. She cursed the butterflies in her stomach and fled to her dorm before she could make a fool of herself any more than she already had.


	9. Year 1: Chapter 9

The first snow of December came faster than Willow had expected. She spent the entire Saturday playing in it, throwing several chunks of ice and snow at Paige, who did not appreciate the cold in the slightest, let alone being pelted with it. Willow couldn't believe it when winter break suddenly arrived, Christmas right around the corner. Her homework was finally beginning to simmer down to only a bit each night until it was gone completely for the holidays. Draco constantly bragged loudly about how he was going to have such a good Christmas in his fancy mansion with both of his parents. Willow had restrained Harry from tearing his head off on more than one occasion.

"How can you stand that insufferable prick?" Harry seethed on the last morning before everyone went home.

"I have a high pain tolerance, and a very good dose of patience," Willow shrugged. "He definitely pushes the limits, though."

"If he didn't, you'd be going mental."

Willow ate a rather large breakfast for once, the excitement of going home to see her father giving her quite the appetite. She was sad that she wouldn't be spending the holidays with all of her new friends, of course, but she was beginning to dearly miss her father. As used to him not being around as she was, it still hurt not to see him at all for several months.

"I can't believe Mum and Dad are taking Ginny to Romania and leaving us here," Ron grumbled. "That's got to be one of the coolest places to go for Christmas!"

"Is that where your brother Charlie works?" Willow asked, remembering Ron having told her about his other brothers at the beginning of the school year.

"Yes, and he's got his hands full. That's why they're going to him instead of Charlie coming to visit us."

"I hope that I get the chance to work with dragons someday," Willow wished wistfully.

Just then, the last mail of the year came flying through the windows. Iris surprised Willow by landing on her head.

"What are you doing here?" she blurted out.

Iris cocked her head, as if to say, Duh. Delivering mail. Willow shook her head and stuck out her arm, allowing Iris to move herself onto it, then removed the small parcel attached to her leg. Her stomach dropped when she saw her dad's name on it.

"Why would my dad be sending me mail this morning?" she wondered out loud.

"Beats me," Fred shrugged.

"What does it say?" Paige asked.

"Let's see..." Willow trailed off, ripping the letter open.

Dear Willow,

I'm sorry to give you such late notice, especially on family matters such as this, but you cannot come home for the Holidays. It's not safe at this time to return home. I am perfectly safe, as are Abuela and Abuelo, but the risk is too high that your mother will try to interrupt. Have fun at Hogwarts! I hope some of your friends will be able to keep you company. Happy Christmas, mi hija!

Te amo.

Willow sat back on the bench, dejected. Of course, she shouldn't have given her hopes up. Her mother was getting increasingly dangerous these days. She wrote a quick response to him, wishing him a Happy Christmas as well and to be safe, then sent Iris off again. A few tears tried to leak out of her eyes.

"Excuse me," Willow said, then ran off, her friends giving her pitying glances as she left.

Willow made her way to the bathroom, then leaned over the sink, splashing some water on herself. She needed to calm herself down. One of her worst fears was to get emotional in front of anyone other than her father, and it had almost happened in a space of five seconds. Her chest heaved deep breaths in an attempt to soothe herself. But the pain was too much. Her father was always the one she turned to in times on need, and he was the one person she couldn't see over the Holidays, a time that was supposed to be for family and happiness and love, not sorrow and separation. She missed her family and her mansion more than she previously thought was possible.

"Willow, you okay?" someone called.

"Fine," Willow choked out, not daring to let anyone know she was crying.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe."

"Well, you better believe it, because it's the truth."

"Since when do I listen to anything anyone says?"

Paige appeared behind her. Her expression surprised Willow, as it was not one of pity like everyone else's. There was something else there that Willow couldn't pinpoint.

"Mind telling me what you're being a crybaby about?"

Willow playfully punched Paige's shoulder, secretly thankful for her rough and tough attitude. "It's nothing."

"If it's nothing, then why are you trying to hide?"

Willow couldn't meet Paige's eyes. She glanced at her feet, emotion lacing her shaky voice.

"It's just...my dad...my mum....I miss the old days, when everything was happy and fun."

"You seem to have a lot of fun now."

Willow swallowed a lump in her throat. "That's just really good acting on my part. Ever since my mum..." Willow stopped herself. "Every since two years ago, things have been dark, dreary, lifeless. My mum used to be so full of life, used to cherish every moment, used to- used to love my dad and I."

Paige nodded slowly, closing her eyes and listening. Willow unwillingly found herself continuing on.

"Every day I look for a letter, hope to see my mum's name, hope that she's back, but...she's- she's..."

Willow couldn't take it any longer. The tears cascaded down her face, her knees hitting the floor. Willow managed to form a few words through her sobbing.

"She's not my mum anymore."

Paige sank to the floor beside Willow and surprised the twelve-year-old by holding her close. She stroked Willow's hair nostalgically, waiting patiently for the first-year to calm down. Willow was eventually able to stop her tears, instead hiccuping, the torrent gone nearly as fast as it had come. She found herself staring deeply into Paige's chocolate brown eyes, getting lost in the memories and emotions swirling within them.

"Do you remember when I told you that I don't live with my parents?" Paige asked softly, still petting Willow's head.

"Yeah."

"Will you stop being an ickle first-year girl if I tell you why?"

"I'll try. I can't really change my age, you know."

Paige rolled her eyes and pretended to swat at Willow. "You know what I mean, you emotional little pest."

Willow gazed expectantly at Paige, who seemed to be internally struggling with opening up about this sensitive subject. "Don't you dare tell anyone this. No one else knows. You're a special little snowflake because only people like you will understand. And I can't stand it when you decide to go from emotionless to a mess, so this better work."

"I'll take the secret to my grave," Willow promised.

Paige inhaled deeply, then began her story. "My parents are super rich. They're CEO's of two businesses and own half of London, nearly. The only problem is they act like it, too, and expect me to be exactly like them. I was adopted as part of an initiative to promote their business. They didn't even want me. I was supposed to be sent back the day that campaign ended, but my nanny fell in love with me and convinced them to keep me. Even to this day I wonder why. They fired her when I turned eight, and it tore me apart. She had been my mother more than my 'real' one had. They dolled me up, drug me along everywhere they went, made me some sort of supermodel child. I hated every bit of it, so I turned to soccer to let out my anger. My nanny had taught me how to play when I was four years old and I've loved it ever since. Everywhere we went, I'd sneak out to play with the local children. I've played soccer in at least five different countries. I loved it."

Paige's sad smile faded into melancholy. "They were so happy to send me off to this school, they actually locked me in my room and threw a party for themselves and all their rich friends. I hated every day I lived with them. They were awful to me, enforcing strict rules and making me feel like a spoiled little brat for not 'appreciating everything they've done for me'. No matter how big and fancy of a house I lived in, I'd rather have been living with the poorest parents on Earth if it meant they actually loved me."

Paige's expression flitted to regretful, longing sadness for a moment. Then, her voice turned bitter. "I got kicked out long before I received my Hogwarts letter, though. They had the highest standards for me. I had to be a perfect human being, act like the perfect girl, be feminine in every way. That's the reason they hated my playing soccer- it wasn't a sport for 'perfect little girls like me'. But I played it anyway. There was one major flaw in me that tipped their scales, however."

Paige's voice disappeared, as if she was trying to push it through a wall that was almost impossible to knock down.

"What is it, Paige?" Willow asked, her sorrows vanished in the face of this new information.

"It's that...I'm..." Paige trailed off. She turned away, and Willow saw her face screwed up in pain, as if someone was forcibly shutting her up. Why was this secret buried so much further than the rest of the already deep secrets Paige had shared? The older girl winced, as if someone had slapped her. Willow's curiosity peaked, but her heart told her not to push it, that this was something Paige had to tell her when she was ready.

"Paige, you've already shared a lot more with me than you've told most people," Willow said. "If this is purely to make me feel better, don't tell me anything that you might have second thoughts on. Your secrets are your secrets, and it's up to you to decide whether to share them or not, when you share them, who knows, and everything else. Don't force yourself to say anything."

Paige's now emotional eyes turned to Willow. "I won't tell you yet, then. Thanks for understanding. Most people get made when I do that and try to force it out of me. I think that's why so many people hate me, actually. They start sharing things, then expect me to, so I start unwillingly opening up, and I'm halfway through a story when I realize it could reveal something very personal about me."

"I get that. It's happened to me multiple times, too."

Paige glanced at Willow, a deeply hidden fear in her eyes. It killed her to ignore it and not point it out. "You don't hate me, though, right? Some people drift away from me after I tell them some things about myself."

"Why would I hate you for that?" Willow said. "It's not your fault. Your parents are literally worse than my mum's family, and that's saying something, because they're the ones that helped her kidnap me. My aunt Margret might be the only decent one of the bunch, and I think she murdered someone. It's never okay to kick your child out of the house, biological or not. That's lazy parenting and on the parents, not the kid."

Paige nodded, her walls beginning to rise again. "I don't consider them my parents. The only person I consider my family at the moment is my nanny, and my parents made sure that I couldn't find her. When they fired her, they relocated her to a different house and hid the records somewhere in their office. They-" Paige stopped, reconsidering what she was about to say, and reworded her sentence. "I got in trouble quite a few times when I broke in to find it."

"Are you sure you can't legally have a case against them for child neglect?" Willow asked. "If I were a dictator, I'd put them in prison for life for 'torturing' you, which is pretty much what they did. Those quotations might be unnecessary."

"No, and I wouldn't bother. They're scum that will never be happy with their lives, and that's the best revenge I can think of for them. For them never to be happy and always stressing about their jobs...that's the best kind of punishment for what they did to me."

"I like that positive take on things for once," Willow said, nudging Paige, who was now back to normal. "I'm still sorry that you had to go through all that alone. When my mum went crazy, at least I had my dad and my grandparents there to lean on. You had nobody. From now on, you're not allowed to keep things like this to yourself. You're spilling the story each time you revisit your family, got it?"

"Maybe," Paige said. "I'll try, but they're going to be dull and dreary. I only go to them when I can't get proper nutrition otherwise. They've got some legal requirements, and I'm giving them a heck of a job keeping the press from giving them bad publicity about me being a runaway."

"That's good." Willow stared at Paige, who had a sad half-smile on her face. "I'm sorry that you've had to keep that hidden for so long. That sounds bloody awful."

Paige shrugged. "I'm used to being tough."

"But you shouldn't have to be."

"I know, it's ridiculous, but- "

Willow cut Paige off by hugging her tightly. Paige froze for a second, not reacting, then gently wrapped her arms around the younger girl.

"Thank you for making me feel better," Willow whispered into her ear.

"Don't mention it. Really, you better not," Paige warned.

"I won't. Your secret is safe with me."

The two girls stood up, brushing themselves off. Willow washed the saltwater off her face.

"Any secrets you need to spill, Guerrero?" Paige asked, her usual mannerism returning.

"None worth sharing."

"Please, anything short of what I just told you is definitely worth sharing."

Willow's heart froze for a second, but recovered quickly. "I'd rather share it with the whole group when I'm ready."

"So you do have a secret? Are you absolutely sure you don't want to share it, now that you know even someone like me can share and not spontaneously die of embarrassment?"

Willow giggled. "Yes, Paige, I'm one hundred percent positive."

"As long as you're sure..."

The girls exited the bathroom, finding everyone heading off to their first classes. All of her roommates were upon her within seconds, tearing her away from Paige, who laughed and wished her luck with them as she joined the twins and Lee.

"Where did you go?"

"We heard you were crying!"

"Is it true?"

"Are you staying at Hogwarts?"

"Guys, slow down!" Willow pleaded, wriggling out of their grasps. "I'm fine. To answer your questions, bathroom, maybe, staying at Hogwarts."

Fay rolled her eyes. "Willow, you are such an introvert."

"I'm well aware."

"Just because you're an emotionless rock doesn't mean you need to hide when you're not for two seconds!" Lavender scolded.

"That's exactly what it means."

All the girls groaned. "Willow, you are a mystery."

"Since when do you guys care about me this much?" Willow inquired.

"Duh, you share a dorm with us, you're pretty much our sister at this point," Mia said.

"Yeah, we're your Hogwarts family, Willow!"

Willow half smiled, liking the idea for once. She had always wondered what it would be like to have a sister. Sharing seven years of schooling with these girls might be the perfect chance to see, and it wasn't horrible so far...

The girls arrived in Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall sat them all down and gave them a few assignments to work on for the day. They were allowed to work with partners, and everyone was eager to gobble up all the time they could with their friends before break, so the room was full of groups more than partners. Willow decided to head over to the Ravenclaw side of the room where Sue Li was working with her friends.

"Hi, Sue!" she greeted.

"Oh, Willow! Happy Holidays!" Sue exclaimed. "You have met my friends before, correct?"

"Not formally, no, but I'll give it a shot."

Willow examined the two girls on either side of Sue. The one on the left caught Willow's eye first, as her hair was a bright shade of red, the short messy strands demanding attention. She was rather pale, tall, and super skinny. The girl's grey eyes were gentle and kind.

"Mandy Brocklehurst, correct?" Willow guessed.

"I've heard a lot about you, Willow," Mandy replied, shaking Willow's hand.

The other girl was rather timid and shied away from Willow's gaze at first, her dominating presence not to go unnoticed by those who first meet her. She had very long brown hair and beautiful brown eyes that reminded Willow of hot chocolate on a cozy winter night. They were slightly sunken, however, and gave her a sad appearance. She was a tad overweight and radiated stress that even Willow's new, weak powers could strongly detect.

"So you must be Lisa Turpin," Willow said. Lisa nodded, keeping her eyes down.

"Sorry, Lisa is pretty shy," Sue informed. "She'll warm up to you soon."

"No harm in that," Willow chuckled. "Have you figured out how to do this yet?"

Over the course of the class, Willow got to know the three Ravenclaw girls a bit better, Lisa even managing to speak to Willow in full sentences before the end. They tried time and time again to transfigure their textbooks, but they only completed the task right as the bell rang to signal the end of class. Neville had somehow thrown himself across the room during his attempts at transfiguring the objects. Willow wished her friends a Happy Christmas before they parted ways.

On her way to Potions, her last class since she had the afternoon off, she happened to be glancing out the window when she caught sight of three figures running in the snow. Two familiar shocks of orange hair and laughter were chasing a purple-turbaned man towards the school, magically hitting him in the back of the head with snowball after snowball. Willow covered her mouth to stop herself from snorting.

"BOYS!" a loud voice boomed.

Willow glanced to her left to see Professor McGonagall running down the stairs and out into the cold. The three stopped. Professor Quirrel keeled over, panting. Fred and George glanced at each other, then at McGonagall storming furiously towards them, and made the wise decision to run in the opposite direction. A throng of students had gathered to watch the event unfold outside.

"Um, Willow, are- aren't those your friends out there?" Oliver Rivers asked, appearing beside Willow.

"Oliver! Oh, yes, they are, entertainingly enough," Willow replied. "How have you been lately? It seems like ages since I've last gotten to see you outside of class."

"Oh, um- fine, I think," Oliver said, awkwardly looking at his feet.

"'You think'?" Willow chuckled.

Oliver raised his eyes to meet Willow's. "Sorry, I haven't talked to anyone in a while."

"Why is that?" Willow recalled her roommates telling her about Oliver's shyness towards the beginning of the year. "Do you not talk to any of your Hufflepuff friends?"

"Not really, no."

Willow caught sight of some of her roommates gawking at her now, nearly drooling over Oliver. She hoped to God that Oliver wouldn't look their way.

"Well, are you staying at Hogwarts for the Holidays?" Willow asked.

"Yes."

"I've had a change of plans, so now I am, too. Maybe I'll get to talk to you a lot more with no classes and less people around."

Oliver's face lit up. "That would be great!"

Fred and George were about to cross the boundary into the Forbidden Forest when Professor McGonagall caught up with them, grabbing them both by the collars of their shirts and dragging them back to the school. Oliver's eyes lingered on the bare trees in the distance.

"I loved the colors of those trees' leaves this past fall," he sighed wistfully. "All the oranges and reds and yellows were more beautiful than the ones back home."

Professor Quirrel emerged at the top of the stairs, a furious McGonagall towing two high-fiving third years behind him.

"Off to class now, all of you!" Professor McGonagall ordered.

Willow turned back to Oliver. "I'll see you later, Oliver."

"Bye, Willow," Oliver said, a sheepish smile on his face.

Willow made her way into the dungeons, her roommates whispering behind her about how hot or cute Oliver was, how lucky Willow was that he would talk to her, etcetera. Rolling her eyes, Willow entered the chilly Potions classroom. Draco Malfoy was already at their shared table.

"Still shivering, Draco?" Willow teased.

"You wish," Draco replied, visibly trembling.

"Looks like my wish came true."

"Shut up, dork."

"Prick."

The lesson began promptly, Snape having them scribble down the ingredients and steps for brewing a new potion. As soon as he was finished, Willow gathered the supplies for them. Draco took up his usual role of actually brewing the potion while Willow prepared the ingredients.

"It's a shame that you can't go home for Christmas," Draco drawled.

"Here we go again," Willow sighed. "I can't wait for you to go home to your precious Mummy and get out of my hair. I'm sure you'll have such an amazing Christmas, getting loads presents and all."

Draco's features contorted in anger. "Watch your mouth, traitor."

"Keep yours shut for once and I will, you son of a- "

"Not fighting here, are we, Miss Guerrero?" Professor Snape suddenly droned.

Willow furiously clamped her mouth shut, shaking her head.

"Good. Carry on, Mr. Malfoy. You're not failing miserably."

Snape floated away to torture the Gryffindor side of the room. Both Draco and Willow fumed silently, their potion bubbling away. When they finally finished the potion, they had a half hour of extra time before class ended. Draco slumped into his chair while Willow sat on top of their table. They faced away from each other, tensions high.

"Why do you have to brag about everything and make people feel bad?" Willow breathed.

"I don't know, why do you have to be so annoyingly sensitive?" Draco shot back.

"Do you seriously want me to be sensitive? Trust me, you haven't seen anything even close to resembling sensitive."

"Believe me, I have..." Draco muttered.

"For real, though, what is your problem with asserting your dominance and blood status? Is that some sort of guy thing? Because Harry and Ron certainly haven't been doing that, so I'm guessing it's just a Slytherin thing. Or am I wrong, Draco?"

"You're wrong, Wisp, dead wrong," Draco growled, staring Willow straight in the eyes.

"Then tell me how I'm wrong, exactly. I'd love to hear it."

Draco turned his back on Willow. "Leave me alone, Willow."

"I'd rather not."

"I said leave me alone."

Willow sighed. "Look, Draco, if you don't want to tell me what's up, that's fine, but I can't help you if you won't let me. Do you hear me? I want to help you."

Draco wheeled around to meet Willow's eyes, a clear cut of two evenly expressed emotions blasting Willow's senses. "What can you help me with?"

Willow had to remind herself to keep her mouth shut, in shock. There were only two things clearly expressed by Draco in that moment, and they were regret and anger. Draco was split. What was going on behind the scenes that was making him this way?

"You can't help me," Draco said, his manner deescalating into his normal, smug self. "After all, I'm perfect."

"I totally believe that," Willow said sarcastically.

"Wisp, are you jealous that I get a boatload of presents and you don't?"

"I don't know, Blonde, does it look like I care?"

"It does, actually."

Willow rolled her eyes at the smirk on Draco's face. "God are you annoying."

"No one could possibly be more annoying than you."

"Take a look at my roommates and tell me that again."

"Okay, besides them."

The bell rang, signalling the end of class. Willow was on her feet immediately.

"Happy Holidays, Blonde," Willow called over her shoulder on her way out.

"Happy Christmas, Wisp!" Draco sneered back.

"Willow, teach me your ways!" Fay whined. "First the Weasley twins, then Oliver, now Draco! How do you get all the guys?"

"I'll have to tell you all about it sometime."

Willow headed to lunch, not feeling up for a chat with her roommates. She was exhausted and dejected for some odd reason. It was a given that she would get absolutely nowhere with Draco before the Holidays. So why was she so upset about getting snippy with him like usual instead of holding a progressive conversation? The boy wasn't willing to compromise, and everyone knew that. Willow wished that she knew his backstory a little better, maybe some way to get into his head, or even have an edge on him to force him to talk.

She shook her head. Spending all that time with Draco was making her think like the little prick. Willow arrived at the Great Hall, where she found Hagrid trying to bring an enormous tree through the double doors.

"Oh, Hagrid! Let me help you with that."

"Hey, Willow! That woul' be loverly. I've only got a few more trees ter get through."

Willow helped flatten the branches of the pine trees and maneuver them through the doors, Hagrid carrying each tree to a new place within the Great Hall. A crowd began to build up down the hall as students gathered in wait for lunch. Willow was about to help Hagrid with the last tree when a piercing whistle got Willow's attention. She cast about for the source of the noise until she pinpointed Fred and George beckoning her from the top of the stairs in the Entrance Hall.

"Sorry, Hagrid, someone's calling me," Willow apologized.

"That's quite alright, Willow," Hagrid boomed, his ruddy face cheerful as ever. "I think I see Harry and Ron coming this way, anyway. Go on! Happy Holidays!"

"Happy Holidays to you too, Hagrid!"

Willow ran across the hall and up the few steps to where the twins were standing, mischievous smiles on their faces.

"I'd know that look anywhere," Willow said. "What did you do this time?"

"Well, it's kind of complicated," George began.

"You see, we were having a bit of fun with Professor Quirrel- "

"Bloody timid, that man is- "

"Anyway, you probably saw the snowball fight- "

"And Professor McGonagall dragging us back in here."

Willow nodded. "I'm pretty sure half of Hogwarts saw that. Brilliant, it was."

"We thought it might be."

"But Professor McGonagall took us up to her room and gave us warnings instead of deducting points- "

"And now we have a punishment to serve."

"Wow, I never would have guessed!" Willow said sarcastically. "What do you have to do this time? Clean the toilets? Scrub the dungeons? Write lines?"

"Actually, it's not that kind of punishment at all."

Fred and George exchanged a knowing look. Willow raised her eyebrows, curious now as to what they had to do.

"What kind of punishment is it, then?"

"Professor McGonagall has a special assignment for us, since it is the Holidays and all," Fred explained.

"She has requested that we spread Christmas spirit in any way that is within reasonable boundaries."

Willow's pulse quickened. They were getting specific instructions from Professor McGonagall herself to disregard some rules in order to entertain the school? She couldn't have picked a better pair of students to do it.

"Are you asking that I join you in this conquest?" Willow said.

"Only if you're in the mood for some flying, avoiding teachers, and surprising students."

"When am I not?"

"Let's get going, then!" Fred urged, leading them off towards the Gryffindor locker rooms.

The group of three dashed through the corridors, startling several students. They picked up Paige along the way. She didn't even ask what they were doing before tagging along, realizing they were about to execute a grand scheme of theirs. They reached the locker room and flicked on the lights.

"Okay, so we're going to need four brooms, Paige, can you grab those?" George said.

"On it," Paige replied, opening the broom closet. Fred set down his pranking bag that he had brought and unloaded a few things.

"Alright, so here's the plan."

Fred and George discussed the few simple steps with Paige and Willow, and they were off.

"Are they in position?" Willow asked Paige.

"Yep. Here comes the signal."

The two girls waited on their broomsticks, opposite the twins, poised to dive through the windows and into the Great Hall. A pack was loaded onto each of their backs.

"You sure you've got fancy enough flying for this, Hot Shot?" Paige questioned.

"Positive."

"Just remember, if you fall, I will watch and laugh," Paige reminded her.

"Good thing I won't fall," Willow retorted playfully.

The twins gave them a thumbs up, and they began their journey. Willow unzipped her backpack and darted across the room, banners trailing each of them, fireworks exploding in the space above her head. Astonished faces goggled at the sudden show.

"Happy Holidays!" the twins shouted in unison.

The biggest firework yet exploded, revealing a red-suited Santa flying his sleigh that actually moved across the Great Hall before bursting into more red-and-green lights.

"Hard left!" Paige shouted.

Willow remembered at the last second to swerve around the window directly across from where she started and back into the Great Hall through the adjacent one. The banners continued to unravel and stretch themselves along the ceiling, cheers erupting from the audience below as more fireworks banged into fun Christmas shapes. Willow could hardly wait when she reached the other side of the Great Hall and stopped in the window. Fred and George paused on the opposite side, wearing goofy grins, then gave the double-thumbs-up-signal. The four of them released their final fireworks at the same time, all four exploding in one big BOOM! that nearly shook the Great Hall.

"CANDY!" one of the first years shouted.

Indeed, that was their grand finale. The special fireworks they had just ignited explode to create a massive rain of candy. It showered the excited students below them, who nearly all abandoned their meals to catch as many chocolates as they could. Paige let out a joyous laugh that made Willow's heart do that weird jump again. She cursed at herself mentally, wishing she knew why it did that.

Maybe it's because she never laughs like that...? Willow thought. Or that she never laughs at all?

Whatever it was, it was immediately pushed out of Willow's mind, as the final steps of their plan had to be completed. Paige and Willow waved as they did a final fly-by, then rejoined the twins amid a loud chorus of applause from the students below. They flew out of the windows and into the night sky.

"That actually went according to plan!" George exclaimed once they were far above the castle.

"That's new," Paige commented.

"You can thank McGonagall for making it easier on us," Fred said.

"Still, that was one of your best ones yet!" Willow said.

The four students returned their broomstick to the locker room, then high-fived each other on the way out, excited as all get out.

"Winter Holidays are going to be so much better this year," Paige said.

"Well, duh, you have us to hang around this time," Fred dramatically said.

Paige smirked at Willow. "Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of the fact that Willow is here. She's more interesting than the both of you combined."

Willow merely smiled at the twins' dumbfounded expressions. "I couldn't agree more."

"You stuck-up little first year," Paige teased.

"Hey, you said it, not me!"

The four students were met with much praise and enthusiasm when they entered the Great Hall. Lee had to usher them to their spot at the Gryffindor table in order to not be overtaken by too many excited students. Willow put up with her roommates badgering her about sharing some of her new popularity with them, then enjoyed the amazing brisket that only appeared during feasts like this one. She chatted a bit with Hermione and Neville about their Christmas at home. Eventually, the feast ended, and the Gryffindors all headed to the common room.

"I'm exhausted," Willow yawned upon arrival. "I think I'm going to turn in early and unpack my stuff since I'm staying here."

"Alright. Nice flying with you, Willow," Fred winked.

"Goodnight, Willow. I'll handle the paparazzi for you," Paige promised.

"Night."

Willow unpacked her trunk, replacing everything into her dresser as it had been before. Then, she flopped face-first into the pillow, shut her eyes, and was asleep within seconds.

Her sleep was not exactly restful.

Willow's eyes fluttered open, her surroundings unfamiliar. Her ears were bombarded with explosions and loud crackling sounds. Fear punched Willow in the gut with an iron fist, launching her onto her feet and into a sprint. She was completely disoriented and had no idea where she was running to or from what.

Smoke and soot clogged the air, burning Willow's lungs. Her eyes were shut tight against the cloud of darkness. She refused to open them until she was out of the majority of the pollution. When she did, Willow wished she hadn't.

A battlefield was laid out before her, stretching from the base of the hill to a point at least two kilometers beyond where Willow was standing. Witches and wizards dressed in old garments charged at each other from opposite sides of the field. Wands were casting spells every which way, filling the air with jets of light that hissed and sizzled, banged and cracked. Craters dotted the field with black holes full of carnage. Bodies were cast here and there, some being trampled in the new onslaught. Willow thought she was going to be sick. She started to run away from the screams of dying witches and wizards when a woman's voice echoed crystal clear in her ears.

Stop, please!

Willow froze in her tracks, slowly turning on her heel. A woman was keeled over, a cruel-looking man directing his wand at her head. He twisted his mouth in a frown.

You made your choice. Step aside.

Willow's eyes widened when she noticed a child cowering beneath the woman's torso, trembling with fear. She choked on her own air. Was the man about to kill the child?

Please, I beg you! Take me instead! the woman pleaded.

I do not show mercy to traitors like you! Move!

The woman cried out as she was shoved aside. Willow felt tears run down her face just as similar ones dropped off the woman's nose. The man raised his wand, pointed it at the back of the now running child, and grinned wickedly as a jet of green light exploded out of the end of it. Willow covered her hand with her mouth, a large, painful lump stuck in her throat, preventing her from even breathing correctly. The woman was beside herself, holding her limp child in her arms. Pangs of empathy buckled Willow's knees as she found that she, too, was unable to stand anymore. The man fired another spell at the woman and purposely missed by a few inches.

Stand up and fight, coward!

The woman tensed, her tears suddenly ceasing. She slowly stood up, fists clenched, a fiery anger in her eyes as she faced the man. He took a step back in surprise.

May this be a warning to all the generations, the woman commanded in a voice that sounded as if it carried the weight of the planet. Willow thought the whole world must have heard it, as the entire battlefield halted in its tracks, staring at the scene that was unfolding. Even the wind held its breath.

From this day on, every new war that springs up among wizards will be cursed. A child will be born with the powers to sway the outcome. But wherever they may go, death follows. You have been warned!

The man bristled with a mixture of fear and anger. Lies!

Strike me down, and you will learn the truth.

The man, infuriated and wild with uncontrollable insanity, raised his wand and screamed, AVADA KEDAVRA!

In a blast of green light, the woman was dead. But her body fell, as if in slow motion, and shook the ground when she fell. Her words echoed through the very core of the Earth. There wasn't a single witch or wizard standing after the powerful vibration rocked everyone's world. Then, when the dust cleared, a single sentence could be heard.

You have made your choice.

Willow gasped awake, cold sweat running down her body. She panted hard, her chest heaving, her mind racing. What did that dream even mean? Willow wondered who, or what, was showing her all of this in her dreams. Was it the voice in her head, or someone else? Whoever it was, Willow wanted them to either stop completely or explain themselves before she exploded. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't anyone tell her anything?

The time was nearly seven, and the rest of the girls were beginning to stir. Willow sighed as she realized that they were going to be gone within the next few hours. As much as they bothered and annoyed her, she was going to miss their company. They were right about what they said yesterday- they were like a miniature family. A dysfunctional, ridiculous, goofy, magical Hogwarts family. Willow promised herself that she would make more of an effort to spend time with her roommates after the Holidays.

"Morning, Willow," Parvati mumbled.

"Good morning, Parvati."

"Do you have everything packed yet, Mia?" Lavender yawned.

"Yeah," the girl replied, face-down on her pillow.

Willow had to help drag a few of the girls out of bed. They woke up fairly quickly once they got up and moving, however, as the prospect of going home motivated most of them even more than a new hair style.

An hour later, Willow was standing by the doors of the Great Hall, hugging Hermione and Neville goodbye.

"I'll miss you guys!" Willow said. "Don't eat too much chocolate without me!"

"I'll try not to," Hermione giggled. "You'll keep searching for any book on Nicholas Flamel, correct?"

"Correct," Willow promised.

"Happy Christmas, Willow," Neville said, awkwardly hugging her with bright red cheeks.

"Happy Holidays, Neville!"

The two were gone within minutes, the Hogwarts express whistling and chugging away. Willow sighed, wishing she could go with them, maybe see her father for a change. But he was right. This was for her own personal safety, not to mention his. Willow was so distracted by her thoughts that she almost ran into Paige.

"Oh, hi!" Willow burst out.

"Watch where you're going, first year," Paige teased.

The girls spent the day together, mainly lounging about in the library. It was a ghost town in the castle that was usually busting at the seams with students running about from class to class. Willow liked the change, mainly because she didn't have a an older Slytherin in her face about something, anything they found "wrong" with her. Paige was much nicer than at least ninety-five percent of the lot, despite her grumpy attitude. Willow would take her over Draco any day.

That night, Willow couldn't sleep. She was all alone in her dorm for the first time in what seemed like forever. Yes, she had slept alone for years on end before, but now that was used to sleeping in the same room as other girls, she didn't want to revert back to the loneliness. Willow gave up trying to rest around midnight and escaped into the common room. The last few coals were glowing softly in the fireplace, illuminating Willow's gem-like eyes. She added a log to the fire and slumped in the couch closest to the window.

As her eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of life, Willow wondered what all of her friends were up to. They were most likely home by then, catching up with their families, enjoying each other's company. Willow desperately wished that she too was at home, getting ready for Christmas with her dad and grandparents. What she wouldn't give to take a stroll in the garden, maybe search out a few good books in the library, even spend some time climbing the beams in her high-ceilinged living room. She dearly missed everything about home. The thought of her mother ruining it for all of them, though, was enough to keep her firmly decided to stay at Hogwarts.

You should not dwell on unhappy thoughts, the voice said.

Willow nearly jumped out of her skin. For the love of God, stop doing that!

It's not like I can give a warning.

At least introduce the fact that you're about to speak to me before reading my mind! Willow retorted.

I'll try.

Willow felt a sudden tugging in her chest, as if her asthma was acting up again. But this was different. It was triggering something in her brain to pull her towards the Forbidden Forest, her chest tightening further as the sensation grew stronger and more precise. Willow was on her feet fairly quickly, clutching her chest, shouting at the voice in her head.

What are you doing!

I'm not doing anything. Maybe if you'd let yourself try new things for once it would go away.

Willow's hands twitched with the pleasing thought of strangling the woman that was speaking to her.

That's not going to work, you know.

Stop reading my mind!

I'm in it. That's a rather difficult request.

Screw you.

Just go get your map and your jacket already! I promise the pain will go away! God, are you ornery!

Willow unwillingly obeyed, grabbing her jacket and map from her room before nearly tripping herself to get out of the common room. She allowed her feet to naturally follow the direction of the pulling. It was as if a rope was tied in between her lungs and a person was reeling her in. Willow cursed for the millionth time whoever was doing this to her, missing being in control of her own body and mind.

Once outside of the castle, Willow's legs broke into a run, carrying her increasingly faster towards the end goal. The pain in her chest lessened considerably by the time she streaked past Hagrid's hut. Willow was still sprinting uncontrollably after she crossed the Forbidden Forest's boundary.

Um, what's happening?! Willow shouted.

You'll see. Let it happen.

I don't have much other choice!

Willow's limbs were moving themselves by the time she found herself standing at the base of the tree she had climbed all those months ago. She scrambled up the trunk, not even breaking any branches in the process. Suddenly, Willow emerged from the canopy of the tree, and a feeling like cold water being dumped on her head washed over her entire body, returning the ability to control her extremities to Willow. She blinked slowly, unsuccessfully trying to process what just happened, and pulled herself up the rest of the way until she was sitting on top of the tree.

Now what? Willow asked.

Duh, what did you do last time? the woman replied.

Why do I get the feeling that I'm only going to hate you more in a few short minutes?

Your feelings are usually correct, are they not?

Willow shook her head to get the conversation out of it, then fished the constellation map out of her pocket. Glancing up at the starry universe above her head, Willow's eyes shone with wonder, the scene appearing even more magnificent than the last time she had seen it. Willow tore her eyes away from the glittering expanse of space with great effort. She tapped the piece of metal that was the map and watched it unfold into a sturdy rectangle half the size of a classroom blackboard, weighing almost nothing. Then, she held it up, comparing it to the sky.

"Woah," Willow breathed.

The constellation map was exactly the same, but it had another feature that made it more interactive: every time Willow moved it, the entire map would zoom in on whichever area she was looking at, the names and background information on every feature showing up in turn. Willow wondered if her astronomy teacher knew about this ultimate cheat-sheet. Probably not.

Mesmerized by the beautiful expanse that was an exact copy of the sky, Willow brought her finger up to the map and gently brushed it with the tip of it. She accidentally yelped out loud when it sent out a lightning-fast ripple that changed the face of the map completely.

There was no longer a map of the stars, but several squares depicting very different scenes. First, Willow saw her father's downcast, exhausted face glowing in the light of a candle, a book under his nose. Then, there was her mother, cackling along with her family at the dinner table. Last, there was Willow, staring back at herself. She gaped confusedly at all the scenes trying to grab her attention at once. There were at least ten squares, and Willow couldn't understand what most of them were even trying to show her.

This will make sense, all in due time, all in due time, the voice assured.

Why can't you explain it to me now? Willow frustratedly demanded.

It will not be so easy to understand all at once. First, you must gain knowledge through your experiences. During the summer, when you return home, you may begin to realize what all of this is.

Willow crossed her arms, letting the map collapse into the wallet-sized piece of metal it usually appeared as. There it was again; would anyone ever be able to tell her anything without talking in riddles?

Willow was so unhappy that she was able to concentrate her emotions into shape-shifting. She was soon a hawk, screeching into the night sky, flying nowhere in particular, her only aim to let off some steam. She fumed, beating her wings with all the strength she possessed.

Be careful, you might-

Shut up, I don't want to talk to you! Willow cut off. All you do is draw me in, get my hopes up, and then leave me out in the cold. Can't you sense emotions, lady? Or are you just as heartless as I thought you were?

There was no answer for a long while. Pent up with anger, Willow bellowed with an ear-splitting cry that must have woken up half the world. She bashed through trees, scattering leaves everywhere, disturbing several animals' sleep. Willow didn't care at that point. She was nearly seeing red, she was so angry.

I never got the chance to raise a teenager. It's been a long time since I've worked with one.

Willow literally fell out of the sky. She thudded hard into the ground, back in her human form. Groaning, Willow slowly rolled over, rubbing her joints.

Since when did you get all touchy-feely on me?

Never. But you're right. It is unfair. I would tell you everything at once if it wouldn't get you killed.

Willow's blood ran cold. What do you mean, get me killed?

If you knew the truth about everything, Willow, you and everything you hold dear would be at risk of dying a painful death. That is why I can't tell you anything.

Willow swallowed, the gravity of the situation shifting from light to crushing. I see.

Now you understand. I will reveal things to you slowly. When the time is right, you will know all you need, and the rest will reveal itself to you. Trust me when I say that you will know everything soon, that this will not remain a secret much longer.

Good. Because I'm about to explode. This is important, life-changing information about myself, you know!

Willow swore she could hear slight laughter in the back of her mind. You are a funny one. Fly back, Willow. You've discovered enough tonight. You need your rest.

Alright. Goodnight, voice-lady.

Goodnight, Willow.

Transforming back into a hawk, Willow glided above the treetops until she was back inside the walls of Hogwarts. She flew through the corridors until she exited the stairs only a hallway away from the Fat Lady. Not wanting to risk being seen and reported on by the big-mouthed woman, she changed back into a human before waking her up and giving the password. Willow crawled through the portrait tunnel and emerged in the common room.

The first thing she noticed was that the fire was much bigger than she had left it. Second was shadow lounging on the couch. Third and final was the tsking of a low, familiar female voice.

"Well, well, it looks like our very own Willow Guerrero has finally made an appearance," Paige said.

"You got me," Willow surrendered, staying put next to the portrait. "What are you going to do now? Turn me in?"

"Nah, I was thinking more along the lines of keeping this a secret so that you owe me a favor in the future."

"You sadistic little- !"

Willow was cut off by Paige's laughter. "Come here, ickle first year. You've got plenty to learn."

Paige got up off the couch, scooped her up wedding-style, and carried her up the stairs into the third-year girls dormitory, which was also empty at this time of year. Willow giggled as Paige threw her into one of the beds.

"Now you really owe me," Paige declared, flopping into her own bed.

"You're the one that's dragging me everywhere against my will!" Willow reminded her.

"Eh, you didn't put up a very good fight to stop me."

Willow conceded the point, letting a comfortable silence fall between her and Paige. Finally, right before she drifted off to sleep, Willow spoke in a sleepy mumble.

"Paige?"

"Yeah?"

"Were you lonely too?"

A deep understanding passed between the two before Paige admitted, "Yes."

Willow floated into a deep sleep, a comforted smile etched into her face.


	10. Year 1: Chapter 10

Paige had to wake up Willow the next morning at half past seven. Willow was trudging sleepily through the hallways five minutes later, completely disoriented and confused as to why she had slept so long. Normally, her body didn't care when she went to bed, forcing her to get up at early hours even when she needed the rest. Paige found it quite amusing.

"I thought I was the meanest anyone could get in the morning."

"Shut up."

"You still owe me."

Willow cracked a smile. "I'm aware."

"You know I can make you do anything I want."

"And I'm willing to do it."

Paige smirked. "You better be. I'd watch out if I were you."

"Okay."

The two girls reached the Great Hall. It was so empty compared to usual, the tables only housing a handful of students each. Willow recognized a few girls at the Ravenclaw table.

"Mandy, Lisa!" she called. "You're staying on for the Holidays?"

"I'd rather stay here than go to my Godawful house," Mandy said, as if it were a plain, cheerful, everyday thing to say, catching Willow off guard.

"Do you want to come sit with us?" Willow invited, noticing that they were the only first years at their table.

"Sure. Come on, Lisa."

Mandy and Lisa got up and situated themselves to the left of Willow. Harry, Ron, and the Smith twins were across from her, shyly trying not to make fools of themselves in front of the pretty new girls.

"Oh, come off it, you two," Paige snorted. "I will give you two something to turn red about."

Lisa, Mandy, and Willow giggled while the boys gawked at Paige. She simply ignored them and pulled out a book, laying down with her head on George's lap, who didn't even seem fazed by it. The other pair of twins stared expectantly at Willow.

"Sally and Samuel Smith, this is Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin," Willow introduced.

"Nice to meet you guys," Mandy greeted, shaking their hands from across the table. Lisa, being her usual skittish self, simply nodded in the twins' direction, a shy smile spreading across her face. It didn't seem to bother the Smith twins.

Willow, Mandy, Lisa, and her fellow Gryffindor friends chatted and made small talk throughout breakfast, mainly getting to know a few things about one another. Ron and Harry never lost that red tint to their cheeks, however. Willow helped the conversation along by changing the subject constantly, being used to smalltalk and trying to turn it into conversations. Lisa even spoke a few times. By the end of breakfast, everyone's spirits were a bit higher. Willow was about to walk out of the Great Hall with her friends when she realized that Lisa hadn't eaten a bite the entire time. She quickly grabbed an apple and caught up with the dark-haired girl.

"Lisa, did you forget to eat?" Willow asked.

A momentary expression of panic flitted across Lisa's face, but she covered it well. "Oh, silly me! I might have."

"Here," Willow said, tossing her the apple. "I forget every once in a while, too."

Lisa caught the fruit in her hand and gazed up at Willow with warm, watery brown eyes. "Thank you, Willow."

"Anytime."

"Hey, Turnip!" Mandy called. "You coming?"

Lisa gave Willow one last glance of appreciation and flew down the corridor. Willow sighed, staring after her new friends, almost hearing the page turn. She had a good feeling about what these new friendships would mean.

Willow suddenly found herself staring at the ceiling, her body suspended in mid-air. She gasped but soon was looking up at a familiar face.

"Top of the morning to you, Paige," Willow joked.

"Oh my God. No. No more puns. My brain is on vacation. Do you want me to drop you?" Paige threatened.

"Please, don't!" Willow squealed.

"Oh, well, in that case, I'll be going," Paige said, dipping Willow even further back.

"No, no, don't let me fall!" Willow begged.

"What's that? Let you fall?"

Paige pretended to drop Willow, removing her hands for a millisecond before putting them back under Willow.

"Did you lose the ability to walk, Willow? Oh no, I guess I'll have to carry you. What a shame."

Willow giggled while Paige carried the first year through the corridors. She kicked and squirmed a little bit, but remained in Paige's strong, safe arms. They passed the boys, who snickered at the sight of their friend. Willow let her body go limp and gazed up at the boys with longing, sad eyes, prompting more laughter. She didn't notice the corner of Paige's mouth twitch. When they arrived back at the Gryffindor common room, Willow was surprised when she was almost thrown at Fred.

"Here, take this for a second," Paige ordered.

Fred stumbled backwards and almost dropped an incredulous Willow.

"I'm 'this' now? Not even a witch?" she scoffed.

"Yep."

Fred glanced once at Willow before setting her on the ground, knowing that Willow wasn't capable of close contact for too long. In fact, Willow surprised herself by how she naturally let Paige handle her like she had all year, not being one for hugs or even crowds, for that matter. What was it about that grumpy third year that was different?

Whatever it was, Willow was glad that she had a friend like Paige. She appreciated the thought that her group of friends from Gryffindor would not be complete without the short but feisty goalkeeper.

"Have you ever watched a movie, Weasleys?" Paige asked, leaning out of her door frame.

"What's that?" Ron said.

Paige face palmed. "Seriously, I thought you had at least gone to a theater. Help me get this down there, will you?"

Willow watched Paige and the the twins carry down a few familiar muggle things. Harry got a bit excited, also recognizing the semi-common muggle items. Ron was completely confused.

"Will someone explain to me what this 'movie' is?"

"It's similar to a photograph- a wizarding one, that is- but multiple ones that extend several seconds," Willow informed. "I wish I could describe it better, but it's much easier if you just watch."

Paige moved one of the high tables a little ways behind the couch, set a projector on it, and hooked up a few wires, Fred and George stepping back and mentally taking notes.

"I've got it," Paige puffed. "There. All set up to the power source. Now all I need is to insert this..."

Paige put in the tape, then jumped over the backrest of the couch, flopping into all the cushions. A square, moving image flickered to life above the fireplace. Paige motioned for everyone to join her.

"My nanny sent me this when it finally came out on VHS," Paige explained. "I love football movies."

"Soccer movies?" Harry asked.

"No, American football. You'll see."

The movie began, and everyone's eyes were transfixed on the scene. Willow quickly realized this was a comedy, having had the privilege to see a few of these in theaters before. She soon figured out why Paige loved these so much. The guys bickered and bantered, the story unfolding into a series of hilarious occurrence after hilarious occurrence. There couldn't have been a better choice to introduce the star-struck Weasleys into the world of motion pictures.

Somewhere around halfway through the movie, Willow was relaxing on her side of the couch when Paige laid herself on Willow's lap. Surprised, Willow raised her eyebrows, but Paige simply stared at the screen as if nothing had happened. She was slightly confused by this new closeness thing Paige was doing with her. Since when had either of them, especially Paige, been one to like touching another person? It was all very different to Willow. She had yet to decide whether it was an improvement or a setback in their friendship.

Whatever she would decide, Willow was uncharacteristically more comfortable with the third year lounging on her than without. She decided to just go with it. A few parts of the movie caused some laughter around the room, one time even making them all have tears leaking out of their eyes it was so funny. By the end, they were all in high spirits, barely containing themselves from clapping for the actors' performances.

"That was bloody brilliant!" George remarked.

"You have got to show us more of those."

"But don't let our dad get a hold of them!"

"He's obsessed with every somewhat interesting Muggle thing."

"Glad you liked it," Paige acknowledged.

"How did you manage to get that in your trunk along with all your other things?" Willow wondered. "I need to take note for next year! There's so many Muggle things I wish I could have brought with me..."

"A nice charm I learned from nowhere," Paige replied coyly.

There was a bit of a conversation concerning the movie and a few Muggle odds and ends, and it was nearly lunch time. Willow was lounging on the couch, her cheeks burning red from laughing too hard, when Paige asked a question that threw her off guard.

"Do you have a nickname, Willow?"

Eyebrows shooting up, Willow thought back to her childhood. Her father had several names for her, but none of them nicknames, and Draco's name for her was more an insult just between them than anything. She decided to reply, "No, I've never had one."

"What would you say if I called you Will?"

Willow shrugged, her heart warming as if it had been waiting for someone to call her that for a long time. "It's fine with me."

"Will it is, then."

Willow smiled, internally cursing at herself for the fluttery feeling. The boys finished their side conversation and got themselves up from the couches and chairs.

"I'm already hungry again!" Ron exclaimed.

"When are you not?" the twins teased in unison.

The six were back in the Great Hall, where yet another meal took place. Willow found Mandy and Lisa again. By the time their conversations ended, along with lunch, Willow's mouth hurt from smiling so much more than usual. She was about to head back for a nap in the common room when Oliver caught her attention and pulled her aside.

"Hey, I was wondering where you where!" he greeted.

"Hello, Oliver!" Willow said. "I thought that all the Hufflepuffs had gone home when I didn't see you at breakfast this morning!"

"Sorry, I overslept."

Lisa and Mandy appeared on either side of Willow. Oliver's face fell slightly, his shyness getting the best of him.

"Oh, I don't think you've met these two yet," Willow said. "This is Mandy and Lisa, first year Ravenclaws."

"Hi, Oliver, right?" Mandy said.

Oliver nodded, his green swimming with conflicting interests. Mandy grinned.

"You and Lisa are going to get along just fine. Lisa's quite shy, too. Do you want to hang out in the Ravenclaw common room for the afternoon?"

"Sure!" Willow accepted.

Oliver willingly trailed behind Willow, his curiosity outrruling his reservedness. The girls lead them past the Weasleys and Paige, Willow promising that she'd be back for dinner, and up to the very top of a tall tower. Willow marveled at how high up the Ravenclaw common room was. She was way past the Forbidden Forest's highest trees, closer to the clouds more than anything. It was a very cool feeling for even Oliver, whose common room was underground.

Willow's eyes adjusted as the light dimmed slightly. A grand door with no knobs stood twice Willow's height, polished to perfection with a dark mahogany color. A bronze eagle's eyes pierced straight through Willow when she glanced at the knocker. Lisa stepped up to it, tapped the door three times, and the eagle sprang to life, spreading its wings and taking up an authoritarian position.

"I travel as fast as lighting, am brighter than the sun, and I'm always shining somewhere."

"Wow, they must go easy on us during the Holidays," Mandy remarked. "Light."

The eagle nodded, shrunk down to its former still form, and the door slowly swung open. Oliver's eyes went wide.

"You have to answer a riddle to get into your own common room?"

"Yeah, but normally they're much more difficult than that," Mandy said.

"What if you can't get it?"

"Well, you're kind of stuck outside."

"I'd be stuck out here forever."

The three girls laughed light-heartedly and entered the common room, Oliver following their lead. Willow gasped when she first laid eyes on the beautiful place.

Bookshelves were tucked into every nook and cranny possible, every single one of them overflowing with books of varying ages. Some were falling apart and barely had any attached pages, while others were brand new and filled the room with that new book smell that Willow loved. They rose high towards the domed ceilings, magically-moving ladders providing a way to reach them. The ceiling itself was more expansive than Willow could ever imagine, her eyes not able to take in the reality of it all. It was painted by what must have been a very talented artist. Intricate patterns and tiny details told countless stories of bravery, rags-to-riches, opportunity, war, peace, and many other tales that Willow hoped to learn one day. The whole circular room was washed in bright, natural light, and the walls were pure white. Only the carpeting gave way to a new color, which was a mixture of brown, red, and gray. Willow had no idea where to begin.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Mandy breathed, shaking Willow from her thoughts.

"I wish my library back at home was this amazing," Willow replied.

"You have a library in your house?" Lisa squeaked.

"Yes, actually," Willow replied, her cheeks slightly reddening.

"Wow!"

Mandy and Lisa lead Willow and Oliver to the opposite side of the room, where a single door stood sealed tightly. Lisa tapped it in a fancy pattern and it swung open to reveal two symmetrical spiraling staircases that ascended far above their heads. Willow blinked a few times, thinking her eyes were deceiving her. But they weren't. Mandy and Lisa giggled at the expressions of shock on Willow and Oliver's faces.

"Cool, isn't it?" Mandy remarked.

"Beyond that," Willow breathed.

The Ravenclaw girls took the two visitors up and up and up, as the first-year dorms were at the very top. Girls were on the left, boys on the right, same as the Gryffindor arrangement. An enormous panel of glass showered light into the staircase, taking up the whole side of the tower across from the common room entrance. Every single door was decorated with Ravenclaw colors and other banners that let the world know what year the inhabitants were. At the top platform, the four stopped in front of a door that proudly proclaimed Fearless First Year Girls. Mandy opened the door and let the other three in before shutting it behind them.

Willow was quite possibly even more amazed by the dormitory than the common room. Even more bookshelves lined the walls, and expansive windows separated the beds. These were fancier four-poster beds that reminded Willow of some architecture within her own home. Quotes from famous witches, wizards, authors, scholars, Muggles, and others scrawled here and there across the walls in looping cursive wherever there was room. The walls were sky blue and contained moving fluffy clouds. A trail of unlit candles floated above the beds, Willow guessing that they were for reading late into the night. Random artifacts and maps were scattered about the room, levitating, splaying across the bookshelves and night stands, or even storing themselves away on the ceiling. Willow had no doubts that this was definitely a place of learning.

"Wow!" Oliver exclaimed. "It's beautiful!"

"Thanks," Mandy said. "You can sit on any of the beds. We figured out a spell that makes the beds make themselves."

Willow felt like the luckiest girl on Earth sitting on the beautiful bed, Oliver placing himself across from her. Mandy and Lisa lounged on what must have been their own beds.

"Consider yourself lucky, Oliver, because you're the first and only boy to enter this room without a globe heavily damaging your skull," Mandy said. Upon seeing Willow and Oliver's confused faces, she elaborated, "We have a defense mechanism just in case."

Oliver's cheeks went pink and he smiled shyly at the taller girl. Mandy clapped her hands together to bring down the atmosphere.

"So, we obviously don't know much about each other," Mandy began. "I know a few games that Muggles play to introduce themselves. Are either of you aware of any?" Oliver and Willow nodded. "That will makes things much easier. Alright, here's the game: I tell you something about myself, and you have to determine whether it's a truth or a lie. If you guess correctly, you get a point. If you guess wrong, you lose one. Also, if you're not too scared, please elaborate on the truth if you lie. I'll go first."

Oliver, Lisa and Willow listened in while Mandy gave her first statement.

"I was born in London."

"Lie!" Oliver and Lisa said.

"Truth?" Willow guessed.

Mandy smirked. "Truth. I was born in London, but moved to Scotland shortly after."

"Really? Then how do you speak English so well?" Willow questioned.

Mandy shrugged. "My parents spoke both English and Gaelic in both accents. I can do either one at will."

"Do it!"

Mandy cleared her throat, then spoke in a Scottish accent, "I am Mandy Brocklehurst, and according to my last name, I should be a badger that lives in a log, so I should actually be Hufflepuff. Can you believe that old hat placed me in Ravenclaw when my destiny was so obviously written in my birth certificate? I totally don't value learning, wisdom, and wit."

Oliver, Lisa, and Willow exploded into hysterical laughter. Mandy stood up, did a bow, and flopped back on her bed. Willow sensed that she was quite the entertainer.

"Alright, your turn, Willow," Mandy urged.

Willow paused for a moment, then said, "I live with my mother."

"True!" the Ravenclaw girls attempted.

"False!" Oliver declared, already knowing the answer.

"Oliver's right," Willow revealed, nodding at the boy. "My parents are divorced, and I live with my dad, not my mum."

"And you still live in a mansion?"

"Yep."

"Next person! Oliver, you're up."

Stuttering at first, then having an idea, Oliver said, "I live with my grandparents."

"Wow, so original, Oliver," Willow teased.

"False!" Mandy and Lisa declared in unison.

Oliver's cheeks deepened into a darker shade of pink, bringing out his freckles. "Actually, it's true. My- my parents are dead."

"Aw, Oliver, I'm sorry to hear that," Lisa nearly whispered. "I don't know what that's like, but it sounds like a horrible thing to go through."

Oliver shrugged. "It's really okay. I was pretty young, anyway, so it wasn't nearly as hard as if they had died more recently."

Willow noticed Mandy tense, swapping her joyful face for a guarded, melancholy one. But the moment was fleeting, and she hid it almost instantly.

"Alright, Lisa, you're up."

Lisa's eyes were thoughtful for a moment, then the girl said, "I play sports."

"True?"

"False?"

"True," Lisa giggled. "I used to play futbol and run cross country, but I gave them up a year ago."

"Hey, I play soccer!" Willow exclaimed. "Sorry, I mean futbol. American background. Why did you quit?"

Lisa glanced at her feet and quietly said, "Uh...heart condition."

"That's too bad," Oliver said.

The three went back and forth a bit about the sports they play/played, and Willow's mind drifted off to a very different topic. She was getting the idea that each person here was hiding something. Although she knew it wasn't her business, Willow had a strong desire to figure out every last bit of her new friends' pasts and current lives. She bit her lip in worry, though, when she remembered the last time she had done that, back in Muggle school. Willow had promised herself never to stick her nose into everyone's lives ever again, but this was critical. She was older now. They all were. Her friendships with other students would only continue to get stronger and more personal than she had ever dreamed was possible, and if they couldn't unload their worries onto her soon, would they ever?

Willow was an expert at listening to sob stories and real-life problems from other children. She had basically become the personal counselor of her Muggle friends, lending a hand to those who had fallen hard, giving those with a tough life a shoulder to lean on- or even cry on. Willow couldn't have cared less whether they turned around and stabbed her in the back afterwards; all she wanted was to never see someone suffer like she did after her family crisis. Lots of children only had minor friendship problems, but a few were at serious risk of descending down a dark path from which there was no return. Willow had saved them through much gritting of teeth, tough love, and gentle comforting when necessary. It had worked rather well. She didn't know how she knew just what to say or where she had learned the art from. It was kind of natural to her, second nature, almost.

Now, she was presented with a difficult task: her brand new friends, all of which could easily shut her out and never speak to her again, all were holding onto a secret that was itching to bust out. Willow wasn't about to let them drown in keeping those horrible things. Their stories were meant to be told. She desperately wanted to hear them and at least be there for her new friends when they needed her most.

Willow blinked hard, surprise shooting electricity through her veins. Since when do I care about people I hardly know so much? she asked herself. She barely knew Oliver, Lisa, Mandy, and Sue. Why did she care so much about them? It was almost like the voice in her head was screaming at her to get to know these people, that they were old friends waiting to be reunited with her. Willow knew with absolute certainty that she had never met these children before. Why did it feel like she had known them all her life?

"Uh, Willow? Willow? WILLOW!" Mandy shouted.

Willow's attention was snapped back into reality. "Sorry, I daydream quite a bit. Who's turn is it?"

"Mine again." Mandy stood up. "I have published my own song."

"False!"

"Ha! Losers. You're all wrong. It's true."

Willow's mouth hung open. "You've published your own song?"

"Indeed I have. Just last year, actually. But I haven't been able to get anything else in since- " Mandy cut herself off, waving her hand dismissively. "It's nothing."

"That's awesome!" Oliver said. "Do you play an instrument and everything?"

"One could say I'm decent with a guitar..."

"Play us the song, then! I'd love to hear it!"

"If you insist..."

Mandy reached under her bed and pulled out a beautiful white guitar, decorated with intricate designs and floral patterns. Taking a deep breath, Mandy started strumming a melodic, soft tune that entranced the three first-years within milliseconds.

"I don't know, I'm sorry, I can't answer that," Mandy sang in the most beautiful voice Willow had ever heard. "You've gone away, far beyond the horizon with the sun. I lay on the soft grass, crying my heart out, wondering, 'Where have the good times gone?'"

Mandy descended into the chorus, her voice filling the room with an atmosphere Willow always returned to when listening to a deep, heart-filled song. Her voice was as silky smooth as Swiss chocolate, the beautiful sound trickling into Willow's ears like a gentle stream, but with all the power of Niagara Falls. By the end of the song, everyone's eyes were misty, especially Oliver's.

"Wow, that was beautiful," Oliver choked out. "You better keep making songs."

"I will," Mandy promised. "On that happy note, who's next?"

The room lightened with a few giggles, Willow trying to scrape together her thoughts. A last-minute idea popped into her head.

"I am considered fluent in Spanish."

"False!" all three of her friends said.

"Ha! It's true!" Willow proclaimed. "Yo gano! Vosotros pierden!"

"Wow, you really do speak Spanish, because I don't understand a word you're saying, but it sounds close enough to me!" Mandy laughed. "Is your family Hispanic, or are you just some amazing genius that understands languages way better and faster than the rest of us?"

"My grandparents lived in Mexico, moved to America, and super long story short my parents moved to Britain."

"Cool!" Lisa said.

"Oliver, can you beat that level of cool?" Mandy challenged.

"Probably not," Oliver admitted, "but I'll try!"

The game continued on for a surprising two hours. All four of them shared embarrassing stories, learned fun facts about each other, and competed for who had the coolest attribute. Willow won by ranting in Spanish at them. She picked up a lot about her new friends, though. Lisa was actually very good at her sports before she gave them up, her parents were complete opposites of each other, and she was a completely nutty fan over Lord of the Rings. Willow and Lisa had quite the conversation about how awesome the elves were and how they wished that they would be real. Oliver and Mandy were decidedly lost after the first two sentences. Willow also figured out a ton about those two as well. Oliver's favorite color was pink, he did horribly in Muggle school except for English, and his favorite hobby was helping out with the musicals his high school that he would have went to as a Muggle put on. Mandy was a metamorphmagus, was the best runner in the area, and had confused an entire town one Halloween when she decided to change her appearance at every house to scare everyone.

"I think my brain is going to explode," Lisa complained.

"Too...much...information," Oliver dramatically puffed, flopping on a bed.

"Honestly, I'm surprised with you, Oliver," Willow said. "My roommates were telling me how shy you were and everything the other day. How come you aren't shy around us?"

Oliver's eyes shone with conflict for a moment, trying to decide whether to hide in his shell or not, then chose the latter. "I guess I only open up to certain people."

"Seriously?" Mandy raised her eyebrows. "I never thought I'd be one of those people.

"Me too," Willow chuckled. She returned her attention to Oliver. "One more question before you become a turtle again. Is it true that you literally didn't talk to anyone before you met me?"

Oliver smiled shyly. "Yeah."

"That makes me feel special."

"It better."

"Woah, someone's deciding to take a confident stride," Mandy observed.

Oliver blushed a little, a goofy grin on his face. Willow withheld her chortles for later.

"You're a lucky guy, just so you know. I've had to keep my obsessive roommates from showering you with love letters for months."

Oliver's eyes went wide. "R-really?"

"Really."

"I- I don't know why. I'm not any girl's type, really..." Oliver denied.

"Oh, shut it. You're adorable to pretty much every first year girl. They're practically fighting over you at this point."

Oliver opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it and quieted himself. A spark shot through Willow's brain that burned like fire. She cursed herself, wishing those random signals would stop. They'd been getting horrible lately, especially around Defense Against the Dark Arts, and for some odd reason, around Paige, too. She wondered if that was a part of her powers that she didn't understand yet.

"So, do you think we can officially call each other friends?" Mandy asked.

The four exchanged glances, shrugging their shoulders. 

"I say yes," Lisa voted.

"I second that action," Willow agreed.

"Whatever Willow just said," Oliver chipped in.

"Friends it is, then!" Mandy declared. "I'm sorry that Sue had to miss this. She would have had fun sharing stories with us. In fact, Sue had this one story from back when she was in China that was so embarrassing..."

"We'll have to save it for another time," Willow said.

"Hey! I have an idea!" Mandy suddenly interjected.

"What?"

"We could all meet up during the weekends to study together, maybe even here and there during the week, when school resumes!"

"That's a great idea!" Willow said.

"I've been hoping someone could help me with my Transfiguration," Oliver admitted. "Like I noted earlier, I'm absolutely awful at school."

"Don't worry, we'll help you until you can't stand us anymore!" Mandy promised.

"I can't wait!" Lisa squealed.

There was a small space of silence as the four processed their excitement, slightly worn out from all the fun they'd had. Eventually, Oliver suggested, "We should go to the Hufflepuff common room. I'm the only one that stayed for the Holidays, and I'm rather lonely without the usual buzz of others around..."

"Let's do it! I've always wanted to explore the Hufflepuff common room ever since an acquaintance of mine described it to me," Mandy said.

"Follow me, then."

Oliver led the way out of the Ravenclaw tower. They descended through countless corridors, taking a few unfamiliar shortcuts. The evening sun cast lengthening shadows on the ground, toning down the atmosphere to a peaceful chill. It became increasingly colder as the four first years traveled into the lower levels until Mandy and Lisa were shivering. Oliver promised that they would warm up as soon as they got into the common room. Soon, they were passing by the kitchens, and they reached a group of barrels that Willow had previously paid no attention to on her trips down there. Oliver rapped on them in a pattern that was even more complicated than the one used for the Ravenclaw door. The barrels rolled to the side to reveal a wooden door, which Oliver opened, inviting the girls inside.

"Welcome to my humble- well, barren- abode."

Willow immediately fell in love with the common room. The entire thing was partially underground, some high-up windows letting light in. Not surprisingly, it reminded Willow of a badger's den. The whole room was a cross between a hobbit hole and an animal's den. Soil barriers served as magically supported walls, giving an earthy, warm feel to the room. The furniture was fitting for the setting, as they all looked as if they were handcrafted with love and care by Helga Hufflepuff herself. In the middle of each wall was a fireplace. The couches and armchairs were spread in such a way that they were inviting but separate from each other, creating welcoming but defined spaces for groups of friends to hang out and catch up in. Willow deeply wished everyone knew how to perfect that social art. If anyone dared to say they were friendlier than a Hufflepuff, she was now prepared to take them down.

"Wow, check this out!" Mandy called.

Willow's attention was drawn to a smaller but still rather large room that she hadn't noticed to her right. It contained three long tables, all centered in the room, with stoves and cooking supplies lining the perimeter. Oliver grinned warmly when his eyes shifted to this side of the common room.

"A little known fact about us Hufflepuffs is that we hold house dinners every once in a while. Anyone who wants to join in can, anyone who doesn't can choose to stay out of it. There's quite a few spectacular chefs in the making. I'm pretty sure I've gained a few pounds from the last one."

"Wow, Oliver," Willow breathed. "That's the most I've heard you say at once in a long time, maybe ever."

Oliver blushed and fumbled with his words for a moment. "Well- I...I have a lot of house pride, though it may not seem like that's the truth all the time."

"I'm almost regretting telling the Sorting Hat I want Gryffindor instead of Hufflepuff!"

Oliver blushed even deeper, his cheeks now bright red. "Well, I can show you the rooms, if you want."

"Yes, please!" Lisa squealed.

Willow, Mandy, and Lisa followed Oliver into an tunnel that almost appeared freshly dug. Moisture hung in the air despite the dry cement walkway underneath their feet. The tunnel split off so many times that Willow lost count, but Oliver knew the way well and got them to the first year boy's dormitories in record time. Willow's normally stellar sense of direction was being challenged to the max.

"I thought I had a great sense of direction, then this," Willow remarked.

"Don't worry, it took us several weeks into the term until we didn't need help from the older students," Oliver comforted. "My sense of direction is actually average outside of this place."

"Noted."

"Well, welcome to our home!" Oliver announced, opening the door and holding it for his friends.

"Wow, this is cozy!" Lisa exclaimed.

The beds were all bunks, allowing fourteen instead of seven to be able to sleep. Hufflepuff did have a considerable amount of students, after all. The dorm was bigger than Willow's and much cozier, with one big window stretching across half the room, staying close to the ceiling. Being partially underground, the smell of fresh-growing life and pleasant herbs filled the air. Willow noticed how the room was mostly picked up, but still a slight mess. There were fourteen dressers hastily shoved against the wall opposite the window, all fourteen having at least one drawer ajar with clothes messily hanging out of it.. A large bathroom was off to her left. Oliver climbed into one of the top bunk beds and flopped down, sighing and staring out the window, his green eyes alight in the honey-gold light filtering through.

"This is quite the humble home, Oliver," Mandy commented. "I kind of like it."

Oliver turned to face her, raising his eyebrows. "Kind of?"

"Are you fishing for compliments now?"

Oliver smiled coyly. "No, it's just really cool to have friends from other houses in here that approve of it."

"Let me guess, other houses have higher standards?" Willow sighed.

"That, and they have too much house pride to see what's right beyond their noses."

The three girls burst into laughter, Oliver joining in.

"You know," Willow puffed, "if I were any other Gryffindor- God forbid Paige- you'd be dead right now, or trampled, or something absolutely horrific would happen to you. I don't even want to guess what a Ravenclaw would dream up for you."

"I'm well aware, and I say it's worth the risk," Oliver chortled.

"All I'm saying is watch your back!" Willow warned.

"Don't worry, I've been doing that since the first day of term just in case a Slytherin or someone else tries to pull something on me."

"Haven't we all?" Mandy said.

Their laughter descended into sighs, their ribs hurting from the bout. Willow liked to think that the entire Hufflepuff dwelling was laced with happiness that seeped into all that entered it. She was beginning to understand why every single Hufflepuff student she had ever met was the definition of compassionate.

"Are there really thirteen other boys that sleep in this room, Oliver?" Mandy wondered.

"Yes."

"And you've never said a single word to all thirteen?"

"Yep."

"That's hard to believe."

"It is for me, too, but every time I try to talk to them, I get scared and end up running away."

"Hey, that happens to me every time I try and talk to someone new," Willow said, smirking playfully. "You're not special or anything."

"Now I know why," Oliver teased. "You insult everyone you know."

"Ay dios mio," Willow groaned.

"What?"

"It's Spanish."

"Of course, what else should I expect?"

"Nothing but the most annoying first year Gryffindor girl possible as a ridiculous friend."

"What have I gotten myself into?" Oliver muttered to himself.

The boy's words had an unexpected impact on Willow. Discretely biting her lip, Willow felt worry well up like an icy river in the pit of her stomach.

More than you know, Oliver, a lot more than either one of us knows.

"Willow, how can you not do twenty push-ups?"

Panting hard, Willow fell face-first into the soft snow. Its cold, crisp, clean texture reinvigorated her just enough to supply her with an adequate amount of energy to finish the workout session Paige had designed for her. Ever since Willow had learned that the older girl worked out, she had been dying to ask her what she did to get so strong. She was paying the price for it.

"Come on! Get that butt down! Straighten out! Give me fifteen more and you're done!"

Willow's arms burned, her entire body aching. She completed five, then ten, and almost toppled over during her eleventh. Her chest was ready to explode from the strain.

"Four more, Guerrero! Don't make me force you to do them correctly!"

Willow counted down the last few agonizing repetitions.

Four...three...two...

Dizzy and disoriented, Willow did her final push-up and collapsed to the ground, rolling over and putting her hands above her head, her lungs screaming for air. Paige tried not to laugh and how quickly Willow had gone from excited to dying after only three sets of push-ups.

"Alright, that's enough!" Paige declared. "You're done for the day."

"Thank...you," Willow panted.

"God, you're such a weakling. I won't go so easy on you next time."

Willow let out a nervous chuckle, knowing that Paige was definitely capable of kicking her butt much worse than she had that morning. She grunted as she got to her feet, her chest still in pain, and stumbled for a few paces before straitening up. When she glanced at Paige, the older girl shook her head in mock disappointment.

"I'll make a warrior out of you yet, Guerrero."

"That's ironic, because Guerrero roughly means 'warrior' in Spanish."

"How many times do I have to tell you that my brain doesn't do anything relatively close the thinking on the weekends?"

"Until the day I die."

Paige groaned. "How did I get stuck with you?"

"Only God knows."

The girls sauntered along the perimeter of Hogwarts, the snow crunching beneath their feet. Willow's breaths were heavy and formed small clouds in the chilly air. They passed through a courtyard with a frozen fountain, then found the Weasley twins waiting for them in a nearby corridor.

"Were you stalking me again, Weasley?" Paige teased.

"No," they said in unison.

"What are you doing here, then?"

"We came here to steal Willow from you," Fred explained.

"Okay. Return her in one piece, preferably," Paige said dismissively. "Later."

Willow remained with the twins while they watched Paige swagger off in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. When she was gone, the twins excitedly motioned for Willow to follow them around a corner.

"I know that look. What are you two planning?" she asked.

"You better keep this a secret!" Fred said.

"It's a very special Christmas gift for our dear Professor Snape."

"I like where this is going. Can you give me a hint?"

"Not even one until we get out of earshot," George whispered. "If someone catches us this time, we're done for."

"This gets better and better. I'm totally in."

Fred and George pulled Willow down the hallways until they suddenly veered into a large, empty classroom. She had absolutely no idea where in the castle she was at that point, but she didn't care. All her worries disappeared when she was with the twins. They would never let anything bad happen to her during one of their plots.

The classroom had the look of abandonment, with a cluster of worn desks shoved into the far corner and old textbooks lying in a crumpled heap nearby. There was even some half-used chalk sitting on the blackboard. Fred and George had put it to use, a few drawings scattered on its dusty surface depicting plans for past and future pranks, some of which Willow even recognized. There was some supplies of theirs organized into piles along one of the walls. She sensed that this was some sort of headquarters for the boys, maybe even a sort of second home.

"Freddy, throw me the eraser, will you?" George ordered. "We're going to need the whole blackboard for this one."

"Think fast!"

Fred pelted his brother with the eraser, and a cloud of chalk dust enveloped George's face. He stood there with his eyes closed for a second before wiping them off and half-glaring, half-grinning at his twin.

"Hey, you said to throw it," Fred defended, spreading his hands in a gesture of innocence.

"Right. Anyone, here's what's going to happen."

Willow watched in stunned silence as George's hand flew across the blackboard, detailing several scenes of action, ending with a rather funny picture of Snape yelling at the three of them. She distracted the giggles trying to force their way out of her throat by studying the now completed plan in front of her, spanning the length of the wall.

"Freddy, care to explain?" George asked.

"You're the genius that's going to get blamed if this goes wrong," Fred countered.

George rolled his eyes light-heartedly. "Of course, the one who comes up with the plan always crashes and burns with it." Turning to Willow with bright eyes, George said, "It all starts with you, Willow. You are going to lure Snape out of the dungeons and go far away. I mean far away. We're going to need some time for this one. You have our personal permission to do anything you want- heck, blow up a toilet if you want. Anything to get Snape away. Fred find you and get you in position for phase two."

"Got it."

"Once we're all in position, we'll get going with phase two. I can't tell you what we're doing yet because Snape might somehow read your mind."

"I get it. Let's get going, then!"

Fred and George were nearly skipping down the hallways. Willow struggled to keep up with their pace. They took a few shortcuts, then made it into the dungeons. Snape's office was only meters ahead.

"We're going to hide," Fred whispered. "Wait until we're out of sight, then do your thing, Willow."

Willow gave them the thumbs up. The twins disappeared around a corner farther down the hall. Taking a deep breath, she drew her wand and pointed it at the wall.

"Reducto!"

A jet of light blasted the wall to bits. Willow took off a ways down the corridor and stopped when she heard Professor Snape emerge from his office. He glanced between the wall and Willow, then drew his own wand and bolted towards her. Forcing nervous laughter, Willow sprinted for her life, getting out of the dungeons as quick as possible, then making a break for the Great Hall.

"Guerrero, stop this instant!" Snape roared.

"No thanks!"

Snape was on her heels as Willow blasted a knight. He cursed loudly when it toppled sideways, the helmet glancing off his shoulder. Willow giggled and kept running. Snape recovered quickly and kept the chase. Every so often, Willow would choose a random object and flick her wand at it, destroying countless artifacts that Snape would repair on the run. She flew up several flights of stairs and managed to flee into one of the girl's bathrooms. Professor Snape didn't dare go in.

"Guerrero! Get out here now!"

"I don't think that would be any fun, though!" Willow whined.

"You will be punished for using magic recklessly outside of class!"

"It wasn't reckless. You repaired it right away," Willow said smugly.

Snape growled. "Get. Out. Here."

"No!"

"Guerrero!

"Nah."

"Five points from Gryffindor!"

"Really? Who keeps track of those, anyway? Is there some magical counter that your voice activates or- ?"

"Guerrero! Five more points from Gryffindor!"

"Fine," Willow sighed. "Here I come, Professor."

Stepping noiselessly to the side of the entrance where Snape couldn't see her, Willow transformed into a cat, then lumbered into the hallway. He almost didn't notice her. When she was around the corner and out of sight once more, Willow changed back into a human and poked her head into the corridor where Snape was. He stumbled backwards in surprise when he saw her.

"Catch me if you can!"

"Guerrero!"

Willow dashed around another bend and scrambled up the nearest flight of stairs. She flashed by the Gryffindor common room and headed back the way she had come, aiming to go for the library. Snape was still on her tail. Willow pushed herself to run faster, tumbling down the next flight of stairs and destroying a few in the process with another flick of her wand. She was almost to the library when she very narrowly missed careening into Paige.

"Woah, Willow, what- ?"

"Follow me! No time!" Willow puffed.

Paige glanced to her right, saw an angry Professor Snape, and wisely followed Willow into the library. They made a beeline for the secret door on the far edge. Willow continued to randomly wave her wand and cause books to fly off the shelves, their pages fluttering everywhere, Professor Snape getting a face-full of them. Madam Prince shrilled at them from her circular desk in the center of the library but didn't make any move to stop them. The two girls reached the secret door and Willow almost started cracking it open when she realized she'd be making a mistake, revealing something so secret to Professor Snape like that.

"Paige, watch out!" Willow demanded. Paige jumped aside, giving Willow plenty of room to raise her wand and say, "Winguardium Leviosa!"

An entire bookshelf creaked and groaned, then levitated a few inches off the floor. Willow strained herself to move it enough to the right to block Snape from getting to them. With the walkway sealed, and Snape unable to get to them, Willow quietly slid the bookshelf-door to the side and slipped inside, beckoning Paige to do the same. The older girl's eyebrows were raised, the way of showing she was slightly impressed. Willow shut the door and quickly fled down the steps to the trophy room. But there was a problem.

"Oh no, the mirror's sealed again!" Willow cursed. "I forgot that Fred opened it with an unsealing charm...Do you know what it is?"

Paige was already pointing her wand at the door. "Alohamora."

The mirror slid open. Willow annoyingly had that jumpy feeling in her stomach again, but she was distracted quickly by a smug smile on Paige's face.

"I take it I just saved you from your plan going wrong?"

"Yes, now let's go!"

Willow led Paige out of the trophy room, then started down along the armory when Snape appeared at the other end.

"Guerrero! Paige! You will be serving detention for weeks!" he snarled.

"Run!" Paige and Willow chorused.

They shot off to the shortcut a little ways down the hallway, almost forgetting about the disappearing step. Paige took the lead this time, steering Willow towards the Gryffindor dormitory.

"How did he know where to find us so quickly?" Willow huffed.

"I think Professor Snape had some prior knowledge of that passage, but I may be wrong."

"What!"

"Hey, at least he doesn't tell other teachers."

They arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady, Paige threatening her when she started blabbering about what kind of trouble they were up to, then crawled through the tunnel and found Harry and Ron relaxing in the common room. Their eyebrows shot up in surprise when they saw how heavy the girls were breathing and heard the rather loud conversation between the Fat Lady and Snape outside.

"Woah! Hey! Slow down!" Ron exclaimed.

"What did you do this time?" Harry said.

"Another plan of Fred and George's," Paige explained. "Come on, Willow, they told me to meet at my window."

"I was wondering why they didn't specify where to go, let alone mention you! So you are part of their plan?"

"Of course I am! I wouldn't miss lighting up Snape with some holiday spirit for all the money in the world!"

Paige sprinted into her dorm and flung open the window, whistling loudly. Willow watched, amazed at how perfectly the twins had timed their plan. It was clockwork. Fred appeared outside Paige's window, two broomsticks in tow.

"Alright, Phase One is complete! Are you ready for Phase Two?"

"Personally, I'm ready for a break from sprinting all over the castle, but yeah, Phase Two sounds fine," Paige said.

Fred rolled his eyes. "Typical. Get out here, you two!"

Willow and Paige mounted their brooms, and minutes later they were positioned above the Great Hall. George was struggling to hold a contraption on his broom. Fred helped him set it in the correct window, then started assembling it with his twin.

"What is that?" Willow asked Paige.

"Only their latest and greatest invention to torment Snape. If you're wondering, it dumps its contents when it senses movement."

Willow's eyes lit up. "Are they doing what I think they're doing?"

Paige smirked. "They are."

"Willow, why are you smiling like that?" Samuel asked.

"Sorry, what was that?" Willow said, tearing her eyes away from the professors' table and shaking her head.

"Samuel asked you why you were grinning like an idiot," Sally rehashed.

"Oh, no reason," Willow lied. "I zone out a lot."

Finishing up her potatoes and rolls, Willow sat back and glanced at the ceiling. Snow trickled softly from it, the sky behind it a beautiful blue. Willow hoped that it would snow on Christmas again. It always made it so much more fun and spirited for her.

"Oi, Willow, look who showed up," George whispered.

Following his gaze, Willow's heart jumped when she saw Snape striding from the doors of the Great Hall towards the professors' table. She could barely hold in her excitement. Fred and Paige were also glancing in that direction, a hungry light in their eyes. Snape had almost reached the table when George said something to their entire table.

"Everyone, quick, look at Snape!"

Everyone's eyes turned just in time to see Snape sit down and suddenly disappear in a blanket of white. Snow cascaded from Fred and George's contraption, causing Snape to completely disappear under a cloud of white. An eruption of laughter filled the Great Hall, and some of the teachers had to turn aside to cover up their laughter. Dumbledore seemed to have the hardest time with it. The scene only increased in hilarity when an angry Snape emerged from the pile of snow with an ugly Christmas sweater on. It was green and looked to be hand knit, with cute lit-up Christmas trees splashing some color here and there on it. His pants were of the same material and design. Snape was more furious than Willow had ever seen him before, his face completely red. His eyes searched the room until they landed directly on the four of them that had pulled the prank.

"Weasleys! Paige! Guerrero!" he roared. "Detentions for a week!"

"Severus, it's the holidays! Lighten up a bit," Dumbledore chuckled.

"Don't you dare make another pun, Albus!" Snape growled through gritted teeth.

This time, every soul in the Great Hall was laughter, the teachers finally giving up. Fred and George pulled out their wands, muttering a charm that made all the Christmas decorations glow like Snape's sweater. Snape stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving everyone with tears in their eyes they were laughing so hard, including Paige. Willow had never seen her that entertained.

Must be the Christmas spirit, she thought.

"That was worth serving a year's worth of detentions!" George proclaimed.

"How on Earth did the four of you manage to pull that off?" Samuel questioned.

"We broke a few rules- Willow broke several things-"

"And we broke into Snape's office-"

"And these two knuckleheads made a contraption just so they could dump charmed snow on Snape," Paige finished.

Sally gasped. "Did you charm all of his robes to turn into that Christmas outfit?"

Fred and George beamed. "Of course we did!"

"I can't wait to see him stuck wearing that ridiculous sweater the entire Holiday!" Willow said.

"When will the charm wear off?" Harry asked.

The twins exchanged a glance. "Um...should wear off in about..."

"...three weeks, maybe?"

"You mean to tell us that Snape could be wearing a Christmas sweater all year?" Ron said.

"Well, it should wear off by the time everyone returns-"

"But essentially, yes."

That night, Willow dreamed a sweet dream of Snape miserably trying to teach potions in a green, light-up Christmas sweater.


	11. Year 1: Chapter 11

"Willow! Pst! Willow, wake up!"

Groaning, Willow sat up. "What do you want?"

"It's Christmas! There's presents under the tree in the common room!"

Willow sat bolt upright. "Oh my goodness! You're joking!"

Harry and Ron raced into their dormitory with Willow directly behind them. They scrambled to get a good position on the tree rug and started opening presents. Ron had a rather large pile of boxes while Harry and Willow had almost small ones, but Harry seemed shocked to see any presents with his name on them. She filed that information away for a later discussion. It was Christmas, for God's sake! She couldn't dwell on sad, trivial things on such a holiday. Glancing over her gifts, Willow decided to begin with the ones from her least favorite people on up, which meant the one from her mother's parents was first.

"Here goes nothing..."

Willow tore the wrapping paper off, discovering a tiny box inside. She opened it to reveal a skull ring.

Well, that's better than last year's present, Willow thought to herself.

Putting the ring back in the box and tossing it aside, Willow grabbed her mother's gift to her. Her heart rate quickened. From year to year, her mother's presents would change. It all depended on her mood: if she was reminiscing on the good times she had with Willow before she went crazy, the gift would be thoughtful and heartwarming, something Willow would have received had her mother not been through what she had. If her mother was her usual self, however, the gift would be terrifying or worrying. Willow sucked in a breath.

God help her.

Slowly, almost putting the hastily wrapped present down, Willow agonizingly tore off the paper. A handwritten note fell out, along with another brown parcel. Willow scooped up the letter and unfolded it. Pausing for a moment to take another deep breath, Willow's eyes hungrily lapped up the content of the parchment.

Dearest Willow,

Merry Christmas, darling! I hope you're having a good time at Hogwarts. May your holidays be filled with joy and cheer! Have fun with your friends in the snow!

Love, Mummy

Tears brimmed Willow's watery eyes as she put her hand over her fluttering heart, smiling. She couldn't even begin to describe how happy and sad she felt at the same time. A single glimpse of her mother had found its way through that Christmas, bringing Willow a brief, but nonetheless super important, ray of hope. She wanted to curse herself for getting that way every time her mother would do that, but it was impossible and insignificant in the face of all the good memories that came flooding back. Willow clutched the note close to her chest. She would cherish it until the day her mother that lived in those words came back.

Wipe your eyes, you emotional fool, she chided herself. No need to get sappy just because it's the Holidays.

"Wow, look at that!" Ron said.

Willow's attention was directed to a hooting sound coming from Harry. He held a brown whittled wooden flute in his hands, and every time he blew on it, Willow swore there was an owl hooting from somewhere in the room. She laughed, which made Harry stop.

"What do you have there, Willow?" he asked.

"Oh, I haven't opened it yet," she replied, realizing the box was still sealed in her hand.

"Go on, then, open it!" Ron encouraged.

Willow gently removed the tape from the sides of the box, then lifted the lid and removed the object inside. She gasped and slapped her hand across her mouth when she realized what it was.

"Is...is that your mother?" Harry said.

Willow nodded, to stricken to form words. Dangling from her hand was the most precious heirloom in her mother's house, the very thing Willow had grown up seeing her mother wear every day of her life- a locket. This wasn't just any locket, though. It was a thousand years old, having been bought as a wedding gift by her mother's ancestors, and passed down from each female to their daughter when they were old enough to go to school. Willow was supposed to have received it when she went off to Hogwarts, but obviously the situation had altered. Now that she held it in her hand, the diamonds polished to perfection, the gold glinting in the light of the roaring fire, Willow finally felt like a piece of her mother had worked her way to the surface. She stared deeply into the picture inside. Her mother's brilliant green eyes and dazzling smile beamed back at her. The photo moved a bit, her mother laughing while tickling a younger Willow in the grass in their backyard. It was a moment Willow had wished every day to go back to, when everything was perfect and right with the world, where her mother was still present in her life. Now, it was at her fingertips whenever she needed it.

Thank you, Mum, Willow said. She wished that her mother could hear her.

"Are you going to open your other presents, Willow?" Ron questioned.

"Oh, yes, sorry!" she said, snapping back into reality.

After two more presents, Willow had gotten a Gryffindor outfit from her grandparents and her favorite Muggle snack, Doritos, from her dad. Ron was already opening a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans from Hermione. He spotted three similar packages sitting in front of the three of them and groaned.

"What's the matter, Ron?" Willow asked.

"I think my Mum's done it," was all he said, his cheeks turning pink while he began to open his.

Confused, Willow opened the one he had pointed to and discovered an emerald green hand-knit sweater with a yellow "W" on it. She glanced at Harry and noticed he had gotten almost the exact same one but with an "H" on it. They exchanged a silent message through their eyes, then excitedly threw them on, digging into the rest of the packages as they did so. Mrs. Weasley had sent both of them homemade fudge. Their eyes sparkling, Harry and Willow counted down from three and tried it at the same time, melting into heaps of complete and utter satisfaction.

"Ron, your mom could make millions selling this fudge," Willow mumbled through a mouthful of the heavenly sweet.

"She sent you two some fudge?" Ron said incredulously. "That's not fair! She always makes that for us around holiday time, but I didn't get any!"

"Oh Ron, look in your package!" Harry urged. "I can see it from here!"

Ron exclaimed delightedly when he found the sweet treat in the bottom of his parcel. He set it aside with the rest of his gifts for later.

"I've got one more, Harry," Willow declared. "How about you?"

"Same here. It's from Hermione."

The two ripped open the boxes to find wizarding sweets. Harry received chocolate frogs, Willow a pack of toffees. They each ate one and saved the rest for later. With all of their gifts unwrapped, the three cleaned up their mess. They had a quick competition to see who could levitate the most paper into the rubbish can without spilling any of it, then sat on the couch, trying and failing to stop eating the tantalizing sugary treats they had gotten. While Ron was munching on some more beans (and making some entertaining faces at the nasty ones), he suddenly leapt up from the couch and darted to the tree.

"Ron, what- ?" Willow started.

"There's one more- it's got your name on it, Harry- I don't know how we didn't see it before- go on, open it!"

Ron dumped the parcel in Harry's arms, who promptly unwrapped it and snagged a note that dropped out of it. Willow listened as he read it, but was just as confused as they were. Who gave a Christmas present to someone without signing their name?

Harry kicked the box aside and held a most interesting article of clothing in front of him. It was silvery and shimmered in the light streaming through the window, catching it and refracting it in the most peculiar way. Willow thought it to be almost fluid. When Harry gave her permission to, she reached out and touched it. She very nearly recoiled, though, for it was icy cold and shocked Willow's senses into numbness.

"What is that?" she wondered aloud.

"Apparently something of my father's," Harry replied. "It looks like a cloak. I guess I should try it on, then."

Harry swung it around his shoulders and held it in place. When he glanced in the mirror, though, all three of them gasped.

"Harry, your body is invisible!" Willow cried.

"Bloody hell! That's an Invisibility Cloak!" Ron said.

Willow stared as the two boys went back and forth about what the Invisibility Cloak was. She had barely learned that they were extremely rare when there was a tap at the window. Turning around, Willow discovered a familiar owl with a package fastened to her back waiting outside. She let Iris in, allowing the beautiful tawny creature perch on her arm, petting the bird as she did. Willow removed the parcel from Iris set her down so she could open it.

"To my beautiful daughter. Feliz navidad! Te amo!" she read out loud. Opening the package, she excitably told the boys, "Aw, Dad sent me a photo album and my camera! He's so sweet. He knows I love to document fun times."

"Awesome, Willow! You can start by taking a picture of me!"

"Not you, you numskull! I'm the one that's going to be famous!"

Willow laughed. "Merry Christmas, Fred, George."

"Oi, Freddy, hers is green! No fair!"

Willow listened and faded into the background while the twins interacted with Harry and their younger brother. She let Achelous, whom she had almost forgotten she'd brought with her, crawl into her hair and get comfortable, tickling her nose with its long tongue. Iris got jealous and would have pecked the Puffskein to death if Willow hand't threatened her. Willow couldn't contain her laughter as Fred and George made comments on how awful it was that their mother treated the children who were not her children better than the ones who actually are. They forced Ron to wear his, although he grumbled about it quite a bit, and pretended to be highly offended that Mrs. Weasley had included a note on whose sweater was whose for them and no one else. Percy strolled in, looking sleepy and unreasonably grumpy for the occasion.

"Merry Christmas, Percy!" Willow greeted.

Percy mumbled something inaudible back, which Willow decided to take as a reciprocated greeting. Fred darted towards his brother and grabbed the sweater he was holding on his arm. George soon joined him, the two of them forcing the sweater over Percy's head and pinning his arms to his side. The prefect looked furious, and it didn't help matters when Harry, Ron, and Willow burst into fits of giggling. Fred and George marched Percy from the room.

"It's not funny!" Percy called from down the hall.

"I better- go- help them," Willow choked out between fits. "See you in the Great Hall!"

"Merry Christmas, Willow!" the boys shouted after her.

Willow ran after the twins, who had thrown a disabled Percy on the couch. They greeted Willow and put her in charge of guarding Percy.

"We'll be right back!" they promised.

Willow ignored Percy's complaining and pleas to get the sweater off of him, knowing full well that he could get it off of himself if he chose to. Fred and George returned a couple of minutes later, George dragging a sheet with several presents stacked on it, Fred towing a sleepy Paige on her mattress. George handed Percy a few of his presents and helped him get his arms through the sleeves so that he could open them. Willow, however, didn't even let Fred finish his sentence before she took his suggestion and jumped on Paige's mattress.

"Paige, wake up! How can you sleep in on Christmas?" Willow whined.

"Go away..." Paige moaned, pulling the sheets over her head.

"No. You've got presents to unwrap."

"I don't care. Sleep is more important."

"You can sleep after breakfast! Come on!"

"Fine..."

Paige sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, which widened when she recognized where she was.

"Fred! George! I know this was your doing!"

"Merry Christmas, Paige!" the twins chorused merrily, alternating throwing presents on their brother and her.

"I will never stop wondering how I became your friend..." Paige trailed off.

Willow helped Paige get out of bed and handed her each present to unwrap. When she was finished, Paige gathered up all of her stuff and piled it on her mattress, dragging it back upstairs and onto the bed frame. She returned a moment later and leaned on the railing.

"So, are we going to get dressed and go to breakfast or what?" Paige said.

"Did I hear 'breakfast'?" Ron burst, poking his head out of the door frame.

"Ickle Ronniekins, always obsessed with food," Fred chuckled. "Come on, Prefect Percy, it's time to get dressed and get to the Great Hall before our ickle brother eats his entire store of sweets."

Minutes later, the entire gang was dressed and descending from the Gryffindor wing. They ran through the hallways, to Percy's lament, and found several people already flooding into the large room. Willow's senses were welcomed with the scent of freshly cooked sausage, bacon, honey ham, eggs, and so much more. Her friends were just arriving.

"Happy Christmas, Willow!" Mandy called.

"Merry Christmas, you all!" Willow said back, hugging each one of them in turn.

"Wow, would you look at this fancy feast!" Mandy remarked. "Oliver, Lisa, isn't it incredible?"

The two nodded, and all four friends took a place at the Gryffindor table. They piled food onto their plates. Even Lisa did, who normally didn't have much of an appetite at any time of day. The Great Hall was somehow even brighter and more cheery than ever before, with the Christmas tree lit up with vibrant rainbow lights, wreaths glowing gold, tinsel shining on the walls, and so many more decorations placed here and there adding some extra light. Willow had never been in such a good mood before.

"Happy Christmas, everyone!" the Smith twins announced as they appeared across from Willow.

"Merry Christmas!" the entire Gryffindor table said back.

Willow finished up her eggs, toast, and honey ham, then grabbed some bacon and sausage to put on her plate. Lisa continued to eat at her usual slow pace. Oliver and Mandy, as usual, were already done.

"What did you get today, Oliver?" Mandy asked.

"Oh, just a potions set from my other grandparents and a little bit of spending money from my grandparents that I live with."

"That's awesome! You really like potions, then?"

A little bit of blood rushed to Oliver's cheeks. "J-just a little more than the other classes."

"What about you, Mandy, what did you get?" Willow butted in, saving Oliver from having to stutter.

"I got lots of candy, but a few of the newest novels from my grandpa. Hopefully I can restrain myself from reading them all before the Holidays are over."

"You sound like me when I get a new book series in the summer," Willow remarked. "Nothing except soccer practice can get me to leave my library! I've...read most of it. It only has half of it's books since the other half was sent to my mum in her library."

"Was that part of the agreement?"

"Yeah. I hated that agreement. My mum figured out how to get everything she wanted with no problem at all."

"Yuck."

"But enough of that! What are you planning to do later?" Willow inquired, changing the subject.

"Nothing, really. How about you, Oliver?"

"Nothing," he quietly replied.

"Would you like to hang out in the Gryffindor common room?" Willow invited. "There's a lot more people there."

"Sure! That would be fun!" Mandy enthused.

"I'll come!" Oliver said.

"Perfect! Just follow me after breakfast."

An hour later, the Gryffindor Tower was full of first and third years celebrating Christmas. Fred and George had somehow acquired non-alcoholic butterbeer and were sharing it with everyone. Willow introduced each of her friends in turn to Sally and Samuel Smith, and they were talking with each other about how much nicer the Holidays were at Hogwarts than at home. Other than Willow, Lisa was pretty much the only one who loved having Christmas at home with her family. Oliver was rather shy as usual around the new people, so Willow opened up for him, explaining that Oliver loved Christmas but hated having family gatherings because his family would always argue about politics, which she had learned at some point while getting to know him. Mandy told a funny story about one particular Christmas where her unmarried parents had tried to butter her up with the best presents to win her in a custody battle, which ended in both of them getting locked out on the front porch in a snowstorm for twelve hours. Sally and Samuel kept their stories to themselves. Willow assured them that they didn't have to share, comforting them enough to put the smiles back on their faces.

The six of them discussed much around the topic of Christmas, which went a lot better than Willow expected, all of her friends getting comfortable enough to speak at least once. They seemed to work well together, flawlessly continuing the conversations without small talk and never interrupting one another, which was rare from any conversation Willow had experienced with a new group of people, and there was never a lull in interest or attention from any single person. She wondered if their group dynamics would work out enough to gel as an entire group of friends. There was already the relationship between her, Mandy, Lisa, and Oliver building fast, and Willow had already gained quite a bit of trust from the Smith twins. That would certainly be cool to suddenly gain a whole crowd of good people to have her back in such a short time. Add Sue Li into that mix when she got back, and Willow would have a very large cross-house group of friends. Willow's heart leaped in excitement at the mere thought of making five times the amount of friends in one year than she had made over the six-year course of Muggle school. How was this happening to her, and since when did she have the power to bring together several shy kids her age? It was a mystery Willow didn't care to solve as long as she was able to keep going with the way things were falling into place. Maybe her life was finally taking another unexpected turn, but this time for the better.

"Oy, Willow!" Fred called from across the room. "Are you going to sit in the corner and blab all day or come and join us?"

"Lo siento, estoy viniendo!" Willow rapidly apologized in Spanish.

"What?" everyone said at once.

"Oh, I spoke in Spanish again, didn't I?" Willow realized out loud, her cheeks turning red.

"Yes, and please do that more often," Paige requested in a mock seductive voice.

"Paige!"

"Is this news to anyone else?" Sally asked.

"Just Ron and Harry. I believe I've slipped up or scolded everyone else in Spanish."

"Cool!"

"Vamos al sofá," Willow said, jumping over the back of a couch and plopping next to Paige, who raised her eyebrows and smirked at the first year. Willow pretended to slap her.

"I think she said sit on the couch," Mandy determined.

"Close enough. Have a seat, we've got a lot of couch space," Samuel invited.

The first years found places among the other Gryffindors. Fred and George handed everyone more butterbeers, then decided to get out a deck of cards. Ron's eyes lit up at the sight of them.

"Exploding Snap!" he exclaimed.

"Exploding what?" Oliver said.

"Exploding Snap! Only the greatest wizarding card game of all time!"

"I think you're going to have to explain it to us," Willow said.

"Okay," Ron began. "There's three ways to play the game: Classic, Patience, and Bavarian. Since you guys haven't played before, I'll explain them all, but you're going to want the safest one. The Classic rules of Exploding Snap are simply to tap two matching cards with the tip of your wand. One point is yours. But if you tap two cards that are not the same, jump back as fast as you can, or the cards will explode. The Patience rules are that there are twenty cards and you must reveal them in pairs, trying to find the identical ones. Soon after you find a match, the cards will explode, so jump back. The Bavarian Snap rules are that the cards are placed in a circle with their matches in the center. If you don't match all of the cards within a certain time frame, they all explode."

"Wow, that's a lot of explosions," Mandy commented. "I'm in."

"Are you sure this won't set anything on fire?" Lisa asked.

"99% sure!" Ron said. "And we're playing the Classic game anyway, so it should be much safer than the other two."

"There's always a one percent..." Lisa whispered under her breath.

"Okay! Who's ready to play?" George announced.

A chorus of, "Me! Me!" went up around the room. George set the cards on the ground in a square, and the game began.

Willow was the first to go. She drew out her wand, searching the expanse of identically-backed cards for the two real twins. Trusting her gut for no other reason than she had to, Willow touched her wand to the bottom left card and the top right. She quickly back away from the rectangle just in case, but the cards simply turned over to reveal a match. Everyone let out the breath they were holding and clapped for her.

"Beginner's luck, Willow," Paige said to her. Willow smugly smiled back at the third year.

"After you, loser."

"You wish."

Paige confidently stepped up to the cards and tapped her wand to two of them. She stepped back, and the cards flipped over, revealing two drastically different cards. They exploded into two different shapes, a cyclops and a centaur, then reappeared in their original state. Paige sulked back to Willow's side while the rest of the room burst into laughter.

"Your failing arrogance is refreshing," Willow teased.

"That window is calling your name."

"Merry Christmas to you too, Paige."

Oliver, Mandy, and Ron had cards explode in their faces, narrowly missing singing their eyebrows. Harry and Lisa, however, successfully managed to turn up matching cards. The Weasley twins purposefully chose cards they hoped were different for the sake of making an explosion happen. On the other hand, the Smith twins both failed to run up identical cards. The game continued on, Willow consistently turning up pairs, Fred and George consistently making theirs explode, until there were no cards left. Willow had won with a score that was nearly all to none.

"Now that's something I've never seen," Fred commented once all the cards were returned into their fire-proof package. "A perfect score. Did you cheat?"

Willow spread her hands in defeat. "Nope. I've never cheated on a single game in my life."

"You have a lot to learn, then. Cheating is the lifeblood of any game!"

"Well, if you happen to be telling the truth, then you are a really good guesser," Mandy said. "All I did was cause explosion after explosion!"

"So did Fred and George!" Sally and Samuel reminded her at the same time.

"Wow, there are a lot of twins at this school," Harry said. "I'd swear I took my glasses off, because I'm seeing double."

"Good one, Harry," Ron chuckled. "I'm starving already! Dodging exploding cards takes a lot out of you."

"You're always hungry, Ron," Paige said. "But it is noon already."

"What? We need to get to the Great Hall, then!" Fred said.

"Vámonos! I mean, let's go!" Willow said.

Her breath creating a trail of steam, an extra coat tucked under her arm, Willow trudged through the snow. Ron and Harry were right beside her, their eyes alight at the prospect of a snowball fight ahead. Their snow boots sunk deep into the crunchy powder and left clear footprints. The going was slow, and it took a lot longer than Willow expected to reach the Forbidden Forest. Paige continuously complained from the moment they stepped outside to the moment they arrived at the edge of Hogwart's campus. Willow shook her head, wondering how someone could hate the cold so much.

"...Hermione's going to kill us," Ron said.

"Oh no. What did you two do this time?" Willow asked.

"Nothing."

"Then why would Hermione want to brutally murder you?"

"That's exactly the problem," Harry explained. "We haven't been going to the library to search for anything on Nicolas Flamel like we promised her. She's going to be bloody livid if we don't turn up anything."

"Well, what have you learned so far? I believe I'm a bit behind on the advancements of this big secret."

"Basically, we know that Hagrid and several other teachers are guarding a super secret item, which is why Fluffy the three-headed dog is guarding that trapdoor. Someone must really want it because they broke into Gringotts and tried to rob the vault Hagrid removed the item from. The other day, Hagrid let it slip that some Nicolas Flamel was working with Dumbledore on this thing. We've been stuck trying to find out anything we could on him ever since."

"That's certainly a lot of unknowns," Willow said. "Maybe I'll help."

"Please do," Ron said.

"Oh, and for God's sake, let me know everything you learn as soon as you learn it. You're not the only ones stupid enough to face a mountain troll."

The boys smiled to themselves, well aware that Willow was more than capable of helping them figure out this mystery. George finished talking with his twin, then, seemingly coming to a decision, he took the reins and got the snowball fight rolling.

"We're going to separate into two teams," George announced. "Twins are required to split up."

"That's a given!" Sally interrupted. "I want to pelt Sammy in the face!"

"Perfect. I would personally love to bury Fred in the snow."

"Hey!"

"Just kidding, Freddy! Here are the teams: with me are Paige, Sally, Harry, and Mandy. The rest are with Fred."

"So we're just 'the rest' now?" Willow asked cheekily.

"You know what I mean! Get started on those snow forts!"

Fred, Willow, Ron, Samuel, Lisa, and Oliver raced to start on their fort. They somehow set up a quick system where Willow and Oliver gathered mounds of snow and pushed it to Samuel and Lisa, who would distribute it to Fred and Ron wherever they would need it. All wands had been left in a safe place back at the Gryffindor dorm so that no one could cheat and build a castle out of snow (Willow had no doubt that Fred and George would try and end up spending the entire fight trying to make a bigger and better castle than each other). Their fort was a considerable wall within a few minutes. It was tall enough to shield them, short enough to allow for throwing over it, thick enough that it could sustain damage, and wide enough to provide cover for all six of them. George called out one more minute of preparation time from where his fort stood, twenty meters away. Willow and her team crouched down and rapidly made snowballs.

"Five...four....three...two...one...fight!" George shouted.

Willow stood up and drew back her arm, aiming for the spot slightly above George's team's fort. She threw it as hard as she could, and Harry popped up just in time for it to smack him in the face. His glasses were caked with snow. He ducked out of sight to fix them, laughing as he did.

"Hey! Samuel!" Sally called.

Samuel narrowly dodged a ball zipping towards his head. Pretending to be incredulous, he retaliated and pelted his sister. Fred and George were showering each other in bursts of snow. Willow could have sworn they were in a snow globe.

"Oy, Willow, Oliver, more ammo!" Fred ordered.

"On it!"

Oliver crouched down with Willow and gathered piles of snow. He was rather unlearned in the ways of making a snowball, as Oliver's were lumpy and crumbling apart. Willow snorted.

"Here, Oliver, let me show you how to do this," she offered.

"Please do, or Fred's going to bombard me instead."

Willow cupped her hands and showed the boy how to pack the snow into a dense sphere, then let him try it on his own. Oliver was soon making them faster than Willow, throwing Fred two snowballs every five seconds, now and then dumping a few on Willow.

"Hey, I'm on your team!" Willow complained.

"That doesn't stop me from getting snow in your hair!"

"Willow, Oliver!" Ron said. "More snowballs! Now!"

The two got back to work, rapidly making ammunition for their friends. After a few more minutes of incessant firing, there was a lull in the match, everyone staring at the opposite end with arms raised, their panting breaths visible in the air.

"What's going on?" Willow whispered to Oliver.

"I don't know, I can't see," he breathed back.

"Maybe- "

"Get down!" Fred commanded.

It was too late. A hailstorm of giant snowballs sailed over their parapet, missing everyone crouched along the wall, but slamming into Willow and Oliver with full force. The two were buried under mounds of snow. Their cries were muffled from snow rushing into their mouths.

Willow could only see white everywhere. Her breathing caused just enough snow to melt to allow her to breath. Movement beside her alerted Willow to Oliver's similar state of being trapped, fueling her to dig her way out. She started digging as fast as her arms would allow, clearing away pounds and pounds of snow. Suddenly, within a millisecond, her body changed into a small creature.

Damn it! Willow cursed to herself.

She tried to change back, but nothing worked. Her claws automatically dug away. She realized that she was making ten times the progress she was earlier, so she kept with it.

Never mind. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it!

Willow's tiny muscles burned with exertion. The snow was becoming lighter and lighter. She would have seen the light at the end of the tunnel if she wasn't the one digging it. With one final swipe of a paw, Willow broke the surface of the snow. Gasping, she managed to reverse herself back into a human before anyone could notice.

"Willow! There you are!" Lisa said worriedly, hugging her tight and squeezing what little breath remained out of her lungs. "Where's Oliver?"

"Shoot!"

Willow dug at the snow with her bare hands beside the tunnel she had made. She didn't have to go far before Oliver poked his head out. He inhaled a shaky breath, gasping for air after being deprived of it for so long.

"What do you think you're doing, burying yourself under all this snow?" Willow teased.

"Trying to get out of it," Oliver panted. "You?"

Willow chortled. "Come on, get out of here, you snowy badger. Or are you trying to become your House symbol?"

Oliver chuckled and allowed Willow to help him get to his feet. Lisa enveloped him in another bone-crushing hug, surprising the boy. Willow looked on while the two shy first-years interacted. Of course it took an event like getting buried in snow to force them out of their comfort zone and get them to talk like that. Willow made a mental note to use that in the future.

"George! You arsehole, you!" Fred cried, hurling snowballs at his brother.

"Dear brother, there is no need for your language!" George said, mocking innocence.

"That's it, you're dead!"

Fred and George charged at each other, the latter knocking his brother into the snow. They tussled about, throwing snow on one another, calling each other names, the usual brotherly love. Glancing at one another, Willow's entire team was in silent agreement. They burst from behind their wall and sprinted towards the other team. The two teams met with full force, falling into the snow, wrestling with each other and laughing. Oliver simply laid in the snow, cheering on Lisa as Mandy tossed boatloads of snow onto her friend. Harry and Ron were full-on trying to pin one another down with neither one showing any interest in losing. Sally and Samuel were, of course, calling each other names and chucking snow on one another. Despite all the fighting, everyone was in an uproar of laughter, having the time of their lives. Willow stood by and watched until she was flung into the snow by a strong blindside.

"You should be watching your back, Guerrero! I thought you were a Spanish warrior!"

"Think fast, then!"

Willow sprang to her feet and slammed Paige into the snow, who promptly rolled Willow over with a quick defensive move, now positioned on top of the first-year. She struggled against the older girl, but gave up when she realized she was pinned.

"You got me."

"You're dang right I've got you."

"Paige, I can't breathe."

"I make you breathless, do I?"

Paige raised her eyebrows questioningly, causing Willow to scoff.

"Yeah right. I'm calling you fat."

Paige turned onto her back and laid across Willow's stomach, stretching her arms lazily. "Now you really can't breathe."

"I hate you sometimes."

"You're such a liar."

Willow smiled. "Nothing gets past you. I bet you've already figured out my deep, dark secrets."

"I'll bet I have."

"Now you're a liar. If you get off me, I might forgive you and spill later."

"Hmm, tempting, but I'm kind of comfortable."

Willow pretended to wheeze. Paige simply smirked and made herself more comfortable. Willow was completely immobile as the older girl dumped a handful of snow on her face, making her sneeze and shoot the snow everywhere. When she cleared it away, she found Paige staring at her face.

"You look good with snowflakes on your eyelashes and hair. Maybe you should do it more often."

"I will if you get off of me."

"Fine," Paige sighed, getting up. Willow had barely gotten to her feet before Paige shoved her down again.

"I never said anything about letting you up," Paige said slyly.

Willow could only chuckle to herself, jumping to her feet and getting a good distance away from Paige. The older girl made no move to put Willow in the snow again. Others around them started to abandon their scuffles, helping each other to their feet and making their way to their forts. They destroyed them with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm, then headed back to the castle, up to the Gryffindor Tower. Fred gave the Fat Lady the password after she fretted over their cold, wet state, and they huddled in front of the roaring fire. They took their coats and snow gear off and hung it in front of the fire. George had luckily remembered a spell to make a magically suspended drying rack. The eleven of them retired to the couches, completely exhausted. One by one, they drifted off to sleep, both sets of twins falling asleep on one another. Ron laid himself across a couch and used Harry's lap as a pillow. Paige rolled onto the floor but was still in a dead sleep, which made it hard for Willow to contain her laughter. Mandy and Lisa reclined in some of the comfiest chairs the common room had to offer, leaving Willow and Oliver as the last ones awake, although Oliver sleepily yawned and ended up flopping on the nearest couch. Willow watched them all peacefully dream away, warm smiles upon their faces.

At one point, Oliver began shivering. Willow tiptoed up to her dorm, grabbed a few blankets, and brought them downstairs. She gently laid them across Mandy, then Lisa, and finally Oliver. He was muttering in his sleep by the time she reached him.

"No, please, no," Oliver whispered. "Please, don't hurt them. No!"

Frowning, Willow considered waking the boy, but decided against it. Maybe it was just a passing nightmare.

"No, Mum, Dad! How could you?"

Willow noticed Oliver's face was wet with tears. She desperately wanted to wake him, but knew that he wouldn't react well to it. Willow painfully looked on.

"N-no, get a-away from me. I don't want to. Why are you doing this to me? I want to go home!"

Willow's stomach felt sick. What was he dreaming about, and was it something that had really happened to him, she wondered? Oliver would wake the others soon with this muttering that had evolved into loud talking. She had no other choice but to wake him before everyone found him in this state. Willow shook Oliver, his eyes flying open as he gasped.

"No- what- please- what?"

"You were talking in your sleep. I thought you might be having a bad dream," Willow explained. "Are you okay?"

Oliver stared deep into Willow's eyes, desperately searching with his terrified, confused ones for something, anything. When he found it, tears leaked from his troubled green irises.

"I- I don't know."

Not wanting to push him, Willow didn't pry any further. Oliver was shy, and if rushed, he would come out of his shell slower than ever. He would open up if and when he wanted to.

"Alright. Sleep well, Oliver. I'll wake you up when it's dinnertime."

Willow turned to go, but she was stopped by a small voice that said, "Wait."

Swiveling back, she saw Oliver's beautiful bright eyes spark with hope. "Do you need me to get you something?"

"Can you stay here?"

Willow gazed into those pleading emeralds and saw a little boy, scared and alone. Her heart broke in two for him. This boy needed someone to care about him right now.

"Of course I can."

Willow laid down next to Oliver, making sure not too much of her body was touching his. The boy's eyelids slid closed, tears still running out of them. He let her brush the them from his cheeks. Willow stroked his head for a long time, his breathing eventually evening out until his chest was rising and falling steadily. Oliver's face became one of complete and total peace. A slight smile made its way into his expression, giving the impression of a sleeping angel. He almost had a glow about him.

Whatever you're hiding, I hope you can tell me one day, Willow thought. You deserve a guardian angel.

"Come on, I know that you know there's no dress code around the Holidays. Heck, Snape is still stuck in his Christmas sweater that you cursed him with."

"Do I have to, though?" Willow whined.

"I will force you, Willow," Lisa said.

"Fine..."

"Aha! I knew your dad would have sent you with this!"

Lisa fished around in Willow's closet for a moment longer, then revealed a simple dark blue dress. She handed it to Willow.

"Please put it on!" Lisa begged.

"I want to see you suffer!" Mandy commented from the corner of the room.

"Thanks for that vote of confidence," Willow said. She sighed heavily. "I'll put it on. At least I don't have to do my hair, right?"

"Nope."

Willow went into the bathroom and changed into her formal attire. The dress fit perfectly to her upper body, but didn't show off anything she didn't want it to. Glancing in the mirror, Willow saw that her skin tone had evened out and become paler over the past few months of little sunshine. It brought out her soft freckles that ran from cheekbone to cheekbone, under her eyes and over her nose. They gave her that cute appeal, the one that Mia complained about her not using to have boys chase her like lovesick puppies. Her cheeks were already a light shade of pink. If Lavender and Fay were there, they wouldn't be so pushy about putting on any makeup. Willow's hair and face were naturally beautiful that day. Slipping on her shoes, Willow stepped out to be examined.

"How do I look?"

Lisa narrowed her eyes, a calculating expression of scrutiny on her face. She circled Willow slowly, flattening out invisible wrinkles, brushing away stray pieces of hair, then, at last, enveloping her in a hug.

"You look gorgeous!"

Willow let out a small laugh. "Thanks. You must have changed, too! Look at you!"

Lisa waved the compliment away dismissively. "Oh, it's nothing. I always wear something nice for Christmas dinner."

"You're stunning, though!"

Lisa really did look amazing. Willow thought she had the glow of a goddess about her complexion, which was flawless. Lisa had put on a modest dress that was a fiery shade of red. It suited her features well, bringing out her dark chocolate eyes.

"You two need to have more confidence in yourselves," Mandy said, making Lisa and Willow turn. "You're going to catch more than a few eyes tonight."

"Oh, shut it, Mandy," Willow said. "You're only wearing your nice Ravenclaw robes and you're killing it."

"If you insist. Come on, Willow, let's go get your boyfriend and get some food."

"I do not have a boyfriend!" Willow exclaimed.

"Save it. You're so into one of those Weasleys, I can see it from a kilometer away."

"What- no-"

"You're getting flustered!" Lisa pointed out.

"Since when do you two gang up on me?"

"Since now. Come on, Willow! Let's go!"

Willow shook her head, following her friends. If this is what it took to get Lisa to come out of her shell, then she would allow it. Quite frankly, Willow was very surprised when Lisa suddenly started stringing sentences together and helping get her wardrobe together. The girl was a special type of shy, one that would only come out of their shell in spontaneous moments of courage. It was different from Oliver, who would only talk at all around certain people, and it was different from the Smith twins, who would open up for good once they get to know you. Willow wondered if she was going to be able to keep all of these differences straight in the future. For the moment, she was busy trying not to trip down the stairs as she was dragged by a proud and excited Mandy and Lisa.

"There you are!" George greeted. "Blimey, you took forever!"

"It was five minutes," Willow countered, rolling her eyes. "I think you can wait that long."

"But I could die of starvation at any time!" Ron said.

"Now that I can agree with," Lisa chipped in.

"Come on already!" Fred urged. "The food is probably being served already! It will be cold by the time we get there!"

The group filed out into the corridors, making their way down the spiraling staircase. Willow noticed that the Weasley twins had changed from their knit sweaters, unlike Ron and Harry, into some nicer clothing. Naturally, they wore identical sweater vests. Paige went more along Mandy's route, sporting more formal Gryffindor robes. The Smith twins followed suit, and Oliver was a startling contrast walking alongside them in his suit and tie. Willow purposely bumped into him.

"Looking good in your fancy clothes, Oliver," she complimented.

"Oh, uh- thanks!" Oliver said, his face reddening.

"How can you give out so many compliments without the ability to take them?"

"You're the same way!"

"You caught me red-handed. I'm such a hypocrite," Willow chortled. "I didn't know you liked dressing up."

"Well, it's not something I like all the time, just every once in a while. And these a super comfortable. I thought they were fancy pajamas when I first tried them on."

"Lucky! I wish any dress was somewhat comfortable, but beauty is definitely pain."

"Is that why you never like dressing up?"

"Definitely. That, and you can't freely move in them however you want without fear of it flying up in a rouge wind or something. I mean, if I can't play soccer in it, then I don't like to wear it."

"That's a good rule."

"Glad that you think so."

The group reached the Great Hall. They went through the wide-open doors and were instantly met with the most amazing combination of smells Willow had ever experienced before. Every table was laden with turkeys, mashed potatoes, roast beef, carrots, gravy, rolls, and so much more that Willow's mouth was salivating. Ron was the first one to sit down and start eating, while the rest followed his lead. Willow sat between Fred and Paige then started filling up her platter with enormous quantities of food.

"This is amazing!" Ron said through a mouthful of food.

"More like this is the most food I've seen in one place ever!" Lisa exclaimed.

The first round was quickly devoured, followed by seconds and thirds. Willow had eaten so many rolls that she felt like one herself by the time they brought out dessert. She was able to down a mince pie, then called it quits.

"Dear God, I'm so full I could explode."

"Me too," Paige groaned.

"I'm still good for four more desserts!" Fred teased.

"Please, no more food," Paige whined. "Don't even talk about it right now. I don't think I could handle it."

When the desserts were finished, there was still one more surprise left in store. Each witch or wizard suddenly had a bag with their name on it appear in front of them, replacing their plates. Fred and George warned everyone not to open them yet.

"They explode! We'll open them all together!"

Willow excitedly waited for them to start a countdown. In the meantime, she caught sight of the professors laughing their butts off at one of Flitwick's jokes from the book he was reading. Dumbledore put his flowered bonnet on display for everyone to see while supervising a drunk Hagrid, who kept calling for more wine. Willow had wondered if Hagrid drank at all. There was her answer: Hagrid did, in fact, drink red wine at the very least, and he was a happy, ridiculous, silly man while drunk. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

"3...2...1!" Fred counted down.

Willow jumped back as an explosion of blue smoke enveloped the Gryffindor table. The sound of excitable gasps and cheers reached Willow's ears shortly after, and she realized she hadn't opened hers. She quickly exploded hers while the students from other Houses began opening theirs. A small white mouse dropped out of it, joining up with other ones and scurrying under the table. Willow all but put her prizes on the table and encouraged the mice to gather together.

"Are you seriously trying to herd mice?" Paige questioned.

"Yes."

"At least see what you got from you Wizard Cracker first. That's what the party favors are called, by the way."

Willow reluctantly stood up and sorted through her gifts. There were some luminous balloons, a lot of things Willow didn't recognize, chocoballs, cauldron cakes, and a pot full of dragon dung fertilizer. An idea struck Willow so hard in the head that she put a hand to her temple, literally feeling like something had hit her there. She came up with an excuse to remove herself from the Great Hall.

"I'm going to get the mice out of here. I'll be back."

"But Mrs. Norris could easily- " Paige started.

"I'd rather her not," Willow cut in. "If I'm not back by the time you go back to the Tower, just take my stuff up for me, please!"

Taking out a roll she had originally been saving for Achelous, she tore it up until all that was left were crumbs, then put them in the pot and crouched down towards the mice. They recognized the smell of food and swarmed towards it immediately. Willow began backing away, allowing all the mice in the Great Hall to find her, then started speed-walking towards the courtyard. The mice scrambled after her, an adorable mass of white critters. Willow didn't know why she love them so much; most people hated vermin, but she had a soft spot for any animal that wasn't a bug. Even bugs won her over sometimes. She was simply a nature nut.

Willow didn't mind the cold air that blasted her in the face when she crossed the courtyard. The mice made their way over the snow with her, sticking on her tail until she reach the Forbidden Forest. So far, no teacher had found her yet. They were probably still feasting in the Great Hall. The very thought of food made Willow's stomach quake, but she pushed the feeling down and focused on the task at hand. She set the pot on the ground to let the mice eat the crumbs while she set off into the woods. Her eyes were glued to the ground, searching for something very small, hoping that it would stand out against the snow. Eventually, she caught sight of an acorn. She picked it up and shooed the remaining mice away from the pot into the forest. They would be much happier in there than getting tortured by wizards and cats in the school. Tipping the pot right-side-up, Willow shoved the acorn into the soil deep enough to be covered well, but shallow enough that its roots would have room to grow.

Do you think this will work? Willow asked.

You've never tested this area of your power before. Have you even thought that your only power is shape-shifting?

Stop right there. You're the one that knows all about me. Don't try to confuse me. I'm getting used to reaching out and feeling whether something is there within me or not, so I'm 99.9% certain this will work.

Then why are you asking me whether it will work or not?

You are so unhelpful sometimes!

I value being an aggravating addition to your life at the moment. I'll rue the day that you no longer hate me.

Willow rolled her eyes to the Heavens, wondering if she was ever going to make any progress with this woman. She cleared her head, sucking in a deep breath, then letting it out. Focusing all her energy on the acorn, Willow put her hand over it and tried to remember the pulsing feeling in her hands from when she had healed the Smith twins. She bit her lip, hoping the memory was vivid enough. There was no going back no. Willow strained her brain to concentrate all of its energy into her hands and pulsed.

Her fingers buzzed with power. Her hands glowed the creamy yellow color. Warmth and heat radiated from her hands, reaching deep into the pot. The light outlined the acorn, and when Willow commanded it to, the acorn started growing. Its roots reached out. The shell melted away. A small green shoot breached the surface of the soil. Small leaves sprouted from its sides, then small branches. The fuzzy green stem became hard, brown wood within seconds. Sweat ran down Willow's cheek with effort. At last, she sat back and admired her work, the glow in her hands slowly fading. A juvenile oak tree stood in the pot, its leaves alternating shades of red and orange as they were in fall. Willow's eyebrows shot up when she realized every single detail she had imagined was incorporated in the plant.

It worked. All of it.

I told you so.

You didn't tell me anything!

In my head, I did.

You are talking to me in your head!

Am I, though?

If you start me on one more paradox, I swear, that will be the last thing you ever remember.

Don't swear. You're eleven years old.

I'm done with you!

Willow picked up the baby oak and trudged back through the snow into the school. She passed back through the courtyard, towards the Great Hall, then veered off towards a staircase that descended into the dungeons. Willow made her way past the kitchens where the house elves were clanging dish after dish after dish as they washed them, arriving at last before the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. She knocked in the pattern that Oliver had before, hoping that he hadn't changed it, and breathed a sigh of relief when the barrels rolled to the side to reveal the door. She opened it and went inside.

Once she was in the common room, Willow put the potted plant on one of the many coffee tables that laid around the common room. She pulled out a piece of parchment and a pen, thanking God that her dress had pockets to keep her usual stuff in, and composed a short message for Oliver.

Merry Christmas, Oliver! I remembered you saying something the other day about loving the Forbidden Forest in fall. Enjoy the fall colors!

Willow

Satisfied, she exited the common room, bubbling with good emotions. Her entire body felt like it was pulsing with power and happiness. At first, it was fine, but Willow suddenly got the feeling that something out of the ordinary was about to happen. Her body never felt that powerful before.

Um...little explanation, please?

Oh, this is one of the many power shift moments you'll go through. You've already slept through one.

What do you mean?

If I were you, I'd make sure you get out of sight. You're done for if someone sees you go through this.

That's not helping! Willow retorted as she found a broom closet and locked herself in it. I need encouragement, not fear for what's coming! Technically, I've never gone through this and don't know what to expect!

If I tell you, it will only make it worse that it's already going to be.

Great. That gives me so much hope.

Get ready! Here it comes!

"What- " she said out loud.

Willow was cut off when a surge of power slammed into her with the force of a category five hurricane. She doubled over in agony, her body rippling with energy. Her pain levels skyrocketed, her entire body sizzling. Willow cried out.

Stay quiet! Don't let anyone hear you!

What do you think I'm trying to do? Get myself caught?

Willow abandoned trying to talk to the woman. Her muscles spasmed, her brain played ping-pong with electrical signals, and everything felt like it was charging up for an explosion. She desperately hoped she wouldn't actually explode.

Willow writhed on the floor, barely managing not to scream. It was downright horrendous. Out of nowhere, Willow's powers started executing themselves, and she started shape-shifting without control. Her entire body started glowing like her hands had not too long before. Plants started growing through the floors, inching up walls, enveloping some dusty supplies. Willow tried to make it stop, but fighting it only intensified the pain and damage. She had no choice but to let it happen.

Visions started flashing before her eyes. None of them made any sense, and it didn't help that they were only there for a second before another one replaced it. Willow was completely disoriented and in extreme pain. She wanted it to stop.

Just then, Willow's body sent out a ripple of energy stronger than she had ever felt before. It visibly traveled from her head to her toe, the ripple glowing with the same creamy gold color of her body. Then, with a burst of pain like no other, Willow's body returned to human form and was slammed into the floor. The moment she touched it, she was thrown back in the air, the golden ripple rocketing in all directions as a giant circle. It was out of sight by the time Willow fell to the ground again. Everything was suddenly very still.

It's done. Your powers have increased.

Willow sat up, clutching her sore chest, which had been the biggest source of pain throughout the entire transformation. When she thought about it, that was also where the glow had originated from that spread across her body. That was a weird bit she decided to remember for next time.

What was that ripple thing? Willow asked. Is it gone?

No. It goes all the way around Earth.

Holy-

Don't ask any questions about it. I can't tell you anything yet.

I wasn't.

Good. Go get some rest. You'll need it.

Willow stood up, wincing at the soreness in her muscles. She definitely wasn't going to run tomorrow. Her stomach suddenly didn't feel so full. That's when she realized the time on her watch.

Hold up, how did two hours pass during that whole thing?

Time bends to make it seem faster for you. Now, no more questions. Go. Your friends are probably worried sick.

Willow acknowledged the truth in her words and headed back up to the Gryffindor Tower. She barely made it up the steps, having to crawl and use her hands for the last flight. The Fat Lady was pleased to see her for once and let her in right away. Willow crawled through the portrait tunnel and was immediately tackled to the ground.

"Willow!"

"You're alive!"

"Where have you been?"

"Woah, guys! I'm fine!" Willow insisted. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

Oliver, Mandy, and Lisa back up and allowed Willow to get up. She tried to not let on how tired she was, knowing that it would lead to them figuring out what had happened with her powers. They didn't even know she had them yet. If any more people learned about them, she would be at serious risk of exposure to the entire wizarding community.

"Where did you go?" Mandy demanded. "Paige said you went to let the mice out of the castle."

"I did do that," Willow admitted, coming up with a lie on the fly. "Then, I went for a walk because I was miserably full. I must have lost track of time. You know how I am, always getting lost in my thoughts out there."

Thankfully, no one seemed to detect the lie. They invited her to sit down and relax with them. She watched as Harry broke in his new chess set with a decisive loss to Ron. Percy even raised some eyebrows by making an appearance to help Ron in his chess game. Fred and George brought out some Christmas cake, which Willow ate a small piece of, stashing a little for Achelous's dinner. The twins approached her during a discussion on how the professional quidditch teams were doing at the moment.

"Hey, Willow!"

"Come here for a moment!"

Willow got to her feet and sauntered over to the twins. They had mischievous smiles in the making on their faces.

"What am I to do now?"

"We think that Percy needs a little bit of livening up," George began.

"He's also such a pig-head about being Prefect Percy-"

"More like Perfect Percy-"

"So it would be wonderful if you could take his badge for us."

Willow's face lit up, the last reserves of her energy kicking in. "Consider it done."

The twins returned to the couch, talking and laughing with the others. Willow found a place near Percy and hid herself from his view. He paid no attention to her as he animatedly argued with Ron why the Chudley Cannons were better than the Holyhead Harpies. She had no problem snagging the badge cleanly off his robes, leaving no tears, no marks, no nothing. Willow casually made her way back to where she had been previously sitting among Oliver, Mandy, and Lisa.

It wasn't until the argument dissipated and Percy sat down again that he realized his badge was gone. Feeling around for it, he found that it was missing, and stared accusingly at the twins.

"Fred! George! You stole my badge!"

"I believe you are mistaken, dear brother," George said innocently.

"We haven't been anywhere near you in the past few hours!" Fred added.

"I know you did it! I'm going to get you for this!"

Percy launched himself towards the twins, who shot to their feet and dodged their slower brother. The twins shouted after Willow, trying to rat her out, but making no progress. Percy was intent upon capturing his younger brothers. Willow doubled over laughing as she watched the twins fearfully outmaneuvered their older brother. Everyone else joined in, busting their guts. Percy chased Fred and George up the stairs, into their dorms, out of their dorms, back down the stairs, into the common room party area, and back into the living room, where he almost caught them. But the twins were simply too quick for Percy. He was outmatched and angry. Willow decided that Percy needed to cool down, so she pulled out her wand and said, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Percy's limbs snapped into a perfectly straight, tight position, freezing there, and his entire body fell backwards onto the floor. Fred and George stared at Willow, then back at Percy, and finally burst out chortling. The entire room followed suit. Ron and Harry tried not to but failed miserably as they dragged Percy into his room, respectfully shutting the door.

"Thanks, Willow," George said.

"It was the least you could do since you were the one who should have been chased!" Fred added.

"Hey, you gave me a mission, and I completed it," Willow reminded them, spreading her hands in defeat. "You're the ones who said the genius behind the plan is always responsible for it, remember?"

George sighed. "It's always going to come back to this, isn't it?"

"Yes. I'll never let you forget it!"

The party went on into the night, ending only when half the guests started falling asleep. Willow walked her friends back to their dorms. Mandy ended up carrying an exhausted Lisa the rest of the way through the Ravenclaw tower until she put the smaller girl in bed. She rubbed her skinny arms, telling Willow that next time they had to carry someone, it was Willow's turn. Willow promised Mandy that she would stick to that promise. Then, she left the Ravenclaw tower and took Oliver to the Hufflepuff common room. She let him knock on the barrels, bade him goodnight, and left, taking her time walking back to the Gryffindor Tower. Willow hadn't even made it past the kitchens before Oliver exploded out of the Hufflepuff room, calling after her.

"Willow, wait!" Oliver yelled, sprinting towards her with her letter in her hand.

"I see you got my present," Willow observed, smiling.

Oliver slowed down when he reached her. Puffing, he asked, "How did you do that? The fall colors? Isn't that impossible?"

"Nothing is impossible if it's being done for a friend," Willow smartly replied.

"Aw, Willow, I love it!" Oliver squealed, wrapping his arms around her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Merry Christmas, Oliver."

The boy's emerald eyes shining with emotion, he parted from Willow and headed back towards the common room, glancing over his shoulder several times until his tall, skinny frame disappeared and shut the door gently behind him.

Something woke Willow. Her ears had picked up a sound that would have been imperceptible to anyone else. She found that her body had morphed into a cat, her ears flicking while she tried to pinpoint the sound. Her cat form hissed softly.

Is this something that's going to happen, now? Random changes whenever the sensory details are better detected by an animal?

Yes. You'll have to learn to control it. It might automatically do that in life-or-death situations as well, which will take the most concentration on your part to prevent.

Great. That explains a lot about the snow burying incident.

Hurry up! You're going to lose that sound!

Willow realized the woman was right, that her feline ears were having increasingly more difficulty detecting the sound. She scampered out the door and door the stairs, pausing at the bottom to listen again. Footsteps could be heard in the portrait hallway, but there was no one in sight, which was throwing her off. All of her cat senses detected someone there. Who or what was there?

Then it hit her: Harry was using his invisibility cloak that he had received the morning before.

Better follow him and make sure he doesn't get caught, Willow thought.

Padding noiselessly behind him, Willow followed Harry out of the common room. He made straight for the library. Willow had an inkling as to what he was doing, and it was proven correct when his floating lantern veered off into the Restricted Section. She willed her tiny body to move forward and watch what he was doing. If he found something about Nicolas Flamel, she wanted to be there to lend a helping hand if Filch found them.

All of a sudden, an ear-splitting screech blasted Willow's cat ears. She flopped into the ground, covering her ears with her paws. Through pained eyes, Willow saw Harry snap a book shut and put it back on the shelf. The shrilling continued despite this. Harry dropped is lantern, which shattered and went out, leaving her with no way to tell where he was except for the sound of his running feet. Filch entered the library. Panicking, Willow cast around for somewhere to hide, but caught the sound of Harry running out in the hallway. She had to follow him! He could be in trouble and need her help at any moment! Ignoring the frantic yowling of Mrs. Norris as she passed her, Willow dashed into the corridor and traced Harry's footsteps. Almost immediately, Willow knew that he was lost and only thinking about fleeing the library. Even she hadn't been to this part of the castle yet. It would definitely take the two of them to get back to the Gryffindor Tower.

Snape and Filch suddenly appeared around a corner, causing Willow to skid to a stop and hide behind a suit of armour. They didn't stick around long, though, and ran off to find Harry together. Willow thanked her lucky stars that they were going in the other direction.

Her cat ears flicked when the sound a door opening echoed in the hallway. She whipped around and caught sight of Harry's hand pulling the door until it was slightly ajar. Curiosity may kill the cat, Willow thought, but she wasn't a full cat, so she decided to go ahead and follow Harry into the room. She squeezed through the crack and sat in the shadows, watching as her friend took the invisibility cloak off and folded it up. Then, he gasped and stared at a large object sitting awkwardly in the middle of the room.

Willow squinted her eyes and was surprised to see that it was an enormous mirror. Some words were written in an arc across the top of the wooden frame, but Willow couldn't decipher them. It was almost like they were backwards...

Just then, Willow realized they were backwards and a bit jumbled up. It read, once figured out: I show not your face but your hearts desire.

Harry stood at the mirror for several minutes, clapping his hand over his mouth a few times and frantically glancing behind him, but he saw no one, and he didn't bother to glance by the door where Willow sat. She decided to inspect the mirror a little closer and crept towards it until she was just out of range of seeing herself in it. When she looked into it, her limbs froze in place.

Harry was staring at himself in the mirror, but he wasn't alone. At least twenty people stood behind him, ghostly in their appearance, yet whole enough that they had some color to them. The two front-most people stood on either side of Harry, their hands on his shoulders. He touched his shoulder, seeming disappointed that he could not feel their physical touch. Willow was unable to suppress the purr that escaped her.

Unfortunately, Harry heard it. He tore his eyes away from the mirror and stared at Willow in horror. Confused, Willow cocked her head and backed up a few paces.

"No! Mrs. Norris! Don't rat me out to Filch, please!" Harry begged.

Feeling bad, Willow ran forward a few paces and commanded her body to transform back into a human while she ran. She stumbled a bit, but otherwise appeared in front of a dumbfounded Harry, saying, "Harry, it's me, Willow! Sorry for scaring you!"

"B-blimey, Willow, you scared me to death! I keep forgetting you can do that. How long have you been following me?"

"Since you left the common room. I wanted to make sure you wouldn't get caught. We can't leave a fellow Gryffindor to serve detention alone, now, can we?"

Harry smiled. "Thanks for that."

Both first-years glanced at the mirror. Harry was the first one to speak again, asking, "Could you see my parents?"

"Those were your parents? No wonder they looked so much like you! Everyone's right about you, though; you're the spitting image of your father but you have your mother's eyes. She was very pretty."

Willow stepped in front of the mirror, expecting to see only Harry's parents, but instead the scene changed. Then it changed again, and again, and again. It wouldn't stay on one particular thing long enough for Willow to process it. The only thing that Willow could make out was that one scene kept popping up every few times: her mother laughing and playing soccer with a miniature Willow. Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered that day. It was the summer before her mother had left, the best summer she had ever had in her entire life. Willow remembered the letter her mother had sent to her earlier that morning. A spark of hope burned in her chest, but it was trembling. This mirror showed her heart's desire; it couldn't tell the future, but that didn't mean the future wouldn't hold this happy scene.

"Willow? Are you alright?" Harry said, snapping Willow out of her thoughts.

"Oh, yeah," she lied.

Willow moved to the side to allow Harry to look in the mirror again. After a few moments, she remembered something she had been itching to ask Harry since the morning prior.

"Harry...have you really never received presents before?"

Swallowing, Harry paused for a moment, then never took his eyes off the mirror while replying, "Yes."

"So...you've never had a birthday, never enjoyed the Holidays?"

"No. Aunt Petunia always makes me cook for them. Uncle Vernon will send me up to my room before I can eat it."

Willow's heart broke in two, and even she felt a lump form in her throat when she choked out her final question.

"Did they- did they abuse you, Harry?"

This time, Harry looked directly into Willow's eyes, eleven years of pain and loneliness hidden in them. "I don't know at this point. They'd make me go without food as punishments sometimes, but they'd never beat me. Uncle Vernon's come close to doing so a few times, but he's never actually done it. All I know is that they treat Dudley like an angel and me like...like..."

"A slave?"

Harry sighed. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that."

"I think they're awful people, Harry," Willow said. "And I think they've abused you by neglecting you. That's not okay. You've said it before, you live in a cupboard under the stairs, locked in it for days sometimes! That's punishable in the Muggle world, and I'm certain it is in the wizarding world, too. You shouldn't have to go through that."

"I can't do anything about it. They're my legal guardians, and unless anyone can prove that they've hurt me, they're going to be stuck with me."

"No. You will be stuck with them. They're the awful, inhumane Muggles, not you, Harry. Don't let them ever make you think differently."

Harry glanced at Willow with a sparkle in his eyes. "You're right, Willow. I don't know why I put it that way."

"Now you know not to ever again, because you're so much better than them. You know, they don't know that you can't use magic outside of school. It's always an idea to threaten them with it if necessary..."

"I've already thought about that. I think it'll come in handy in more than one occasion."

"Good."

Harry walked over to Willow and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you, Willow. You're the one person I know that would understand this."

Willow hugged Harry back. "Anytime."


	12. Year 1: Chapter 12

The Hogwarts Express finally pulled into its station at Hogsmeade the day before the term resumed. Willow was there with the Weasley and Smith twins, Mandy, Lisa, Oliver, Ron, Harry, and Paige, waiting to greet all of their friends as the compartments opened at Hogsmeade Station. The first to exit the train and run into Willow's open arms was none other than Hermione Granger.

"Hermione!" Willow coughed. "You must have had a great Christmas, then?"

"Oh, it was wonderful!" Hermione agreed. "My parents really embraced this new wizarding life of mine and gave me all sorts of school supplies! It wasn't the same without you three there, though."

"You're so bad at lying, Hermione," Harry said. "Tell Ron and I all about your holiday!"

Willow watched the trio walk away, Hermione excitedly chatting with them about her father's dentist office fiasco. Sue Li suddenly appeared in front of her, dropping her trunk and wrapping her arms gently around her friend. Willow embraced her as well, the black-haired girl glowing with happiness, looking refreshed and ready to face another several months of school.

"It's good to have you back, Sue," she said. "I take it your family was pleased to have you home?"

"They must have missed me a lot, because they gave me more presents than they've ever given me before. I think I gained ten pounds from the amount of pudding I ate!"

Willow laughed. "Us, too."

"Us?"

"Sue's back! Come on, Oliver!" Mandy exclaimed, pulling him by his hand.

"Lisa! Mandy!" Sue called.

The three Ravenclaw girls melted into a group hug, Willow standing on the outside with Oliver. When they parted, Sue's eyes were alight with curiosity and excitement.

"I've missed you guys so much! What happened here at Hogwarts? Anything interesting?"

"Well, Oliver decided to speak to someone other than Willow, which was rather surprising," Mandy began.

Sue raised her eyebrows. "Really?" She turned to Oliver. "I don't think I've properly met you. Sorry about that. Hopefully I'll get to know you a little better soon."

Oliver smiled shyly, his way of saying that would be good. Mandy continued speaking about some of the things that had happened to Sue.

"...And Willow almost got herself detention for the rest of the year," Mandy said. "Is Snape still stuck in that ugly sweater?"

"Yeah," Willow snickered.

Sue glanced between Mandy and Willow, curiosity radiating from her. "I see that we have a lot to talk about. That should be a good story to tell."

"It will be. Let's head to the common room. Oliver, don't you dare sneak off! You're coming with us!"

Oliver let out a small chuckle as he nearly tripped over himself, Mandy dragging him with the other three. Willow was grateful that they let her stay to greet her other friends. Unfortunately, the next group that got off would be the last one she would be on the platform to welcome. Lavender, Mia, Fay, and Parvati stampeded off the train and tackled Willow.

"WILLOW! WE'RE BACK!" Mia screamed.

"WE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Fay shrilled.

"Missed you guys too!" Willow wheezed, crushed underneath the weight of her four roommates. "Welcome back!"

"Did you get a lot of presents? Did you kiss anyone under a mistletoe? Did you pull a prank on a teacher? Tell me everything!" Lavender commanded.

"Yes, ew, no, and of course I did. Snape is still suffering from it."

"DETAILS!" Fay ordered.

"Okay, okay, let's talk about it in a little bit-"

"NO! You're coming back to the dorm with us right now!" Parvati said. "You can tell us everything on the way!"

Willow was unwillingly kidnapped and forced to return to her dorm, all four of her roommates working together to keep her from running away. She gave in after five minutes of contemplating distracting them and shape-shifting. There was no point. Besides, maybe it was about time she spent some quality time with them. She was going to share a dorm with them for the next seven years, after all.

Willow told the tale of how the twins and her destroyed half of the castle's relics, then surprised Snape with dumping enchanted snow on his head at dinner that evening. They were in shock that she wasn't locked in the dungeons somewhere after succeeding with that sort of prank on Snape. Willow purposely omitted the fact that she had dressed up during the Christmas dinner, knowing that the girls would murder her without a second thought. She helped her friends unpack their trunks when they got back to their dormitory.

"I got brand new fancy robes from my dad!" Mia exclaimed. "What do you think?"

Lavender and Fay gasped in unison. "That's perfect!"

"You should wear it tonight!"

"What about you, Willow? Did you get any fancy robes from your parents?" Mia asked.

Willow's heart was yanked in two directions, trying to sink and soar at the same exact time. "Well...I got something from both of my parents, but not dress robes."

"Anything good?"

"Yes, actually. I got Muggle snacks from my dad, and from my mum..." Willow trailed off, swallowing the emotions that threatened to show. "I got a locket."

"Let me see! Let me see!" Parvati demanded.

Willow pulled the locket out from underneath her shirt where she had put it while she was walking to keep it from bouncing around. The four girls were on top of her in seconds, touching it gently and gaping in awe.

"Is- is that gold?"

"And diamonds?"

"Yes, they are," Willow said. "It's been a family heirloom since...God, I don't even remember the date, it's so old."

"What is that picture of?"

Willow carefully opened the locket, noticing that it was still perfectly maintained. There were no rust formations, and somehow nothing was chipped. Maybe someone along the line had put a charm on it to preserve it. Now that was someone from her mum's side that Willow would like to meet- someone resourceful and witty enough to know that this heirloom would need some help in its future centuries. Taking care not to smudge the photo with her fingers, Willow held up the small photograph for her friends to see.

"It's my mum and I a few months before my parents got divorced."

Lavender put her hand over her heart. "Willow, that's such a beautiful moment. Your mum is gorgeous." Glancing at Willow, she added, "Of course, that's where you get it from."

Her cheeks burned bright red. "Thank you, Lavender."

Warning them not to ruin the picture, Willow allowed her roommates to pass it around. She watched them closely as they did so. The amount of compassion and care she had received from them since the moment they got off the train was enormous. Willow had never experienced a group of girls so different from her that were so kind, so good-hearted. It was a whole new world to her, but she was warming up to it fast, and she kind of liked it. Willow made a promise to herself that she would try much harder to get to know these girls. They were put in Gryffindor for a reason; it was time to figure out what those reasons were. Plus, being miserable every time she stepped into her dorm for the next seven years wasn't a great situation to look forward to.

Willow took back the photo from Parvati and placed it back into the locket, putting it under her shirt again to protect it.

"Well, tell me more about your Christmas vacations!" she prompted.

Willow listened in while the girls told funny and tragic stories about their family time at Christmas. Lavender's family traditions were crazy, Parvati's were more relaxed, Fay didn't have any because of an accident a few years ago involving an explosion and a trampoline, and Mia's all failed that year. She recounted a tale about how her mother tried to bring together her parents and her husband's parents over a few family games. It ended in someone going to Saint Mungo's with someone eating slugs. Sally and Hermione joined them after an hour. Willow was extremely impressed with Sally when she suddenly began spinning the tale of the Christmas she had with all of her friends at Hogwarts. All the girls' attention was trained on the normally shy girl. She was the center of the room, lighting it up with the amazing extroverted side of herself. Willow couldn't believe it. She would answer questions, stop the story, go off on the newly explored subject with everyone else, then resume the story and repeat the process all over again. Willow was proud of her; this was the first time Sally had really made an effort to be a part of the group. Normally, she and her twin brother would end up sleeping on the couch together. It was a habit they shared because of their situation at home. Willow could almost see her crossing the bridge from acquaintance to friend. It was exciting and bittersweet all at once. She would never let on to it, but Willow secretly hoped that they could do this more often.

Before they knew it, lunchtime came, and the girls made their way to the Great Hall. Hermione and Parvati were in the middle of a conversation about their Christmas gifts when Fred and George burst through the doors.

“Lee!”

“Fred, George!” Lee called. “Where have you two been?”

Willow couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. The twins were rapidly catching up with the bigger boy, their mouths moving at the speed of light. It was quite a sight, really, seeing two pranksters reunite with their best friend. The Gryffindor table was filling up quickly, what with the entire student population being back. Willow found a seat across from her roommates and sat down. It wasn’t three seconds later that a bubbly group of Ravenclaw girls plopped down on her left with a trailing Hufflepuff boy setting himself carefully on her other side. Sue squeazed her in a tight hug.

“Mandy’s told me everything! I can’t believe how much time you spent together already!” Sue exclaimed. “It’s like we went to sleep one night and woke up a small band of friends!”

“I’m glad that we’re all getting along well,” Willow said. She turned to Oliver. “Please tell me you at least said something to Sue…”

Oliver grinned sheepishly. “I did speak a little. Mandy slapped me after five minutes and told me no mice are allowed in her dormitory.”

“Thank God for that. You need more than a little encouragment sometimes.”

The meal went smoothly, Willow getting to speak plenty with Sue and her roommates alike. Oliver was pretty quiet, as usual, but her voluntarily put together a few sentences. He was almost confident around Sue. Willow knew that it wouldn’t take long; if he could get used to Mandy’s extroverted, loud personality within a few days, then Sue would be a piece of cake. She was smack dab in the middle of Lisa and Mandy, being more of an ambivert. Around her friends, she was more extroverted than anything, which showed by her flamboyant impersonations of people she had met over break and the ridiculous things they said. But when she was in class, everyone was lucky to hear her speak. Oliver would hopefully see that in her and relate to it, being somewhat like that himself, but overall more reserved.

When the meal ended, Willow promised her friends that she would meet with them tomorrow. Her roommates dragged her back to her room. She was about to submit herself to another several hours of crazy girliness when Neville appeared in the hallway with perfect timing.

“O-Oh! Hi, Willow, Hermione,” Neville stuttered.

“Neville! Welcome back!” Willow greeted. She turned to her friends. “I’ll catch up with you guys later. I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to Neville yet!”

“Bye, Willow!” Lavender chirped, winking at her.

Rolling her eyes, Willow waited for her roommates to disappear into the dormitory before leading Neville downstairs into the common room. She flopped on the couch, Neville sitting across from her.

“Thank you, Neville,” Willow said. “I love spending time with them, but it’s downright exhausting.”

“You’re welcome?”

Willow beamed. “How was your Christmas?”

“It was great!” Neville replied. “My Grandmother got me some new robes, and my kneazle, Sneeze, had kittens! I got to play with them the whole break. She also got me a new cauldron since my old one...you know what happened to it. My plants that she keep at home are growing really well, too! The kittens like to play in our greenhouse, probably because it’s warmer in there.”

“That sounds amazing!” Willow said. “I’m sure you’ve heard all about my Holidays from Ron and Harry already.”

“I have. Snape’s sweater was ingenious, you know. It’s a nice change from his scary clothes...he’s always scary, though…”

Willow laughed. “Oh, Neville. I won’t let Snape hurt you. My wand is easily accessible every second of the day, especially during Potions.”

Neville weakly smiled at Willow. “That’s reassuring.”

“I hoped it would be.”

“Oh, that reminds me! I have something for you!”

Neville fumbled around in the pockets of his robes and pulled out a box. He handed it to Willow, who carefully opened it and discovered a Gryffindor headband and ribbon inside. Willow could hardly contain her excitement when she put the headband in her hair.

“I love it, Neville!” 

“That’s awesome! I-I mean, I hoped you would! I’m glad you do! Y-You look adorable!”

Neville paused, his face reddenning once he realized what he said. Willow stood up and moved herself to the other couch, hugging Neville.

“It’s perfect. Thank you, Neville.”

“Y-You’re welcome,” the pudgy boy stammered.

Later that evening, Willow was walking alone to the Great Hall for dinner. She had a goofy smile plastered on her face. Neville and she had talked for hours, catching up with each other and planning for term. Neither of them were looking forward to end-of-term exams. They had gone to the library at one point, Willow secretely looking for Nicholas Flamel while Neville went through some herbology books, pointing out some interesting plants that Willow found equally astounding. There was nothing about Flamel in half of the library. Willow had combed through everything, but maybe there was something she missed. He had to be in there somewhere. Afterwards, Neville had pulled out some moving photos of his family over Christmas. Willow helped him organize them into chronological order and told him that he should get a scrapbook for them all. Eventually, she had put her hair into a ponytail and tied it with the ribbon Neville had given her. He couldn’t string a confident sentence together to save his life. Then, Harry and Ron had borrowed Neville until dinner. Willow had spent the last hour before dinner talking, insulting, and arguing with the voice in her head while she stared out the window at the Forbidden Forest. Now, she entered the Great Hall, only to immediately be face-to-face with none other than Draco Malfoy.

“Wisp! You’re not dead, after all,” he drawled.

“Nice to see you too, Blonde. I’m assuming you got everything you asked for?”

“And then some.”

Willow raised her eyes to the Heavens. “Why did I not see that coming?”

“Please, you walked right into it on purpose.”

“You’re right. I totally want to hear you brag about all your presents you got from your precious mummy and daddy.”

“Hm, I was going to give you something, but I don’t know now since you’ve been so rude to me already…” Draco taunted.

“I find it hard to believe that you got me anything,” Willow said, raising her eyebrows.

“Oh, but it’s true,” Draco said. “Do you want it or not? I’ll happily take it back and tease you with it forever, Wisp.”

“Alright, fine. I’ll be nice- or at least try to.”

Draco smirked, then tossed her a small parcel. Willow cautiously opened it, prepared for something to jump out of it and attack her, but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, she revealed a Slytherin pin. The corner of Willow’s mouth twitched upwards.

“Of course you would get me this,” Willow said. “But you weren’t expecting me to like it, were you?”

“What- “

Willow fastened the pin onto her robes, right next to the Gryffindor emblem. Draco gaped, startled by her reaction, then recovered quickly.

“Your house is going to kill you, you know,” he warned.

“I’m well aware.”

“And you still don’t care.”

“Nope.”

“Have fun getting brutally murdered.” Draco noticed the ribbon and headband on her and became slightly confused. “Since when do you wear stuff in your hair?”

“Since now. Get used to it, Blonde.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “See you later, Wisp.”

“Get lost, Blonde.”

The two parted ways, seating themselves at their respective tables. Willow received many gasps and stares before one of her friends actually said something.

“Um, Willow? What’s with the Slytherin pin?” Paige asked.

“A small gift from a friend.”

“Please don’t tell me that was Malfoy,” Harry groaned.

“Sorry, I’ll be quiet then.”

“Why would Malfoy give you anything? I thought you two weren’t even that good of friends,” Ron said.

“I think he meant for it to get me in trouble, but I took it anyway.”

“Oh my God, Willow!” Lavender sighed. “Get over yourself and admit it already!”

“Admit what?”

“Don’t what us, Willow,” Mia said. “You know exactly what!”

“I’m lost,” Neville commented.

“Guys, I already told you, I don’t like anyone. I’m too young, I’d probably destroy the unlucky kid’s life, and it gets in between friendships.”

“Come on, you’re no fun!”

“Drama is how you get through school!”

“Trust me, drama is not how you get through school, of life, for that matter,” Willow said. “I’ve had my fair share, and I’m staying out of it. Draco is nothing but a friend to me and will stay that way.”

“I still don’t understand how you can be friends with that prick,” Fred said bitterly. “He’s a Slytherin, for God’s sake. None of them are any good. He’s horrible to everyone, including you. How do you stand him?”

Willow shrugged. “Most of them are awful, but I see something better in him than the rest. He’s less horrible to me, anyway, and is actually making an effort to get to know me and not completely bully me.”

“Still, why would you wear their pin?” George wondered.

“I’m not one to judge an entire house based on their worst members.”

Everyone fell silent, with a few making feeble attempts to change the subject, but only Dumbledore calling everyone’s attention could retract them from the awkward situation. He tapped on his glass of water and rose to his feet.

“Students!” he boomed. “Another wonderful Christmas gone, another term beginning. I hope you all had great Holidays. Now that we have everyone, I would like to formally welcome you all back to Hogwarts. Let the start-of-term feast begin!”

Massive quantities of food suddenly appeared in front of the students, similar to the first meal Willow had eaten at Hogwarts. All of her favorite foods were there, from mashed potatoes and gravy to brisket. Ron had already filled up his plate and was scarfing down a mountain of chicken by the time Willow had found the rolls. She piled the food high and tucked in.

While she ate, Willow caught sight of Snape behaving strangely. His eyes were constantly darting to Harry, then to Dumbledore, then to Professor Quirrel. Willow had never known him to be an observant teacher, but maybe that was because he always did it in an unobtrusive sort of way. He was never this paranoid, and it was not because of the blinking sweater he was still wearing. Fred and George said that his clothes would (hopefully) return to normal overnight. Snape was up to something, and there was nothing anyone could say that would convince Willow otherwise.

She munched pensively on her carrots. Quirrel appeared especially shaken. He was visibly trembling, keeping his head down, eyes staring at his plate that barely had anything on it. The professor poked at his food distractedly, as if his mind was elsewhere. He didn’t see Snape’s constant vigilence over him. Dumbledore was oblivious too it as well, as far as Willow knew. Snape either knew something they didn’t or was being kept out of a loop. Willow was determined to know exactly what.

When the pudding was served, Snape excused himself from the Great Hall. Willow’s eyes traced every movement on his, analyzing the minutest details, trying to find something, anything that would give her a clue. But he simply stormed out as usual. Neville cowered when he swept by them, his black robes billowing. Willow grit her teeth, wishing that there was something she could do to stop Snape’s brutality towards the unfortunate boy, but knowing full well that there was nothing a student’s word could accomplish against an established professor’s when it came to these types of matters. She satisfied her anger by stuffing herself with cherry pie.

Dumbledore was merry as usual the rest of the feast. He spoke often with McGonagall, sharing a joke or two, telling tales with a few other teachers, simply getting excited over the upcoming term. Hagrid was quite a contrast, sitting next to Quirrel. The giant man was ruddy with laughter and acting fairly extroverted, whereas Quirrel could have been mistaken for a statue if it weren’t for his trembling. Willow wondered what Dumbledore was thinking hiring that professor. He was the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, for Merlin’s sake, and he was teriffied of seemingly nothing. His classes had been a joke all year, after all. Willow wondered what would scare a full-grown professor.

She didn’t get enough time to ponder her questions, however, as the feast ended. Willow was planning on heading back to the Gryffindor Tower to have some fun with her friends when her ears picked up an unusual sound. It was almost a hissing, but it was strangely humanoid. As she got closer to it, Willow realized it was forming inaudible words. She stopped to try and get a better idea of what it was.

“Willow? What’s wrong?” George asked. Everyone else had gone ahead already.

“I hear something,” Willow said. “It’s...weird.”

George paused, listening, then said, “I don’t hear anything.” A moment of realization flashed across his face. “Oh, that’s your powers acting up again, isn’t it?”

Willow nodded, listening intently to the sound, trying to pinpoint it. She crept forward, following the direction of it. The sound got louder and clearer the closer to got to the source. Willow stopped in front of a classroom, motioning for George to follow her.

“I can hear it now,” he whispered, crouching down behind her. “You’re right; it’s really weird. What do you think it is?”

“I have no idea. Stay here-I need to get closer-Don’t panic when I change-I’m going to come right back after investigating.”

George nodded his understanding. Willow transformed into a dark brown cat, hoping that the color would help her blend in. She padded around the corner and stepped into the classroom. The scene mentally slapped her across the face.

Professor Quirrel stood in the corner of the room, his back facing her. The turban was loosely wrapped around his head, as if he had taken it off and hastily thrown it back on. His trembling was worse than ever. He tried to stutter something, and even Willow’s flicking cat ears could barely make out the words.

“M-master...h-hurt...p-p-p-please…”

“Silence!” a deep voice hissed. Quirrel violently started, knocking over a desk. Willow didn’t know whether it was her cat senses or something else, but she could feel the intense fear radiating from the small man. The voice continued hissing at Quirrel.

“Have you made any progress?”

“Y-yes, master.”

“Lies!” it boomed. “The boy has no idea where they put it, and you’ve been useless in getting past that miserable beast!”

“I-I’m sorry, master-”

“No more apologies! Get it done!”

The voice was gone, just like that, leaving a terrified Quirrel to collapse in a heap in the corner. Willow inched closer, wondering if he had passed out, when Quirrel suddenly rose to his feet, brushing himself off. He wiped a tear out of his eye. Willow would have felt sorry for him had he not began striding towards the door. Panicking, Willow scrambled out of the classroom, shape-shifting back into her regular self on the run. George’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as Willow dragged him around the corner and into the next corridor.

“Bloody hell, Willow!” George exploded. “What’s the rush?”

“Sorry, he made a dash for the door, and I didn’t want you to get caught.”

“Thanks for that.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Willow waited until they had gotten several corridors away from the classroom before stopping, leaning against a wall. It was then that she noticed the increasing pain in her chest. She rubbed her hand over it, vaguely remembering that it had started feeling funny the moment she heard the voice hissing in the hallway. Now, it was becoming almost unbearable, and not because of the little bit of running she did.

“What’s wrong, Willow?” George worriedly asked.

“My chest...it’s acting up again…” Willow wheezed. “I think the hissing voice triggered it, back when I first heard it.”

“Wait, I thought this only happened due to running?”

“That’s what I thought, too, but I always forget that it happens randomly, when I’m doing nothing at all, for no reason. Maybe it’s connected to something more than exercise.”

“You don’t say,” George said, watching worriedly as Willow sank into a siting position. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Not really, no, but if I keep my mind off of it, that usually helps.”

“Okay…What did you see in there?”

Willow inhaled for eight counts, then exhaled for the same amount, trying to control her breathing. “I saw Professor Quirrel.” She repeated the breathing. “He was facing away from me and talking to someone. I couldn’t tell...where the voice came from. There...was no one there...other than him.”

Willow’s chest finally started opening up again. Slowly but surely, the constricted sensation faded away. Willow stood up only to have black dots dance in front of her eyes. She leaned against the wall, forcing her eyes to stay open, knowing that if she closed them, she would lose her balance and possibly black out. George offered to support her, and she gladly used it. Willow kept her breathing under control, but this bout of problems was different than anything she’d ever felt before, especially since the blackouts usually happened when her chest was tight, not right after it loosened. When her vision began to tunnel, she knew something was very wrong.

“George, if I pass out, don’t let me hit my head, or I’ll bash yours,” Willow joked.

“I won’t let you throw yourself at a wall, don’t worry,” George chortled.

Willow’s vision flickered again, but this time, instead of going completely black, the scenery changed. She recognized the vision about to happen and tried to warn George.

“George- vision-”

Willow completely lost herself to the vision. She found herself in a town square, in a little city she had never seen before. People milled around, visiting shops, eating ice cream, taking pictures with the sunset in the background. One man in particular caught her attention. He looked strangely familiar. The man left the square, walking along down a trail, now and then glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him. He entered a forest, then went off the path, breaking into a run. Willow struggled to keep up with him, her feet feeling like cement blocks. She finally caught up to him when he stopped in front of a pile of rocks. Looking closer, she found that it was actually a cave. The man entered and fell to his knees, bowing to the ground.

“Master, I am here. I am ready.”

“Good, good. I will begin the process.”

Confused, Willow watched from the mouth of the cave as the man stood up once again. Then, the most peculiar and intense thing Willow had watched unfolded before her very eyes. A misty, black patch of air wrapped itself around the man, slowly tightening into a ring around him until it was squeezed around his head. The man started screaming, his agony evident in his voice. Nothing stopped, though, and the spirit-like blackness wreathed around the mans head, getting tighter and tighter until Willow thought the man couldn’t scream any louder. Suddenly, it stopped, and the black mass concentrated itself on the back of the man’s head. The man stopped screaming, instead trembling silently on the ground.

Willow’s vision began to fuzz. The scene faded, starting to replace itself with the torch-lit corridors of Hogwarts. A single splash of color caught her eye, maybe blue or purple, and it was gone. Willow’s eyes fluttered open to find George worriedly standing over her, his face lighting up when Willow stirred.

“You’re not dead!” he enthused.

A shaky laugh rattled in Willow’s sore chest. “You think I would die without a fight?”

“Merlin’s beard, of course not, but you were pretty pale. You could have passed for dead. Maybe I could use that for one of our pranking missions…”

“Don’t you dare.”

George let out a shaky chuckle. "I'll try not to. For now, you're going straight back to the common room."

"That sounds...good."

Willow trekked across the castle with George, purposely going slow to make sure she didn't have another spell of fainting in the middle of a run. They passed several scratched-up suits of armour that Willow recognized as some of the casualties to her great escape from Snape that Christmas, and some of the open-air corridors still had some cracked pillars. She was about to point one rather important incident when she heard the very man she was about to speak of.

"Quick! Over here!" George beckoned, shoving Willow behind a monument.

Snape's voice could be heard accompanied by two pairs of footsteps echoing through the hallway. "Sir, I can assure you that he's perfectly safe. The stone is well-guarded, Fluffy is still savage as ever-"

"Lower your voice, Severus," Dumbledore shushed. "You of all people should be wary of prying ears, should you not?"

Willow could almost feel the indignity pouring from Snape an entire corridor away. Their voices began to fade away as the two professors distanced themselves from Willow and George. He tapped her on the shoulder, making her jump.

"Sorry, I was just letting you know that I can no longer hear them," George whispered. "You'll have to let me know what they're saying now." Willow nodded, and George added with a goofy grin, "Well, what do you know? Two run-ins with secretive professors in the same hour! You really are in the middle of everything, aren't you, Willow?"

"I'd rather it be me than anyone else."

Willow's ears tuned into the professor's conversation. It was so faint that she almost contemplated getting closer, but they stopped in their tracks and continued in barely audible voices.

"Professor Dumbledore, if I may, I made a promise. You know about it. If I don't follow through-"

"I'm well aware, Severus, of this promise you made. And it should stay unbroken! There are ways to protect the boy without alerting anyone."

"But sir-"

"Silence, Severus. You'll simply have to increase your watch over him. Retrace his footsteps, make sure you know what part of the castle he is in at all times. And for Merlin's sake, there is no need to deduct points from him every Potions class he has with you."

Willow was honestly surprised Snape didn't combust on the sight, he was so full of indignation. "I do not-"

"You heard me, Severus. Keep a close on on that boy, no matter what the cost. Do everything in your power to defend him from whatever is stirring within the wizarding world. Until we can find out more about this dark force rising, he is no longer safe. We cannot afford to lose him. The boy is the spark of hope for the future of all wizarding generations."

"Yes, sir. I will do my best."

"Oh, and Severus, I did enjoy your change in wardrobe this Christmas. It was much more...festive."

Snape's footsteps were quick and precise on his way back towards his office. When he passed by the suit of armour where Willow and George were hiding, his face was tight with anger and frustration. She was glad that she was not subject to that anger. That brought up her biggest question from listening to the conversation: who had they been talking about? What was this "darkness" and "stirring" happening in the wizarding world? If there was one thing Willow could not stand, it was being kept in the dark about this beautiful, crazy, magical world that she was a part of. Her father had kept her knowledge to the bare minimum; Half-bloods and even Muggleborns knew more than her! She was bound and determined to never miss a bit of information that was circulating in the wizarding world ever again.

"What were they talking about?" George said once Snape slammed the door to his office.

"Something about Snape protecting a boy," Willow recounted. "I think they're worried something bad is happening in the wizarding world, and that it somehow might be connected to here. It must not be that big of a deal, though, because if we were in real danger, Dumbledore would be taking extra precautions."

"But you said it was only about one boy?" George recalled.

"Yes..."

"That's odd. I think you're right; if we were in real danger, Dumbledore would have locked down the school and had the teachers take up defensive positions already. And if he wants Snape of all people to protect this boy, then the boy might not even need that close of an eye watching him at all."

Willow's thoughts remained on the two conversations for the rest of the day. She didn't know who she was more suspicious of; was Snape gaining too much knowledge on something he shouldn't, or was Quirrel in the middle of something awful? Her normally clear mind was split perfectly in two on that one. Not even her enhanced sensitive powers were giving her a clean answer.

Will I always be stuck wondering? Willow asked herself.

The voice didn't even decide to butt in for that tough question.

A few weeks passed. The snow melted and turned into monsoons of rain. Willow was about the only one other than Fred, George, and Paige who didn't mind practicing in the rain. They resumed getting in a practice here and there whenever they could. Willow was rapidly improving thanks to Paige's tough love as keeper and Fred and George's encouragement while beating bludgers at her. One particular afternoon, Willow was doing really well. George had been stubborn about letting her practice the seeker position ever since the incident of her nearly plummeting into the Earth, but he had finally let up when she hadn't tried anything crazy in months.

"You know what to do, Willow," George said. "Don't you dare fly into the clouds again, though."

"I only follow the snitch."

George sighed. "I'm never going to get you to cooperate, am I?"

"Why do even try?" Fred snickered. "She can take care of herself, remember?"

George ignored his twin's comment. Drawing back his arm, he counted, "3...2...1...go!" and threw the golden ball high into the air. It's wings fluttered to life and it zoomed away. Willow was after it in seconds.

She loved having these practices with the three third-years. They were fun beyond belief, which helped entertain her on the long winter weekends when there was nothing to do, and gave her a lot of insight on what her life would be like in a few years, not to mention teaching her how to get away with small infringements of the rules. Willow's happiness spiked when she was around those three, but her favorite thing that she did with them (other than pranking, of course) was the Quidditch lesson she was receiving at the moment. They taught her everything she needed to know. Every shortcut, every small detail, even every secret to the game had been given to her. She would forever be grateful for that if she made the team. Willow loved Quidditch nearly as much as soccer, she had realized. The feeling of the wind whipping through her hair, the sensation of diving thousands of feet in seconds, the joy of being one with the sky...it was like a dream come true. She had always wanted to fly as a Muggle child, thinking it was impossible, but now that she could do it any time she wanted, she was nearly bursting with happiness.

Willow trained her eyes on the golden Snitch. It was weaving in and out of the empty stands, trying to lose her by blending in with the house color patterns draped over the side of them. But Willow's eyes were keener than most, as were all five of her senses. She could detect the slightest movement of its hummingbird-like wings beating the air. Her broom may have been slightly slow for a seeker, but she had added to the few tricks Fred and George taught her, and now she was gaining on the flying golden ball rapidly.

All of a sudden, the snitch jerked to the left and veered off the pitch. Willow was hot on its trail. It was headed straight for the Forbidden Forest. Unafraid, Willow climbed higher into the sky after the snitch, allowing it to bring her two hundred, three hundred, and finally four hundred feet above the edge of the dark woods. It stopped there for a second, as if reconsidering, then plunged into the treetops. Willow smirked. She knew how to manage the forest well. The snitch didn't stand a chance.

Diving sharply, Willow followed the it through the trees, weaving in and out of trunks and branches. The snitch was slowing up quite a bit at that point, getting held up by constantly catching its wings on the bark. Willow had caught up to it in no time and snatched it into her hand. She silently celebrated, gliding among the trees, then decided to take a break and touched down on the forest floor. It was a rather beautiful day in the Forbidden Forest. The sun was shining through the canopy, lightening the usually dark paths and warming the atmosphere. Soon, it would be getting quite humid in there, and Willow was looking forward to all the new growth that would be happening. Maybe she could discover a new plant species or even take care of some of the baby animals that would appear. Whatever she would be doing that spring, Willow was simply excited by the idea of new nature, new life. She had always been that way, but her powers were making the love even stronger.

Speaking of her powers, the voice decided to interrupt her day.

So, how's life?

Don't even start in with that.

Oh, come on, I know exactly what you're doing, but it's fun to hear what you think of your miserable self at the moment.

Thanks for that.

Don't mention it.

Why can't you be supportive, nice, maybe even a bit spiritual like you were when you first spoke to me?

Because I can be all of that, but it's more fun to get you riled up.

I hate you sometimes.

Hate is a strong word, young lady.

Don't call me young lady. You've seen me get angry every time someone calls me that.

Have you listened to nothing I just said to you?

Sometimes I wish you would get out of my head, but other times I want to bash it through a wall because of you.

You're very welcome. If you would listen to me more often, I could reveal myself to you sooner. You know, you're almost there. About the time that the term ends for Hogwarts, you're going to have mastered your powers enough for me to appear to you. But I can't do that if you don't try to work with me- and yourself.

Fine. I'll work with you later today...or sometime this week. I can never determine my schedule.

I'm available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Give me a call!

You sound like a commercial.

Does that annoy you?

I'm not going to answer that anymore. Have a good day.

You too, you stubborn old mule.

Willow cracked a smile. As much as she got annoyed with that woman, she didn't know what she'd do without her. She was rather comical at times. In a way, she was fairly similar to Draco Malfoy: an annoying git at times, but every once in a while coming around and actually being a good friend. Maybe that was why she could tolerate the prick; she had one firing away at her at any given time of the day. Willow didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Remembering that she was supposed to be practicing Quidditch, Willow got back on her broom and shot out of the forest. Fred, George, and Paige were waiting patiently on the field, and when they saw her, they broke out into cheering and applause. Willow did a few show-off moves just for fun, then rocketed towards the ground and managed a fancy, high-speed landing. Paige rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"You're worse than me. That's saying something."

Willow merely smiled in response to the comment. She tossed the snitch to George, who immediately returned the golden ball to its case.

"Well done!" Fred cheered, high-fiving Willow. "You didn't nearly die this time!"

"That's an accomplishment, then?"

"I'll consider it," George said, winking. Willow beamed, proud of herself.

The twins decided to end the session on that high note. George volunteered to take their stuff back to the Gryffindor locker room, dragging Willow along with her. Confused, she glanced at Paige, but the older only covered her mouth to hide her laughter. Willow decided to comply and interrogate her later.

George showed her where everything went in the closet, then put the brooms back. He dusted off his hands (there was an impressive buildup of dust in the closets), then lead Willow out of the locker room. It wasn't until they got a few levels up that George paused.

"Do you mind if I try a charm on you? Fred and I discovered some more when reading through that old book, and it would make sense because of your success in quidditch today."

Willow shrugged. "Go ahead. But it's not my fault if you destroy me hair and I kill you for it."

George pulled out his wand and tapped it on Willow's head, saying a complicated incantation. Several miniature golden snitches fluttered out of the tip of his wand and attached themselves to Willow's hair. She smiled, liking the change. It was an added bonus that the snitches flapped their wings simultaneously but didn't tangle her hair. She even glowed with a small fragment of gold light. Willow hugged George.

"Thanks for that!"

"I'm glad it worked! It was rather tricky..."

"That was very impressive, actually," Willow commented, separating herself from the taller boy. "I've never seen anyone your age perform that tricky of a spell here at Hogwarts."

George grinned. "Thanks. I think I have a streak of not failing any of these spells yet."

Willow gently punched him. "Don't get too cocky, or you'll find yourself short a test subject."

"Noted."

The two continued back towards the Gryffindor Tower. Willow recognized the library up ahead and decided to do some more investigating on Nicolas Flamel; Hermione was particularly distraught that they hadn't found anything yet after searching for weeks.

"Sorry, but I have to go to the library," Willow said. "I wish I could find the stupid book already..."

"Maybe I can help?" George offered.

"Are you sure? I haven't found anything, and I've been looking for weeks."

"Two eyes are better than one."

"Point taken. Let's go, then. Can you find anything about Flamel?"

Willow and George split off in two directions. Going back to the beginning, Willow stayed near the entrance and started combing through the books again for what felt like the hundredth time. George headed to the other side of the library.

After fifteen minutes of searching, Willow was ready to give up. How could something that should be so important be impossible to find more information about?

Out of the corner of her eye, Willow saw a flash of blond hair. Her stomach flipped. Draco. He looked like he was sneaking up on someone, crouching down behind a large artifact in the corridor. Something bad was about to happen. Willow started tiptoeing her way towards the Slytherin boy. She had almost made it to the exit when he popped up and shouted a curse. A jet of light flashed from his wand, something exploded, and a boy cried out in pain. Abandoning all stealth, Willow ran into the hallway, flashing past a smug Draco to find Neville on the ground in a cloud of dust, his legs locked together.

"I've been waiting to try that one out on you, Longbottom," Draco sneered. "Thanks for being my test subject."

"Malfoy!" Willow shouted.

Draco stared into the plume of debris, furrowing his brow in confusion. The moment the air cleared, his eyes widened in shock, and his mouth dropped open.

"W-Willow? What are you- how-" he stammered.

Ignoring Draco's feeble attempts to speak, Willow helped Neville get to his feet. She noticed tears running down his dirty face. Although they were silent, they screamed a thousand words. Willow took her thumb and wiped the tears off of Neville's face.

"Hey, look at me," she commanded. Neville turned to face her. "Don't let this git bring you down. Hop back to the common room, Hermione knows the spell to unlock your legs. I'll deal with Malfoy."

Neville nodded, but he still looked quite deflated. Willow sighed. "Neville, I'm going to tell you something, and I don't want you to ever forget it: you are worth it. Don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Not your family, not your friends, not Draco, no one. You are worth more than the souls of everyone on Earth combined."

Neville actually cracked a smile. He wiped his eyes off with his knuckles, sniffling. "Thanks, Willow."

"I'll see you in a little bit, Neville. I have a prick to beat the crap out of right now."

Neville shot a glare at the still star-struck Malfoy. "Show him what happens when you mess with a Gryffindor, Willow."

"I will."

Neville hopped away. Willow watched him make it around the corner, then whipped around to face Draco. She marched towards him, wand drawn, adrenaline searing through her veins.

"You foul, lousy, loathsome, evil, slimy, bratty, slithering arsehole!" Willow growled.

Draco lost all the color in his face and began to back away. Willow still pursued him, even when he tried to turn and run. She caught up with him easily and pinned him to the ground. Draco's eyes were wide with fear. Willow pressed the tip of her wand into the pale boy's neck, his breath quickening in fear.

"Why did you do it?"

"I-I don't know!" Draco said.

"Liar!"

"I'm serious! I don't know why-"

"That's not a good enough answer!" Willow snapped. "Why did you curse Neville?"

"I-I...had to."

"Why did you have to curse a fellow student? Huh? Tell me now!"

Draco glanced fearfully at the wand pressed hard against his neck. "It's an impulsive thing. I see Neville, I have to curse him. If I don't, I feel wrong the the rest of the day."

Willow's anger rose to the point where it was nearly boiling over. "I can't believe you! That's your answer? Really? So if you see a student and, oh, I don't know, randomly dream for one second of hexing them, which is completely normal by the way, you'd rathe inflict pain on them rather then do the right thing and figure out how to deal with emotions yourself?"

"You-you don't deal with emotions, though."

Willow jumped to her feet, Draco's comment hitting her like a bullet. He was spot-on. She didn't deal with emotions. Instead, she bundled them up and hoped that they would expel themselves through writing poetry now and then. It wasn't healthy, she knew, but it was what she had always done since the day her mother left. Willow refused to have any sort of excess of emotions at any time. Draco had read her notebook. He had delved deep into her close-to-home secrets. The only reason he didn't know every last little fact about Willow was because he had only read a few entries, and they were poems at that, which take much to to examine and figure out the meaning behind. Willow clenched her jaw in rage.

"You shouldn't know that."

"But I do."

Willow pointed her wand at Draco, more emotions trying to break the surface than she was willing to allow. "A friend should know those things about me. A friend would know to let me tell them more about these things without pestering me about it. A friend wouldn't hurt people any time he pleases just because he feels like it!"

Draco stood up shakily, grabbing the wall. "Willow, please, I'm sorry-"

"No! Sorry is not good enough! Stupefy!"

Draco barely dodged the spell, diving behind a suit of armor. Willow cast it again, shattering the knight into a million pieces of scrap metal. Draco stood up, his wand pointed directly at Willow, though his hand was trembling.

"Willow, let me speak!" he pleaded. "I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me. I'm working on controlling it, but it's difficult. Seriously, I'm trying here. For real. I haven't physically hurt anyone yet, and I plan to keep it that way. It's the other kind of hurt that I'm working on. I know, it's hard for a perfect Gryffindor girl like you to understand, but at least try. Try to understand. I'm working on it."

Willow panted hard, her chest rising and falling in rhythm with her anticipating heartbeats. Making a difficult decision, she lowered her wand. Draco also dropped his hand to his side.

"Please, Willow. I can't promise that it won't happen again, but I'm trying. Honestly."

Staring deep into Draco's gray eyes, Willow called upon her powers to help her with this analysis. The gray irises glowed with apology and regret, but there was still something festering underneath, something fighting to regain control and take over. Draco was forcing it to stay down. Willow's heart stopped when she realized that Draco was legitimately sorry, that he really was attempting to stop this behavior. He was right when he said it was hard; all Willow had to do was look into this eyes and see the struggle. She sighed. Maybe Draco was changing a bit. Just maybe. A small spark of hope flickered to life within her. Perhaps there was a chance for Draco after all.

"Fine. But you really pushed the limits of my tolerance this time."

"I could tell."

Willow shot him a look that was deadly enough to wipe the smirk off Draco's face.

"You're such a lucky little twat."

"Already with the name-calling? I take that to mean we're still friends?"

Willow paused, letting her eyes linger on Draco's hopeful expression for a moment longer, then replied, "Yes."

"Hey, Willow, I think I found something!" George's voice called from within the library.

"That's my cue to leave. See you later, Blonde," Willow said.

"Catch you later, Wisp."

Willow returned to the library, having more hope for Draco becoming a better person than finding a single thing about Nicolas Flamel. An hour later, having found nothing, George and she trudged back to the common room, completely exhausted. George was shocked when Willow informed him of the events that took place between her and Draco while he was searching in the library, probably more because he didn't notice it happening than anything, and reverted to his usual method of persuading Willow to remove Draco from the picture. She pretended to listen, as always, taking note of important things to contemplate later, expelling the rest, until she was able to change the subject to the upcoming quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. They arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait and gave the password before entering the common room.

"It looks like Neville's already gone off to bed," George remarked. "I'm going to find Freddy."

George ran off to his dormitory to pester Fred. Willow noticed Ron, Harry, and Hermione deep in conversation next to the fireplace. George had most likely been correct in his assumption, because Neville was nowhere to be seen. She joined the trio, abruptly halting their chat.

"Sorry to interrupt, but am I correct in assuming you have some important information to share?" Willow asked.

"Yes, actually," Harry replied. "We were just discussing it."

"If you were wondering, Neville's already gone off to bed, I was able to perform the counter-curse to unlock his legs," Hermione informed. "Stupid Malfoy...always bullying poor Neville..."

"Oh, you won't have to worry about him as much," Willow said. The three raised their eyebrows in question. "I saw what he did to Neville. He was promptly taken care of."

"Did you punch him again?" Ron inquired a bit too eagerly.

"Um...no, but I did tackle him and shattered a knight. He was quite petrified."

"Willow! Don't tell me a teacher saw this?" Hermione squeaked.

"No, of course not. But it would have been worth it, especially if it was Snape-"

"Willow!"

"Anyone, we finally found something about Nicolas Flamel, and it was all thanks to Neville," Harry said, changing the subject.

"That's great news! George and I have been searching for it for the past hour! I'm glad to not have to do that anymore. So, who is he?"

Harry and Hermione took turns filling in Willow on Flamel, telling her that he was a centuries-old alchemist that created the Sorcerer's Stone, which is what Fluffy was guarding. Willow's mind worked to make the puzzle pieces click together in her mind.

"That's certainly an interesting turn in events. I can see why you're afraid Snape is after it. But I'm not so sure..."

"What do you mean?" Hermione questioned.

"I mean, I don't know that Snape would go after it."

"Really? You don't, even after all of this evidence we've been piling up against him?" Ron said.

Willow glanced between her friends, wondering if she should tell them what she'd overheard with George the other day. Something deep down in her gut stirred, a sort of sense, that told her not to. It was a powerful, primeval sensation that made her wonder if it was part of her powers of simply in every witch or wizard. Whatever it was, Willow trusted that enough to keep her mouth shut.

"I guess it does make sense, now that I think about it."

The evening carried on, with the four chatting about the Sorcerer's Stone. Willow learned of Snape's upcoming debut as a quidditch referee, but that went on the back burner compared to the colossal discovery they had made. They discussed the immortal-elixir-producing stone until bedtime arrived. Willow had trouble falling asleep. Her mind was still in disbelief from the events from the day. It wasn't until she had cultivated and polished every thought and event from that day, lasting late into the night, that Willow could close her eyes and enter the realm of sleep, dreaming uneasily of hexes and curses.

"I can't stand him!" Harry fumed. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor, and all because I wasn't brewing the potion fast enough!"

"Pipe down, Harry!" Hermione shushed. "What if Snape hears you? He might take more points from Gryffindor!"

"How can a professor be so mean, though? I was doing nothing wrong!"

Willow stared at her empty plate, her stomach still growling. She was exceptionally hungry that morning. Piling on more eggs and bacon, Willow nibbled on her food quietly, listening to her friends' conversation.

"Harry, we'll be up in the stands," Hermione reassured him. "We've got your back."

"But he's so far away! What if you hit someone else? You could get in serious trouble!"

"I don't think I even remember the spell well enough to cast it, let alone aim it at Snape," Ron admitted. "Hopefully we won't need to use our wands, though. I heard that Dumbledore was coming to watch the match, but I could be wrong."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't give your hopes up, Ron. The spell is Locomoter Mortis. I'll remind you again when we're in the stands."

Harry fidgeted nervously and played with his food for the rest of breakfast. When the Great Hall began to empty, he was among the first to jump up and leave, claiming that he needed some time alone before the game. Willow knew that was the last thing he needed, but she respected his wishes anyway.

The entire group of first-year Gryffindors crowded into the quidditch stands, their fellow older housemates crammed in behind them. There wouldn't be a problem with the cold this match. Paige squeezed in beside Willow a few minutes before the game started. Dean and Seamus were stuck shoulder-to-shoulder on the far left of the bench, sharing a blanket to keep themselves warm. Hermione and Ron fingered their wands, which were hidden up their sleeves for safekeeping.

"Why would you bring them to a quidditch match?" Neville asked. "Your wands, I mean."

"Have you heard that Snape's refereeing?" Ron grumbled.

"What? S-Snape is r-reffing?" Neville stuttered. "Why him? I thought Madam Hooch did a better job...she's less scary than Snape, anyway..."

"We don't know, Neville, which is why we've got to be ready to protect Harry, just in case Snape decides to lash out at him," Hermione explained. "Everyone knows how much he hates Harry. We can't take any chances."

Neville shivered, whether from the sudden increase in the bone-chilling wind or the idea of Snape flying around the pitch, Willow didn't know. The match started promptly.

"GO HARRY!" Willow screamed. Her roommates were already losing their voices from cheering on the female chasers.

Angelina Johnson easily scored within the first minute. The Gryffindor stands erupted in cheers. Within the next thirty seconds, though, Hufflepuff had gotten on the board and Katie Bell had narrowly missed a goal opportunity. This quidditch match was much better than the last one Willow had been to. The Hufflepuffs were clean players, never trying knock people off their brooms, never cheating, never hitting bludgers at people while they were not looking, but they were competitive nonetheless. Willow found herself enjoying the match rather than booing the other team.

Until Draco Malfoy started in on Neville.

While Gryffindor scored yet again, Draco poked Neville in the back of the head, teasing him. Willow had the sudden urge to punch him straight in that dirty mouth of his. Instead, she settled for glaring at him. Draco shut up for all of three minutes before he couldn't stand staying silent anymore. He started insulting both Ron and Neville, who did a very good job ignoring him. Harry still circled overhead, searching for the golden snitch. Snape awarded the third penalty to Hufflepuff because the twins had hit yet another bludger at him. Willow fingered her wand that was concealed in her pocket, still holding out hope that she wouldn't need to use it.

Draco really began to get annoying. He started making horrible jokes about the Gryffindor quidditch team, the Weasleys, and Neville's grades. Willow was fed up with her "friend" and turned to glower at him.

"Hey, Blonde, why aren't you sitting with the Slytherins?" Willow snarled.

"I can sit wherever I want," Draco sneered.

"That doesn't give you the right to insult my friends."

"Am I not your friend?"

"I thought you were, but I don't even know who you are right now, with the way you're acting."

Draco stiffened, drawing his eyes away from Willow with an indignant expression on his face. She got the feeling that he wouldn't watch the game for long.

Willow saw a glint of gold flash by. Her eyes locked on the snitch at the same time as Harry, who instantly dove into a dive, rocketing towards the ground at hundreds of meters per second. The Gryffindors roared with approval as Harry shot after it, the Hufflepuff seeker on his tail. Willow stood up to watch.

Right before Willow could witness Harry catch the snitch, a foot hit her hard in the spine. Whipping around, Willow was about to tell Draco to leave when she realized there was a fist-fight going on. Ron was taking on Malfoy while Neville tried to fight off both Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy's pudgy body guards were winning by quite a lot. Neville was bleeding from his cheekbone and already had a nice bruise on his forehead. Willow jumped into the midst of the fight, everyone else taking no notice, as Harry was still chasing the snitch.

"Draco! Get off him!" Willow shouted.

The Slytherin boy took no notice, and Ron received a heavy blow to the eye right as he reciprocated it with a punch to Draco's jaw. Both boys broke apart, holding their injuries.

"Ron, help Neville!" Willow commanded, helping her friend to his feet and shoving him in the direction of Neville. Draco's face was red with anger. He tried to take a swing at Willow but missed, the fleet-footed girl dodging easily. She was in the thick of the battle now. Draco wildly tried to inflict as much damage as possible, throwing punches every chance he could at Willow, a few making small contact with her shoulder. She kept dancing around him on her toes, avoiding most attempts to hurt her. Finally finding the perfect opportunity, Willow launched herself on top of Draco, pinning him to the ground right as Lee announced over the loudspeaker that Harry had won the game. The Gryffindor stands went crazy while the scuffling continued off to the side.

Willow glanced to her right for half a second and saw Neville get hit hard in the head by a blow from Crabbe. Anger and adrenaline flooded through every fiber of her being. She was about to make up her mind about whether to hit Draco or not when he spared her that choice. Sharp pain exploded into Willow's temple. She flew to her feet, crying out in pain. Draco smirked, staggering into a standing position, which Willow wiped off his face immediately by slapping him.

"So this is how you treat your friends?" she shrieked at him. "Fighting their friends, then hurting them when they decide to defend them from your abuse?"

Draco panted hard, emotions flashing across his face faster than Willow could comprehend them. His eyes flew wide when Willow removed her hand from her face. Warm, sticky blood oozed out of the wound, dripping onto the wooden platform.

"Thought it would be funny to have me decorate the floor with Gryffindor colors, did you?" Willow snarled. "Well, it's not funny, Malfoy!"

"I didn't think it would be funny! That was not what I was thinking at all-"

"You're right! You weren't thinking at all! The only thing in your mind was hurting Neville! I bet you're reasoning will be the same as last time, Draco. You couldn't help it. That's complete crap, Malfoy, and you know it!"

Angry tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Willow threw her head to the side, not wanting him to see her like that. After a moment, she was able to swallow her feelings and keep her barrier up. She found Draco staring at her, his face contorted with something between rage and sorrow. Willow pulled out her wand and pointed it at Draco.

"I thought you were my friend!" she screamed. "I thought you changed! But you never do, Draco, no matter how much I try to help you, no matter how many times you promise! You've never kept those promises! Why should I ever believe you again?"

Draco's gray eyes shifted into fear. He looked at Willow, then at the other four, then back at Willow. Hanging his head, he slumped and went to get Crabbe and Goyle. For some odd reason, this made Willow's rage explode to the point where she could no longer control it. She charged at Draco and hit him hard in the chest, throwing him into the bleachers. Paige finally took notice of the fight.

"Willow, what the-" she started.

"Answer me!" Willow shouted, ignoring Paige.

Draco's stormy eyes fearfully gazed up at Willow. She could almost hear his silent plea: Don't hurt me. As much as she wanted to keep hurting him, something made her stop. All the adrenaline drained from her body. She stepped away from Draco.

"Paige, take them to the hospital wing. Neville's hurt bad." Willow turned to Draco, her anger dissipating into betrayal. "I hope you change. Don't talk to me ever again."

Willow whipped around and fled down the stairs. Draco called after her.

"Wait! Willow, please! Hold on!"

She chose not to hear him. At the moment, she was overwhelmed with pain and betrayal. Willow couldn't even feel her temple bleeding, dripping down the side of her face. She could barely hold in the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes.

Willow headed into the Forbidden Forest, hearing the applause from the Gryffindor stands in the distance. Her heart sunk further into the pit of her stomach. Everyone was happy, celebrating the Gryffindor victory. She hadn't even seen Harry catch the snitch. And it was all because of two-faced Malfoy. She should be planning the party with the twins and Lee for later, heading back to the Gryffindor Tower to help decorate and set everything up. Instead, she was hiding in an out-of-bounds forest. Because of Malfoy. Because she couldn't show emotions.

She didn't know how else to cope. If she showed emotions, that would be the end. It would be the end of everything about her and her friendships. She couldn't bear to think about it.

Willow broke into a sprint, her anger and sorrow combining and piling up into a confusing mess within her. The storm brewed. Tides turned into waves, waves into mavericks, mavericks into tsunamis. Lightning cracked. Willow would take it any longer. She stopped, screaming with everything she had. Her vocal chords could barely keep up with the enormous rush of sound escaping from her, and her feelings with it. Willow didn't know how long she stood there, screaming into the treetops, letting out everything that she had bottled up for so long in one giant note of pain, sorrow, grief, and betrayal.

Then, she stopped.

Willow collapsed against a tree, sinking to her knees.

And began to cry.

It wasn't sobbing, but it wasn't a simple cry that normal girls would have daily whenever they had an emotional overload. Tears ran down her cheeks, wiping away the blood, wiping away the sweat. She almost wished they would wipe her memory, but knew that nothing good would come of that. She needed the memories. To keep her mother's good spirit alive. To take a lesson from her family. To hold out hope that one day, her mother would return to her.

Willow stopped crying after only a few minutes. She had taught herself not to cry, that nothing good came out of it. It was a waste of time to her, something reserved for only extreme situations. She thought that mastering her control of her tears would make her able to control her emotions. Her philosophy was that crying did not make one weaker, but it gave more capacity to be emotional, and that was the last thing she needed. Willow wiped her eyes, cursing the fact that she couldn't hold back this time. She would have to practice some new methods to get it under control. If this happened again, and she was in front of her friends...Willow tried not to think about the outcome.

With her head clearer, Willow slowly came to her senses and realized that Draco was not the entire problem in her life. Sure, he had betrayed her trust quite drastically, but it's not like she expected him to make any drastic changes within a few weeks. Her mother getting worse by the day, her father and grandparents in constant danger, and going through these power changes alone...it was getting to her more than she would admit.

Willow's eyes darted to her left when she heard rustling in the undergrowth. A rather large unicorn stepped out of it, cautiously stomping its way towards her. Reaching out, Willow touched its nose, and the creature nuzzled her hand. Willow closed her eyes. The unicorn seemed to sense her pain, reading her like a book. It stayed there for several seconds, as if soaking up Willow's troubles and absorbing them into itself until they were nothing, then expelling them into thin air. She remembered Hagrid telling her something about unicorns being more inclined to like women than men. Maybe it was because women were more expressive with their emotions, and unicorns are sensitive towards that. Whatever it was, she was glad for the brief distraction from her suffering. Animals always helped her through these times more than any human could.

The unicorn's ears flicked. It moved its head towards the way Willow had come. A small, almost imperceptible call reached Willow's ears. The unicorn whinnied softly, swished its tail, and disappeared back into the undergrowth.

"Willow! Where are you?"

"We know you ran in here!"

"Don't hide! You could get hurt!"

"Willow! Please, come back!"

Her heart twisted into a knot. Was that really her fellow first-years calling out to her? She listened a moment longer, realized that it really was them, and started running towards them. Willow wiped her face off to make sure there was no evidence left of her crying.

"I'm here! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Up ahead, Dean, Seamus, Ron, and all of her roommates appeared. The girls tackled her in a hug. She disappeared underneath their weight.

"We thought you were dead!"

"You aren't supposed to be in here!"

"Why did you run off?"

"Don't you know that there are savage monsters in here?"

The girls removed themselves from her, allowing her to breath and stand up again so she could answer their questions. A thought struck Willow.

"Wait, why would you come in here if you're afraid of the Forest?" she questioned.

"Duh, we're in a big group, it's not pitch black out here, and you could have been in serious danger," Fay said sarcastically. "We can't leave a fellow roommate to die."

Willow cracked a smile at that comment. "Thanks for that."

She walked up to Dean, Seamus, and Ron, who all wore worried looks on their faces.

"I didn't think you guys would run after me," Willow admitted. "Thank you."

"They were actually the ones that noticed you ran off and made us come with them!" Lavender added.

Her heart fluttered with shock. Since when did the boys care about her? Sure, she was friends with them, but they were the last people she could think of that would rescue her from the Forbidden Forest. It had altogether slipped her mind that they were breaking a serious rule at the moment.

"It was very nice of you all to come after me," Willow said, heat caressing her cheeks. "I can't imagine having better friends than you guys. You're definitely true Gryffindors, not caring that we're breaking one of the biggest rules in Hogwarts."

"Oh, I almost forget about that!" Parvati said.

Hermione squeaked. "We have to get back to the castle! Quick! What if Snape finds us lurking near the edge of the Forbidden forest, or worse, while we're in it? We'll never get those points back!"

"A-a-and she's back to normal," Ron whispered. Hermione gave him a playful punch on the shoulder before leading the group in a sprint back to the dormitories. Mia complained the entire way back. She hated running- and sports in general- with a passion, but loved watching them. It made no sense to Willow, but she knew that she shouldn't judge, possibly being one of the weirdest witches on Earth. Dean and Seamus raced up the steps to see who could get back faster, almost running into the Fat Lady. She was still scolding them by the time Mia caught up with them.

"Oh, let us into the bloody passageway already!" Seamus groaned, his Irish accent seeming to charm the Fat Lady enough for her to let them in.

Willow made sure everyone was accounted for, then crawled into the portrait tunnel herself. She was instantly swept off her feet and dangled by them. Using her abs to move her upper half, Willow saw Paige staring at her with her usual impervious expression.

"You. Are. An. Idiot."

"I know," Willow said, beaming.

"You've got blood on your face."

"It looks great with my Gryffindor colors, doesn't it?" Willow joked.

Paige rolled her eyes. "You are so pathetic."

"I'm well aware."

Paige set her down. "So was that blond kid. You beat the crap out of him. I was honestly proud of the job you did on him. He passed out on the way to the hospital wing. Dragging him while carrying Neville was a lot of work," Paige said, rubbing her arms. "I think I'm going to be sore for a week."

"What?"

"Are you seriously panicking over me being sore? What, do you already miss being thrown around the room? I can do that any day you'd like."

"No, I'm just worried. Both of them are out..." Willow couldn't finish her sentence aloud.

And it's all my fault that I lost control on Draco. I could have killed him!

Bile rose in Willow's throat. What kind of monster was she becoming? Hitting every person that was a jerk, knowing full well that they'd hit back the next chance they got? Hurting people and laughing about it because they "deserved it"? Dumbledore was right. She had to be much more careful.

"I should probably be there for Neville when he wakes up. I'm going to spend the night in the hospital wing." Quickly hugging Paige and thanking her for taking them to the hospital wing, Willow darted out of the Gryffindor common room.

She knew she was going to miss the party whether she went to the hospital wing or not. No party could cure her anxiety and guilt for hurting Draco. She was not in the partying mood, nor did she think she had the strength or energy left to last through half the night. Willow knew that she shouldn't care so much about hurting him- after all, he was the one that instigated the fight, hurt both Ron and Neville, and then decided to turn on her. But his eyes kept flashing before her. Those stormy gray eyes, full of fear, pain, regret, and something hidden so deep Willow couldn't even pull it to the surface. She couldn't get the image out of her head. Draco was scared of her. She was the monster. She was the one that needed to change.

But Willow wasn't about to let Draco go free.

The hospital wing came into view. A few rays of sunlight streamed through the open doors, washing the wall in a beautiful red-orange color. Madam Pomfrey was just leaving for the day, waddling down the hall towards her residency. Waiting until she had disappeared, Willow abandoned her hiding spot and quietly made her way into the room. Draco and Neville were poised on opposite sides of the room. She stood there for a moment, admiring how peaceful they both looked in the presence of one another. Willow wondered if they would ever look that content when they were awake with one another in the room.

She first went to see Neville. The boy was asleep with a goofy grin on his face. Willow brushed a strand of dark hair out of the way that had strayed across his forehead. He had a nasty bruise there. She could tell where every knuckle of Crabbe had struck, a perfect display of Crabbe's brute strength and brutality all in one. Willow hated how Draco used those boys for evil purposes. How could two boys so innocent come from awful families and be turned into mindless, awful, cruel machines?

Willow's eyes lingered on Neville's face for a few moments longer. He had freckles, too, spread across his face. Neville had the perfect amount, and they made him irresistibly adorable. Willow's cheeks reddened when that thought entered her mind. Before she could somehow unluckily wake up Neville and embarrass herself further, Willow crossed the room to check on Draco.

His chest was rising and falling gently, the blood removed from his perfect face. He didn't have any visible bruises, but Willow remembered how hard she had punched him in the chest, fighting the urge to check it. She wasn't sure whether she regretted that or not. His blond hair was messier than she had ever seen it, but it was still annoyingly near perfect. Willow's hands itched. Her powers were acting up again, sensing that someone nearby needed healing, not needing, but wanting to heal. She rubbed them together, attempting to get the small glow that had started in them to disappear. When she really concentrated hard, mentally yelled at herself, the powers dissipated and stored themselves away for another time. Willow sat back in a chair. That was harder than she thought it would be. The woman was right: she really needed to practice her powers.

Draco mumbled in his sleep and stirred. Willow watched as he slowly opened his eyes. Draco blinked confusedly, moving himself into a sitting position. When he saw Willow sitting next to him, he stiffened, jolting away from her.

"Draco, no, it's okay," Willow whispered. "You're in the hospital wing. I think you've been out for...two hours?"

He still stared at Willow, more confused than anything. "Why are you here, then? Don't you hate me?"

"No, Draco, I don't hate you, only your dumb decisions," Willow replied gently, realizing the truth as she spoke. "I'm sorry I hit you so hard. I don't know what came over me...I was just angry with you for everything you've done to my friends lately, that's all. But you also broke yet another promise. I thought you'd changed. It hurt me more than I was willing to admit, so I immediately took it out on you. Is your chest sore?"

Draco touched the spot where she had punched him. He winced when he pressed down on it. "Yeah. But..but I...

Willow waited intently, knowing he was struggling to admit something as well. Draco swallowed, then choked out, "I deserved it."

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

Draco weakly slapped Willow's shoulder. "I still hate you."

"No, you don't. You're still my friend. I can't hate a friend."

Eyeing Willow with suspicion, Draco said, "I thought you shouted at me that I wasn't your friend, right before- or was it after?- you hit me."

She sighed. "Draco, I swear to God, you're always going to be my friend. We're just going to fight more than usual because we can't help it. You need to slap me every time I say that."

"I love any chance I could possibly get to hit you back."

Willow rolled her eyes. "First, you have to get Madam Pomfrey to let you out of here tomorrow morning. Good luck with that. She's tough to convince."

"You don't think I will have Dumbledore and McGonagall breathing down by neck with detentions?"

Willow smirked. "I'll take care of that. I'm good at sweet talking people out of situations. You probably will have a maximum of two, but they'll be with me, so I don't know how much of a relief that is."

Draco groaned. "At least it's not Snape. His detentions are awful. Thanks for trying, though."

Willow and Draco talked late into the night. When the Slytherin boy fell asleep, she was too tired to go all the way back to Gryffindor Tower and instead fell asleep in her chair, her head resting next to Draco's on the hospital bed.


	13. Year 1: Chapter 13

Willow woke up early the next morning, the sunlight washing her face in bright light. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched her slightly sore neck. It was yet another beautiful spring morning. She was about to stand up when she was shoved off of her chair. When she looked up from the floor, Draco was smirking at her, having been awake for a while.

"Sorry, I had Gryffindor on me."

"Ew, I'm glad you threw me onto the floor, I have gross Slytherin on me," Willow shot back playfully.

Madam Pomfrey appeared moments later, opening the doors to the hospital wing and putting up all the nighttime curtains. Neville sleepily whined that it was too bright and buried his head under his pillow. Willow giggled and rose to her feet, crossing the room to where Neville was trying to fall back asleep.

"Come on, Neville, get up," she urged. "You're wasting the day away!"

"Says who?" he asked, his voice muffled.

"Says the person who loves mornings. Come on, everyone's going to want to see you!"

"They can wait..."

"Nope! I won't allow it. You're going back to the common room with me. Right, Madam Pomfrey?"

Pomfrey paused for a moment, staring at Neville's head, then replied "Oh, I suppose so. You probably won't let me keep him anyway. But Draco's staying here. A hard hit to the chest could cause some damage."

"What!" Draco exclaimed.

Willow almost threw up in her mouth. That was her fault. She distracted herself by encouraging Neville to get out of bed, devoting her attention to getting the boy back to the common room. When Neville was finally ready to go, Willow made a quick stop by Draco.

"Don't you dare try to escape, or I won't help you like I promised," she warned him. Draco folded his arms and pouted.

"Fine. But I'm not making any promises that you'll be totally safe for the next few days."

"Is that a threat?" Willow asked raising her eyebrows.

"Only if you make it one."

Feigning innocence, Willow waved goodbye light-heartedly and skipped out of the hospital wing, Neville in tow. She was happier than she had been in a long time. With the weight of her strained friendship off her chest, Willow felt lighter and freer than when she was flying on a broomstick. Neville started fully regaining consciousness by the time they reached the Gryffindor Tower. He was back to his usual shy, friendly self. Of course, the moment they stepped into the common room, Neville smartly avoided the bombardment of first-years that nearly threw Willow into the wall.

"YOU'RE BACK!"

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"We missed you last night!"

"I'm not coming back from the dead, guys, really, it's okay," Willow chuckled. "I slept in the hospital wing last night."

Lavender gasped. "You slept with Malfoy?!"

"Oh my God!" Mia exclaimed. "You didn't!"

Willow couldn't believe her roommates. "Guys, not like that! I was too tired to come back to the common room last night, so I just stayed and fell asleep in the chair next to him."

"Sure," Fay drawled. "I'm sure that's what happened."

"Next time give us a little warning," Parvati giggled.

Willow groaned. "You guys. I. Did. Not. Do. That. I will never do that with anyone, let alone Malfoy. He's my friend, and only my friend. Nothing more, nothing less."

"It's okay, Willow. We'll keep your secret," Sally promised, winking.

Willow's jaw dropped. "You too, Sally?"

"Oh yes, Sally's been gossiping with us all night," Mia said. "Hermione, too. They were party animals last night."

Willow glanced between Hermione and Sally, completely in disbelief. "Are you sure Fred and George didn't give you alcoholic butterbeer?"

"You mean those boyfriends of yours?" Fay said, raising her eyebrows.

"NO," Willow sighed. "I'm so done with you guys right now."

"We have class to get ready for," Hermione said. "Come on, Willow, let's go. Don't worry, guys, I'll make sure you get plenty of time to grill her later."

"What!"

Willow found herself being dragged up the stairs into the dormitory. Hermione and she grabbed their books, changed into their robes, double checked that they had all their supplies, and went back into the common room. Harry and Ron were waiting for them, Neville standing off to the side.

"There you are, Willow!" Harry greeted. "We were wondering where you went after the match yesterday. I heard you stayed overnight in the hospital wing...?"

"Yes, that's correct. Sorry I didn't celebrate with you," Willow apologized. "I was exhausted, and I kind of...well...Ron, did you tell him about the fight?"

Ron nodded enthusiastically. "You were brilliant! Did Draco still have that black eye that I gave him?"

Willow shook her head. "Unfortunately, Madam Pomfrey got rid of that first, it seems. He had no black eye by the time I got there."

"How come Neville still has a nice bruise on his forehead, then?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, Madam Pomfrey told me that it had to heal on its own," Neville explained. "Something about brain damage, not that I had one, or something like that."

A wave of anger passed over Willow, but she kept it down. How dare Madam Pomfrey utter something that foul? Did she think Neville was out? It didn't matter; a teacher should never say something like that, no matter how true it actually is. For Neville, it wasn't. He didn't need teachers berating him along with the Slytherins that already did. She smoothed over her facial expression before saying, "I hope it doesn't hurt. Crabbe and Goyle should be punished for a week for this."

"Hopefully."

"Anyway, I accidentally fell asleep in a chair. Draco and I were talking until late, so we kind of fell asleep mid-conversation. I would have come back if I thought I could make it."

Harry grimaced. "Somehow I cannot understand how you're still friends with that prick. Do you have this weird thing going on where the more you fight, the better friendship you have with him?"

Willow was about to deny it when she realized that Harry had defined exactly how their friendship worked. "Yeah, I suppose. That's the best way I could have explained it."

"So he punches you in the face and you're better friends because of it," Ron summed up.

"Pretty much."

"Willow, you have to be the most patient, tolerant person in the world to be friends with Malfoy," Hermione said. "If you can have two full-blown fights with him in the same month and only become closer because of it, you can probably handle just about anything at this point."

Willow chuckled. "It does help one's character."

"Are you four going to sit around and chit-chat all day, or are you going to eat something before classes start?" George called from where the entire house of Gryffindor was exiting the common room.

"We're coming!" Ron said.

The four first-years left Gryffindor Tower and hurried after the twins and Paige. Lee was nowhere to be found, where normally he was no more than five inches from Fred and George.

"Is Lee still asleep?" Willow asked.

"Yes, he had too much to drink last night at the party that you missed," Fred said icily.

"Woah, somebody needed some extra sleep," Paige remarked. When Fred glared at her, she added, "Or a few extra days. My bad."

Willow was taken aback. She had never seen Fred truly angry with anyone before, let alone her. What was wrong with him? She glanced quizzically at George, who shrugged and turned back to converse with Paige. He didn't even know what was wrong with Fred, and he never left his side. Something was up. For once, though, Willow decided not to make matters worse by pressing and let Fred figure it out on his own. It probably had nothing to do with her, anyway. He was most likely taking his anger out on everyone for something that happened at the party.

"Willow! You're not hurt!"

Looking ahead, Willow caught sight of her Ravenclaw friends and Oliver waiting at the doors of the Great Hall. She excused herself and ran to them.

"I heard about the fight!" Sue said. "Mandy and I thought you were the one that got hurt!"

"No, I only got a few scratches," Willow confirmed. "Draco and the others involved were the ones to get some lovely bruises and cuts. Neville got knocked out cold, but not before giving Crabbe a taste of his own medicine. Ron gave Draco a black eye, too, right before he took down Goyle."

"Wow!" Lisa said. "High tension, huh?"

"As if that wasn't enough, Draco's still stuck in the hospital wing today while Neville runs free."

"Serves him right," Mandy snorted. "The douchebag had it coming."

"Mandy!" Oliver scolded.

Rolling her eyes, the fiery-haired girl said, "I know, I know. Sorry, Oliver. I'll try to work on that language, but you can thank my mum for that. It rubs off after a while."

"Do you smell that?" Sue interrupted. "I think they made pancakes today!"

"Really?" Lisa squealed.

"What are we waiting for, then?" Mandy said. "I'm starving! We're sitting at the Gryffindor table today!"

Willow made sure there was space for her friends, then seated herself at the Gryffindor table. None of the other children batted an eye. They were used to Willow bringing all of her friends with her by that time. The four blended in, their house crests the only thing to tell them apart. They dug into piles and piles of pancakes. Ron put four on his plate and was already eating a mound of sausage links, Hermione trying to convince him to slow down as usual, "You'll choke!" Willow put a reasonably sized stack of butter-smothered syrup-covered pancakes on her plate and cut them up, chewing on a piece of bacon while she did so. Fred poked at his food from several places down the table.

"Hey, Oliver, did you say you needed my notes on Devil's Snare for Herbology today?" Willow said.

"Mm-hm," Oliver mumbled through a mouthful of pancakes.

Willow pulled out a piece of parchment covered in her messy scrawl and handed it to Oliver, who set down his fork and promptly copied them all down. He slowly continued eating, all the while keeping his eyes glued to the notes, dedicating the last precious minutes before breakfast ended to cramming for their quiz. Oliver had quite the talent for last-minute studying. Willow always wondered how he could be so good in all of his subjects when he put all of his homework and studying off until the last second. She would forget to study at all and end up with a zero in all of her classes.

"Are we ever going to plant Devil's Snare?" Sue asked.

"Oh, God no," Neville said. "That has to be reserved for fifth years and up, if not seventh years. They're extremely dangerous. Definitely not something for us inexperienced first years to handle."

"Not to mention we'd have to be underground or somewhere similar to the environment to plant it," Oliver added, still not taking his eyes off the parchment. "It lives in dark, damp, nasty places. When it's presented with light, it shrinks and cowers away, releasing anything it may have grabbed."

"How do you learn that fast?" Ron said. "I can't even remember the score of yesterday's quidditch match!"

"That's because you were fighting with Crabbe and Goyle, remember?" Lisa reminded him.

"See? I couldn't even recall that!"

"Honestly, I think you were hit on the head harder than you thought," Mandy said.

"You're probably right..."

The bell tolled, signaling the end of breakfast. Willow stuffed the last few bites of pancakes into her mouth, retrieved her notes, bade goodbye to her Ravenclaw friends, and followed Oliver and Neville out of the Great Hall. Fred had already stormed off to his classes. George and she made eye contact, sharing bewilderment over his strange behavior. They went their separate ways. Willow had to run to catch up to Oliver and Neville.

"...gave me a rhyme to remember it. Hermione's a genius, at least some of the time."

"Are you ready for the quiz, Neville?"

"I'm never ready for anything."

Willow hung back, surprised that Oliver was voluntarily talking with Neville, now laughing with him. She wasn't about to interrupt something so rare. Both shy boys continued to converse about themselves.

"You live with your grandparents as well?" Neville said.

"Yes, but it's dreadful. Your grandparents ought to be ten times better than mine."

"I doubt that. Mine tried to force magic out of me for years. I can't tell you how many times I was thrown off of something."

"Believe it or not, that's still better than mine, though it makes for a funny conversation starter."

"Really? I know better than to ask, then."

"Thanks. I'd rather not tell."

A warm breeze caressed Willow's cheeks. Spring was melting winter away, and fast. She couldn't believe the sudden change in temperature. By her standards, it was perfect soccer weather, around fifty degrees, not too windy, and intermittent clouds. She had already buried her thicker, warmer winter robes underneath her lighter spring ones. It was still hot for her. Willow couldn't stand the heat, and that was when she was in a tank top and shorts in the summer. She was going to struggle in her black robes when it really started getting hot outside.

Willow ran down the steps, careful not to alert Neville and Oliver to her presence. They continued talking with each other, oblivious to all else. She would have to ask both of them later what was up with the sudden lack of shyness around one another. It was kind of creeping her out at that point. Since when did the two shyest boys she knew become friends, and since when did they randomly have lengthy conversations about one another?

All of a sudden, Willow face-planted into the grass on the side of the trail, knocking the wind out of her. She jumped to her feet, coughing. Standing over her was none other than her annoyingly perfect-haired blond friend, Malfoy.

"Watch where you're walking, dork."

"I have a tendency to get lost in thought. So careless of me. I guess I'd better watch where I'm walking every second of the day," Willow said sarcastically.

"That would be a smart thing to do."

"Well, I'm not exactly what you'd call smart, so that's not happening. I can take a hit every once in a while. How did you get out of the hospital wing? I thought Madam Pomfrey said you had to stay for the rest of today."

"She did, but I snuck out when she wasn't looking. You should have seen the look on her face. She must have thought I apparated or something."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "Impressive. You broke the rules and don't care."

"There's no rule that could keep me in that place. It's sickening, staring out a window all day. I like the Slytherin common room better. It's darker. An underwater view of the lake is nice, too."

"I have a vampire for a friend," Willow groaned. "How did I not figure it out before?"

Draco lightly punched her in the shoulder. "If you met a real one, you would not be nearly as sarcastic. They're rather terrifying, actually."

"You're probably right."

At that moment, Harry, Ron, and Hermione passed by, whispering furiously about something. Draco and she listened intently, trying to discern something. Willow hid beside the stairs while Draco simply stood out in the open. She tried to get him to hide with her, but he would do no such thing. He proudly watched them get closer and closer. Willow's eyes widened when she figured out what they were talking about.

A dragon? Hagrid?

Their talking suddenly ceased. Peeking out from her hiding spot, Willow saw the trio stop dead in their tracks, fearfully gazing with horrified eyes at a smug-looking Malfoy. They sprinted the rest of the way to herbology. Draco turned to her when they were gone.

"Well, it seems I've spotted the perfect opportunity to get back at Weasley for that fight," he said. When Willow shot him a warning glare, he added, "I know, I know, I won't even try to ask you. This is all on me. But I won't need help. I'll pull this off by myself, and you're not going to stop me."

Willow rolled her eyes. "You're right. I'm not going to stop you. One of the professors is. Don't you dare hurt anyone."

Draco scoffed. "Physical pain is no comparison to dragging out their constant fear for weeks on end. I won't need to hurt Ron, just make him worry forever."

"You are the cruelest person I have ever met. Good luck not getting killed."

"Who would kill me?"

Willow glowered at her friend, wiping the smirk right off his face. He shuffled his feet, the silent message crystal clear.

"You actually mean that, don't you?"

"Yep."

"Fine, I'll try to be nice. But I'm not making any promises."

"Just try. That's all I'm asking for, but apparently that's a bit too much for Draco Malfoy, bully of the year, addict to fighting, hater of all people who are not Slytherins."

"I hate you sometimes."

"I hate you all the time."

"Ouch. That's harsh."

The warning bell rang. Willow gave Draco one last warning look before turning and running to herbology, Draco disappearing back inside the castle to find his way to his class. She immediately headed straight for her three shaken friends.

"I saw what happened," she began, startling them. "Draco is under strict demands not to do anything, but I can't guarantee nothing will happen."

"You heard about the dragon too?" Hermione whispered.

"Yeah. So, you're visiting Hagrid after herbology?"

"Yes. You can come too, if you want. I know Hagrid wouldn't mind you," Harry said.

"What are you going to do about Malfoy?"

"Well...I think we'll see what happens, but he's probably madder than mad at me for the fight and wants payback," Ron said. "The only problem is I don't know how he'll get back at me."

"That's the problem for all three of you."

"What are we going to do?" Hermione asked.

"My best advice is to try and keep this as secret as possible. Don't let Malfoy know anything more than he already does. Watch your back, and I'll keep an eye on him. I can usually persuade him to be a little less intimidating, but I've never been able to completely stop him from doing anything. We'll all chip in on this dragon situation. Hagrid deserves out help, so we better give as much of it to him as we can. Dragons are no easy creatures. If Malfoy finds out more, we could be in some seriously deep trouble not only with the school, but with the Ministry as well. My dad works in the very department that might handle this situation if word gets out that Hagrid has a dragon. Hopefully we can keep this covered up and silent."

"Hopefully," the other three agreed.

"Children!" Professor Sprout shouted, clapping her hands together. All attention was turned to her. "I hope you all studied. It's time for our Devil's Snare quiz. Wands away, quills out!"

Willow gave her friends a reassuring nod before wandering over to her seat, which was conveniently in between Neville and Oliver. She noticed that Oliver was reciting the notes under his breath.

"I hate quizzes," Neville muttered. "The hands-on stuff is so much better."

"I agree, but I guess it's important for her to figure out if we know what we're planting," Willow said. "If something goes wrong, it would be helpful to know a thing or two about the plant to control the situation."

"That makes sense...I guess..."

Professor Sprout handed out the quizzes, and the room fell silent. Willow scratched down her answers and stood up at the same time as Hermione. They waited while the rest of the classroom finished up their quizzes. Surprisingly, Oliver turned his in shortly after them, a small smile on his face that told Willow he was confident in his answers. She shook her head. That boy would be a mystery to her forever. No matter how much she unearthed about him, there were a million more things she could learn about him from each new fact. He was the most complex friend she had.

Hermione sat quietly, tapping her foot. Willow's powers started surfacing again and sent ripples of distress through her. She forced them down again with quite an effort. They were really going to get out of hand soon. She promised herself that she would go into the Forbidden Forest at some point to practice them, hoping that the voice lady would be in the mood to cooperate. The Forest never felt like it was off limits to her, anyway; it was always calling her. She wasn't afraid of anything in it. Something told her that her powers would protect her, no matter what came her way. It was a matter of controlling them when she wasn't in a life-or-death situation that was the problem at hand.

"Everyone finished?" Professor Sprout called. Neville finally got up and turned in his quiz. "Let's get started, then. Today, we're going to be working with a rather special plant..."

Willow gathered supplies while listening to the lesson. She had been doing herbology with Oliver in addition to Neville ever since they became better friends- that, and Willow was appalled to find out that Oliver was doing all of his herbology lessons without a partner. Grabbing three trowels and three pairs of specialized gloves, Willow threw them to the boys and put hers on just as Professor Sprout finished giving instructions on the lesson.

"...and put them in the sunlight to calm them down. They're rather rowdy when transplanted, these ones. Get to it, then!"

Oliver poked the potted plant in front of him. "I have a bad feeling about these ones."

"Why? They don't let us plant anything that could harm us. First years aren't allowed do anything with plants that could either poison, severely injure, choke, or kill us," Neville reminded him.

"I know, but still, I don't like the vibes from this plant..."

Willow allowed her powers to resurface for a moment, straining to contain them. She felt it, too. The plant was wreathed in darkness with no purpose other than to survive at all costs. Her powers were barely satisfied enough to calm down, but she shoved them away for later. This lesson did not require her to use extra powers. Neville was right: first years weren't allowed to do anything dangerous. She would only need to respond with her powers if something went severely wrong. Otherwise, what would she use them for, other than making the plant more appealing to herself or changing a small detail about it, like she had done for Oliver's tree? She couldn't risk being exposed until her dad explained everything at home.

"Willow, are you going to transplant that, or do you need me to?" Neville asked, shaking her from her thoughts.

"Sorry, I'm getting to it."

Willow quickly dug around the plant and carefully yanked it out of the pot. The roots wrapped around the bottom of the pot, trying to keep itself from being removed, but Willow gave it another hard tug and pulled it free. It growled in annoyance, surprising Oliver. He giggled when it made some other funny noises.

"I think I'm warming up to this thing now."

Willow smiled, setting the plant in a bigger pot and filling in the dragon dung fertilizer around it. "Maybe I'll get one for you. How's your tree doing, by the way?"

"Oh, it's awesome! It's growing to be my height now!"

"I didn't think about what would happen when it grew to be to big," Willow said. "Do you have any idea what you're going to do with it? Maybe plant it somewhere at home?"

"I'll tell you later. It's a secret between you and me."

Willow nodded her head. "I'll hold you to it."

Professor Sprout happened to walk by at the moment and stopped when she saw their plant. "Well done, you three! This one's a tricky one to clam down. I haven't seen a first year manage to transplant it this quickly in a long time. Look here, everyone! This is how your _ should look after you finish!"

All eyes turned to Willow and her friends. She stepped directly in front of Oliver, knowing that he could have a breakdown if too much attention was put on him at once. Neville shyly stepped behind her as well. Willow didn't mind; she hated attention as well, and it was making her sweat with the nervous energy bouncing around in her, but she could take it if that meant making sure her friends were okay. She distracted herself from Hermione's appalled expression (no one had ever finished an herbology lesson before her) by letting her eyes traveled around the room. Professor Sprout was right: no one's plants were cooperating. They were all digging their roots into everything they could find, holding on for dear life. Since cutting the roots was strictly forbidden right from the beginning, as Professor Sprout had clearly told them three times not to, no one was able to get anywhere with their plant. Bile rose in Willow's throat when she realized her success was most likely due to her powers.

Why can't I succeed in anything without extra help? Willow yelled internally. For once in my life I just want to be able to do something on my own, be independent! Is that too much to ask?

"How did you manage to do that?" Ron asked.

"Look, you know I can't talk about that unless we're behind closed doors," Willow said, giving Ron a knowing look.

The gravel of the path crunched underfoot. Herbology had ended after another hour of hardship from the other students. Professor Sprout had forced Willow, Neville, and Oliver to help with the other students. Only Willow had managed to get the plants under control. Oliver and Neville came close, but they never got a plant into the pots by themselves. Hermione's competitive nature was getting the best of her, and she had stayed behind in the greenhouse below to finish her plant with Professor Sprout. Willow and the boys had promised to wait for her at the top of the hill before rushing to Hagrid's hut to see the dragon hatch.

"Wait, you mean-" Ron started.

"Shh, Ron, you'll get Willow into deep trouble if you let it slip!" Harry interrupted. "We have to be careful, remember? She has to know more before it can be more out in the open."

Willow nodded her thanks to Harry. Ron slapped his hand over his mouth and kept it there until they reached the top of the hill, sitting down and watching the lazy puffs of smoke drift over Hagrid's chimney in the distance. She was rather excited to discover what this rare- not to mention completely illegal- dragon looked like. It was an opportunity she knew not many first years, let alone seventh years, would have. She hoped there would be time in her busy schedule to take care of it.

"Hey, Potter!" a voice sneered. "I can smell the dragon dung on you from here!"

The three turned around to see Draco Malfoy standing on the steps of the castle. He began walking towards them, a nasty smirk on his face. Harry and Ron stood up, as if preparing for a fight, but Willow was quick to react and stepped in front of the boys.

"Let me handle this," she whispered.

"Wow, Potter, are you really letting a girl protect you?" Draco said.

"This girl happens to be your friend, and if you don't mind, she would prefer it if you remembered to show some respect and call her by her name," Willow shot back.

Draco stopped where he was, a good distance of ten meters away. Willow could sense the tension between the three boys like it was a rope in a game of tug-of-war. She would have to up her game to get them out of this.

"I would comment on you, Weasley, but seeing as you're hiding in the shadow of the Chosen One again, you're practically invisible."

Gripping her fists into tiny balls, Willow did her best to suppress her anger, not letting it get the best of her. "For the record, Malfoy, you smell like dung all the time. You've got your head in your arse for the majority of the day."

Draco's expression went slack. "What the hell, Wisp?"

"Hey, you're the one that's being a jerk, Blonde, and I don't you to waste my friends' time with petty insults."

Hermione showed up just then. She froze upon seeing the boys poised to fight, but Willow gently shoved Harry and Ron in her direction.

"Go on. There's no need to hang around here anymore."

Cautiously stepping away, the boys walked over to Hermione, then ran down the hill on the opposite side, heading for Hagrid's hut. Willow returned her attention to Draco, knowing full well that she had to distract his attention from the trio's destination.

"Why are you so two-face?" she asked. "I don't understand. When it's just us, you're almost, almost, mind you, a great friend. But the moment you see my friends, you have the need to hurt them, and you'll trample me to do it. Please explain to me why that is."

"I already told you, it's something I can't control," Draco growled, trying to look over Willow's shoulder. She noticed.

"Well, if you can't be nice to my friends, then you're no friend of mine," Willow sighed, walking straight past Draco and up the castle steps. He paused for a moment, then followed her.

"Wisp, come on, don't be this way-"

"Nope. You've crossed a line," Willow said, ignoring him. She set her course straight for the courtyard. "You've been mean to everyone, including me at times, far too long. It's time for you to learn the hard way what it feels like to have no one that has your back, because you've stabbed all of us in ours."

"Come on, Wisp, please-"

"There's no amount of pleading that's going to change my mind this time."

"Wisp-"

"No, Draco. I know exactly what it feels like to have no trustworthy friends, so I tried to help you. But you apparently don't want my help."

"What the heck are you talking about?"

They reached the courtyard. Willow ignored Draco's fumbling attempts to plead with her, instead climbing a tree and smirking at Draco as he tried but failed to climb after her.

"Why won't you listen to me?" he whined. "Come down from there so I can talk to you!"

"You never listen to me. Why should I come down? Also, I can speak with you just fine from here. You're where you belong, below me."

Draco's mouth opened in shock. "How dare- what- I don't-"

Willow failed to hold back the torrent of laughter that burst from her. She began chortling so hard that tears came out of her eyes. Her stomach hurt within seconds, and every time she came close to calming down, she had another outburst. Draco stood below her, his face red as an apple.

"You know, sometimes I really hate you."

"You're welcome," Willow sighed, finally able to breath again. She twisted herself upside down on a branch and hung from her legs. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe half the things you do."

"Me neither, quite honestly. I don't think I even decide to do them. My brain stops thinking and starts doing stupid things without my permission, just like yours."

Draco sighed and marched towards her, upside down from her view. She knew what was coming, but let her friend have his fun. Draco jumped up and hit Willow's feet, loosening their grip on the branch. She craned her neck and ended up falling straight on her back. All of the air in her system suddenly escaped with a big Oof! Willow was unable to resist when Draco flopped backwards onto her, stretching and making himself comfortable.

"That's better," he said.

"I- can't- breathe!" Willow wheezed.

"Yes you can. You wouldn't be speaking otherwise."

"You're such a smartarse sometimes."

"And you're not?"

Willow smiled. "Okay. You've got me there. So we've both got smart mouths."

"You need to learn how to keep yours shut."

Scoffing, Willow shoved Draco off of her. "This is coming from Draco Malfoy, king of insults."

"Hey, you could just easily have as much fun as me doing it."

"No thanks. I'd rather keep shutting you up. Speaking of that, stay away from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, will you? They aren't doing anything that deserves you snooping around and reporting to teachers. You'll only get yourself in trouble."

"Were you saying something? Because I couldn't hear you over how obvious those lies were," Draco said.

"Willow! Draco!" a girl called from the other side of the clearing. It was Sue Li. "Professor McGonagall wants to see you in her office right now!"

"Okay! We're coming!" Willow shouted back.

"Speaking of tattling to teachers..." Draco drawled.

Willow rose to her feet, shoving him onto his rear end as she did so. He toppled to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"What the heck, Wisp?"

"I thought you said you were strong? Or was that yet another lie to add to the list?"

Draco raised his eyes to the heavens. "Alright. We're both liars. Add that to the list of things in common."

"Let's get to McGonagall's office before she gets more angry with us than she already is."

Willow helped Draco up this time, then silently crossed the courtyard. Sue Li had already run off. Willow saw her running down a corridor with three people in tow, most likely Mandy, Lisa, and Oliver. She hoped that she could make it to the study session they were planning in the library that Saturday. For the time being, she had to keep her mind focused on not messing up in front of McGonagall.

"Draco, let me tell the story first, so that way you can't screw it up too badly."

"Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"You're welcome. It's going to get you out of loads of detention time."

The pair arrived at Professor McGonagall's office. She was waiting in the door frame, tapping her foot impatiently, her wand at the ready in her hand. Willow swallowed hard. The reality of how many rules she had broken hit her across the face. Did McGonagall know everything? If so, how much trouble was she about to get into?

"Have a seat, please," she said, gesturing inside.

Willow and Draco exchanged a glance, then slowly took their seats across from McGonagall's neatly organized desk. She sat stiff and straight as a board across from them, her eyes scrutinizing every last detail they were giving away, the threat of punishment lingering close.

"I assume you two know why you are here?" she began.

"Yes," they chorused.

"Which one will begin with the story, then?"

Willow quietly said, "I will, Professor."

McGonagall nodded. "Get on with it, then."

"Well, Professor, it started in the middle of the quidditch match yesterday. There was some taunting going back and forth between Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and us first year Gryffindors. It escalated and got out of hand quickly. I was stupid and joined in because of some tension between Draco and I. It was a dumb decision and got people hurt. Neville got knocked out by Crabbe, and Goyle almost did the same to Ron."

Draco pinched Willow under the table. She tried her best not to react. There was no guilt in Willow for ratting out those two buffoons. They were destructive and brainless, and a little punishment wouldn't hurt them. No person, no matter how dumb, unconsciously decides to knock someone out. That was Crabbe's own decision, and he needed to learn that it wasn't okay to hurt someone that badly. He was under no orders from anyone to hit Neville. Willow had promised to try and help Draco's sentence, but not his goons'. Professor McGonagall paused for a few seconds, digesting this information, then turned her attention to Draco.

"Is this story correct, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I assume you two have apologized to each other since the fight?"

"Yes," Willow and Draco said in unison.

"Good. You two are lucky to have had so long to fix things between yourselves. I will give you lighter punishments this time around. But keep in mind, this type of behavior will not be tolerated again. I will not take it so lightly. Your detention slips should be out by this evening, Crabbe and Goyle's too. Ron and Neville will not receive any punishment for now, unless I am wrong in assuming they were defending themselves?"

Willow spoke before Draco had the chance to. "Yes, Professor, you are correct. Ron and Neville were simply defending themselves and their families from the insults."

Draco pinched her harder. Willow kicked him noiselessly. She could feel his scowl burning into the side of her head, but she paid no attention, as McGonagall's eyes were still trained on her.

"I repeat, you are both very lucky. Consider this your last warning. You are dismissed."

Willow and Draco stood up and left, gently shutting the door behind them. They returned to the courtyard, where Draco rounded on her.

"What was that? I thought you were going to help!"

"I said I was going to help you, not your bodyguards. They can handle their punishments."

Draco sighed exasperatedly, leaning against a tree. "You know, that's something I'd expect a Slytherin to do, not a Gryffindor. Since when are you that sly?"

"Since you were that mean to my friends."

"Point taken."

Willow checked her watch, gasping at the time. "We've only got ten minutes until our next class! I've got to get to History of Magic! See you later, Blonde!"

"Catch you later, Wisp."

Willow ran through the corridors, hoping that she wouldn't be late to catch the moving staircase that she needed. She sprinted up the steps three at a time, nearly careening into a few students, almost flipping over a balcony once, then finally coming to a halt in line for the stairs. Oliver happened to be right in front of her.

"Fancy seeing you here," he said, turning around.

"Long time no see, Oliver," Willow puffed. "Are you ready to take a nap?"

"Yes, please" Oliver groaned. "I still can't believe you're nice enough to share your notes with all of us on the weekend. Most people pay good money for those, you know."

"Trust me, I know full well how much my notes are worth. Lee Jordan likes to sell them every once in a while."

"And you let him?" Oliver said, shocked.

Willow shrugged. "Not exactly. He has a way of finding them every time I hid them in a new place, but it's not like I make a very good effort to stop him. Besides, he probably needs the money for Hogsmede."

"Man, you're already in the black market trade as a first year!"

"Don't go telling people that!"

"I'm just joking. Here, it's our turn on the stairs. Your friends are going to be late."

Willow knew they were going to be late. In fact, as Willow realized when she stepped onto the section of stairs, they weren't coming to class at all. A dragon hatching is a pretty big thing. They were going to be stuck out there, unable to sneak back into the castle unnoticed, until lunch. Willow might need to take up Lee's offer on copying her notes for free. Hermione might have a panic attack without them.

"Oh, Oliver, you never told me where you were going to transplant your tree," Willow said when the stairs dropped them off at the next corridor.

"Oh yeah!" Oliver lowered his voice to barely a whisper. "It's somewhere super special to me- my parents' grave. They always wanted a magnificent oak tree to watch over their bodies, and thanks to you I can make that happen."

Wrapping his arms around Willow, he gave her a quick hug before turning and beckoning her to hurry up. Willow's feet felt like wet cement. She was still in shock five minutes later when class started. That was a huge deal for Oliver, and he had just revealed it to her like it was nothing, then hugged her. Without being forced to. He was being uncharacteristically brave today.

"Willow, the lessons's starting!" Oliver said.

"Sorry!"

Pulling out her notebook, Willow wrote down everything that Professor Binns said, but her mind still wandered to Oliver's revelation. One question always kept returning among the thousands of others: What had Oliver gone through that was so bad that mentioning his parents' dying wishes barely fazed him?

"There you go. Three copies of your History of Magic notes."

"Thanks, Lee!"

Willow slid down the spiral staircase railing, heroically falling on her face when she got to the bottom. She popped right back up, though, amidst snickering from others around the room.

"Here you go, Hermione," she said, offering the papers to her. "I knew you would want them. You can thank Lee for copying them."

Hermione took the parchment. "I think I'll thank him after he makes an honest dime."

"Hey, you have to start somewhere," Ron shrugged.

Hermione hit him over the head with the notes. "Ron, you are just as bad sometimes. At least your twin brothers stay out of that sort of business and prank people instead."

"Anyway," Harry coughed. "Hagrid said he would like to see you." Lowering his voice, he added, "He named it Norbert. Watch out, he's already highly attached to the bloody thing. It's downright dangerous."

"Okay. I'll do my best to help him, but you know what happened if I don't come back one of these days," Willow joked.

"There's one more thing, before you leave," Hermione whispered. "Malfoy somehow snuck up on us. He saw the dragon through the window of Hagrid's hut. I thought you said you would take care of him!"

The trio looked pointedly at Willow, whose heart somersaulted. Draco had betrayed her again?

"You're sure it was Draco?"

"It couldn't have been any clearer," Harry said. "He's been smirking all day, especially around us."

"Oh God, that's serious blackmail!" Willow fretted. "What are we going to do?"

"You mean what are you going to do?" Ron corrected. "I recall you telling us that you'd take care of Malfoy. Why was he by Hagrid's hut, then, Willow? Did you lie to us?"

"No! Why would I do that?" Willow exclaimed, incredulous. "Guys, I kept him busy until ten minutes before class. He was going towards his class last time I saw him."

Harry groaned. "The prat is a fast runner, I'll give him that. You probably didn't know, Willow. It's hard to judge his intentions sometimes."

"Harry, don't be so easy on her," Ron chided. "She broke a promise. Besides, she's his closest friend other than Crabbe and Goyle, so wouldn't she be able to judge his intentions a good amount of the time?"

Willow stood up, stiff as a board. "You know what? I think I better be going," she said icily. "You obviously don't want me around here anymore. I'm going to Hagrid's."

"Wait, Willow-" Harry started.

She ignored him, storming out of the common room while Hermione scolded Ron. Willow made straight for Hagrid's hut. She didn't care if her friends were going to turn on her like that. If they were that shallow, she didn't need them- right?

A loud clanging noise sounded inside Hagrid's hut. Willow quietly slipped inside, the door creaking behind her. Hagrid heard it and turned to find Willow standing there, stress marks creasing his forehead.

"Ah, there ya are, Willow!" he greeted. "I could really use your help. Norbert's kind of tricky, being a baby and all, ya know."

Willow's eyes nearly popped out of her head. The dragon was like no creature she had ever seen, almost cinematic. It was jet black with an aerodynamic body, wings that spanned twice its length, razor-sharp teeth and claws, and miniature horns sprouting out of its head. The baby was already the size of a full-grown cat. It was shiny and sleek, and its scales arranged themselves in perfect patterns that pleased the eye. Willow instantly found herself becoming attached to the tiny creature.

"I heard you named him Norbert, right?" she asked, inching closer to the creature.

"That's right. But I suppose you've heard the other news as well," Hagrid said, his face turning a shade lighter. "You don't think he'll tattle, will ya?"

"Not unless he has a good reason to. You've also got me watching his every move, and I'm not afraid to resort to desperate measures if necessary to keep this information contained. I won't let anything happen to you or Norbert, Hagrid."

Hagrid's expression softened, and some color returned to his cheeks along with the bit of relief. "Thanks, Willow. Do you know what kind of dragon Norbert is?"

Oh my, that's a rare one, the voice lady said. That's-

"A Norwegian Ridgeback," Willow echoed. Her brow furrowed. How did she know that?

"Impressive," Hagrid remarked, his eyebrows raised. "You'll do just fine with him, then."

Willow stepped closer to Norbert, whose attention began to shift to her instead of Hagrid. His little eyes were so innocent, yet she sensed the fiery will to be ornery behind them. This one would be trouble.

Your powers are far greater than you know. They can give information on things that relate to themselves, like dragons, for example. They'll also cooperate to help you with not getting burnt to a crisp while facing one.

That's helpful.

It really is, isn't it? Kind of nice, not dying at the breath of a dragon.

You can shut up now.

Okay. I'll consider it.

Willow glanced at Hagrid, shrugging off the internal conversation. "Can I try to touch him?"

"Yes, but be careful, he likes to nip."

Willow stared into Norbert's pitch-black eyes, which were sparkling at the sight of hers. He was contemplating whether he should be mischievous or not with her. How Willow knew that as well, she had no idea. Reaching out her hand, she slowly, very slowly, moved it towards Norbert. He stared hungrily at it, his beady eyes now concentrating on her fingers. When she was only centimeters away from touching his head, she froze, allowing Norbert to decide what to do. He paused, blew a few sparks of fire from his nostrils, then closed his eyes and rested his head on Willow's fingers. Her heart jumped excitedly in her stomach, and she let out a breath she realized she had been holding.

"Well done, Willow!" Hagrid congratulated. "Norbert likes you, see? If only everyone could see how sweet dragons are. I'm sure your dad woul' understan', workin' on Newt's ol' projects and all."

"You know my father?" Willow questioned, gently scratching Norbert under his chin.

"O' course I do," Hagrid said. "I know most people in that department. He's done quite a bit for the Ministry, mind you. He might rival Newt in his contributions for magical creatures."

"Wow. I never knew," Willow said, a pang in her heart.

"I'm sure he'll start tellin' ya now that you know enough 'bout the wizardin' world."

"Maybe."

Norbert made a sound in between a purr and a growl. Willow had found his favorite itchy spot, right behind his left horn. She beamed. Maybe one day she would follow in he dad's footsteps. Magical creatures sure did take a liking to her.

"Yer really great with animals, Willow. Best I've seen in a while, and I've been aroun' for lots o' years. No body even close to you."

Heat rose to Willow's cheeks, her modesty taking over. "Thanks, Hagrid."

"You'll do great things in the future. I can't wait to see the day that you receive an Order of Merlin award. I'll be at yer ceremony."

"Aw, Hagrid, you're too nice. I'll be lucky to graduate Hogwarts."

"Nonsense! Why, you're right up there with Hermione in your class, are you not? You're bein' real modest. It's a good trait to have, see. That's how Newt became so great."

Norbert suddenly crawled up Willow's arm and wrapped himself around her neck, hanging onto her shoulders. He let out a tiny roar that made both she and Hagrid laugh.

"Isn't he the best creature you've ever met?" Hagrid said.

"If he wasn't, I would be lying."

Norbert yawned, exposing his sharp baby teeth. Those would soon be replaced with large ones meant for eating whole cattle. Willow wished her would stay a baby forever. The dragon gently nibbled on Willow's ear, as if to say thanks, then fell asleep. Tiny sparks flew out of his nostrils as he slept.

"I'd say Norbert claimed ya as his," Hagrid said. "He's the cutest when he's asleep, see. Norbert's just ornery most o' the time, that's all. I'll need some help with my gamekeeper duties real soon. Do ya think you could do some for me when he acts up?"

"I would love to, Hagrid," Willow said, resting her head on Norbert's warm little body.

"Good. Now, I woul' sit down if I were you, 'cause you're gonna to have him on yer shoulders for a while. He takes pretty long naps."

"So, let me get this straight: Fred, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are mad at you?"

"Sadly, yes," Willow grumbled. "And I wish I understood why."

Her friends sat around the library table, the morning sunlight filtering through the windows. It was just them in the library that morning. Even Madam Prince was still asleep. The normally calming scent of old books did nothing for Willow as she tried to continue on with their Saturday studying session as planned. They eventually forced the issue out of her.

"Well, since you've firmly established you aren't allowed to tell us why Harry, Ron, and Hermione are having a row with you, have you tried to figure out why Fred is upset with you?" Mandy asked.

"Yes, but nothing comes to mind."

"Then start from the beginning," Sue suggested. "The very beginning. What happened after the quidditch match?"

"Well, I was going back to the common room. Fred and George were gathering people to help set up a party in celebration of the victory against Hufflepuff. I didn't stay very long before Paige told me that Neville and Draco were passed out in the hospital wing. Since I wasn't in the partying mood, I visited them. Draco and I got to talk for a while and I accidentally fell asleep in the hospital wing. The next morning I went back to Gryffindor Tower, and Fred was scowling at me. He's been ignoring me since then."

"It sounds to me like either he assumed something completely wrong, or he was told the wrong story by someone else," Lisa hypothesized. "Does he have a grudge against Draco?"

"Against all Slytherins in general," Willow said. "He's a little more aggressive about it than his twin, but they both nearly killed me on the spot when I wore the Slytherin pin on my robes this Christmas. They still tell me off for it every time I decide to dig it out."

"He must hate your friendship with Draco, then," Mandy guessed.

"Of course Fred hates it. He hates it more every minute, especially when we fight. I'm his friend, and he hates seeing anyone hurt me, but it bothers him the most when I forgive Draco each time."

Oliver stared out the window, seeming deep in thought. Willow nudged him to get his attention.

"You look like you're getting somewhere," she said. "Do you mind sharing your thought process?"

Oliver nervously swallowed, his eyes flickering to each of his friends in turn, then, as if remembering that these people were okay, relaxed his tense shoulders and stood up.

"Here's my theory so far," he began. "You don't show up to the party last night, and Fred was hoping you would be there. He was disappointed, but not anything major. Then, when you show up the next morning, word gets around that you were in the hospital wing all night with Draco. That's adding to the list of things ticking him off: making up with Draco after the worst fight of your lives, ditching him for Draco, then not apologizing for any of it, not that you should have. All of this builds up, out of proportion and not exactly an accurate picture, and he blows up at you."

A stunned silence followed. Oliver sat down, blushing from all the attention. Willow was the first to break the silence, knowing it was killing her friend.

"Oliver, you're a genius," she said. "I'm one hundred percent certain that you're correct. I always forget how observant you are. Do you have any suggestions for how to proceed from here?"

"Considering the fact that every minute apart from him is a minute he's trying to convince himself you're not his friend, you should probably hurry up and confront him about it. There's no structure to that sort of thing. Confrontations are tricky, and the only thing you can do is keep the atmosphere calm while talking out the problem. Don't let anyone butt in, or things could get ugly fast."

"Thank you, Oliver!" Willow exclaimed, hugging him. Oliver blinked in surprise before gently wrapping his arms around her.

"That's it, I'm officially coming to Oliver for all of my advice," Mandy declared, throwing her hands up.

"Me too," Lisa said.

"Count me in with that," Sue agreed.

"Oh Oliver, stop blushing," Willow scolded, prying herself away from him. "It's just us. Accept the fact that you're an amazing person and get on with it. You could make some serious money helping guide people in their life decisions."

"I don't think I'll be doing that any time soon, but thanks," Oliver said, a shy smile playing at his lips. His freckles caught in the sunlight streaming through the window, causing his entire face to light up, giving him an irresistibly adorable look. The red sheen to his cheeks refused to fade away. He cleared his throat, distracting Willow before she could stare. "We can get back to all of this excitement later, but for now, I need some serious help with Transfiguration."

"This is going to be a while," Mandy sighed.

"Hey! Be nice, Mandy," Sue said. "Which part of this week's lessons did you want to revisit, Oliver?"

"All of it," he said miserably.

"I hate to say it, Sue, but Mandy's right," Lisa chortled. "This is going to be a while."


	14. Year 1: Chapter 14

Willow wiped the sweat off her brow. It was only six thirty in the morning, yet the sun was blazing hot on her black robes already. That day was going to be quite hot. Norbert would love it- if he was allowed out of Hagrid's hut.

Willow had been doing all of Hagrid's gamekeeping duties for him. He was stuck caring for Norbert all day, every day, and barely got to sleep each night. Hagrid was still looking through rose-colored glasses for the whole situation, which Willow liked. If either one of them were as negative as her trio of friends, Norbert could be killed multiple ways, whether by wizards' hands or not. The creature had stolen Willow's and Hagrid's hearts. Norbert was not going anywhere until they could find a more suitable place for him to live or a better way for Hagrid to take care of him.

For the time being, Willow scraped out heaps of soil with a trowel of inadequate size for the amount of work she was doing. There were a lot more gardens than she thought at Hogwarts. Some of them were blooming with beautiful flowers, others interesting and unique plants, and some with plants that Willow was careful not to get impaled by. Those were reserved for Hagrid when he caught a break and could hand Norbert over to her for an hour or two.

Willow transferred five more plants (all of which tried to hug her to death- or suffocate her, either way, really), then stood up and shook out her knees. They were sore and tired from all the bending she was doing recently. She really wished that her powers would work on the soil. Willow had tried more times than she could count to move the soil, but only succeeded in removing worm and insect populations from the soil. Apparently her powers were limited to life forms only. Useful, yet frustrating.

Willow looked over the rows upon rows of magical plants in the greenhouse. They were perfectly potted, all of them mumbling or purring in their funny ways to show satisfaction. She couldn't believe she woke up at five that morning, started gardening at five fifteen, and was just finishing at a little after seven. Willow had forgotten how long it took her to keep up with her greenhouse at home. It was a lot of work.

She had one more thing to do before she could visit Hagrid again. There were a few trees not far into the Forbidden Forest that Hagrid wanted Willow to introduce herself to. Of course, they were dangerous, but Hagrid never explained exactly how dangerous they were, so she was going to be on her guard. These trees were special ones, and the fact that they grew in a small grove was rare, almost never heard of. They were super defensive and required a long time to warm up to new visitors, Hagrid had said, so she had better introduce herself now that she was going to be taking care of them for a few weeks. Willow had special permission from Hagrid to go into the Forest whenever necessary, but it's not like she had cared about the rule of staying out of it before.

The Forest was really pretty in the spring. There were shocks of color against the dark branches, buds and tiny leaves that had grown- reds, greens, yellows, oranges, browns, and mixes as the leaves fully resumed their positions in the treetops. The early morning sun shined through the branches, lighting up the Forest with a more warm and welcoming light than usual. Willow inhaled deeply, letting her senses become overwhelmed with all the sweet scents of spring in the Forest. Springtime was more amazing at Hogwarts than it had ever been at home.

Well, at least since her mother had left.

Willow continued along the trail, sticking to the middle as to not stray off. She found a small cleared out path that was covered in extra-large boot prints and took that. Hagrid had said that the trees would be about a quidditch pitch farther. Willow hoped he was right. Something inside her hinted that he was.

A tugging suddenly brought Willow to her knees. The pain was so sudden and intense, as if she had been shot. She cried out and squeezed her hands into fists, desperately pressing on her chest to keep its airways open. Nothing helped. The longer she writhed in pain, the worse it got. Her feet tingled with a sort of longing. Or was it because of a lack of oxygen?

Willow started wheezing and coughing, expelling more of her precious air supply. She was getting weaker by the minute. It was as if someone had lassoed her around the neck and was dragging her along, choking her more and more by the second. Her throat began to get sore. Black dots danced in front of her eyes.

Calm yourself, Willow ordered herself. Calm down! You'll make it worse!

Forcing herself to stand up, Willow stumbled backwards into a tree, wrapping her arms around it for balance, keeping her posture as straight as possible. Her chest still throbbed, but she could breathe enough to satisfy herself for the time being. She gasped, trying to get the oxygen back into her bloodstream.

"There you go, you idiot," Willow mumbled to herself. "It's probably a sign, anyway."

Going through the possibilities, she realized that it was a sign. She wasn't running, she wasn't going through another power surge, and she wasn't using her powers in excess, so it was a sign. That meant the buzzing in her feet was longing to go somewhere, not her body letting her know about the obvious depletion of air.

Willow breathed as deeply as she could and walked along the trail for another hundred meters, and the trees came into view. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw it.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

It was beautiful. The trees formed a sort of bowl, their roots both above and below the ground, creating a floor of intertwining roots in between them. They were tall and wide, their bark having a silvery sheen to their dark color. Their branches stretched higher into the sky than Willow had thought possible, their leaves resembling that of a rowan tree but silver. A few unicorns stood in the middle of the clearing. The place was so spiritual, so peaceful, that Willow initially thought it was a worship place. But that silly thought cleared out a quickly as it came.

No. This place is more special than that. I'm going to give it a name next time.

Willow gazed around a little longer, embedding the image into her mind. She quietly entered the ring of tree in its only opening, the gap between the two largest trees at the end of the path. The whispering of several individuals filled the back of her mind, bouncing around and creating a background noise that surprisingly didn't bother Willow. She somehow knew not to dig deeper and try to discern each voice.

The unicorns snorted when they saw Willow and went back to wandering around, as if acknowledging her presence. Their hooves left misty prints on the roots, a light purple flutter of activity that slowly faded. Willow glanced down and saw that her footprints were doing the same. She crouched down, ignoring the pain in her knees, and touched the roots.

Wiggenwood trees.

The identification was the same as it had been with Norbert; it simply popped into her head. These trees were special. She had learned about them with Hermione when reading through One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi one night while studying that week. While a witch or wizard is touching a Wiggenwood tree's bark, creatures and spells of dark nature could not reach or harm that person. These trees are extremely powerful and their bark is used quite often in potions.

The pain in Willow's chest dissipated to almost nothing as she wandered around the root-covered clearing, giggling at her misty footprints. It still lingered, though, and was pulling her towards one of the trees. She followed it.

The tree it lead her to was the largest one of them all. Its leaves glowed white far above her head, towering over her. The whispering was strongest here, and stronger still the closer she got to it. Willow stared at its ancient, silvery appearance. There was something hidden here. She knew it. Reaching out her hand, Willow closed her eyes and touched the bark.

When she opened her eyes, Willow was no longer looking at the Forbidden Forest. She was in her mansion again. It was night, with the moonlight shining through her bedroom window. Everything was still.

That was not so. The door handle creaked, centimeter by centimeter, and the door was quietly opened. Willow was frozen in the corner of the room, watching her terrified nine-year-old self sleeping in the bed.

No, stop, please! Willow begged, recognizing the scene.

It was the one she had nightmares about so often. It was the one that brought back too many clashing good and bad memories. It was the one that changed everything about her life forever.

It was the day her mother went crazy.

The scene unfolded in front of her with too much memorable detail. Some of it she had forgotten about, some of it she had purposely erased from her memory. But the worst part of it all was watching her younger self wake up and witness it all with wide eyes. There was one thing she had never told anyone, because she couldn't.

She saw it. She knew the truth.

And everyone had tried to cover it up and lie to her.

The tree finally retracted the memory and placed Willow gently back into the clearing. Why had it done that to her? Wasn't this tree supposed to protect her? Weren't all of these trees supposed to be wary of her?

Apparently not, and it was probably because of her powers. Her powers were dictating her life far too much at that point. They were crossing a line set down by her, but they were a part of her, and she couldn't get rid of them.

The trees were supposed to protect her. Did they show her the memory because of the dark magic in it? Or was it because she needed to experience it in detail again to get over it? The last one seemed more likely, because if there was one thing Willow needed, she needed to get over the past. For Heaven's sake, her powers seemed to only show visions of the present. Maybe there was a lot more to these Wiggenwood trees than Willow knew- more than anyone knew.

You're right about them, the voice lady said. They're tricky, Wiggenwoods are. Many people have tried to discover their secrets, but they won't budge. It takes special powers like yours to make a breakthrough. The only problem is you can't tell anyone without revealing your power.

It's not like I haven't been keeping secrets from the world for several months on end. I can keep these small details to myself. Besides, it would drive others crazy when they can't confirm anything.

Good. It would be wise to talk about everything with your dad. When I reveal myself to you, the amount of information that will suddenly invade your mind could be too much with all of that bouncing around.

Thanks. Well, since I'm alone, and these Wiggenwoods seem to like me, should I do a power session?

Yes. Your last one was awful.

I'm trying. Let's get going with this. What are we starting with?

Plant manipulation.

Willow relaxed her shoulders and let the power flow through her, tingling in her fingers and hands. It felt more powerful, as if the Wiggenwoods were enhancing it. She hoped that she wouldn't lose control. Was that even possible, though?

Willow sent a ripple of energy through her feet, and the roots slowly raised her on a small platform. Then, she raised her hands and gently moved them inwards, connecting them to the trees. They bowed inward, their leaves swishing and branches creaking. Willow almost lost it when she saw all of the trees bend instead of two. She continued the connection despite that and bent them to the brink of starting to snap, then released them back into their regular upright position. Willow blinked in surprise, realizing that she barely tried and had succeeded.

Don't worry, the trees aren't mad at you, the voice lady said. Well done. That was much better than last time. You could barely do that with one tree.

Um...can I lose control with my powers?

Yes, but it's very rare. You have to be very angry for that to happen. When I say angry, I mean ready to kill someone without a second thought angry.

Oh.

Yeah. Don't lose control. But that's really hard, so I don't know why I'm warning you.

Next thing, please?

We're going to try something different today with shape-shifting. It's going to be MUCH bigger than last time. How do you feel about changing into dragon?

WHAT!

Hey, I'm just telling you to try! If you fail, that means we've got to go back to medium-sized animals.

Fine, I'll try. But if I get in trouble, this is your fault.

You can't prove I exist. Not getting in trouble is part of your training.

I hate you sometimes.

Trust me, you've told me countless times.

Willow sighed. This was going to be the biggest transformation so far. She had worked her way from small animals to medium animals, then small magical creatures to medium magical creatures. This was a huge jump.

Willow shook her head. She had this in the bag, she told herself. Norbert would love it. Do it for Norbert, she told herself. Erasing all doubt from her mind, Willow shook herself out.

Ready...set...go!

Willow let the familiar energy flow over her entire body, transforming her. But her concentration level was through the roof. Sweat poured down her neck and over her head. Jolts of pain struck her limbs like lightning, jerking them as they elongated and grew tough scales. Her stomach rounded and grew to four times its size, her ears became pointed, her teeth sharpened, and her nails became claws. Willow's coloring darkened until it was pitch black. Wings sprouted from her back, as long as her dragon form was. She opened her eyes and discovered that she was face-to-face with the treetops. The unicorns whinnied in fear and bolted.

Well done! the voice lady cheered. You get to fly now!

Willow tried out her wings, getting used to the muscles in them. She shook herself out. Her long, spiked tail swayed in a long ripple behind her. She was already struggling to stay in the form. Would she be able to fly?

There was only one way to find out.

Willow spread her wings, tensed her leg muscles, and launched herself into the sky. Her dragon appearance flickered but remained intact as she beat her wings. She emerged from the Forest and let out a miniature roar of approval.

Good job!

Willow was so happy about her success that she forgot to keep her concentration. Her body flickered, then all of a sudden she was falling, back in her regular human form. She yelped and desperately tried to find a place to land, but she was too close to the ground. Willow sighed exasperatedly.

Every time! she shouted.

Willow quickly summoned her bird form and flicked her wings out, stopping her momentum momentarily. But she was so exhausted from her previous effort that it barely lasted a second. She was still stuck speeding towards a lovely death of being splattered across the Forbidden Forest's floor.

Wand out, idiot! the voice lady shouted.

Willow fumbled in her pocket for her wand. The wind whipped her hair in her face, hurting her eyes. She really needed to stop getting herself into life-threatening situations. As if in a trance, she raised her wand, only ten meters from the ground, and shouted, "Aresto Momentum!"

Willow's body screeched to a halt only centimeters above the forest floor. She hung there a second, wondering if there was a counter-spell to let her touch the ground, then face-planted into the mud. Willow groaned and sat up, pointing her wand at herself and saying, "Aguamenti." A small stream of water splashed in her face and washed the mud away.

Was that you or me? Willow asked. Because I've never heard that spell before in my life.

Both. I can have a decent affect on your subconscious mind.

Oh, it all makes sense now! That's why I'm such a crazy idiot with no regard to others' feelings half the time!

Sometimes I wonder why you were chosen...

What?

Nothing! You'll learn all about it soon enough. Now, go to Hagrid's hut and get that baby Norbert before he burns the hut down.

Willow stood up, shaking out her stiff legs. That power session certainly went better than the last. It wasn't great, of course, but she was just beginning to realize her potential and grow with it. For the time being, she had a real dragon to take care of.

When Willow finally returned to the castle, it was four in the evening. Norbert had been left to her care for more than six hours. It wasn't the best experience Willow had with the Ridgeback. Norbert had been in rare form, ornery as ever, and he had tattooed Willow's body with burns. She had to resort to desperate measures, transforming into a baby dragon every so often, to keep him under control. Willow wondered if she would ever get the smell of blood and brandy out of her nose.

The Fat Lady was almost within sight when a strong arm yanked Willow backwards. Her eyes darting up, she recognized Paige holding her tight. Paige covered her mouth and motioned for her to be quiet.

"Fred is in there ranting about you," she whispered. "It could get ugly if you went in right now. Wait for him to cool down. I came out here to get some air, and you know I can normally watch people get angry."

"I know, but I think it's time I set things right with him," Willow breathed back. "Besides, he's in the mood right now to throw everything in my face. I need to hear it to know how to talk it through with him."

Paige shrugged, releasing Willow. "Your choice. But be warned, you three friends are in there with him. I think they've joined in."

"Wonderful. Just what I need. My friends talking crap about me behind my back," Willow mumbled sarcastically. "It's fine. We all need a group chat. This has been going on for a few weeks, and the longer we prolong it, the worse it's going to be for the rest of you."

Paige gave the password to the Fat Lady, and she swung open to reveal the portrait tunnel. "I'll watch. This stuff is like a soap opera to me. I promise I won't interject and make it worse."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Somehow I find that hard to believe.

The two ducked and crawled through the tunnel, emerging in the common room. Only the Weasley twins, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were present. Their loud complaints instantly stopped when they saw Paige enter with Willow behind her.

"I'm going to go upstairs..." Paige trailed off, sprinting into her dorm and peeking her head out of the door frame. Willow let her eyes glaze over her friends, hoping to spot some sort of guilt. Of course, Ron and Fred were glaring back at her, but the other three were avoiding her eyes, instead shuffling their feet and staring at them as if they were the most interesting things they had seen all day.

"Look, I know you were talking about me," Willow sighed. "This is going to sound weird, but please, continue, because I need to hear what you have to say. Don't hold back. It won't offend me."

Most of it would offend her, she knew, but she was going to hide it if it killed her. They deserved the chance to sort out their anger.

"Well, for starters, I'd like to call you a few choice words that I've been dying to shout for a few weeks," Fred began. "You are a complete douche bag, a two-faced traitor, the biggest arsehole I've met."

"Freddy!" George scolded, appalled. "What has gotten into you?"

"This is what's gotten into him," Ron spat. "Willow would rather spend time with Slytherins like Draco than us, her real friends. Or should I say former real friends?"

"Both of you, honestly," Harry said. "Why do you hate her so much?"

"Are you joking, Harry? Do you not know what happened?" Fred scoffed, his face red with anger. "She slept with Draco and skipped our celebration! Can you believe that? What's more, she forgave that prick for hurting Ron, Neville, and her! She always forgives him! Every time, no matter how bad he hurt someone! Can you imagine? She wants to be friends with a bully! Why? I don't understand how she can simply shrug off everything he does and see him as this perfect little angel. Why would she want to spend time with that scumbag over us, her real friends?"

"Stop it, please!" Willow cried. "Shut it! Okay, I know that I said I wouldn't be offended, but that was a lie. You've spoken your mind. Now it's my turn."

"Why should you get a turn? You've already made your choice the night you slept with Malfoy," Ron said, glaring.

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione gasped, slapping him.

"No, Hermione, it's fine, let me handle this," Willow said. She turned back to Ron. "You think you know everything, do you? You're saying you're my real friends. Would real friends listen to rumors over their friend's true account of what happened?"

The words struck each person in the room as if with a stunning spell. The effect was instant. Everyone hung their heads, the truth ringing in Willow's words, shame wreathing around their hearts.

"I can't believe you guys thought I would do that," Willow said, on the brink of tears. "For once, I thought I had friends. Real friends. True friends that would have my back, maybe even best friends. But I was wrong."

George took a pace towards her. "Wait, no, Willow-"

"I know, George, it wasn't really you. But it was all of you, too, even if you thought positively of me. You all avoided me and left me alone. I thought I was done being alone. I thought that no one would ever leave me in the dark again. I guess I'll have to rely on my other friends for that now."

Willow turned and left the common room amid cries to wait from her friends. She was about the seal the portrait tunnel when a single sentence cut through the rest.

"I'm sorry."

Willow froze, her hand on the Fat Lady's portrait. She stood, rooted to the spot, while her friends clambered out of the tunnel. Fred was the first to reach her.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "I was just so cross with you about missing the party. George and I were hoping you would be there to celebrate with us, and after that dumb Malfoy got into a fistfight, we weren't expecting you to go and forgive him by spending the entire night in the hospital wing. Not many girls would do that, you know."

Willow couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. "Did you ever even consider the fact that I might have been there for Neville just as much as Draco? That there were so many more possibilities to the story than the one you accepted?"

Fred paused a moment before replying, "No. I did not. But that will never happen again. I'm sorry, Willow."

"I am too," Ron sighed. "You know how emotional I get when I comes to Malfoy and my friends. Fred just won't admit to taking something seriously for once in his life."

"You absolute-"

"Freddy, don't," George warned.

"It's fine. I forgive you all, but you know how much I struggle with trust," Willow remind them. "It might take a while for me to stop being wary around you. Just...be aware. It might, it might not, since some of you weren't awful to me. I guess what I'm saying is, let me take my time."

"Don't worry, I've got Ron on a tight leash," Hermione promised. "One more toe across the line and he's in big trouble. I've been studying quite a few spells for Defense Against the Dark Arts lately, and I could use a test subject."

"You hear that, Ron? I'd be careful if I were you," Harry joked.

Willow smiled. "Honestly, I'm glad to have you guys as my friends. I don't think you've lost my trust at all. Although, it wouldn't hurt if you gave me an apology gift, like chocolate frogs..."

"Now you're pushing your luck," Fred said. "I'll enchant the frogs to attack you at this point."

"No you won't!" George scolded. 

"Well, now that you're not at each other's throats, I'd say you celebrate by eating half the kitchens," Paige said, appearing behind the group. "While your guys's stupid squabble was going on, Lee and I have slowly been making some deserts disappear behind the house elves' backs. Care to join us?"

"I don't mind at all," Willow said.

Soon, the group was lounging around the common room, eating delectable cakes and pastries that tasted as fresh as the day the came out of the oven. Willow was thoroughly enjoying a slice of raspberry cheesecake. Neville appeared a few minutes after they had settled, and Paige graciously invited him to share the desserts. They had a lot more stored up than they thought. Lee and Paige must have been stealing a few slices per day, Willow thought, doing the math in her head. She felt like a million cobwebs had clogged up the Muggle school subjects in her brain. The upcoming summer would be a good opportunity to brush up- maybe. She didn't know whether she would be motivated to keep up on areas she wouldn't use in the future.

"Hey, Willow," Harry whispered, getting her attention. "I think you need to be caught up on some information we learned. We were going to tell you, but the whole silence thing happened, and, well..."

"I understand," Willow interrupted. "Please, tell me everything."

"For starters, the Stone is heavily guarded. There's Fluffy, of course, but a few other challenges are blocking the way to it. If I remember correctly, Hagrid said that Professor Sprout, Flitwick, McGonagall, Quirrel, and Dumbledore placed enchantments to protect the Stone."

Willow's eyebrows shot up. "That's some heavy protection."

"But here's the real kicker," Hermione interjected. "Snape is guarding the Stone, too."

Willow nodded. She still wasn't sure what to think about Snape. He had let up a little on watching over Harry, but he was still constantly showing up where Harry went. Quirrel was getting increasingly fidgety. It was hard for Willow to believe that either one was after the Stone, especially Snape, since he had proven to her time and time again that he was only being protective, not going behind peoples' backs and attempting to steal the stone for himself. Both Professors were equally suspicious in her mind. Since her friends were dead set on Snape, she didn't push the issue further.

"We'll keep watching for any sign of betrayal, then," Willow suggested.

"Good," Ron said. "There's one more thing. It's about Norbert. We sent a note to my brother, Charlie, about possibly taking Norbert off our hands. He should send an owl any day now."

"Isn't he the one you were talking about at Christmas?" Willow verified. "The one that works with dragons in Romania?"

"That's the one."

"If he's even a fraction as good as you say he is, then Norbert will be in a safe, loving environment with plenty of space in no time. Charlie's going to love him."

"We could only hope," Harry said. "Norbert's a piece of work. I'll be glad to get rid of him."

Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement, but Willow shook her head.

"Honestly, I think that dragon must like me, because I don't have nearly as much trouble with him as you guys do. He acts like an angel around me half the time, and the other half he's just a rascal, exactly what you'd expect from a baby dragon."

"It's only because you're really good with animals, Willow," Ron muttered.

"Ron, be nice," Hermione warned.

"He is, or at least trying to be," Willow said.

A wave of static reached her ears. Glancing to her left, she saw Fred and George adjusting a radio. They succeeded just then, and a fun, energetic song filled the room. Paige sprang to her feet.

"I know this song!"

"DANCE BREAK!" Fred shouted.

Everyone dropped what they were doing and hit the dance floor, which happened to be the space between the couches. Willow couldn't dance to save her life, and she knew that, but she at least tried to freestyle. It didn't take long for Paige to notice. The older girl danced her way to Willow and took her hands.

"Come on, klutz!" she joked. "It's something more like this!"

Paige guided Willow in a flurry of spinning, twisting, jumping, and everything in between. She struggled to keep up, sometimes nearly tripping herself, but Paige refused to let her fall. She would pull Willow right back up and throw her into a series of fast steps. Eventually, she figured out the pattern, and Willow was dancing her butt off. Paige seemed a little surprised by the sudden enthusiasm. In typical Paige fashion, though, she didn't outwardly show any obvious signs of it. They continued dancing instead until the song ended. The group collapsed in a panting heap onto the couches, completely exhausted. They looked at one another, followed by an awkward moment of silence, then burst out laughing, unable to contain themselves.

"I can't believe we were ever fighting with each other," Ron chortled.

"It was so ridiculous! I love you guys!" Fred guffawed.

Their chuckling began to die down, dissolving into a collective sigh. Willow's eyes darted to Neville for a quick second. His cheeks were rosy red, his freckles prominent again. The bruise on his forehead was completely gone. She noticed his messy dark hair and how much cuter it made him look. When she realized he was staring at her, too, she looked away, hiding her face for fear of him seeing the blush on it.

"Alright, everyone, Willow and I are going upstairs," Hermione announced, still beaming. "We promised to tutor our roommates for the upcoming finals."

"Wait, we did wh- ?"

"Aw, you're no fun!" George complained, masking Willow's confusion.

"Sorry, duty calls," Hermione said. "Come on, Willow, I can't take on five girls alone, you know!"

Willow hastily waved goodbye to her friends and was dragged up the stairs, into her dorm. Hermione shut the door behind them. All the girls were already assembled, their textbooks and past tests scattered across the floor.

"Okay, before we do anything, we have to admit, we were watching you guys through the doorway," Lavender said. She gave Willow a sly smile. "I saw that, Willow."

Her mouth went dry. Hermione shot her a quizzical glance. "Saw what?"

"The way you looked at Neville!" Mia squealed.

Willow's mouth dropped open. "I- I didn't- that wasn't-"

"Oh my God, stop lying to yourself!" Fay scolded. "We all saw it, Willow, even Sally!"

Hermione seemed to enjoy the direction this was taking. Normally, a change in plans from studying for exams to something non-academic was sinful to her, but this time around, she was ready to watch how this would go down. Willow was even farther appalled when Hermione crossed the room and stood among the other girls.

"The time for hiding is up, Willow," Sally said. "You need to spill. Since your heart isn't exactly on your sleeve, you get the opportunity to tell us the whole story. Isn't that exciting?"

"What do you mean by whole story?"

"Oh, give it up, Willow!" Hermione said. "Even I have been noticing the way you lovingly wear that headband he gave you. I don't know whether it's just my interpretation, but I've never known you to be the type to wear accessories. Anyone else?"

The other girls nodded in agreement. Willow's heart fluttered. Her roommates were teaming up against her, trying to force her secrets out. Were they really against her, though? Weren't they trying to get gossip, or maybe even help her with her love life? Like she even had one. She didn't know herself if she had feelings for anyone. Then, it hit her.

Oh! They're helping me realize if I fancy Neville or not! Willow thought. But do I really want this? Do I want to dig deeper into my feelings this young? I'm not sure if I'm ready to discuss things like this with anyone, and this might cause me to be too dramatic and emotional. Despite that, I think it's only proper of me to spend some quality time with my roommates. Might as well do what they want if it will make them happy.

"Are you going to get started or not?" Parvati prompted, scattering her thoughts.

"Right." Willow cleared her throat, nervously making eye contact with each girl in turn. "Okay. I don't know how to tell if I fancy someone or not, since it's never happened before. But there's a possibility I like Neville more than I thought. He was one of the first friends I made, right from the moment when I helped him down the hill to the boat launch on the first day of term. I've always been able to talk with him about everything. Lately, I've been noticing minor details about him, like how his hair is the same shade as mine, his freckles are more noticeable when he blushes, he has an accent that's got a hint of Irish to accompany the British-"

Willow stopped short. Had she said to much?

"Oh my God, how can you be so oblivious?" Lavender exploded. "You totally fancy him!"

"I do?" Willow wondered if she was right. Did she like Neville more than a friend? Or was it simply a really good friendship? Would she ever be able to separate the two?

No, stop worrying. You won't need to do that. You're not allowed to have a love life, remember? There's no way you can handle all that drama, and it will suck your life away in a heartbeat. Too many friendships could be at stake. Plus, you don't do touchy-feely things with someone else. You don't allow it. You'll never keep up, and you'll drown in too many over-analyzed emotions that shouldn't be there. So no.

"Willow, you need to tell Neville how you feel, and soon," Fay said.

"If you don't, I'll tell him for you!" Sally threatened. "Don't take that lightly!"

"What! Guys, no, I don't fancy Neville," Willow said. "I don't want to start getting over my head this early. If I jump at every possible relationship, then I'm going to be left with no friends and a broken trial of angry people in my wake."

"Willow, do you not remember us telling you that drama is how you get through the school year?" Mia questioned. "Seriously, don't be afraid! Get in the mix! Take a risk!"

"I'll take a risk, but not those kinds of risks."

"You won't ruin your friendships as long as you don't take things to seriously," Parvati reminded her. "Trust me, there's a way to do this right and make everyone happy, including yourself. You should go for it!"

Willow considered her words, which gave stirred her mind more than the others' advice. She was, in all likeliness, overthinking the whole situation. Maybe there was a way to establish a relationship that wouldn't disturb friendships. But there was on major component everyone was forgetting.

"Guys, I'm not very likely to hold down a relationship very long. What happens when I break up? Will there not be a shattered friendship then?"

"Only one!" Lavender said. "It's so worth it for the times you'll share together!"

"We could do your make-up for your dates!" Fay suggested.

"Dates?"

"We could style your hair to impress him even more!" Mia shrilled.

"Guys, no, come on-"

"Ooh, I call choosing the place to take them to!" Sally said.

"I'll help with getting them there!" Hermione added.

"Guys, stop it! I'm too young to go on dates, and where would I get the money?" Willow reminded them. "Besides, I don't want to change the way things are between Neville and I right now. Maybe next year."

The girls humphed. "Fine, but do you promise to explore it more next year without resisting us?"

"Yes. You have my word," Willow said quickly. Sighing, she added, "If it makes you happy, I'll even admit that I do, in fact, fancy Neville right now."

A swarm of squealing girls buried Willow. She coughed, crushed under their weight. When they finally removed themselves from her, they yanked her to her feet and bombarded her with almost indecipherable questions.

"Are you joking?"

"Is this real?"

"Did you say that only to make us happy?"

"No, yes, no," Willow answered. "I'm telling the truth. You guys are right. I do fancy Neville right now. But since I don't want to mess things up, I'm going to hold off on taking action. Thanks for forcing me to realize the truth."

"Oh my God! This is so cute!" Lavender shrieked.

"You're welcome! Anytime!" Sally screeched.

"Can we keep talking with you in private about him, at least?" Parvati inquired.

"Of course you can."

"Thank you so much!" the girls yelled in unison, enveloping her in another bone-crushing group hug. Willow thought she must have cracked two ribs at that point. Hermione ordered the girls to start gathering their thoughts for the tutoring session, then turned to Willow.

"Did you mean it? Do you really fancy Neville?" she whispered.

Willow smiled, heat rising in her cheeks. "I realized the truth when I spoke it out loud. Yes, I do."

Hermione did a happy jig, then began the tutoring session. Willow was lost in her thoughts only a moment longer, but it was enough to conjure a decision: Whatever just happened, I am not getting into this relationship business. Neville is my friend. I'm going to keep it that way, even if it kills me. Hopefully I won't have to explore my emotions ever again.

The next week was tortuously slow. Willow had never felt so thinly stretched in her entire life, it had dragged on so terribly long. She and Hermione had tutored their roommates every other night. On the other days, they would catch up the boys, and on Saturday, Willow would converse with Mandy, Lisa, Oliver, and Sue. She was so sick of studying that she wanted to throw up all over her papers. Fred and George regularly stopped by, sometimes with Paige and Lee, to relieve her of it. They always knew how to refresh her mind. Lately, they had been able to get in more quidditch practices than usual, as the twins had more time. Willow wasn't surprised that she didn't mind the constant running all over; that was how she liked to live. Before she had come to Hogwarts, she was always on the run, always doing something. This life was beginning to suit her more than she thought it would.

Willow was now the temporary full-time gamekeeper in Hagrid's place. The moment Hagrid heard about the reply from Charlie, he decided to spend as much time as possible with Norbert before Saturday. She had lost hours of sleep, starting her day early to take care of the plants and going to bed late because of her study sessions. Willow had been to the wiggentree grove once since her last visit. The trees had again shown her the vision of her mother, and she had conducted yet another power session, in which she successfully transformed into a small dragon for ten minutes before crash-landing into a tree. She discovered that she could not, in fact, heal herself. In addition, the cuts and scrapes she had received from the ordeal carried over into her human form. She had a heck of a time hiding them from the ever-curious Hermione.

Thursday brought with it a storm of information. Harry had informed her about Ron's injury, then the bad news of Draco's discovery of their plans. The Slytherin boy was constantly smirking at her and her friends. He wouldn't come near Willow, however, for fear of her ridiculing him in public or anything else along those lines. She hoped that her presence would be enough to keep him from trying anything stupid. The closest they had come was during Potions, where they spent the entire class ignoring each other while simultaneously brewing their potion together.

Willow and Draco had become very good partners for that class. Over the past few months, the two had risen to rival Hermione in her potion-making. Willow could practically read Draco's mind during the class. Snape seemed mildly impressed with them, one of the greatest compliments a Gryffindor like herself could receive from the teacher. Draco was always happy to take full credit for their projects, however, and Willow simply rolled her eyes, watching him brag to the world. As long as the boy would stay away from her friends, she could tolerate most of his day-to-day annoyances.

Friday found Willow practically begging for the week to end. Her last class of the day, which was the second morning block, happened to be Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Quirrel had been going in and out of some odd phases in the weeks since she had seen his breakdown. At times, he would be so unstable that he would tremble uncontrollably and stutter to the point where no one could understand his sentences, and some days he would come to class with clear sentences and a merely suspicious, guarded expression. Willow noticed that he had been calling on her a lot more. She would catch him staring at her now and then, but she dismissed it as part of his nervousness. After all, she thought to herself, she would watch people intently if she was scared, too.

Professor Quirrel had assigned them a review project that they were to complete with as many partners as they wanted. Willow decided to partner up with her Ravenclaw friends. Neville, Harry, Ron, and Hermione formed a separate group and promised her that they would compare their project to theirs at the end, just in case. That was enough to satisfy Willow. She and her friends finished it in no time, dividing up the work and even reading over each other's finished products before the second day of class time they had to do it. Since they had nothing to do, they chatted about the typical happenings around the school until the topic of Ron came up.

"I've heard that Ron got bit by a dog," Lisa said.

"Me too," Sue said. "I've heard it was nasty, too. He spent all of yesterday in the hospital wing."

"No way!" Mandy breathed. "That must have been a brute of a dog. Maybe he mistook it for a Crup. Those look just like Jack Russel Terriers in the Muggle world, but their bites are more ferocious than their bark, unlike Muggle pets."

"Probably," Lisa agreed.

"You're good friends with Ron, Willow. Do you know what it was?" Sue asked.

Willow's blood ran cold. She couldn't tell them about Norbert. Even though she knew that they would never intentionally tell anyone about it, one stray comment in the halls could get around the school within a week. She hoped that they couldn't see the fear in her eyes when she replied, "He said it was a dog. Your theory is most likely correct, Mandy."

Thankfully, her friends simply nodded without suspicion. Willow's acting had succeeded.

"Professor Quirrel is staring at you again," Lisa whispered.

Willow glanced to her left and saw that Lisa was right. Quirrel averted his eyes at the last second, but she had seen him. She was getting a bit annoyed with it by then. Why was he so intent upon making her out to be a threat? She had done absolutely nothing to him. He hadn't seen her running away from him after his breakdown, so she should have a clean record- right?

"How long has he been doing that?" Mandy said, breaking Willow's thoughts.

"Um, let me think...How many weeks has it been since the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match?"

"Several weeks," Sue answered for her.

"Several weeks, then," Willow said.

"You're so nonchalant about it," Lisa giggled. "You know, you're kind of funny like that, Willow. It's one of the many ways you get me to laugh, at least."

"I'm glad of it, then."

"Have you heard from your parents lately, Sue?" Mandy said.

"Oh, yes, actually. They've both been promoted to high-level positions in their jobs, and we might save up enough money to visit my family next summer."

"That's awesome!" Willow exclaimed. "How have you been doing lately, though? I've been listening, and you're not hiding your accent anymore. I kind of like it."

Sue's cheeks turned pink. "Thanks. I've been doing pretty well. Mandy and Lisa unfortunately get the full brunt of my cultural differences, and it's not always easy when other people make fun of me, but so far I've been good about ignoring them."

"'Unfortunately'?" Mandy scoffed. "Trust me, Sue, your Japanese traditions are so much better than my typical British city-girl lifestyle. I like the way our room smells now."

"Me too! I fall asleep so much better with your incense candles," Lisa agreed.

Sue glanced at Willow, who gave her a reassuring smile.

"See, I told you that you would be accepted by your real friends. But let me guess: Draco and some of the other first-year Slytherins are teasing you."

Sue nodded. "As if the pureblood mania wasn't enough. I just remind myself that they're racist scumbags who will get nowhere in life after Hogwarts, and I'm going to be the one working them to death in the future. This school is going to be the highlight of their non-existent careers."

Mandy nodded, impressed, while Lisa's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I always knew you had that in you," Mandy said. "Maybe I'm rubbing off on you a little bit. Not sure whether that's a good thing, though..."

"It feels good to not care about everyone else's judgement for once," Sue said. "Of course it's a good thing."

"You guys are literally the best friends anyone could ask for," Willow commented.

The bell tolled, signaling the end of class. They packed up their things and made their way into the crowded corridors towards the Great Hall.

"I hope they have roast beef sandwiches today," Mandy said. "I'm starving!"

"Me too," Lisa agreed.

"Oh, Willow, I almost forgot," Sue said. She lowered her voice. "A little bird told me that you fancy a certain someone from Gryffindor."

Her cheeks burning red, Willow wanted to respond, You too? She caught herself just in time. Sue didn't know about her powers yet. Hopefully she could tell her other friends about them at some point, when she trusted that they could be careful enough not to speak about it in public. They were almost there. Maybe next year...

"That little bird is correct, then. How did you hear that?"

"I may have eavesdropped on your roommates this morning at breakfast. They were whispering," Sue added quickly, seeing the panic in Willow's eyes. "I was just listening so intently without them noticing that I was able to hear it. It's hard to simply ignore a conversation when you hear a familiar name come up."

"True. I assume you know who it is, then?"

"Yes. Can I tell Mandy and Lisa?" Sue begged.

Willow sighed. "Fine, you can tell them, but only them! And make them promise not to spread it around the school, either! I'm not sure how well Neville would take that..."

"How Neville would take what?" Oliver whispered, appearing beside Willow.

"That Willow fancies him!" Sue squealed.

"Pipe down!"

"You fancy Neville?" Oliver breathed, an excited light in his eyes. "That's amazing, Willow! I promise I'll keep it a secret! This is so exciting!"

"Leave it to Oliver to know exactly what to say for Willow," Sue said.

"I swear, he really does read my mind," Willow remarked. "Thank you, Oliver. I can't have it spreading all over the school. I'm only a first year, after all, and I'm not planning to do anything with this."

"Good choice, in my opinion," Oliver said. "It's not the best idea to get caught up in that sort of stuff anyway. You don't strike me as the type to be involved in romantic drama."

"I wish you could make my roommates see it that way," Willow muttered.

"They were going on and on about how you wouldn't do anything..." Sue trailed off.

The five sat down at the Gryffindor table, other familiar faces taking their usual places. Willow's roommates distanced themselves from her, most likely for gossiping purposes, not that she cared. If she could give them an interesting bit to mull over, then it was worth it. They deserved the chance to get excited over some drama.

"Willow, eat," Paige commanded, shoving food onto her plate.

"I'm getting to it!" Willow promised.

"Leave it to Paige to take care of you," Sue chortled. "You have an arsenal of personal servants. How do I get that?"

"You get in the middle of everything, I guess."

"Nope. That's out, then."

"Honestly, it's rather nice, having all these friends for a change," Willow said. "In Muggle school, I basically had acquaintances, people who didn't hate me, and the bullies I either ignore or put in their place. To find people like me that have my back...it's something I've been waiting on for a long time."

"Relatable," Mandy, Lisa, Sue, and Oliver said at the same time.

"We're all so pathetic," Mandy laughed.

"Not anymore. It's all thanks to Willow that we've come together," Lisa countered, her eyes shining. "Thanks to her, Oliver speaks to people, I have more than one good friend- several great friends, in fact- Mandy doesn't hate the world, and Sue can be herself."

Willow felt her cheeks flush. "Aw, don't give me all the credit, guys. You all had to overcome personal obstacles and fear to get to this point. You're the best friends I can ask for, and I hope I can keep your grades up for you."

A chorus of laughter went up, and for once, the group didn't care about all the stares they got. Oliver was the first to recover, as usual.

"I don't know what I'd do without you reteaching me all the Transfiguration lesson. You're really good at everything, Willow. You'd think since these three Ravenclaws are so smart, they'd do their homework and study, but of course not. They'd rather read the next book in their favorite series. Can't blame them, though. The books they've got in Ravenclaw Tower are the best of the best."

"Hey, everyone's smart in their own way," Willow reminded him.

"I swear to God, Willow," Paige threatened, looking up from her book. "If you don't finish your lunch, I'm going to force-feed you until you've eaten a week's worth of food. That goes for you too, Lisa."

Lisa's eyebrows went up in shock. Willow gave her a look that said, She's not kidding. Do as she says. Lisa received the message and piled her plate with food, rapidly eating glazed carrots. Paige nodded, made sure Willow was doing the same, then went back to reading and eating a roast beef sandwich. Willow noticed how happily Mandy was eating the same thing.

Fred and George suddenly appeared, a light sprinkling of dust over their robes. Lee wasn't far behind and bore the same appearance. They tried and failed to hold back their goofy grins.

"You three have been up to something," Willow observed.

"Nothing," they said in unison.

"I didn't even get to ask-"

"We know," Fred interrupted. "But you're not allowed to!"

"I can't know what?"

"We already told you, nothing!" George insisted. "It's a surprise!"

"Am I allowed to ask who it's for?"

"No," all three boys said.

Willow sighed, giving up. "Fine. I won't push to topic any further. But it's your fault if it distracts me from my exams."

"Your guilt trap won't work on us!" Lee said. "Honestly, we are one hundred percent certain that you will not fail your exams. You're too smart, and your standards are way too high. We would never have to worry about it. Failing to you is getting anything less than the top marks."

Willow conceded the point. "Alright, alright, I'll back off."

The three boys could barely contain themselves. They whispered furiously amongst themselves. Paige finally glanced up from her book, noticing their abnormal behavior.

"What did I miss?"

"Nothing," Willow replied.

The morning became evening, and Friday became Saturday. Willow spent the early morning pruning some rather nasty plants in the greenhouses, then attended yet another study session with Mandy, Lisa, Sue, and Oliver. She had an extra long quidditch practice with the twins and Paige. They still wouldn't reveal what the surprise was, not even drop an accidental hint about it. Willow refused to let it bother her.

The sun was setting on one of the most beautiful days so far that spring. Willow sat on top of the owlery roof, watching the sunset. The sun burned bright orange, a fiery color against the lighter backdrop of the sky. Clouds turned a fluffy pink, waves of light oranges, reds, and yellows crisscrossed and danced across the canvas. Willow could have taken a paintbrush and painted the same picture, it was so perfect. Behind her, to the east, the moon was just beginning to appear, a purple masses of clouds accompanying it. Willow had never seen a sunset more beautiful than the one she experienced that twilight. She hoped it was a good omen for that night.

Willow climbed back through the window, into the owlery. Iris swooped down onto her outstretched arm. She affectionately nuzzled Willow's head, clicking happily when she pet her soft feathers. The white and brown speckled pattern on Iris's feathers appealed to her eyes. She didn't know why, but Willow always subconsciously searched for patterns in nature, trying to identify each individual plant or animal. It was one of the many methods she used to calm herself down or ignore the pang of longing for her mother's return.

"Fancy seeing you here," a voice said.

Willow glanced up. "Hi, Harry. I just saw Hedwig, she was playing with my owl earlier. Oh, I see her- up there by Lee's owl- almost at the top."

Harry called Hedwig, and she flew down to land on his arm. Hedwig chirped in appreciation for his attention, almost cooing when he patted her head.

"Do you think we'll get caught tonight?" Harry asked.

"No," Willow answered with certainty. "We all know McGonagall never believes Draco."

"But she has to take these things seriously, doesn't she?"

"Not really. Draco lies quite a bit, and besides, she's kind of strict on the lights-out rule. As long as you stay under the invisibility cloak, you should be in the clear."

"I just can't wait to get rid of that bloody dragon. No offense, Willow, but that Ridgeback is beyond a nuisance. A nuisance is something like a fly buzzing in your ear, not a baby dragon nearly biting your friend's hand off."

Willow nodded, understanding. "I know how much trouble he's caused you guys. It's hurt me in the sleep area, but I can survive on six hours of sleep per night. Most of the time it's more, anyway. I've had a good experience with Norbert. It's time for him to move onto a place where he'll be happier and get a proper habitat."

"I can't wait."

"Well, it will all be over in a few short hours. He'll be flying to Romania by tomorrow."

"And not a moment too soon." Harry released Hedwig back to her roost, Willow following suit. "Come on, let's get back to the common room. Hermione said she's going to take a nap, and I'm starting to think that would be a good idea."

"Count me in. I'm already exhausted from today, and we'll need all our strength for later this evening. Let's go."

Willow and Harry went down the stairs, crossed the courtyard, followed a few corridors, and somehow made it up another flight of stairs to the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady let them in without complaints for once, and they found themselves in a mostly empty common room. Hermione was the only other person present, and she was fast asleep, curled up on the couch. Harry found the opposite couch and laid down.

"Willow, what are you going to do while we transport Norbert?" he whispered, closing his eyes and taking off his glasses.

"Hopefully directing any wandering teachers away from you."

"Thanks..."

Harry fell asleep, breathing softly. Willow watched over her friends. Her body felt like it had been hit by a truck, then run over by that same vehicle, but sleep was far from possible. She instead contented herself to watch her friends sleep. Willow knew how creepy that sounded to others, but it was the truth. She had a protective instinct to make sure her friends were comfortable and safe at all times, and watching them dream peacefully made her feel like her hard work was paying off, that her dedication was doing good in the world. Her mother had helped her fall asleep before she left. Now, Willow was determined to never let anyone feel alone, especially at the most venerable time for everyone's emotions- right before they fall asleep. If she could make all of her friends feel comforted and cared for while they fall asleep, then her life was worth something. Otherwise, what was her purpose?

Willow woke Harry and Hermione at their requested time, half past eleven. They yawned and sleepily gathered their wits before taking the invisibility cloak and heading out of the common room. Willow paused, waiting a minute for them to get ahead of her, then also emerged from Gryffindor Tower, the Fat Lady grumbling behind her about students and their trouble-making habits.

Making sure there was a good distance between them, Willow followed Harry and Hermione, only knowing where they were by her keen ears, picking up the slightest whispering between them. The castle was dead quiet. No one, not even a teacher, was within sight. They made it past the Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall.

All of a sudden, Willow jumped. A loud bout of cackling rang in her ears, bouncing off the stony walls, echoing down the corridors. Peeves zoomed into view, his ghostly form silvery white in the moonbeams.

"Ickle firstie, about to be punished! Ha ha ha ha! Little Slytherin blond, in trouble with McGonagall! Ha ha ha!"

Peeves kept rambling on and on, laughing over what he had witnessed, blocking the way to Hagrid's hut. Willow sensed agitation radiating from beneath the Invisibility Cloak. Of course Peeves had to do that. Of course the poltergeist had to cause trouble for them again. The only good thing about it was that Willow had time to think about what Peeves was saying.

So Draco decided to show his face after all, Willow thought. And just like I predicted, McGonagall is mad at him. Hopefully I'll get to see him in detention. The little prat has some explaining to do before I decide not put give him a piece of my mind.

Peeves eventually cleared out of the way. Harry and Hermione sprinted to Hagrid's hut, already very late because of the holdup. Willow waited a moment, making sure they had time to explain themselves, then transformed into a cat and bounded to Hagrid's front door, tapping it and meowing to get Hagrid's attention. The door opened, and Willow surprised everyone by leaping inside, changing back into a human mid-stride.

"I'm never going to get used to that," Harry remarked.

"What are ya doin' here, Willow?" Hagrid questioned. "I thought you were stayin' behind."

"Technically, I am," Willow said. "I just wanted to come inside for a moment and say goodbye to Norbert."

The crate containing Norbert was huge, as the dragon had grown exponentially. Willow noticed a few teddy bears and some snacks inside. Norbert was tearing at the teddy bears already, angry that he was being held captive in a wooden box. Hagrid had tears in his eyes.

"It's going to be okay, Hagrid," Willow reassured him. "You've been a good mum to Norbert. He's going to be just fine in Romania. I'm sure Charlie's already lined up some possible friends for him."

Hagrid sniffled, but seemed to cheer up a little. He exchanged a few words with Harry and Hermione, then bade goodbye to Norbert one last time, letting the baby affectionately nibble his finger. Then, they were off.

Harry and Hermione struggled to keep their breathing quiet as they carried the heavy crate up numerous flights of stairs. They paused every so often, regaining their breath, then continued on. Harry had thankfully planned out a shortcut for them. He lead Hermione that way, Willow following them a good distance behind, shifting into a cat to have enhanced senses in case anyone came along. When the three were only one corridor away from the Astronomy Tower's entrance, someone did. Willow hissed loudly to warn her friends. They nearly tripped before darting out of the way.

Professor McGonagall appeared, dressed in her night robes and holding a flickering lamp, dragging none other than Draco Malfoy by the ear down the hall. He still hadn't given up fighting to get away from her. She scolded him harshly, taking an instant twenty points from Slytherin, giving him detention, and threatening to wake Professor Snape. They passed down the hallway. Once the light of Professor McGonagall's lamp had disappeared, Harry and Hermione completed their journey, racing up the Astronomy Tower steps. Willow decided to stand guard and wait at the base of the tower.

It didn't last for long. She heard Mrs. Norris before Filch even came into view. Her heart fluttering in fear, Willow bounded down the corridor, desperately trying to escape the pair. No matter whether she was in human form or not, Mrs. Norris would rat her out. She had to get out of there. Any other alternatives or goals disappeared from her mind.

Suddenly, Willow skidded to a stop. A small, round face appeared from the passage Harry and Hermione had used as a shortcut. Willow wanted to yowl in frustration. It was Neville. He was probably trying to stop Harry and Hermione from losing points for Gryffindor. What was she to do? Willow couldn't appear as a human, as Neville didn't know about her powers, and she couldn't go back to Filch, because she'd be discovered. She was trapped. There was nothing she could do. She was simply a bystander only able to watch the horrible situation unfold.

Harry and Hermione appeared, and Willow's breath caught in her throat. They had forgotten the Invisibility Cloak.

As if it couldn't get any worse, McGonagall reappeared. Neville had stepped out into the light. He froze with fear, and Professor McGonagall sighted him instantly. She wordlessly grabbed him by the arm and towed him down the corridor.

It all happened so fast. Willow was suddenly left alone, completely and utterly alone. She had failed her friends. She had broken her promise.

This was all her fault.

Willow changed back into a human, unable to keep her focus any longer. She stumbled, not wanting to believe what she had just done, what she had just allowed to happen. Willow covered her mouth with her hands, overcome by guilt and disappointment in herself. On the verge of tears, she sprinted back to Gryffindor Tower, barely able to keep her emotions stored away. Willow sat down on the couch, breathing hard, her head in her hands, still in complete shock. She wasn't a coward. She had never been a coward. What was wrong with her?

What have I done?

When her friends returned and saw her sitting on the couch, Harry and Hermione shot her looks that told Willow everything she needed to know. She had betrayed them. She had betrayed their trust. They were angry with her. The two went up to their separate dorms, boiling over with anger, sadness, fear for the morning to come. Neville trudged up the stairs, head down, radiating the same emotions as the other two. Willow hoped they weren't directed at her, but wasn't going to complain if they were. She deserved it for what she'd done.

After a few minutes, Willow went upstairs to her dorm. She was about to push the door open when she heard sobbing coming from the boys' room. It was Neville. Her heart slowly shattered into a million pieces.

What have I done?


	15. Year 1: Chapter 15

The next morning came, and before breakfast was even over, the entire school knew that Harry Potter and his first-year friends had irreversibly lost the lead for Gryffindor. Willow's heart stung when she walked by the hourglass that announced the house points. As much as she hated it, she couldn't help but feel that another fifty points should have been lost because of her actions, maybe more.

Harry and Hermione were nowhere to be found at breakfast. Willow numbly stared at her plate, ignoring Ron's questions of where Neville was. She couldn't feel anything but hatred. Hatred for herself. Hatred for her actions. Hatred for her inability to express her powers freely. Why did it have to be so hard?

When Willow's friends tried to speak to her, she barely heard them. She was deaf to everything but the roaring tide in her head, telling her she was a failure, a coward, an inexplicably awful person. Mandy finally had enough of it and slapped Willow hard on the shoulder.

"Hey!" she cried.

"Willow, snap out of it," Mandy commanded, worry etched into her face. "Don't go there."

"Go where?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about," Mandy said, lowering her voice.

Willow shook her head, not understanding. "I don't, actually."

"Willow, I know what path you're going down. Get off it. Now. Nothing good comes of it. If you've been through what I think you've been through, then you know what I'm talking about, and I can empathize. I've been there too. Get off. Please, before it's too late."

"You don't know anything about me!" Willow hissed, standing up.

"You're right, I hardly know anything about you! All of us do! We would know a thing or two if you'd just talk to us, maybe give us a few fun facts now and then, even a funny story would help. Plus, I can help you. I know what's happening now."

"Mandy, stop, please," Willow begged. "I- I can't."

"Why not?"

"Just- go away. I need space."

"Willow-"

"Get away from me!" Willow snapped, drawing the attention of Lisa, Oliver, and Sue.

Mandy stared at her, worried beyond belief and stunned from the sudden outburst. Willow didn't give her a chance to say anything else before sprinting out of the Great Hall, not caring if anyone saw, not caring if her friends chased after her. She couldn't face them. Anger and frustration simmered and was brought to a boil by the negative thoughts stewing in the pot of her mind. Willow wrestled with her mind to keep the lid from blowing off.

There was only one destination in her mind. The one place where she could be alone and almost no one would dare to find her: the grove of wiggenwood trees. Willow made straight for it, snapping branches, trampling undergrowth, scattering flocks of birds. She arrived in the grove, touching a tree the moment she got there.

The same vision was before her eyes. There was her mother, wand at the ready, a spell held back by her trembling lips until they were forced to part. An explosion of green ricocheted off the walls, ringing in Willow's ears. With as much mental strength as she could muster, Willow yanked herself out of the vision, standing in the clearing, the noises still bouncing around in her ears. Unable to contain herself any longer, Willow let out a scream.

The nearly unicorns whinnied and fled. Thestrals that were dancing in the treetops soared in the other direction. Magical and Muggle creatures alike scattered in fear. Willow's lungs wanted to give out, but she kept screaming, releasing everything- the demons invading her mind, her guilt, her disappointment, her longing, her anger. It was the tormented voice of a young girl held captive by nothing and everything, everything and nothing. No matter how long she screamed, Willow knew she would never get it all out, that she would always be trapped. At last, Willow sank to her knees, ceasing the torture to her vocal chords. She bowed her head, panting hard.

I will never be free. I'm always going to be restrained by the chains of my past, the chains of my power. The very thing that allows me to be myself, to be happy without a care in the world, is going to be the bars of the cell I am locked in. I will never be free.

Willow's body drooped with exhaustion. How much longer could she go on like this, bottling everything up, trying to release it, but not being able to shove everything out the skinny bottleneck at once? Deep down, Willow had the horrible feeling that it would be forever.

Eventually, the unicorns returned to the clearing, the thestrals dared to fly nearer, and the small creatures returned to the undergrowth. Willow still sat there, overcome with everything she would never be able to explain.

I'm pretty messed up, aren't I?

It's not your fault, the voice lady soothed.

If you're here to tease me again, get out of my head, Willow said angrily.

For once, I'm not. I'm here to tell you that there is hope on the horizon. There will come a day when you can, actually must, reveal yourself and everything about you to the wizarding world. You can freely talk about this someday. Those days are near. I know they must not feel near enough, and it's difficult to keep all this inside of you, but they're coming. Hold onto hope. Remember how much you have to lean on, to hold onto. Keep that inside you, too, and drive out that darkness that's plaguing you. You're an amazing young witch. Don't you dare let something this ridiculous take over.

Willow cracked a small smile. I wouldn't call it ridiculous, but I'll try. That's all I ever do is try.

Then keep trying. Your effort always pays off at some point. Trust me, I'd know. I'm looking through your eyes a lot.

Hey, thanks for this. It's nice to see this side of you.

Soak it up while it lasts. I don't like being touchy-feely, just like you. I'll be back to my regular insulting, rude self in a few minutes.

I will. Bye for now.

Take care of yourself, Willow. Remember...

The woman's voice faded from her head. Willow realized she had closed her eyes, opening them to find several unicorns dotting the clearing. Her breathing was back to normal. She had settled herself down enough that she could store her emotions away for later- with the voice lady's help, of course. Maybe if she returned to the castle, she could apologize to Mandy, possibly handle her friends yelling at her.

Willow ran back to the castle, unobtrusive as ever, not drawing attention to herself. She always found it surprising that no teacher ever caught her runs to the Forbidden Forest. But that was beside the point, simply sheer dumb luck. Willow had a mission to complete. She caught Mandy and the others heading towards the Ravenclaw Tower.

"Mandy, wait!" Willow shouted.

The red-haired girl turned around, her eyes widening. "Where have you been? We were worried sick! I thought that something bad had happened to you, something really bad-"

"Wait, you're not made at me?" Willow interrupted, confused.

"Of course not! You have a right to have emotions, you know."

"Oh...well, I'm still sorry about snapping at you. That was wrong of me."

"Willow, you don't have to apologize for every little mistake you make," Sue said. "We're your friends. We understand that you're going through a rough time. We're all in the same boat. Add studying for end-of-term exams, and you must be stressed beyond belief."

You have no idea, Willow thought privately.

"Come on, you need to relax," Mandy said. "You're coming with us."

"You too, Oliver," Lisa added, seeing Oliver uncomfortably try to sneak off.

"Oliver, I swear to God, if you try to spend one more day alone, I will paralyze you and drag you wherever I go. You know I don't make empty threats about your well being," Willow said.

"Yes, ma'am!" Oliver said, putting his hands up in defeat.

The five wove in and out of students, then made it to Ravenclaw Tower. Numerous students were pouring in to read, study, or simply hang out with their friends. They didn’t even need to answer a riddle this time. Willow was slightly disappointed, but she didn’t want to get stuck out in the corridor if there was a randomly difficult riddle.

The common room was much cozier and friendly when there were a lot of students in it. Although it appeared similar to a library, the noise level indicated otherwise. Most of the students would animate what they were reading, make fun of what they were studying, or excitedly announce a discovery to their peers. It was perfect: not exceedingly loud, not disturbingly quiet. Willow almost found herself envying the Ravenclaws.

“Let’s go up to our room again,” Mandy suggested.

Willow once again marveled at the beautiful spiraling stairs that appeared behind the magical bookshelf. She wondered how such perfection could be hidden by such an ordinary object. They made it to the top of the stairs, where the girls’ dorm stood with even more decorations than last time.

“I take it Padma brought some decor?” Willow guessed.

“She did, and lots more inside,” Lisa said.

Sue opened the door, ushering the rest of them in. Padma really did bring quite a few gifts from Christmas. The entire room, which had already been full of odds and ends, was now covered in Ravenclaw-themed items that spruced it up even more. Willow liked the clutter; it was more artistic than sloppy, as was usual among Ravenclaws, she had noticed.

“Oliver, sit down before I make you,” Mandy ordered.

The boy immediately complied, finding a chair and plopping down in it. Willow sat on the floor by his feet. Mandy, Lisa, and Sue flopped on their beds.

“Are you seriously going to sleep?” Willow joked.

“No,” Sue said, her voice muffled from her pillow.

“Liar,” Oliver teased.

“But I’m so tired…” Lisa mumbled. “I didn’t sleep well last night…”

“You think you didn’t sleep well last night?” Mandy asked, sitting up. “I’ll tell you who didn’t sleep well last night, and that was Willow and her friends. I can imagine that they’re still hiding in their dorms, avoiding everyone, trying to sleep. Am I right, Willow?”

“For the most part, yeah. But you’re right, I’m exhausted.”

“Why would you be exhausted? You didn’t help them, did you?” Sue inquired.

“Well...not exactly,” Willow said, carefully choosing her words. 

“Willow, tell the truth,” Lisa said.

“Fine. I kind of helped them. I’m not doing to tell you what they did, though, because no one’s allowed to know that. I was only their lookout, making sure they didn’t get into trouble. I’m mad this morning because I didn’t exactly keep to my word. Filch came, and I panicked, so instead of me getting into trouble, Harry and Hermione did, and Neville tried to stop them, so he got in trouble, too.”

“That sounds like a huge mess,” Oliver commented. “How does that always happen to you? You always seem to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Believe me, I’ve been asking myself the same question since I decided to challenge that troll to a duel.”

“You’d think you would have learned your lesson by now,” Mandy chortled. “Of course you, of all people, wouldn’t, and you still get into everything.”

“It’s kind of funny, actually, being a close friend with a person like you,” Sue said. “I get the first updates on most everything going on.”

“The only information you’re not getting from me is the stuff that Lee does. I think he runs an underground black market, but it’s nothing dangerous.”

“That, and you seem to have a confidentiality code with Harry and his friends when it comes to your adventures,” Lisa observed.

“Yeah...we don’t want certain things getting around the school.”

“Makes sense, actually,” Oliver said. “I mean, look what happens when you get caught only one time. You go down in flames almost instantaneously, and the one who’s punishing you is your Head of House, for Merlin’s sake.”

“Oliver, that’s too big of a word,” Mandy complained. “English, please.”

“I thought you were a Ravenclaw?” Oliver joked.

“Okay, I may be smart in music and a few other things, but I never said academics were my forte,” Mandy said. “The smart ones are the other two.”

“Lisa’s truly smart,” Sue said. “The only thing I’ve got that’s close to that is that I speak a few languages. Other than that, it’s all martial arts and less important things.”

Lisa blushed. “You guys make me sound way better than I am.”

“That’s because you’re, great, Lisa,” Oliver said.

“Thank you, Oliver!” Mandy agreed.

“Lisa, whoever said blondes are dumb is the stupidest person in the world,” Willow said. “You prove that idiot wrong every day.”

“Thank you guys, but stop it! My cheeks will be red for the rest of the day!”

“I say we keep complimenting you, then,” Mandy said mischievously.

“Aw, leave her alone,” Sue relented. “We’ve done enough damage.”

“Speaking of damage, do your friends have detention soon?” Oliver asked.

“Oh, yeah, for certain. As soon as I find out where and when, I’m going with them. I deserve it as much as they do.”

“What!” her friends shouted in unison.

“You can’t!”

“Why would you do that to yourself?”

“You could get in trouble, or get them into more trouble!”

“Guys, trust me, I’m not going to get into trouble. They’ll never see me,” Willow promised. “Still, you’ve gotten very lucky so far, Willow,” Sue reminded her. “You need to be careful. It’s a terrible idea. You don’t want to push your luck more than you already have.”

“Yeah, if you got injured, or killed, I don’t know what we’d do,” Mandy said.

“Please don’t go,” Oliver whimpered.

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing you can do to change my mind,” Willow sighed. “I’ve already resolved to do it. Plus, it’s my fault that they’ve even got detention. I should be the one to serve it, not them. And since when is detention that dangerous?”

“Willow, it was their choice to break the rules in the first place!” Lisa exclaimed.

“And it was my choice to help them,” Willow countered.

“Fine,” Mandy said. “If we can’t change your mind, at least promise us something.”

“Be careful. Don’t make things worse than they have to be,” Sue said.

“I promise.”

Oliver sighed heavily, his green eyes staring into Willow’s. “You are the most stubborn person I’ve ever met, you know that?”

Willow could only beam.

“No, Ron, that’s not even a plant we’ve studied this year.”

“I give up, then. This exam is going to kill me.”

Willow face palmed. “Ron, seriously, I don’t think an exam could do anything more than give you a paper cut. It won’t shut down your brain.”

“You and your Muggle science nonsense is going to explode my brain before the exam does.”

“You’re hopeless.”

“That’s exactly it. I have no hope at all that I will pass these exams. So far, I can’t remember anything we’ve done this year.”

“Well, you’re better than Willow, because she couldn’t even remember a promise she made in less than an hour,” Hermione said, appearing behind Ron.

"I thought that joke was old!" Willow complained.

"Nope, and you're never going to live it down," Hermione said, playfully crossing her arms and smiling.

There was only about a week left before exams. Hermione and Harry ended up forgiving Willow for her actions a few days after they had lost the points for Gryffindor, and that same day they explained the whole fiasco to Neville, who brightened up right away. The five of them had grown closer than ever since becoming the most hated witches and wizards at Hogwarts. With everyone refusing to talk to them, they confided in one another, even studied together late at night when they wouldn't be distracted by other students' glares. Willow and Ron got off easy, of coarse, as few people knew their roles, but they were still of high suspicion and scrutinized just as much as the other three. Harry had it the worst. He had been so crestfallen about the whole thing that even Willow couldn't persuade him to not attempt to resign from the quidditch team. Gryffindor had dodged a bullet when Wood blew up and forced Harry to stay on the team. Willow didn't sleep much that night, wondering what would have happened if Harry had succeeded in resigning. The results wouldn't have been pretty.

"Come on, Ron, this is the spell you used on the troll!" Hermione said exasperatedly a while later. They had moved onto charms. "You got me all upset because of the way you said the spell! How could you forget something like that?"

"I didn't want to remember that, exactly," Ron grumbled.

"Willow, I see what you meant by he's unteachable," Hermione remarked, turning to her friend. "If he doesn't pay attention in class, he won't ever learn it. We can't teach him everything."

"All I asked for is the incantation, not a full lecture on the bloody thing!" Ron retorted.

"Here, watch me, Ron," Willow commanded, a mischievous idea popping into her head. Pointing her wand at his chair, she said, "Winguardium Leviosa!"

Ron yelped and toppled out of his chair as Willow directed it across the room. Hermione burst out laughing, snorting while she helped Ron to his feet. Willow set the chair on top of a book case.

"Your turn, Ron."

The boy's ears were pink with embarrassment. "I hate you, you know."

"Oh, I was hoping you would, because maybe that would give you the extra boost to perform the spell correctly and get the chair back for me," Willow said, pointing at where the chair was now balancing on top of the biography section. Sighing, Ron angrily pointed his wand at the chair and commanded, "Winguardium Leviosa!"

At first, the chair gently floated towards them, but Ron let his emotions get the best of him and his wand reacted, throwing the chair at them. Willow and Hermione dove out of the way as it splintered into a million wood chips. Ron's eyes went wide, and he stood there, frozen, as Madam Prince shushed them from her circular desk. Willow and Hermione slowly crawled back towards him.

"Well, as you've proven your ability to levitate objects, let's move onto a wandless subject, shall we?" Willow suggested.

"Agreed," Ron said hoarsely, finding a new chair to sit down in.

Hermione and Willow worked together to cram Ron's brain full of information about Astronomy. They counted the moons of Saturn, went into detail about the composition of Mars's soil, and identified the Roman deities each planet was named after. Willow fingered her empty pockets, wishing she had her map with her. That would have helped enormously.

Suddenly, she felt something drop into her pocket. She recoiled her hands, feeling something metal and freezing to the touch, then grabbed it and quickly put it on her lap. Willow's eyes very nearly popped out of her sockets.

Her map had appeared in her pockets.

How had it done that? Willow simply stared at the cold piece of metal that was so clearly her map. Had it known that she wanted it, or were her pockets magic? Did the map have some kind of spell on it that sensed the owner's need or want of it? Whatever it was, Willow wanted to know, because not knowing about things had recently led to unwanted surprises, like her power-up that she went through in the winter.

"Am I right? Willow? Hello, Earth to Willow," Ron said, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Oh, sorry, just found my- coin."

Willow blinked. She had tried to say map, but something deep down told her not to tell, that it was a secret. It had changed her words as she spoke them allowed. Totally not creepy that a random map had drawn her attention in a normal shop in Diagon Alley, then turned out to be much more than a map.

"Okay, well, if you'd help me out here, I'm trying to convince Hermione that I'm right and she's wrong," Ron continued. "Mars is not the Roman god of fire, is he?"

"Preposterous!" Hermione exclaimed. "There is no Roman god of fire! I never said anything about one!"

"Actually, Mars is the Roman god of war, not fire, and the closest thing to the Roman god of fire is Pluto, as far as I know, but he's mainly the god of the Underworld and jewels."

"Great. We're both right," Ron mumbled.

At that moment, Harry burst through the doors, heading straight for them. They looked up, instantly abandoning their petty argument.

"Guys, Snape's done it!"

"Done what?" they chorused.

"Gotten Quirrel to crack! I just heard him, passing by one of the classrooms! He was begging someone to leave him alone, pleading with him, I think, but I'm almost certain it was Snape, and he convinced Quirrel to tell him the secret to getting the Stone. Quirrel left in a hurry, anyway, and he was trembling like mad."

Willow stood up quickly. "I'll be right back. I have to use the restroom. Let me know what you discuss when I get back."

Leaving the library, Willow headed in the direction of Gryffindor Tower, knowing Harry had been heading back to the common room before he came running. Of course she had no intention of going to restroom. She only wanted to know what Quirrel was up to. By the way Harry had said it, Quirrel had been doing the same thing she witnessed with George a few months ago. Maybe it wasn't Snape he was talking to; there had been no one the last time she had seen him.

Willow rounded a corner, then another, and was almost at a run, thinking she might miss her chance, when she nearly ran into Professor Quirrel. She careened into the wall to avoid him, her heart hammering against her ribs in shock.

"Professor, so sorry!" Willow exclaimed.

"W-Willow!" Quirrel stuttered. "G-going in a r-rush to your c-common r-room, are you?"

She noted that he was very pale, looking as if he were about to faint. Willow didn't want to stick around if he did."Yes, Professor, sorry about that. I'll be going now."

"H-have a g-good evening."

Willow pretended to speed-walk away. She turned in the direction of Gryffindor Tower, but stopped the moment she was out of sight. After checking that no one was around, she morphed into a tabby cat and reappeared in the hallway. Professor Quirrel was already disappearing down the next corridor. Willow silently ran after him, her soft paws making no noise on the stone floors. Quirrel's cloak flickered in the corner of her eye. She bounded after him. He ran down a spiral staircase at a high pace, as if he were late for something, then made for his office. Willow tried to squeeze through the small opening in his doorway, but ultimately skidded to a halt before she could be smashed. Quirrel slammed and locked his door. Willow contented herself to listen through the crack under the door.

"M-master, why again? Have you not already drank enough blood?"

"You fool! I am still weak." It was the same hissing voice as last time.

"B-but t-the c-curse-"

"I already have the curse! If I drink more, I will still be cursed. I will only grow in power."

"My d-duty is to s-serve you, my Lord."

"Then go back tomorrow, or you will never be free again!"

The silence that followed was only occasionally broken by Quirrel's sobs.

Willow slept uneasily that night, waking up several times with the same thoughts bouncing around in her brain. She knew one thing for sure. There was a shift in her thinking, one so clear she almost felt it within her. She believed Quirrel was up to no good, not Snape, and whatever he was doing, it was bad, very, very, bad.

When Harry, Hermione, and Neville got their detention slips the next morning, Willow immediately abandoned her breakfast to talk to Draco. He was already storming into the Entrance Hall.

"Draco, where are you going?" Willow called after him.

"Wisp?"

Draco froze, turning slowly to meet her gaze. Fear flickered across them.

"Cut it out. I'm not here to punish you, although I should have. You're already going to have detention tonight."

Draco sighed. "Sorry I've been ignoring you. I thought you would kill me."

"That's a reasonable motivator to stay away from me. It was warranted, by the way," Willow added. "You're still an arsehole for constantly betraying me and going behind me back. It's beyond frustrating. You're lucky I'm a forgiving person."

"Very lucky," Draco agreed.

"And did I hear you right? You apologized for something without being prompted or forced?" Willow asked, raising her eyebrows and nodding. "I've taught you well. Maybe I'm finally making some progress with you."

"You wish."

"A-n-d we're back to normal."

"Why are you here, Wisp?" Draco questioned. "Are you just going to stand there and taunt me all day, or did you come here for something actually productive?"

"Woah, he's being analytical too. I'm definitely rubbing off on you."

"I'm serious, Wisp."

"I know, Blonde, and for once I'm not being my typical brooding, serious self. Let me have my moment. I wanted to talk to you because I wanted to let you know I've got detention, too."

For a moment, something Willow couldn't read surfaced in Draco's eyes, but he hid it too quickly. "You too? What, did you participate in the dragon trick, too?"

"Yes, but no one knows, so don't tell."

"Wait- how do you have detention, then?"

"I'm giving it to myself," Willow replied. "I should be getting detention as much as the other three are. The only difference is I didn't get caught like they did."

"You are too sneaky for your own good, you know that?" Draco said.

"I do know that, which is why I'm punishing myself. No one will see me. I'm just going to make myself do whatever you guys are set to do."

"I'll try not to give you away, but no promises."

"You better not! I don't want to get you into more trouble."

"What are they going to do? Take more points away from Gryffindor? That sounds like a nice prospect."

"Draco!"

"Alright, alright, I'll be on my best behavior, which isn't saying much, by the way."

"Believe me, I know."

"So I'll maybe see you tonight, then?"

"I'll be seeing you for sure, Blonde," Willow promised. "Seeing you from the shadows, of course."

Draco rolled his eyes. "See you, Wisp. Thanks for making sure I didn't destroy something."

"You're welcome. Bye, Blonde."

Willow went back into the Great Hall in unusually high spirits. Maybe their punishment wouldn't be so bad, like sweeping the dungeon corridors or writing lines for teachers. She could handle most anything.

"Oh no, she's smiling, that's not a good sign," Lee whispered to George.

"God forbid she's happy every once in a while," Fred said, rolling his eyes.

"You guys and your sarcasm," Paige mumbled.

"I've heard that you and Ron somehow didn't get detention while the other three did," George said. "How did you manage that?"

"By being my usual shadowy self."

"Right, because you're such a dark person," Lee drawled.

"Looks like we'll have to finish our surprise a lot sooner to get her in trouble, won't we, George?" Fred said.

"Probably."

"So this does have something to do with your pranking," Willow observed.

"That's the only generous clue we'll give you, so count yourself lucky."

"Finish it soon! I'm dying to find out what it is!" Willow complained. "You're working on it every day after school!"

"We are. So what?"

"So it's probably something big! I'm just excited, that's all!"

"You'll be even more excited when we reveal it," Lee said, smirking.

"Stop testing my patience!"

"It will be done soon enough. You'll see."

Willow couldn't stop thinking about the surprise the rest of the day. Even during Potions, where she had Malfoy as a distraction, it was hanging in the back of her mind. What could they be working on that took so long with all three of them working on it? She hoped she was right in guessing that it was something big for all four of them, maybe a big step forward in their pranking. That would be a great surprise.

The evening finally came, and with it detention. Harry, Hermione, and Neville headed out to meet Filch. Willow followed them just like she had during Operation Norbert, only this time, when Filch appeared, she didn't run away, instead keeping the proper distance between her and the group. Malfoy was already with Filch. They trekked out of the castle, towards Hagrid's hut. Willow wondered why they'd be serving their detention there, but it was no matter. A detention with Hagrid was hardly a punishment.

On the way, Willow's ultra-sensitive ears picked up bits and pieces of Flich's conversation with the group. She wanted to slap the lurking smile off his face. What kind of person took pleasure in remembering the old torture of students to keep them in line? Willow shuddered, wondering if she had found the one person in the world she could not bring herself to tolerate. Filch stopped the group outside Hagrid's hut. A cloud scuttled over the moon, casting them into temporary darkness, then passed, leaving the moon to turn the long spring grass silver again. Hagrid opened the door and appeared on his front step, Fang beside him. He had a huge crossbow in one of his arms.

Willow flitted from shadow to shadow, getting closer to the hut. They had gotten out of earshot. By the time she could hear them again, Hagrid lead them towards the forest. Filch ran back to the castle. Willow held her breath as he passed her, wondering if she was hidden enough, but Filch paid her no mind. He disappeared into the castle and locked the gate behind him, cackling to himself. Willow wished she could spit in that awful man's face.

Realizing that she was behind again, Willow caught up to the group, getting back into hearing range. They were at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid was briefing them about something, it seemed, and Draco seemed downright petrified. It suddenly hit her that they were going into the Forest. But why?

She got her answer when a strong wind made the trees sway, allowing a few moonbeams to shine on a worn path. For a split second, it illuminated something, a small trail of silvery liquid that zigzagged across the trail. Willow's powers immediately identified it for her, but it wouldn't have been necessary. She could easily have guessed what it was.

Unicorn blood.

There was a lot of it. The poor creature must have been injured and spent the last hour of its life in severe pain, bleeding out, dying a slow, painful death. Willow couldn't even imagine it. She remembered the unicorns in the Wiggenwood Grove, how peaceful they made her feel. Why would something kill a creature so innocent and pure?

Apparently, Hagrid was determined to find answers. He sent Neville, Draco, and Fang in one direction while Harry and Hermione stuck with him. Willow was torn; which group should she follow? The answer came quickly, though: Draco wouldn't be able to contain himself alone with Neville, and Fang wasn't the best guard dog. He begged for Willow's scraps, for Merlin's sake. She wasn't about to let the two boys get eaten by a rogue magical creature- or pester each other to death.

Fang unsurprisingly led the way. The path twisted and turned, steadily darkening as they got deeper into the Forest. Willow kept a good distance behind them, taking care not to make too much noise, just in case they noticed and got even more scared. The wind picked up and shook the branches, raining down leaves on them. Every tree seemed to leer at them. For the first time since she had entered it, the Forbidden Forest was scaring Willow. She never liked to tell anybody, but she was deathly afraid of the dark. It was something most children her age had outgrown. Not her. She was always terrified that something would happen to her or someone she knew while she was unable to see it coming. The thought of an attacker materializing from nowhere, inflicting pain seemingly with nothing...

Willow shivered, trying to remove the thoughts from her head. The Forbidden Forest was playing tricks on her mind. There were no eyes on the trees, except for the eyes of the owls trying to catch a midnight snack. She was fine- right?

Draco was starting to resort to his only method of coping with fear, which was taunting and teasing the closest person. He was poking Neville, who was already fed up with the bully.

"Draco, come on, you're not scaring anyone with your poking and prodding."

"What are you talking about? I'm not doing anything," Draco lied.

"I can hear the laughter in your voice. You're trying to scare me."

"And I can hear the panic in yours. You're trying not to be scared."

"Draco, stop it, please. You're just as scared as I am."

"No I'm not."

"Stop lying! I'm sick and tired of you bullying me and lying to my friends. All you do is cause trouble. Don't you ever want to be happy, Malfoy? You do nothing but storm around the castle with those two idiots you call your friends, especially not that you're ignoring Willow, which is really unfair, by the way, you're really mean to her sometimes-"

"Shut up, Neville," Draco interrupted. "For your information, Willow talked to me earlier today."

"But she talked to you, Draco. It took her big heart to forgive you- again, mind you- and still be there for you. I don't know how you can't see that. She's literally the best person on Earth. I've never met another girl that's better than her. Everyone insists upon holding grudges and getting upset over little things these days. Willow doesn't. Why can't you at least return the favor by being a decent friend to her?"

Willow's heart fluttered. Did Neville really just say all those things about her? Was he standing up to Draco for her? Could this really be happening?

"Looks like you fancy her, don't you, Neville?" Draco said.

"What? No, I- "

"You wouldn't be defending her like this if you didn't. I know that you're never this brave."

"Hey! Why do you have to be so rude all the time?"

"You aren't denying it."

"And quit changing the subject!"

"I could say the same to you."

Neville shut his mouth before he could say anything stupid. He stomped off further up the trial, leaving Draco sauntering behind him. Willow continued to follow them in disbelief. Was there- was there a chance that Neville fancied her?

No, don't let yourself get caught up in that! Willow scolded herself. This is where it all goes downhill. This is the start of it all. You get too excited, trying to analyze every word he says, every action he takes to fit your fantasy of him fancying you. Don't go down that path!

"Draco? Where did you go?"

Willow glanced up from where she was hiding in the undergrowth. Neville had stopped in the middle of the path, Fang sitting at his side. Draco was nowhere to be found. Panic seized Willow's heart. Had something snatched Draco while she wasn't looking? Was he hurt? Was he being dragged deeper into the Forest as she stood there?

Of course not. A few seconds later, Draco jumped out of the undergrowth, spooking Neville. He screamed and instinctively shot red sparks up in the air, thinking that some rabid creature was getting him. The moment Draco started laughing, Neville lowered his wand, beyond words.

"You- you little- how- I hate you!" Neville shouted.

"You should have seen your face!" Draco chortled. "I could have sworn you thought I was a werewolf!"

"There's no way you could have seen my face, you idiot!" Neville fumed. "It's too dark!"

"You thought I was a werewolf! I knew you scared easily!"

A spine-chilling howl sounded nearby. Draco froze, his laughter and Neville's anger vanishing into fear. Willow stretched out her senses, trying to pinpoint any nearby large creatures. There was nothing too close. At least, that's what her senses told her. She could be wrong. The two boys clutched each other with white knuckles, trembling in fear.

All of a sudden, Hagrid exploded into the clearing. "Where's the danger? What's harmin' ya?"

"Hagrid! Thank Merlin!" Neville exclaimed, detaching himself from Draco and hugging Hagrid. "Draco scared me, so I sent up the sparks. We're really okay. I think we heard a werewolf howling, though."

"Malfoy, ya great buffoon!" Hagrid bellowed. "What if you were really in trouble? That's it, I can't trust ya with Neville. We're switchin' groups. Come with me, you two."

Not wanting to be left alone, Willow followed Hagrid, where they regrouped with Harry and Hermione. Hagrid sent Harry back out with Fang and Malfoy, and Willow again followed them, distrusting Malfoy. He was too big on self-preservation to help Harry if he was in trouble. That, and she still thought Fang would be no help in the event of an attack.

The group returned to the trail of unicorn blood. It was beginning to thicken, along with the trees around them. Willow was constantly swatting branches out of her eyes. It was like the Forbidden Forest was trying to constrict and shield her at the same time. She felt like her lungs were receiving pressure from all sides, that the very air she was breathing was trying to suffocate her, but that could have been the fact that she was nervous in the dark and forgot to breathe. Willow thought more that the Forest was trying to shield her eyes from something, that this part of the Forest hid something too dark for innocent children's eyes to see. She liked to think positively about the Forest.

Willow couldn't stand it after a time and started secretly helping out the boys, gentling brushing her hands to the side to make the plants mirror her movements. The going got much easier for the three and they started moving faster, almost too fast for Willow to keep up. She had almost lost sight of them when they stopped in a clearing, staring at something on the ground. Willow managed to get close enough and climbed a tree to get a better view. When she laid eyes upon the clearing, she clapped her hand over her mouth, gasping a shuddering breath.

Now she understood why the Forbidden Forest was trying to turn her away from here. The dead unicorn was a horrid sight. Its pure white body was riddled with slash marks, its silver-blue blood dried over the wounds. Its legs were frozen in a kicking position, as if the pain had overcome the creature and it was trying to fight, bucking death away. But it had failed. Its pure white mane was stiff and spattered with blood. The unicorn's final battle was displayed on its face, its mouth open in a neigh of defeat. Willow couldn't stop the tear that rolled down her cheek. How could someone do this? Who could be so heartless, such an absolute sociopath, as to commit this act of murder?

The answer was hovering on the edge of the clearing. It was a dark figure dressed in a billowing cloak. The moon peeped through the treetops, casting a few beams on it as if they were stage lights presenting the antagonist of a musical. But this was no musical. This was real life. The cloaked figure slowly drifted down beside the unicorn, seemingly floating above the ground, then bent down, and to Willow's horror, began drinking the unicorn's blood.

Malfoy screamed and bolted. Harry stood, rooted to the spot. The hooded figure glanced up, seeing Harry, and advanced towards him, raising a menacing arm beneath its robes.

Suddenly, a centaur jumped into the clearing, raising onto its hind legs and kicking at the robed figure. It fled, zooming beneath Willow's tree and back along the path. Her heart seized in panic when she saw it heading straight for Draco.

No! I will not allow cowardice to take me this time! Willow screamed at herself. Screw revealing your powers! Save Draco!

The adrenaline rush fueled Willow, allowing her to transform into a small dragon with no problem. She roared and flapped her wings, diving after Draco. The cloaked figure was gaining quickly on Draco. It was flying inches off the ground, chasing the blonde boy, who was sprinting as fast as he could, but was no match for the speed of flight. Willow willed her wings to carry her faster.

Almost there! Willow thought.

The cloaked figure reached out with its hidden hand. A part of the robe dropped away to reveal and outstretched hand pointing a wand at Draco. The boy cast a glance over his shoulder, screaming in terror. Willow's mind went into panic. She wouldn't make it in time.

The figure began reciting an incantation. She was too far away. There was only one thing she could do.

With an enormous bellow of rage and fear, Willow flapped her wings one last time and dropped onto Draco, enveloping him with her body. The figure finished the incantation just as Willow wrapped herself completely around Draco.

There was a jet of bright light- Willow was rolling- Draco was screaming- the figure was cursing in rage- pain exploded into Willow's back- an explosion shook the ground- there was a giant crack- a tree fell- Willow stopped rolling- the figure yelled in frustration and disappeared- Willow opened her eyes.

She sat there for a moment, breathing heavily, then the shock wore off. Unbelievable pain exploded into Willow's back. It was so unbearable and great that Willow was unable to hold onto her dragon form. She returned to her human form and tried not to scream, but failed. It hurt so bad. The spell must have been a damaging one. It felt like someone had taken a large knife and slashed her back.

Draco fell from her grasp, eyes wide with shock. Willow somehow knew that he would go into real shock if he didn't focus. She snapped her fingers, crying out at the pain it caused her back.

"Draco, please, look at me," Willow said shakily. "It's me, Willow."

"W-Willow?" Draco stammered. He stood up on wobbly legs. "What are you- ?"

He paused, gasping at the sight of her. "Oh my God, Willow, what happened to your back?"

"I don't know," Willow said. "When that figure attacked, he cast a spell, and I tackled you, and-"

A wave of pain coursed through her back, causing her to scream again. Sticky, warm blood seeped into her robes. Willow could feel it begin to gush. Whatever that figure had done to her, she was hurt, and bad. She couldn't afford to lose much blood very fast.

"You're bleeding. Like, really bad," Draco said, a note of panic in his voice. "What do I do? I don't know what to do! I've never dealt with these kinds of situations before."

"Draco, come here," Willow commanded, biting her tongue at the pain moving her arm cost.

He obeyed, crouching down beside her. Willow reached out and touched Draco's temple, checking him for any injuries. There was a fairly good sized cut on his cheek, and it was bleeding pretty profusely. She looked into Draco's eyes.

"Look, don't say anything. I'm going to explain later."

"What-"

Draco lost the ability to produce sound. He stared, hardly containing himself, as Willow touched his cut. Familiar warmth coursed through her fingers, and golden light lit up Willow's hand. It spread into Draco's cheek, removing the blood, repairing the damage, sealing the cut. His small injury was now a scab. Not fully healed, but close enough. Draco took a step back from Willow.

"What did you just do?"

"I can heal people. Now, please-"

A more intense wave of pain coursed through Willow, seizing her limbs. Her limbs spasmed in the same rhythm as her wound. Willow shouted, barely able to keep herself under control. The waves of pain also brought on more blood and less consciousness. She was running out of time to tell Draco how to help.

"Draco, listen to me," Willow gasped. "There's lots of cobwebs around here. I need you to get some for me. Fast. And lost of them. I'll bleed out without them."

"Okay, okay, cobwebs, cobwebs..." Draco muttered to himself, staggering through the forest. He slowly found webs here and there, gathering them without commenting on how disgusting they were for a change. Then again, the situation was rather dire.

Willow laid there, curled up in a ball, her back bleeding heavily. She knew that her robes were soaked in blood. But she had the feeling that she would be okay. Once Draco got her all the necessary cobwebs, she wouldn't bleed out. She would live. For some reason, Willow knew that she wasn't nearly as close to dying as she was with the troll attack. Maybe that was another one of her senses coming to life.

Draco finally returned with the cobwebs. Willow swallowed, knowing the next part would be a little difficult.

"Okay, this is going to be-" Willow coughed, blood flecking her mouth. She wiped it away before Draco could see. "- awkward. For you, at least. I'm going to take off my robes. Don't panic, I've got a t-shirt and shorts on."

Draco helped peel the sticky robes off Willow's back. She gritted her teeth and grunted, the pain nearly blinding her. But she made it. Draco prepared the cobwebs in his hand.

"What now?"

"Pull up my shirt. You'll have to put the cobwebs directly on the wound."

Draco did as she said, careful to not pull her shirt up anywhere but her back. She was surprised by his respect for her body, but again, she revisited the circumstances. Willow yelled in pain while Draco patched up her wound. It was beyond any pain she had ever imagined was possible to feel, as if two people were taking the sides of her cut and yanking them apart. She had a few unwilling tears roll down her cheeks by time it was over. Draco put her shirt back over her wound, but left the bloody robe on the ground.

Willow shivered in the chilly night air. The cold felt good on her wound, but the shivering offset that with more pain. It was then Draco did something Willow never thought he would do. The Slytherin boy undid his own robe, and draped it around Willow. He had a black long-sleeve shirt and pants on underneath.

"T-thanks," Willow said, her teeth chattering.

"Don't expect me to be that nice ever again."

"I-I won't."

The two sat there for a little while, the relentless wind chilling them to the bone. Unfortunately, they couldn't move, for fear of hurting Willow's back even more. So they sat there, alone, enduring the elements and listening to the nocturnal forest life.

"Willow," Draco started after a while. "You saved my life, I think. Thanks for that. But how did you do it? I think you've been hiding something from me, and now you need to explain it. That healing magic is creeping me out."

The corner of Willow's mouth twitched, but that might have been a pain reflex. "Good."

"No, really, explain this, please."

Willow sighed. "Alright, fine. I wasn't planning on telling anyone that didn't know already, but since you've seen me, now you have the right to know." Willow paused. "I've got extra powers that don't require a wand. They're really complicated and confusing, but I think they're limited to life-forms only. I can shape-shift and manipulate plants. Then there's that healing thing. I can't heal anything all the way, but I can heal enough to make sure the subject won't die from their wounds right away. They're really weak right now. I'm getting better, though, and controlling them is hard, especially the extra senses. I can hear and see better than the normal human being. Same with smell."

Draco was silent for a long while, then finally said, "Why?"

"I don't know. My dad sent a letter saying that I shouldn't tell anyone about it, that it's kind of dangerous. I think we're all learning about them. They only showed up right before school started."

"Honestly, I think that's kind of cool. So...you changed into an animal to save me?"

"Yes. I shape-shifted into a dragon to shield you from whatever spell that thing was about to cast. Oh, that's another thing I've discovered: my injuries carry over from shape to shape, and the same goes with my health."

"That's pretty amazing."

"I thought so, too, until I realized how dangerous it was."

"What- ?"

"Willow, Malfoy! Where are ya?" Hagrid shouted, his lantern bobbing through the trees.

"Over here!" Malfoy called. He glanced at Willow. "You have a lot more explaining to do once you're healed. I'll make sure I keep my mouth shut, at least this once. I'd rather not have my cool friend die when I could need saving later."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Always the self-preservation."

Hagrid reached them. "Are you two alright?"

Willow threw her robe on before anyone could see the bloodstains "Yep. Did you find the unicorn?"

"Yes, but not that mysterious killer Harry told me about," Hagrid sighed. "Let's get ya back up ter the castle. The less time ya spend in this forest, the better."

Malfoy shot her a look that said, Why didn't you tell him? Willow wanted to shout, He doesn't know! Thankfully, her expression must have told him that, because he averted his eyes and stayed silent.

The blood on her cloak was not enough to alert the others. It was mainly in her shirt, which was hidden underneath, and since her robes were black, the little blood that was left wasn't visible. Willow hoped she could hide her injury from everyone. She didn't want them to take her to Madam Pomfrey and risk telling her about her powers, too. One more person already knew. That was enough, especially with it being Malfoy.

When they got back to the common room, Harry was still trembling from his encounter with the cloaked figure. Willow was glad hers was all a blur. Her back was hurting more by the minute, but she was good at hiding it. Harry recounted his story to Hermione and Ron. Willow barely listened. She only picked up a few of their points before going to take a shower.

The cobwebs had not yet dried into her back, thank Merlin. Willow had enough pain pulling them off and washing them down the drain. She bit her tongue so hard to keep from screaming while washing out her wound that it almost started bleeding, too.

Something was tickling the bad of her mind while she tried to sleep that night. There was something familiar about the cloaked figure, as if she had seen it before. Drifting off to sleep, Willow was met with a dream she had had several months before. It was the man dressed in similar robes going into the caves. A few flashes of purple caught Willow's eye.

Suddenly, Willow sat bolt upright, waking up, ignoring the pain. That's what was bothering her. The figure in the Forbidden Forest- she had caught a glimpse of him under the cloak. There was a flash of purple.

All the puzzle pieces connected. It all suddenly made sense. Why Quirrel's lips were moving along with Snape's at the quidditch match. Why the troll was let in at Halloween. Why Quirrel was scared of everything. Why Quirrel seemingly talked with no one in empty classrooms.

He doesn't want the Stone for himself, he wants it for Voldemort! Harry had said.

Harry was right. He didn't want the Stone for himself. But it wasn't Snape that wanted the Stone.

It was Quirrel.

And he was going to get it for Voldemort.

Who coexisted on the back of his head.

Underneath that purple turban.


	16. Year 1: Chapter 16

Willow didn't know how she managed to pull herself together enough to sleep and study for the next week. Her wound was constantly bothering her, and she would have called it a pain in the butt except that it was a pain in her back. She wished she could bring herself to tell that joke but realized she couldn't afford to stress her friends out more than she already had. Plus, they would get angry over the rest of the story, which included her saving Draco. It wouldn't even cross their mind that Draco might have saved Willow's life in return. With their bias against him- warranted as it might be- they'd more likely think along the lines that Draco at least owed her that for saving his life.

Her last study session of the term with her friends was rather bittersweet. They went over all their notes one last time, then told stories and reminisced the fun times they'd had together that year, the different ways they all met, how they came together as a single group, and the interesting things they had learned about each other along the way. Sue had actually started crying, thanking Willow for being the one to bring her out of that rough spot in her life. Willow couldn't stop blushing, insisting that it was all her, that only Sue could have changed Sue's mind. Still, Sue hugged her to death and invited her to stop by over the summer. Her parents had agreed that it would be okay.

In her classes, Willow pretty much raced Hermione to get things done, trying to make the mountains of homework more bearable. Her last Potions class with Draco was rather interesting. It was the first class of the morning on their last regular day of the term. Draco was abnormally talkative, whereas he usually concentrated on brewing the potion. He refused to let Willow get away with her attempts to ignore him.

"Wisp, come on, stop ignoring me!" he hissed at her. "This is important!"

"What!" Willow finally snapped.

"It's about Quirrel. He's been acting really funny lately."

Willow froze, then relaxed, remembering that Draco had not nearly the knowledge she did about his dark intentions. "What has he been doing? He acts funny all the time."

"I know, but his stutter is the worst it's ever been. He can barely string one sentence together. I can't understand anything he says anymore. That, and I keep catching him looking at me weird."

"I think he's trying to tell you to change your hairstyle."

"Wisp, this is serious. There's something wrong with him."

"Not really, because he's been doing that to me, too."

"Everyone stares at you, Willow. Honestly, haven't you noticed?"

Willow stared at him, confused. "No, I haven't noticed at all, actually. That's kind of creepy. Who stares at me, and why would they in the first place?"

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly. "Duh, most of the guys. They like you because of how smart you are."

"Then why don't they stare at Hermione?"

"Because-" Draco paused, as if letting himself say something he shouldn't. "Because Hermione is not nearly as pretty as you. And before you say anything, no, I do not fancy you, or anyone else. I'm quoting the idiots I hear in the halls."

"Great. Come third year and I'll have to deal with that," Willow grumbled.

"Trust me, if you can deal with me, you can easily take care of them. It may be just me, but I'm pretty sure I speak for every guy when I say that I don't like being punched in the face."

Willow snorted. "That's true. I can take care of myself."

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Guerrero, back to work," Snape said, suddenly appearing behind them.

Willow and Draco silenced themselves until Snape was on the other side of the room, then picked up their conversation were they left off.

"If you ask me, I'll be glad to redirect the attention away from other girls who either aren't interested in guys or need to pay more attention to their studies than the cute guys. I can handle it."

"Speaking of handling things, can I slap you now?"

"You have to be the most selfish person I've ever met," Willow huffed. "The most self-important jerk in all of Hogwarts. Not, 'How's your back healing?' or 'Is your wound healing well?' Nope. For you, it's, 'When can I pester you again?' What else did I expect, though?"

"Nothing more, nothing less. You know that's my style of communication."

"I do get what you mean. Sadly, I can only translate it and imagine that that's what you meant. To answer your question, no, it's just finished scabbing over. I'll need a while for it to fully heal. The stupid spell cut really deep."

"I still can't believe that could have been me," Draco said, his face paling.

"How you always think of yourself first, I don't know," Willow said. "But I still can't believe it either."

"Can't you heal yourself?"

"No. Do you remember anything I told you when I explained it a few days ago?"

"Not really. I only remember the important stuff."

"That gives me a whole lot of hope."

"Mr. Malfoy, if you do not wish to receive yet another detention, I suggest you get to work," Snape said.

Willow and Draco fell silent again. Draco glared at her, earning a mock-innocent grin from Willow, and they went back to doing their work, realizing how much they still had to get done.

The rest of the day was a blur to Willow. She went to bed with nightmares, waking up nearly every hour. Their exams were the next morning. Of course she couldn't get adequate sleep. Her bad luck wouldn't allow her the luxury of resting easy the night before her Charms exam. She would have trouble enough as it was with proper sleep, let alone with almost none. Willow dragged herself out of bed when the morning finally came, wondering if that was how Paige felt every day before noon. Now she understood.

Willow was dragged along to Charms by a nervous Oliver, who absolutely wouldn't allow Willow to fall asleep when he needed her most. He did a good job of saying things that kept her on her toes and awake. She groggily recited incantations, wand movements, and what each charm was used for. By the time they got to class, Willow was three-quarters of the way to being awake.

"Willow, seriously, I thought you loved mornings," Oliver remarked.

"I didn't sleep but a total of four hours last night," Willow explained. "None of that was peaceful, either. Stupid nightmares..."

"Hey, that happens to me sometimes, too."

"It doesn't help that I've got to face Quirrel on Friday..." Willow trailed off, not able to stop herself in time.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked, quite confused.

Willow's eyes widened. "Uh- nothing- just something- I don't-"

"Have- have you been hiding something from me, Willow?" Oliver whispered.

The two were seated in their usual corner of the classroom, waiting to be called for their practical exam. Oliver's green eyes flickered with concern.

"I- oh, nevermind, I can't hide this from everyone," Willow said. "Oliver, there's something going on that I've figured out. You can't tell anyone, not the students, not the professors, not our friends, not even Dumbledore. Promise?"

Oliver nodded quickly, his curiosity running wild. Willow drew in another breath.

"Quirrel is not who he seems. When I went into the Forbidden Forest the other night, he attacked me. I've been trying to hide the wound, but nothing seems to get past you."

Oliver smiled. "I can usually tell when something's up."

"Well, you were right. Now, the next thing I'm going to tell you is very tricky to wrap your head around. Don't laugh at me. I'm telling the truth. You know who Voldemort is, right?" Oliver nodded. "Um, you see, Voldemort was never truly murdered. He's alive, but weak, and has to use unnatural methods to use his power. So he...he's chosen to coexist with Quirrel by living underneath his turban."

Oliver blinked. "Say what now?"

"The reason Professor Quirrel wears that giant turban all the time is to hide Voldemort's face. Voldemort literally lives on the back of Quirrel's head! That's why Quirrel is so jumpy all the time. That's why he stutters."

Oliver paused, letting this information process, then surprisingly cracked a smile. "You made a pun by saying it's tricky to wrap your head around."

Willow's jaw dropped. "I tell you ground-breaking information that could affect the fate of this school, and that's how you respond? By pointing out a bad pun I made?"

"Trust me, I've heard crazier," Oliver said, shyly smiling. His expression returned to being serious once more. "So....what are you going to do with this information, if you're so sure that it's correct?"

Willow pursed her lips, tapping her foot. She hadn't thought of that. "Well...I haven't gotten that far. I'm still in shock myself about it, even though I've been suspicious of him ever since he's been staring at me weird in class..."

"What?"

"Nevermind that," Willow said, realizing her only option. "I guess I'm going to confront him about it."

"Excuse me? You're going to confront a teacher that nearly killed you? What do you expect him to say? Oh, good job, Willow! You figured out the mystery! Here's your prize! It's too dangerous, Willow. What if he tries to murder you again? You could die!"

Willow sighed. "I know the risk, Oliver. But I don't have another option. If I tell a teacher, they'll never believe me. Dumbledore would definitely never believe me, and if this leaked into the ears of other students, Quirrel could catch wind, and..."

Willow cut herself off. She had told Oliver about one secret. No need to reveal the Sorcerer's Stone or her powers.

"I get it. But still, you shouldn't do anything. If Quirrel hasn't done anything yet, that probably means he's too much of a coward to do anything else. Don't do it, Willow."

Willow wanted to scream, He's taking the Stone and using it to bring back Voldemort! But she didn't. Instead, she contented herself to rub her temples and try to work through everything once more.

"I have to, Oliver. If no one else will, then it has to be me."

Tears rimmed Oliver's eyes. "Please, Willow. There are loads of things he could do to you. It's a full grown Dark Arts teacher against a first year. If something happens to you, or you die, I...I..."

Willow's heart broke into several pieces. "Oliver, there's no changing my mind."

The boy sat back, defeated, in a crumpled heap. His voice quavered. "I know, and I'm not going to try and stop you. But do me a favor and stay safe. Don't tell the other this, but you're my best friend. You've helped me through a lot more than you know."

Through the tears spilling out of Oliver's eyes, Willow glimpsed the emerald green irises of a boy who was more broken than she had ever thought to believe. He had obviously been through so many unspeakable things that it had nearly muted him. But she had somehow taught him to speak again, carried him to safety. How had she done that? Since when was she the healer of broken souls?"

"Oliver, I promise I'll come back," Willow said with certainty. He was right. She couldn't leave him. There were too many people that counted on her, too many people that might not make it without her to guide them. She had to return.

Oliver gently wrapped his arms around Willow and collapsed into her, his tears soaking her shirt. "Please, Willow. I can't live without you in my life. No matter how much trouble you get into, you always come back. If you suddenly didn't make it, didn't come back from one of your crazy adventures...I don't know what I'd do with myself. You have to survive. Save yourself at all costs. Please, not just for me, but for all of us. There's a lot more people that look up to you than will admit it."

Willow pulled back, looking into Oliver's eyes, swimming with emotions. She found herself having to swallow a lump in her throat. "I'll come back, Oliver, I promise."

Willow managed to pass her practical exams despite her exhaustion. Oliver used his uncannily extraordinary ability to clean himself up and pretend that he wasn't worried out of his mind for Willow. He didn’t act like she was dying or already dead. She had a few things to talk about with him if she got back.

Not if, when.

She had to come back. She’d already promised that. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Willow thought that she had done well on her written exams, too. The Charms and Transfiguration written exams were easy- to her, at least- and Potions hadn’t been awful. While most of the other kids were terrified of Snape breathing down their necks the whole time, it didn’t affect Willow. She performed better under stress. In fact, she was beginning to think that she wouldn’t have done well at all remembering the ingredients to all those potions had Snape not been haunting her. Or maybe it was just that she had been the one to gather and prepare the ingredients all year. Either way, she thought she had succeeded.

There were only two exams left: Defense Against the Dark Arts and Herbology, and unfortunately, in that order. Willow’s plan was to confront Quirrel immediately after all the other students left. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to make up her Herbology exam because of the confrontation, but she had a horrible feeling that she would. Sometimes she wished her gut wasn’t right all the time.

The morning of, Willow woke up in cold sweat, having had continuous nightmares the whole night, jumping from her mum to Quirrel and back again. She wished they would leave her alone. It was getting to the point where she was afraid to sleep, dreading what images would imprint themselves upon her eyes and refused to be removed. Willow held her wand close at all times.

The sunrise was beautiful that morning, as if taunting her, telling her to soak it all up, because it was the last one she’d ever see. She knew that it wasn’t, but everything was getting to her. Everything was messing with her mind. She was afraid to stay alone anywhere in case Quirrel showed up. What if he attacked her? If they were alone, would she panic and do something stupid instead of defend herself?

Willow shook her head to clear it, not that that was possible. She needed to throw the what-ifs out the window. When the time came, she had to be ready to defend herself. She went over all the spells that she had been taught. None of them seemed like they’d be any use, except maybe the Full Body-Bind Curse. Not that she would be able to cast it strong enough to hold Quirrel. For Merlin’s sake, he had one of the most powerful Dark Wizards living on the back of his head. That had to make his magic stronger.

Breakfast came and went, and there was only about an hour before her exam started. Her gut twisted at the thought of how close the time was speeding towards her. She was downright terrified, but there was no other way. If she was going to stop Quirrel, she had to confront him. Now. As soon as possible. She had to run towards the danger if she was to stop it. For Harry. For her friends. For everyone in the wizarding world.  
Speaking of Harry, the boy was so consumed in his own thoughts as he walked along that he ran right into Willow. They both crashed to the floor, blinking.

“Willow! Sorry, didn’t see you there,” Harry apologized, helping her up.

“Caught up in your thoughts, are you? Willow asked. “I am too, don’t worry.”

“Yeah, with exams and studying on top of...you know, the thing we can’t talk about here,” Harry said, catching himself and gesturing to all the students around them. “Let’s find somewhere outside. It’s much too nice out.”

“Agreed.”

Willow and Harry found a shady spot under a small willow tree next to the lake. They were hidden from sight for the most part, and they could see through the leaves to know if someone was coming. Harry nervously ran his hand through his hair.

“I know what’s bothering you, Harry, but if you want, telling it to me out loud usually helps,” Willow offered. “I’m told I’m a pretty good listener.”

“You are.” Harry cleared his throat. “Well, I can’t stop having nightmares about Voldemort. You don’t mind me saying his name, do you? Good, Ron minds quite a bit, which is rubbish if you ask me, but anyway, I’m struggling to get through these exams when I’m half expecting Voldemort to come crashing through the wall. I’ve been scared before, but now I’m downright terrified.”

“I completely understand. For some reason, my nightmares have been worse, too. It’s awful. I can barely sleep. Lucky for me, though, I somehow remembered the majority of what we learned this year.”

“You’re so lucky you’re smart,” Harry groaned. “I had to relearn nearly everything and I pay attention! It’s giving me a headache. But that might be my scar- it’s been itching and burning a lot since that figure attacked me in the Forbidden Forest.”

Willow sucked in a breath. “Harry...do you recall anything about it, anything at all, except for the fact that it had a black cloak on?”

“No, nothing. My scar hurt so bad that I couldn’t see anything through the pain. One moment, the cloaked figure is attacking me, the next, a centaur is standing in front of me.”

“Strange,” Willow murmured.

“Did you?”

“No,” Willow lied. She had one confident. That was all she needed. Harry had enough trouble brewing in his mind. It was better to let him continue with life at school and suspect Snape than get involved.

"I just can't believe that Hagrid was right, that Voldemort never died. How could that happen? I thought that when the curse rebounded, it would have killed him. Apparently, it didn't, and now he's after immortality and me."

"If it's any consolation, I have to deal with avoiding my mum now, since she's decided that she likes to kidnap me."

"As sickening as it is, it does make me feel better to know that I'm not the only one. What's that you're wearing? Oh, wait, that's what your mum gave you for Christmas, right? That locket?"

Willow touched the locket. "Yeah, it is. I don't wear it often. Why I would wear it today of all days, I have no idea."

"Maybe to give you courage to face the exams?"

More like courage to face a dark wizard. "Maybe. I guess that would make sense. My subconscious mind has a way of playing tricks and poking fun at me, then pulling something like this. I'm tired of it."

"If you ask me, I'm simply tired in general," Harry chuckled. "All this studying is wearing me out."

"Being outside around midday during the summer makes me sleepy. I usually wake up super early, get several things done, then take a nap through the hottest part of the day, and stay up until around an hour after the sun sets. It's a weird internal clock that my dad's side of the family has passed down."

"I wish I could do that, but I'm definitely not a morning person. That's due in part to the Dursleys forcing me to get up and make them breakfast every morning."

"I'm sure."

"That's another thing that has been weighing on my mind," Harry admitted. "I don't want to go back to the Dursleys. Dudley's going to be even more horrible to me now that I've been away for so long. He probably misses bullying me. Hogwarts is more my home than Number 4 Private Drive ever was; is there absolutely no way for me to stay?"

"I'm afraid not," Willow sighed. "If you can, I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind you visiting. I'm more likely to visit you, though, seeing how strict your aunt and uncle are. Do you think they'll drive me off their property?"

"Yes, unless you sneak in."

"Perfect. I should be able to shape-shift fast enough if anything happens."

"If you could visit me, that would be fantastic," Harry said. "Don't feel like you have to, though. I've survived alone with them this long. Even without magic, I'm sure I could survive the summer."

"Seriously, Harry, if you ever need anything, send Hedwig," Willow said. "If you don't send anything to me, I'm coming to rescue you."

Harry laughed. "I highly doubt that will be necessary, but thanks for the offer."

A light breeze floated through the willow tree, swaying its long, flexible branches. The sound of rustling leaves melted Willow's ears. Most natural sounds had that kind of affect on her. She was always able to find peace in reuniting herself with nature. Willow leaned back against the trunk, closing her eyes. A few birds sang their distinctive songs only a few meters above her head. She couldn't think of a better way to relax before her big day. Apparently, Harry couldn't, either, because he laid his head on Willow's lap and stared at the sky through the branches.

"It really is extra beautiful today," Harry commented. "There's only a few clouds in the sky, and it's not horribly humid."

"That sounds like my kind of day," Willow said.

"Even the Forbidden Forest doesn't look so bad. It actually looks like a normal, non-life-threatening forest that one could enjoy hiking in. I'm sure you'd know where all the trails are, wouldn't you, Willow?"

"Yep. Hagrid taught me a lot when I took over his gamekeeping duties."

"Not just then, but all the other times you've been in there. Don't try to cover it up, I know that you've been in there at least fifteen times. You must know every creature by name at this point."

"No, actually. But you're right, I've been in there many more times than I should have gotten away with. I think all my luck has concentrated itself on allowing me to visit the forest."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Good, actually. It means that you're not afraid of it, unlike most of the school. So if anything ever goes wrong in there, you can help Hagrid, and if someone goes in there for detention again, you can make sure they make it out. By the way, I never saw you until the end of our detention. Were you following us the whole time?"

"Yeah, but I was mainly keeping an eye on Draco. I trusted Hagrid to take care of you guys. I did not trust Draco Malfoy to be alone with Neville or you, and besides, Hagrid was right, Fang really is a coward."

"Were you not scared at all? Don't you know what's in the Forest at night?"

"Well, as you already know, I'm terrified of the dark, but the Forbidden Forest has never scared me. I think it's because I don't know what kinds of nocturnal creatures live in the Forest that I'm not afraid of it."

"Then I won't tell you what I know."

"Good. I don't want to know."

Harry let out a laugh. "You're ridiculous sometimes, you know that?"

"I do know that, and much more, actually."

Harry and Willow let out contented sighs, enjoying the summer warmth and the privacy of the willow tree. Eventually, Harry spoke again, interrupting the beautiful silence.

"This whole situation is a pun. I just realized that we're sitting under a willow tree, and your name is Willow, so it's situational irony."

"Really? You had to ruin the moment with Muggle English?" Willow chuckled.

"Yes, it was completely necessary."

"I will never understand how your mind works."

"Same here, Willow," Harry said. The boy sat up, stretching his now relaxed muscles. “Thanks for letting me unload on you, Willow. It’s nice to know I’ve got one friend that understands what I’m going through. I wish you didn’t have to, though. It’s kind of awful, actually.”

Willow stood up, helping Harry to his feet, too. “Harry, I’ve been through a lot worse. Being here for you is the least I could do.”

Harry smiled. “Let’s get back up to the castle. We have yet another exam to tackle.”

“Race you!” Willow suddenly shouted, sprinting away from the tree.

“Hey, that’s an unfair head start!” Harry called after her.

It was a close tie between the two, who got told off by a passing Madam Pomfrey to slow down before they hurt someone, they’d had enough visits to the hospital wing that year. Willow was in a playful mood and decided to send a hex Ginny taught her the past summer her way. Tiny little bats chased her all the way down the corridor and into the next. Willow and Harry couldn’t stop laughing as they fled the scene. By the time they reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, their spirits had been lifted enough that they could focus on their exams instead of their worries.

When the exam started, silence fell. Quirrel sat at his desk in the front of the classroom, grading other papers and ultimately ignoring the students. Willow almost forgot about him and her mission at the halfway point. She felt that she was acing the exam with no problem.

Hermione and she finished at the same time, racing to turn their papers in. Willow slammed her exam on the desk a millisecond before Hermione did. They struggled to hold in their giggling when Quirrel threw his papers everywhere, startled at their sudden movement. Eventually, they gave up, and the whole class burst out in laughter. Poor Quirrel miserably gathered his papers and started grading them again, his lip trembling. Willow completely dismissed it. She felt that he deserved a good round of public humiliation, especially if it would give her an advantage in the coming hour when she faced him.

"Hey, Willow, quick, what's the answer to this question?" Sally hissed, pointing to a question.

"Sally, you know I don't fall for cheating that easily," Willow reminded her.

"Pretty please?" Sally said, giving her the puppy eyes. Willow tried to resist, but failed.

"Good God, you get me with those eyes every time! You a Sam both! It's the second answer."

"Guys! We all got thirteen wrong. It's the second answer, not the third," Sally whispered to the Gryffindor girls around her.

"I knew it!" Parvati exclaimed.

"Thank you, Willow!" Fay whisper-shouted.

The room eventually fell silent again, and Willow was told off several times for tapping her foot incessantly. She couldn't help it. As the atmosphere dropped to a studious, serious, stressed one, Willow's worries about facing Quirrel returned. What was she going to say? Was she going to appear innocent, then suddenly apprehend him? No, she needed more information first. Anything extra was a risk worth taking. Would she instantly say something about the attack on her? Or should she not say anything to provoke him at all? What should she do if he attacked her?

Calm down, seriously, you're going to psych yourself out, Willow scolded herself. Just keep it simple. Go with whatever comes out of your mouth first, and continue from there. He'll see right through a pre-planned speech.

One by one, the students finished their exams and turned them in. Willow's heart beat quicker with each exam being finished; the time was so close, she could almost feel the clock's hands moving towards their final minute. The last kid turned their exam in. They sat down, glanced once around the room, and the bell rang. It was as if someone had set off an alarm in Willow's head. She jumped, hitting her knee hard on the desk. Why was she so on edge? Lavender gave her a quizzical glanced when she stayed seated. Willow waved her off, mouthing that she would be out in a minute. Lavender left, accepting the lie without question, leaving Willow alone with Professor Quirrel. Her ears thrummed with each heartbeat. This was it. This was her chance. It was all or nothing.

God help me.

Willow slowly rose, stepped clear from her desk, and proceeded down the aisle on shaky legs. She finally stopped, almost tripping herself, directly in front of Quirrel's desk. He looked up from his papers after a moment.

"D-do you need s-something, Willow?" he stuttered.

"Yes, actually," Willow said, feeling sweat trickle down her neck. "I was wondering if you could tell me something."

"And w-what would t-that be?"

Here it was. Her moment to ask the question that would make or break the situation. Only one sentence would form in her head, and before she could stop it, her tongue let it slip out.

"Were you trying to silence Draco when you attacked him the other night?"

"Stupefy!"

Willow's reflexes saved her in the nick of time. She had been right to think Quirrel would be quick with the wand. Rolling away from the desk, Willow got to her feet, wand out, pointed at Quirrel.

"Expelliarmus!"

Willow ducked in time to see a red jet of light zip past the spot where her wand had been only a second before. So far, so good. Quirrel wasn't trying to kill her. Yet.

"I always knew you would figure it out, you nosy Gryffindor!" Quirrel shouted. "You were always meddling in everything, just like those filthy friends of yours! The only difference is that you're smarter and have enough wit to figure it out sooner!"

He fired another spell, and Willow dodged it yet again, landing on a group of desks.

"I thought that putting two trolls in the castle might distract the teachers enough, but of course not! Stupid Severus figured me out right away! Then you kill one of them! How did you do it? You, an air-headed little girl with your head in the clouds. How?"

"Thank you for the compliments, but I'm not going to answer that," Willow said.

That was the wrong thing to say. Quirrel fired a series of spells in her direction, the last of which nicked Willow on her back, which exploded in pain, sending ripples of it through her wound. Willow gave a muffled cry as she tried to contain it.

"That stupid boy Draco should have died! It's a shame a dragon saved him. Funny, though, because dragons haven't been known to save people. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Willow? Weren't you simply a bystander to all of this?"

Willow's blood ran cold. Did he suspect her of being a shape-shifter? Did he know that she had powers? No, he couldn't. She wouldn't let him know. There had to be another way to lead him in the wrong direction.

"Of course I was a bystander!" Willow shouted. "I was petrified, like you are after that thing on the back of your head yells at you!"

"How dare you insult the Dark Lord!" Quirrel growled, firing another spell at Willow.

"Why don't you call him by his name?" Willow taunted. "Are you too afraid of your master to call him Voldemort?"

"Don't say his name!"

Willow levitated a chair and threw it at Quirrel. It was a clumsy, slow attempt that he easily side-stepped.

"If you were simply a bystander to the whole thing, then why do you have a wound on your back that matches the spell I cast?" Quirrel asked.

"Because there are far more powerful things than you that I've faced, you lousy git!" Willow lied, casting a hex.

Quirrel advanced on Willow. "I know that you've figured out everything. You know that the Dark Lord coexists with me. I consider it a great honor. But yet you insult me, and in turn insult the Dark Lord! Where do you find this courage? You are weak, and I can prove it to you!"

Willow darted out of the way of a spell, then another. She quickly stood up and flicked her wand at Quirrel, crying, "Petrificus Totalus!"

The spell missed by an inch. Left completely exposed, Willow was unable to escape the wrath of Quirrel's wand. He pointed it at her, said, "Stupefy!" and blue sparks hit Willow full-force in her chest. She flew backwards, hitting the wall hard enough to break open a cabinet. Willow's back stung so much that she thought it must have reopened the scab, too. Her brain foggy from the stunning spell, Willow tightened her grip around her wand, hoping that she could hold out a little longer.

"What did you think you were going to do with me?" Quirrel taunted, hurtling a curse at her. "Turn me into Dumbledore? Great plan. He'd never believe you. Win against me in a duel? Please. This is where you learn the greatest lesson of all, Willow. Listen closely: the Dark Lord always wins. Always."

Willow hid behind a pile of rubble, watching Quirrel's feet get closer and closer.

"You cannot hide. He was powerful before. Wait until you see him again, restored to all his glory. I, his noble servant, will rest at his right hand, handsomely rewarded for my deeds. What are you fighting for, Willow? Good? You don't know what you're up against. The Dark Lord will never accept you with your miserable heart. You care for the weak and defenseless. It is better to let them die. Why do you pit yourself against us? You dedicate yourself to protecting others. For once, you could bring your family together, protect your blood from being spoiled. Don't you want that peace of mind?"

"Never!" Willow cried, jumping from behind the cabinet. Without warning, a spell shot out of her wand, sending Quirrel flying. He hit the opposite wall with a sickening thud, crumpling to the ground. Willow stared at her wand in shock.

What just happened?

Your wand is of willow wood. It serves well for non-verbal magic.

What the heck is that?

Magic that does not require speech to cast a spell. You say the words in your head, and it happens.

What! So I just cast a stunning spell without saying anything?

Yes- with my help. Now pay attention! This battle isn't over!

Willow saw Quirrel staggering to his feet, looking emaciated and bloodthirsty as ever. He pointed his wand at Willow.

"You will respect the Dark Lord and join him, or die with the rest of your family!" Quirrel screamed.

"I will never respect a person that has no respect for others!" Willow shouted.

"Then you and your family will die by his hands! Avada Kedavra!"

Willow yelped and barely evaded the instant death that crashed into a wall behind her. Quirrel's wand exploded with several different jets of light that lit up the room in a rainbow of colors- oddly optimistic for such an intense situation. Willow crouched down behind a desk, every once in a while peeking around to fire a leg-locker curse at Quirrel. She was running out of options, and fast.

"Give up already!" Quirrel commanded. "You're outmatched! Let go, Willow. You won't have to deal with the world anymore. Just let your problems go, give into the darkness. No more fighting, no more kidnappings-"

"How do you know about that?" Willow snapped.

"Your mother is a such a pleasure to have as a friend," Quirrel said nastily. "She's been helping me all along, you see. She can't stand you anymore. Grace hates you and your father and the rest of your family. You're all blinded by your commitments to helping others."

"I don't believe you!" Willow shrieked, anger bubbling to the surface. She took a deep breath, calming herself. If she let Quirrel get the best of her by mere words, she'd be in a lot of trouble, so deep in in, actually, that she might not make it out of this situation.

"Oh, but it's the truth. I tried to stop her from passing on that locket you're wearing. Grace wouldn't listen, of course. She was in a such a state of mind- it needs eradicating. Now that she's better, she wants that locket back, you see. And you're going to give it to me, or I'll have to take it!"

"She's not better!" Willow shouted. "My mum isn't who she used to be. She's become one of you. I won't stand for it. I'm the heir to this locket, and I have no plans to give it up! I will correct the path that its taking and continue its legacy along a new path, one of pure-hearted, good people, whether it's purebloods, half-bloods, Muggleborns, or even squibs! I don't care! I will never be on Voldemort's side!"

"You have declared yourself an enemy, then, stupid girl! Say goodbye to your life- and your mother!"

Willow leaped on top of a pile of rubble, outmaneuvering Quirrel's spells. "I'm not saying goodbye to anything! My mother will come back one day, you'll see! I will never stop hoping for it! There's some good left it her, and I will bring it back or die trying!"

"You silly little girl, don't you understand? Don't you know what your mother's done, what she's seen? She's not coming back. She will always stand by her family. Like I said, the Dark Lord always wins!"

"I won't let that happen!"

'You'll do what I tell you to do! Imperio!"

Willow tried to jump out of the way, but as she pushed off, her foot got caught on a chunk of stone. She fell hard on her rear. Her heart leaped into her throat. Her stomach caved in with fear. There was nothing she could do. She was stuck, waiting for the spell to hit her, to take over her body. It was over. She had lost.

When the spell slammed into her, Willow could barely feel it. It was like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over her head and woken her up from a dead sleep. She couldn't hear anything but Quirrel's voice in her head.

Drop your wand. Stand over here.

Willow did as she was told, not thinking twice. She opened her sweaty hands and let her wand clatter to the floor, like a dead stick. She removed her feet from the rubble and moved to stand where Quirrel was pointing. Her conscious mind was completely gone. All of her attention was focused on receiving the next command, and no matter how horrible it was, no matter what she was told to do, she was going to do it, and do it exactly as she was told.

Follow me.

Willow walked right behind Quirrel as he guided her to a side room connected to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Quirrel lead her inside, a crooked smirk on his face, and pointed to the opposite wall.

Sit over there. Wait patiently.

Willow went to the wall, turned to face Quirrel, and sank to the floor. She waited without fear, without remorse, without any emotion at all. Her face was perfectly neutral, the only clue that she was in a trance at all.

Lift your arms.

Willow followed the command, lifting them while Quirrel moved something around her arms. The clinking of chains penetrated her eardrums, nearly making her jump, but she returned to her calm state within seconds. Her stomach was unsettled, though, and twisted as if something were wrong. A confused expression then clouded Willow's face. Quirrel stepped back, noticed, and cast the spell again. Willow forgot whatever was troubling her and stared back at Quirrel.

What happened the night I hurt you in the Forbidden Forest?

The truth easily slid past Willow's lips without a second thought. "I turned into a dragon to protect Draco."

Good, very good. What happened to you after that?

"I transformed back into myself and had Draco patch up my wound."

Willow's brow furrowed in confusion. Something was tickling the back of her mind. What was it? Was it the thing she had been thinking about a few minutes ago? There was too much fog in her brain, too many cobwebs blocking her thinking. The only thing she could know for sure was that something felt wrong.

Can you transform into a dragon all the time?

"Yes," Willow answered.

Now something felt really wrong. All of a sudden, she knew what it was: no one was allowed to know about her powers. She had powers. She could shape-shift. Quirrel wasn't allowed to know.

Are you an animagus?

Willow's body trembled as she resisted the urge to spill the truth. She couldn't remember anything except that she had powers, and that Quirrel wasn't allowed to know. Why was he provoking her to tell him so badly? He shouldn't have a clue.

I said, are you an animagus?

"G-go away," Willow spluttered. "Y-you can't know."

"Can't know what?"

Quirrel's voice came from outside her head now. Her ears regained their senses again. A few things floated back into her brain, but she still felt fuzzy, as if the memories had been tampered with.

"Can't know what, Willow?"

"You aren't allowed to know," she repeated.

"Why am I not allowed to know?"

Willow grimaced. Everything came flooding back at once, hurting her head. She felt like a massive headache that should have lasted three hours came and went within the space of one second, leaving her dizzy, hurting, and alone.

"Because my mum and dad said so."

"What did they say I'm not allowed to know?"

Willow's eyes widened. Her mother's screaming came back to her, and she wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. She felt to cool metal of the locket clearly against her skin. Her mother was good. She was being very bad right now, but that didn't mean she needed to reveal her secrets. They shared quite a few secrets, some that Grace would never tell anyone, no matter how evil she turned. Willow gritted her teeth to fight the curse that was compelling her to tell the truth.

"Things," Willow said.

"What things?" Quirrel demanded, now getting impatient.

The entire situation came back to Willow. Quirrel was trying to get information out of her. She couldn't let him. He was not allowed to know anything, especially not her family secret. Maybe she could mislead him, make him think other things that were untrue. She had to make him think she was still in a trance. It had to work.

"I'm an animagus," Willow admitted.

"You- you're an animagus? At age eleven?"

"Yes, my animagus is a dragon."

Quirrel stared at her, suspicious, yet completely baffled. Willow returned it with the same blank face she had mastered and used so many times over, pretending the Imperius Curse was still working. "You must be a powerful witch, then. Do you have any other talents?"

"I play soccer."

Quirrel wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You have Muggle talents? That's rubbish. You are weak, untalented. You'll never become the witch you're striving to be. You and that Granger girl both. You're a traitor to your bloodline. You belong with that those Weasley scumbags."

"At least I belong with someone. You belong to someone!" Willow retorted. Her eyes widened, realizing it was too late to take back her words. She had blown her cover. Quirrel pointed his wand inches away from her nose, outraged beyond comprehension.

"You'll pay for deceiving me. You spill not secrets, but lies! How are you so strong against the Imperius Curse? Have you seen it before? Of course you haven't, you would have reacted with less surprise. It's a shame that I'll have to kill you instead."

"Enough with this nonsense!" a voice hissed. "Don't kill the girl yet, Quirrel."

"M-master!" Quirrel squeaked in surprise, now stiff as a board. "I was only joking, as you know."

"We need information. Get to the point, ask her what we discussed! Force her if you must!"

"Y-yes, master." Quirrel turned to Willow. "If you won't give me the information I desire, then I guess I'll have to take it from you. I will give you one last chance to tell me anything I need to know."

"Hmm...let me think..." Willow thought. Might as well let the sass out. "You're an incredibly weak wizard that relies on the commands of a frail, power-seeking coward- Voldemort, yes, that's his name- and you've dedicated your life to a path that will only lead to ruin."

"How dare you- "

"Look into her mind!" Voldemort hissed. "Get the information we need!"

Willow's eyes widened when she realized what Voldemort was requesting Quirrel do. He was about to invade the ultimate privacy she had left- the deep, dark spaces of her mind where she stored her most venerable of secrets and memories. She had always been successful in keeping people out of it. Now, Quirrel was going to break in. Willow struggled against her chains, desperately trying to free herself.

"Legillimens!"

Willow felt the change the moment the spell hit her. She closed her eyes and saw the memories Quirrel was sorting through, taking and discarding as he pleased. Panic seized Willow. What if he saw the memories? What if he discovered her powers?

No, she had to clear her mind. Empty it. Maybe that would keep Quirrel out.

Willow breathed in deeply, relaxing her muscles. She imagined that she was on the side of a mountain in summer time. Her father used to take her hiking on every vacation they went on. She traveled to her favorite one, Mount Kilimanjaro. In her mind's eyes, Willow saw herself sitting there, meditating in the cool wind. The image took precedent over everything else and drove the other memories and emotions away. Frustrated, Quirrel retracted himself from Willow's mind, bringing her back into the present.

"M-master, she is resisting!" Quirrel whined.

"Fool, try harder! She is a Guerrero!"

Quirrel re-cast the spell, this time knocking Willow back against the wall. She tried to go back to the mountainside but failed. Quirrel was stronger than she had ever imagined. He sifted through more memories, getting deeper and deeper by the second. Soon, he would find them, the memories she had buried, both old and new, and she would be done for. He couldn't see those. There had to be another way.

Willow took another deep breath, trying to relax herself. She pinpointed where she felt Quirrel's presence strongest- in the back of her head. Concentrating harder than she ever had before, Willow pushed against the force of Quirrel, imagining herself shoving him towards the front part of her head, as if he were a heavy boulder she was trying to push off a cliff. The Quirrel standing in front of her gasped.

"Master, I'm being shut out!"

"Don't let her win! You are strong, she is weak! She cannot resist you forever!"

Willow's chest constricted with the pressure building up from the confrontation. She was making progress, the feeling of Quirrel now in the middle of her head. He pushed back, and Willow pushed back harder. Sweat poured down Willow's forehead and into her eyes. She refused to shut them, though they stung, knowing that if she did, she would lose all of her progress and Quirrel would slingshot into the part of her mind that he needed. Willow thought of her locket, resting over her chest. Voldemort was right.

She was a Guerrero.

And a Guerrero never gave in, no matter what the cost was.

Because a Guerrero was a warrior.

Willow lost the ability to breath because of the immense pressure in her chest. Quirrel was literally being pushed back by her, his feet sliding away as he leaned toward her. He was giving everything he had, but it wasn't enough. Willow was stronger. She fought and fought, refusing to let him win, ignoring Voldemort's screaming at Quirrel to do something. Willow's lungs screamed for air. She kept pushing. The walls started trembling, then cracking. She kept pushing. Quirrel was now several meters away from her. A single, large crack made its way across the ceiling. She kept pushing. The crack connected into a single barrier between Quirrel and Willow, and all of a sudden, the ceiling collapsed.

Willow gasped for air, coughing as she inhaled clouds of dust from the rubble. Quirrel was cursing distantly on the other side while Voldemort screamed at him for his worthlessness. Willow sat there, trapped, unable to move. She was still chained to the wall, and the chunks of ceiling were inches from her toes. That was a close one. The woman's voice came screeching into Willow's head, as if a mic had finally reconnected.

Willow! Willow! Why can't you hear me?

Ah! Pipe down! You're screaming! Willow said, her ears ringing.

Thank God! Our mind connection was blocked! I saw what happened to you! Listen, they're probably going to come back, and I don't have much time. Don't tell them about your powers. I didn't want to say this, but to ensure you really don't give this up, the fate of the world rests on you not letting them discover your powers.

WHAT!

Like I said, I didn't want to say it, but it really does! Don't let them know!

Willow's heart hammered against her ribs. What did that mean? How could the secret of her powers be that important? Since when was she trusted with secrets that important? Then again, she was probably born with the powers, and the secrets kind of came with it, but still, Willow was in disbelief.

"Reducto!"

Willow cried out in pain when tiny particles of rock blasted her in the face. Quirrel strode through the path he had created, grabbing Willow by the throat. She panicked and started choking, immediately wishing she hadn't, because Quirrel noticed and only gripped her tighter.

"Do you see what happens, Willow? Now do you understand? No matter how much you fight, we always come back, and you're eventually going to lose."

Willow thought her windpipe was going to explode Quirrel was crushing her neck so hard. The anger seemed to pulse through his veins, fueled by his own shame and Voldemort's fury, giving him extra strength. Her vision started to fuzz.

"I'll make you a deal," Quirrel offered. "You tell us everything we want to know, and we'll let you go free, how about it?"

"Can't- speak-" Willow choked.

"Release the girl, Quirrel."

Willow fell to the floor, coughing and gagging and gasping and choking all at the same time. Her throat felt like it had been through a garbage disposal. Every breath hurt more than the cut on her back.

"Well? What do you say?" Quirrel prompted.

Willow glared at him, the defiance clear in her eyes. "No."

"If we can't take the information, then torture it out of her. She'll speak eventually," Voldemort said.

Willow stood up, fighting against her chains. No, they wouldn't torture her, would they? She was only a first year. They would try other ways to find the information, then leave her alone, right?

No, they're actually going to torture you! Prepare yourself! the voice lady screamed.

Willow's breath became shallow and quick. She was ready to break down crying already. There was no way she could handle torture. Hadn't what they'd done to her been enough already?

No. Of course not. These were the most brutal people the planet had to offer. Quirrel raised his wand to aim squarely at Willow's tightening chest. She tried to steel herself against what was coming, trying to remember the worst pain she had ever felt and expect that.

"Crucio!"

The pain came no where close.

Willow had expected herself to never give into torture. She had briefly wondered what she would do in such a situation, and had fancied herself to act like the people she would see in movies. They wouldn't cry, they wouldn't show any sign of pain. Willow had hoped she would act that way and not let the torturers get the best of her.

But this was nothing like she had ever felt before. At first, there was nothing, but the shock quickly wore off, and Willow felt the burning sensation crawl all over her body, intensifying as it went, until she couldn't even hear herself screaming anymore. It was like someone had taken a steak knife and slit every inch of exposed skin. The pain ricocheted off her bones, vibrating in her skull. Whatever she had prepared for, it was not this. Willow forgot all about staying neutral and emotionless. The pain was too great, her vocal chords could barely make the high-pitch sound of extreme discomfort anymore, and she wished that Quirrel would stop, leave her alone. It was absolutely horrible.

"Have you had a change of heart now?" Quirrel said, his voice mockingly friendly.

"No!" Willow choked out. Quirrel shrugged.

"Your choice of torture, not mine."

Quirrel cast the spell again just as it was beginning to wear off. The pain somehow doubled, even worse than before. Willow's limbs spasmed in pain, jolting out every so often, then curling up into a tiny ball to protect herself from the next wave. But each wave of agony was worse than the last. There was no escaping it. She was truly being tortured. Willow thought her scab on her back must have ripped open by now, and she confirmed it with the warmth trickling down it. She realized how life-threatening the situation was becoming. Would she have to die with her information to keep the world safe?

"One more chance, Willow. Do you want to speak now?"

"I'd rather die than give a friendly word to you, you duchebag!" Willow snarled.

"Then you'll have to die for a stupid, stupid cause. Goodbye, Willow."

Willow screamed louder than she ever had before when the next Crutiatus Curse took effect. She was slammed against the wall, her bag smearing blood across it. Her limbs were so taught with the strain on her muscles that she felt them start to tear when they moved again in reaction to the pain. Willow's tears wouldn't cease. There was so much pain. Would it be best to give in at this point, she thought? Would it be worth it to spare my life?

No, it isn't. I'm a Guerrero. I'm a warrior. Warriors either succeed in their cause or die trying. I'm protecting my friends. If this can make them worried enough about me, then my plan is working. Even better if they go get Dumbledore.

Willow shrieked when a particularly powerful wave of pain tore through her body. Gritting her teeth, Willow tried to relax, attempting to make it look as if the pain wasn't enough to hurt her. Of course, it was still visible on her face, the effect it was having on her. But she would have to learn to endure much more of it if her plan was going to work.

Voldemort was not about to let it work. Willow's plan went down in flames with a few words.

"Fool, she's weak now! Enter her mind again!"

"Legillimens!"

Willow had no time to prepare herself for Quirrel entering her mind. He coursed straight through it, reaching the back in no time. In a few seconds, it would all be over. Quirrel would have found everything, she would be exposed, and her life would end on the spot. At least the torturous curse had faded off. No more pain, no more suffering, just peace, like they had promised...

Wait. No, if Quirrel promised something, that means it can't possibly be true. I have to keep fighting!

Right before Quirrel entered the deepest part of Willow's mind, she regained her focus, pushing him away. He pushed back harder than before, and Willow's torture was taking its toll, the exhaustion it left her with making it difficult to keep up. It was like a game of tug-of-war between two siblings except the opposite direction. Quirrel made a little progress, then Willow pushed him away, Quirrel again moved forward, Willow nearly threw him out of her mind. She was almost winning, so close to victory...

Suddenly, Willow was on the last of her strength. She had nothing left. Pushing back became too hard, and Quirrel started gaining on her, getting deeper into her head by the second. It was inevitable. He would find it any second. She had to come up with something, and fast. An idea struck her like lightning: what if she let him see one memory, but hid all the others? It would work. It had to work. With great emotional discomfort, Willow drew up the memory of her mother on the night she went crazy and replayed it in her head.

It worked. Quirrel stopped, eating up the horrible memory, seeming to love every scream of terror and heartbreak, most of all enjoying young Willow's reaction. He was a sick, rotten person that Willow couldn't wait to get rid of. That was, if she could survive long enough to do that. Quirrel retracted himself from Willow's mind once again, wearing a triumphant smirk.

"I told you, you're weak, pathetic. You are worthless to this world, Willow Guerrero."

The words had no effect on Willow. She had called herself those very adjectives plenty of times. For some reason, when someone else called her negative things, it had a positive effect, because she took it as a compliment, meaning those people thought she was a threat instead of those negative things. In this particular situation, it fueled Willow's need to blast Quirrel in the face with another stunning spell. Speaking of faces, Quirrel began speaking to Voldemort.

"My Lord, she is not the One, just as we suspected."

"Good. Grace wasn't lying then. She killed the other one and successfully ended their advantage."

"What should we do with the girl, then?"

"Leave her here to rot. She knows too much. We can't have her big mouth spoiling our plan."

"Yes, my Lord. It will be done."

Willow's heartbeat quickened for some reason as Quirrel turned to face her again. "See, what did I tell you? All of this could have been prevented if you simply would have told us what we needed."

"I will never tell you anything," Willow growled.

"Oh, but you don't have to. We can take it any time we want."

"You're a coward," Willow snapped. "I hate you and Voldemort. You're both cowards that deserve to rot much more than I do."

"But that's the part you're missing, Willow," Quirrel said in a fake tone. "Those who play the game well always get away with it."

Willow stood up, struggling against her chains. "You'll never get away with this! You deserve whatever's coming to you!"

"Willow, dear, did you not hear me? There's nothing coming to me for this. All of this is you fault, anyway." Willow's mouth dropped open as Quirrel coolly stepped closer to her. "You thought your little plan would work, wouldn't it? By confronting me, you would stall enough time to get your friends worried. They'd come here with Dumbledore. There was one major flaw in your plan: you'd never last that long, and I can see right through you. Your friends aren't coming soon enough to save you. You'll die in here, all alone, in the dark, where you belong. I'm going to get that stone and revive the Dark Lord. Even if your pathetic friends try to stop me. They'll never survive all the traps, and if they somehow do, I'll be waiting for them. You'll never see those brats again!"

Horror drove a knife deep into Willow's gut. "No! Don't kill them! They know nothing about my plan!"

"Save it for the judge- which soon, actually, will be the Dark Lord. Oh, and that reminds me."

Quirrel waved his wand, and Willow's came flying in from the other room. He placed his hands on either side of it and pressed down. Willow realized with a jolt what he was about to do.

"No! Please, no!" Willow screamed, more tears streaming down her face. "Quirrel, no!"

With a crunch and a snap, Willow's wand was broken in two, the dragon heartstring now in plain sight. Willow's heart broke with it. How could the world be so cruel to her?

"There. Now it's all better. You won't need a wand once you're dead; there won't be anyone to bury it with you. Besides, you're a blood traitor, and blood traitors are not witches or wizards. You're just scum."

"But you're a half-blood!" Willow retorted, rage and the crushing weight of sadness mixing with the tears dripping down her face. "Why would you care? Your blood is just as 'tainted' as the rest!"

Quirrel didn't answer, only wincing. "You really are a blood traitor, Willow. I'll say goodbye to your friends for you."

"No! Come back and fight, you coward! Come back and fight!"

But Quirrel only left without a word, leaving Willow alone in a dark cellar, chained to the wall, slowly but surely bleeding out once again. She sat down, putting her head in her knees. The tears wouldn't stop falling as her mind tormented her with replays of her wand snapping in half. There went her past, her present, her future. She didn't exist anymore. She wasn't real.

There was no reality for her anymore.


	17. Year 1: Chapter 17

Willow lost track of time in that dark room. She had her watch, but it didn't glow in the dark. She was blind to anything and everything. The occasional conversation between two students would reach her ears, but she didn't even try to call for help. No one could break her chains. And those weren't the physical chains.

She had given up one of her most precious memories, let someone else see it. It wasn't precious, really, just top secret. There were only a handful of people who knew about it, and it was all her family. Now Quirrel and Voldemort knew. She wanted to throw up.

Actually, Willow did throw up a few times, the side effects of the torture charm. She was left trembling from it, very shaken both physically and mentally. Her state of mind couldn't revive itself like usual. She was cut off from all of society. Maybe Quirrel was right; maybe she did deserve to die alone in the dark.

No, don't think that way, Willow scolded herself. Self-pity won't get you anywhere. I can't think like that now. Only positive thoughts are allowed, or maybe productive thinking.

Since positivty seemed far from possible, Willow went with the latter, combing through everything Quirrel had said that sparked her mind. There was something about her that was baffling them, and it apparently was linked to her shape-shifting and the memory of her mother's incident. What was the connection? No matter how hard she tried, nothing came to mind. It was two things so distantly related that Willow thought being in her head was the only thing that connected them. Why did Quirrel need them? What was so special about them?

They had said something about the One. Willow knew that everyone called Harry the One, the Chosen One, the Boy-Who-Lived. But this was completely different. Willow didn't even know who Harry was at that time, so Quirrel couldn't be talking about him. Why would they think she was called the One? She wasn't special, except for her powers, and those didn't make her any more special than Ron or Hermione in her mind. They were just something she was born with. But they were very important, according to the voice lady, since the fate of the world apparently rested on keeping the knowledge of her powers from Voldemort and Quirrel. Could they be talking about someone else? Was the One...him? The other person in the memory? The only other male besides her father?

Willow's mind shut down when she tried to think of him. No, it was still too painful. Her mother's incident seemed to have taken place years and years ago, but his death was still as fresh as the scab trying to develop on her re-opened wound. It was a knife to the heart each time her mind wandered to him. He was her best-kept secret of all time, the best memory of her childhood. But he had been taken away from her, and along with him, Willow's happiness. She had worked for a long time to pick herself back up again. If she told anyone else about him, she was afraid she would break down again and not be able to rescue herself from that dark pit she had found herself in two years before. His memory was the reason she had taught herself to not show emotions. His memory is what drove her to insanity. His memory is what drove her to improve her life and the lives of others around her.

He was everything to her.

But no one was allowed to know about him.

Willow wiped the tears off her face, despite the smile that had formed. He brought so much good to the surface, so much pain, so much...everything. Thinking about him taught Willow how to feel again. She missed being able to have some alone time to express her emotions freely. Being on the brink of death gave her one last chance. She couldn't think of anyone better to remember while she died.

Willow wasn't afraid of death. She had never been one to fear that cloaked figure reaching out a hand to her and taking her to the afterlife. To her, it was another adventure reserved for the elite, and she hoped to one day be one of those elite. The thing that scared her about death was if it took her friends before their time had come. They were all very young, and she cared about them as if they were her siblings. She would do anything for them, seeing as she was going to die trying to prevent them from having to face Quirrel and Voldemort. If they died young, before they even had a chance to live a semi-full life, Willow would be swallowed up with grief the same way she was after her mum's incident. She could take pain, as she had seen with her torture session (although the aftermath hadn't gone too well). But the pain of her friends' loss would be too much. She would probably die of grief shortly after and unintentionally join them, causing others even more pangs of loss. She didn't want that to bring that on anyone.

Willow fell asleep a few hours after her back had stopped bleeding. She didn't know how long she slept or how much time had passed, but to her it was a little lighter in the room when she woke up. Even her advanced senses couldn't detect anything that would tell her the time of day. She sighed, immediately wishing she hadn't, because her throat was extremely sore from all the screaming she did. Everything was sore, actually- her back, her ribs, her head, her heart. Yes, her heart was sore. Not physically, really, as one cannot feel a sore heart, but Willow could easily imagine it being bruised from the amount of emotional distress she had been in. Going through all of that was particularly painful on her heart. Her mind wasn't foggy anymore, but she could feel a thrumming, steady beat of pain in the back of her head, where she had fought Quirrel the hardest.

Willow sat bolt upright, ignoring the pain it brought. Had Quirrel succeeded? Where was he? Where were her friends? Had they finally put the pieces together and tried to stop Quirrel in his attempts? Of course they would, they were smart. Quirrel wouldn't have acted so worried about them ruining his plans otherwise. Or would he? Willow couldn't separate the truths from the lies. Was that just an effect of the Crutiatus Curse, or because of Quirrel's confusing statements?

No more questions, Willow told herself as a jolt of pain ousted her back into what was left of reality. You're only going to give yourself a headache. There's no good in asking questions that won't get answered.

Willow tapped her foot, recoiling it when she felt the strained muscles. She had to keep herself occupied. She couldn't think about how dehydrated she was already, couldn't contemplate how much longer she would survive, couldn't think about anything negative. There had to be a different subject she could pick to think about.

Instantly, her mind skipped to the happiest thing is could think of: her friends. Willow remembered all the way back to the beginning of the year, when she was just learning how much magic there really was in the world. She thought about the first person she had met, Harry. They were both in Diagon Alley for the first time, with virtually no knowledge of the magical world, both sharing the same thoughts and feelings. She and Harry both had no clue why everyone was practically worshiping him, and strangely, it was what started up their friendship, that mutual feeling of not knowing anything about themselves or the wizarding world. He had been like a brother to her ever since.

Her mind flitted to living at the Burrow for a few weeks. Summer was drawing to a close, but opened up new opportunities for friendships with the Weasleys. They were such a wonderful family. Molly was like the mother Willow no longer had, loving, caring, strict when necessary, running the house like clockwork. That woman was pretty much one of Willow's few idols. Ginny was a great friend to her, and she hoped to become better friends through the rest of her schooling career at Hogwarts if she made it out of there. Percy was kind of a stuck-up brat, but Willow could see some good in him. After all, with a mother like Molly Weasley, he was bound to come around at some point. Ron was an emotional but uplifting friend, loyal to a fault, always ready to jump to his feet and defend his friends. Then there were the twins, as fun as they were overprotective. The few weeks Willow spent with them at the Burrow was enough to tell her that they were going to be great. They became her mentors for the majority of her first few months at Hogwarts, showing her secrets that Willow would have spent a lifetime trying to find. Her chest warmed as she realized how awesome it was that they trusted her with these secrets. They really were the best examples she could look up to (aside from skipping class, of course).

There also was Paige and Lee, friends of friends until Willow warmed up to them. Lee was rather ridiculous at times, always looking for a way around things he didn't want to do, but Willow liked him all the same. He stirred things up and made things interesting around the castle. Life would be rather boring without his Quidditch narrations. Paige was the most unique girl Willow had ever met. She was more tomboyish than Willow, which she still had a hard time believing, set in her ways, stubborn, uneasily moved, and grumpy, but also street-smart, brave, caring, forceful when it comes to taking care of her friends, and enduring. Paige was beautiful in every way, Willow thought. She was able to switch her mood on a dime and go from grumpy to playful in less than one second. Willow hoped that she could break down Paige's walls a little more each day if she got out of her situation. That girl had a lot she was hiding, just like Willow. She wanted to know everything, and in return Willow promised herself that she would spill everything if that meant getting the weight off Paige's shoulder.

There was then her little group of Ravenclaw friends and Oliver. Sue had been hiding for so long behind her mask. She was so uncomfortable with being herself in front of others, had zero confidence. Willow was glad she found her. It may have been sudden and kind of too fast for Willow to process at the time, but she was able to help and get to know Sue day by day, and eventually Sue came out of her shell. The real Sue was beautiful. She was still shy, of course, but that didn't stop her from answering every question thrown at her in class, speaking with her Japanese accent, opening up and sharing cool things about her with her friends, and bringing her culture into her dorm. Willow was beyond ecstatic at the progress Sue had made. Soon, she would be completely comfortable with herself. Sue would always be shy, and Willow was okay with that. All five of them were shy. It wasn't a flaw in them, as it actually helped them notice things about other people to prepare for conversations they might build the confidence for later.

Speaking of flaws, Willow wished desperately to see Lisa one last time and tell her that she should have confidence in herself. Lisa always thought she was full of flaws and mistakes, but she was perfect to everyone else. Willow had seen her countless times checking her reflection in a mirror, making sure her makeup and clothes were perfect, her expression worried and miserable at the same time. That girl always looked like a goddess. She was as smart as Hermione, maybe even smarter. Willow wished she could instill confidence in that girl. She was perfect, and just because she was a little overweight didn't mean she had to worry about her body so much.

Mandy was the complete opposite of Lisa, which was the main reason they were so close, Willow figured. She was so obviously different from everyone else that most people couldn't understand her. The first thing Willow always noticed about Mandy wasn't her bright red hair, but the content expression on her freckled face. She was always one hundred percent confident in being herself. She couldn't care less what people thought of her or her actions, and Willow admired her for that. Mandy was her own self and refused to change for anyone. Willow hoped she would stay that way forever and maybe rub off on Lisa and Sue.

Oliver's striking green eyes appeared in her mind's eye. They were always swimming with so many memories and emotions. Willow had always wondered about him before they became friends. She could constantly see the battle going on beneath the surface, wishing she knew what it was, only knowing how deadly it could become. Oliver had opened up a lot for being as shy as he was, but he had a lot more talking to do if Willow ever got the chance. He had been through something awful. Willow knew it. She just wished she knew what so that she could help him get through it. He was suffering on his own, trying to push everything down and away, but by personal experience, Willow knew that only made the problem attack with more intensity the next time. She wanted to talk him through everything, no matter how long it took. He deserved that. She was his best friend, and he deserved everything she could give to him. Oliver was so innocent, so untouched, so pure-hearted. When he was happy, the whole world lit up in a smile. Willow wanted to put a smile on his face forever.

The memories of Sally and Samuel came to mind. She remembered it like it was yesterday, sprinting up and down the hill to save their lives, discovering her healing powers, getting to know them a little better. Although she hadn't become best friends with them, she was grateful for getting to know them, wishing that she had more years ahead of her to become closer with them. They had never told her the full story of how they had gotten to Hogwarts. She was okay with that, expecting them to keep that horror story of their mum's evil to themselves. They would open up one day. Willow could feel it. She only wished that she could be there to brush the tears from their unique green-brown eyes.

Hermione was, at first, the kind of girl Willow didn't care for very much. She was smarter than Willow and acted like a know-it-all. But eventually, Willow started to see past that. Hermione simply didn't know how to act in the wizarding world, how to be smart and courteous to others. Willow could relate, having struggled with the same problem in Muggle school for years. They bonded quite quickly after that. Together, they watched the boys make fools of themselves, dealt with roommate drama, and tried to get each other into as much trouble as possible at times. Hermione's bushy hair bouncing as she happily strolled down the halls was imprinted on Willow's memory. She would never forget how many times they competed in class, all the fun tutoring sessions they'd had with the boys and their roommates. Hermione was the kind of loyal friend Willow would never forget.

Her roommates had been a loud, interesting bunch. None of them were the same as the other, but the amount of insanity that they drove Willow to was the exact same. They had begged to dress her up, encouraged her to step out of her shell, always been there to "help" her. Honestly, Willow would spend all of her time with them for the rest of her life if it meant seeing them again. They had become another one of her little families. She had never had other girls want to be as actively participating in her life as Lavender, Mia, Fay, and Parvati did. It was refreshing and overwhelmingly amazing all at once. They were there through thick and thin, and though they were the complete opposites of her, Willow loved them all. They had become the sisters she had never had. She secretly liked the semi-girly side they brought out in her, especially when they forced out the fact that she fancied Neville. No matter how many times she would have to tutor them, no matter how many more times they fought over doing her hair, Willow would love them just the same.

Finally, there was Neville. Sweet, sweet Neville. Willow had a feeling that she would end up fancying him sooner or later from the first moment she met him, which was helping him down the slope to get to the boats. He had always struck her as that kid that would clumsily stumble through life. Neville was literally stumbling through life, being the klutz he was. He struggled in school, was afraid of a lot of things, and was constantly belittled by Slytherins. Willow loved a lot of those things about him, though. It's what differentiated Neville from the rest. His mistakes made him more adorable each time he made them. Willow cracked a sad smile, seeing his cute, freckled, round face clear as day. Neville had asked the hat desperately to put him in Hufflepuff, but the hat had placed him in Gryffindor. Willow knew why. The hat never lied, and it had made the right choice. Neville had joined in during the fistfight, probably knowing that he was going to lose, but doing it anyway and getting knocked out. That was courage to stand up for himself and his friends. Neville had come searching for them when he heard about Norbert, in the middle of the night, when he was the most afraid, and tried to save them from Draco. That was bravery to risk getting himself in trouble to get others out of trouble. Neville was much more than anyone knew. Willow didn't easily fancy people, and she knew that it would take someone special to win her heart over. Neville had done it. No matter what anyone said, he was special.

All of her friends' faces gathered before her, smiling at her, waving goodbye. Willow waved back, now in a delirium. They told her encouraging things, whispering thanks for what she had done. A happy tear fell down Willow's cheek. They had forgiven her for the things she'd done to them, the things she would die before she could do for them. Maybe dying wasn't so bad after all.

It was slightly darker in the room at this point. Willow wondered if it was night again. That would mark the second night- she thought- that she was stuck chained to the wall. She remembered the locket sitting around her neck, cold as ever, yet warm with happy memories of the woman whose picture was in it. Grace had been a good mother. She never ignored Willow, always being ultra attentive to her needs. Of course, she spoiled her a little bit, but never let Willow get away with things she shouldn't. Grace had taught Willow appreciation for everything she had. Any moment that could be turned into a teaching moment was. Willow had never been yelled at, instead talked through what she had done, why she had done it, what had been wrong, what had been right, and what should be done in the future. Although Willow knew she would never be able to have children, striving for a job like her dad's which would keep her too busy for them, she hoped that she had achieved becoming as good of a person as her mother used to be. Her heart warmed even further with the happy memories, loosening her chest. Maybe she would be able to change her mother as her guardian angel once she died. She could do that, couldn't she?

Willow ended up falling asleep with a smile on her face, despite the situation. Her friends visited her in her dreams, weaving in and out of memories, falling further and further away from life. She wasn't afraid. Willow was ready to greet death with open arms. By the time she woke up, she was disappointed to still be stuck in the dark room. The chains were heavier than they had been yesterday. Or was that her imagination? Willow couldn't separate reality from her mind anymore. Not that it mattered. She would soon be gone from this world, free to help and watch over her friends as she pleased. It sounded like such a good alternative...

All of a sudden, Willow's ears picked up footsteps in the corridor outside. Her heartbeat picked up once more. Was this a dream? Was this all in her head? The footsteps came closer. They sounded urgent, as if they were running. Were they coming for her? She didn't want to give her hopes up. The footsteps came even closer than before, the turnover now a sprint. She tried to call out, but her tongue was heavy with dehydration, blocking her ability to speak. The footsteps were right outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. They stopped, then continued on, walking calmly now. Had they passed her? What was going on? Was someone coming to rescue her? Was this all in her head, a figment of her imagination? No, it couldn't be. She would never dream of being rescued, would she?

"Alohamora!" a gravely voice shouted.

The door opened, and a dark figure stepped through the doorway, coughing in the wake of the dust he had stirred up. His black robes were unmistakable. Willow attempted to stand up, falling to her knees instead, pulling on the chains. Professor Snape rushed over to her, casting a few quick spells to release her. Willow fell forward, trying to lift herself up but ultimately becoming too weak to lift herself up. Professor Snape grabbed her arms and yanked her to her feet.

"Miss Guerrero, you have to stand," Snape said, the worry not completely masked in his voice. "Professor Quirrel has been taken care of. Your friends alerted me to your being missing. You can thank them later."

Willow tried to walk, making it out of the doorway, but collapsing into a desk, her strength sapped by her hunger and thirst. Was she really being rescued? Was she not going to die? Her head was spinning; she couldn't concentrate on anything anymore. She couldn't hear Snape clearly anymore. Willow felt her knees give, but didn't feel herself hitting the ground. Everything was a blur. She felt herself being risen into the air. Was she dying? Actually, had she just died? Was she going to Heaven?

No, she was not dead. Snape was actually carrying her rather quickly through the hallways. Willow saw him walk past a teacher, who gasped and ran into her office. Then they were going in circles. Willow thought he was spinning her around, making her dizzy on purpose, but eventually realized in her foggy mind that they were going up stairs. Snape was nearly running by that time. Willow was fading fast. She could feel her spirit rising, leaving her body, creating a path for her soul to follow on its way to Heaven. Was she going to die?

One minute, Willow was looking at the ceiling of a corridor, and the next, she was staring at Madam Pomfrey as she rested on a bed. Professor Snape was slowly backing away, worry and horror etched into his face. Then, he whisked himself away. Willow weakly raised her hand to try and call him back, but he did not hear or see her and was gone. Her heart dropped into her stomach. She felt strangely attached to him now, her savior from death. That was the only thing running through her mind. She was not dead. Snape had saved her from the brink of it.

Madam Pomfrey's voice came floating into her ears. "Drink this, Willow."

Willow watched as Madam Pomfrey raised a cup to her lips, then, recognizing water within it, greedily lapped it up. She repeated this several times, never getting more than a few sips at once. Then, Willow's vision started to fade again.

"Willow, stay with me," Madam Pomfrey commanded. "Don't you die on me!"

But Willow could not stop the darkness. It encroached on the edges of her vision, slowly but surely, until only a tunnel was left, then pounced, swallowing her whole. Taking her in its clutches, Willow imagined death flying away with her soul in his hand. She was gone.

It felt like only a few heartbeats had passed when Willow began to open her eyes again. She wanted to keep them closed forever. Just when she had given up on life, Snape had saved her, restoring her will to live, and Death instantly took her. Now, she didn't want to be dead, didn't want to simply watch her friends for the rest of her life. Why did she have to die?

But Willow opened her eyes, guessing that she might as well meet the afterlife head-on. She blinked several times, a very bright light shining in her eyes. Was this what everyone saw when they arrived in Heaven?

"She's awake," a voice said.

That voice. Willow knew that voice. Was it someone she had known?

"Willow, sit up."

Suddenly, the light toned down, and Willow was back in the hospital wing. She looked around, confused. Why was she back at Hogwarts? Was she a ghost now? Willow glanced down, seeing that her skin was solid as always. Pinching herself, Willow realized it wasn't a dream. What was happening?

"Willow, I said sit up."

Madam Pomfrey's serious face appeared in front of Willow, commanding her to do as she was told. Willow sat up slowly, fearing what would happen to her if she didn't. She stayed very still while Madam Pomfrey scrutinized her.

"Welcome back, Willow. You're lucky to be alive. A few more hours and you would have been lost to acute dehydration."

"W-what?" Willow stuttered. "Why are you here? Isn't this the afterlife? I'm dead, aren't I?"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "No, Willow, you're alive. You're back in Hogwarts. You were slipping away, but I managed to revive you in time. Congratulations on escaping death yet again."

"T-thank you," Willow managed to say, not knowing how else to respond. Madam Pomfrey clearly wasn't happy with the amount of times Willow had been in the hospital wing.

A loud bang sounded on the door. Madam Pomfrey sighed and hurriedly opened it, muttering something about how impatient teenagers are. The moment she twisted the handle, the door burst open, and in rushed three familiar third-years.

"Willow! Ron!" Fred and George chorused, immediately rushing to the space in between Willow and where Ron was peacefully sleeping next to her. Paige was right behind them.

"Willow! Oh my God, you absolute idiot- you almost died- I saw Snape carrying you through the corridor- Pomfrey wouldn't let me in- you scared me to death- oh, that's insensitive you almost died, sorry-"

"Paige," Willow cut in, her voice hoarse and soft. "It's okay."

"No, it's not okay! You almost died again, and it's all because of the same thing as last time! It's all because you have to tackle problems alone, you have to face down people because 'you have no other options', you have to not tell anyone what you're doing! Willow, we could have lost you, you almost died, God only knows what Quirrel did to you-"

"Paige, relax! She's alive!" George interrupted.

"Leave her alone for a second!" Fred said.

Suddenly, the most incredible thing happened. For the first time ever that Willow had seen, Paige burst into tears. The twins' jaws dropped to the floor, and Willow's eyebrows rose in shock. She could tell Paige was trying to hold the tears back but couldn't.

"You almost died," Paige sobbed. "I can't lose you. You're too important to me now, much more than I ever told you."

Paige wrapped her arms around Willow and cried into her shoulder. Willow felt a lump form in her throat, too, and hugged her back. The twins slowly backed away and pretended they were visiting Ron.

"Paige," Willow began. "You're more important to me than I ever told you, too. It's okay now. I'm not going anywhere."

Paige let go of Willow, stopping her tears with a great effort and wiping her eyes. "I know, I know, it's just- you scare me sometimes, you little mierda, you know that?"

Willow smiled. "You learned that just so you could curse at me in Spanish? I'm offended."

"Good. That was my goal."

"Hey, I won't tell anyone you have emotions," Willow promised. "We won't tell anyone either of us do."

"Agreed. Hey, you two," Paige said, coming back into her old self as she called out the twins. "You do realize that if you tell anyone about this you die, right?"

"Yes ma'am," the twins agreed quickly.

"Alright, that's been five minutes, both of you, out of here!" Madam Pomfrey ordered.

The twins scrambled out before Pomfrey could punish them, but Paige stayed a moment longer, staring at Willow with a new sparkle in her eyes. She leaned down and pecked Willow on the cheek.

"Stay safe for me, will you?"

"I'll try," Willow said.

Paige left the room and Madam Pomfrey slammed the doors behind her. Although she walked farther and farther away, Willow felt her connection with Paige grow stronger with each second, knowing that the moment they had just shared, that mutual understanding of what one another wanted to say without saying a word, would remain in their memories for a long time.

Willow was quarantined to her bed for the entirety of the day, and the next. Madam Pomfrey absolutely refused to let anyone in to see her. She kept claiming that she needed rest to regain her strength. Willow simply rolled her eyes, but didn't object, knowing that her body was completely trashed and actually needed a few more days to recuperate. Ron woke up on the second day and was allowed to leave after an extensive check-up by Madam Pomfrey. Harry was the only one that remained still asleep, laying still as a statue except for the slow rise and fall of his chest. It was awful lonely without her friends to cheer her up.

"Madam Pomfrey, can you please let them in?" Willow begged when her roommates tried to break down the door for the fifth time.

"I'm sorry, Willow, you need the rest!" Madam Pomfrey repeated.

"But I feel better now! See?"

Willow swung her legs to the side of the bed, itching to move. Madam Pomfrey looked ready to blow a gasket when Willow started walking towards her, feeling good but heavy-legged. A small idea formed in Willow's foggy brain.

"Madam Pomfrey, can I try running yet?" Willow asked.

"Good Heavens, no!"

"Try to stop me!" Willow teased, starting to jog towards the other end of the room. Madam Pomfrey gasped and marched after her, leaving her post beside the door. Willow started regaining the feeling in her feet and ran a little faster, keeping a far distance between her and Madam Pomfrey. She couldn't catch Willow until she stopped at the very end of the long room.

"What do you think you're doing?" Madam Pomfrey demanded. "Get back in bed at once! That's enough of this nonsense! I know how badly you want to run and see your friends, but you have to get healthy first!"

Willow shrugged, a mischievous smile on her face. "Okay!"

Madam Pomfrey stared, dumbfounded, while Willow hopped back in bed, bouncing on it a couple times just to torment her. Her energy levels were finally back to normal.

All of a sudden, a huge boom! shook the hospital wing, and the doors came flying off their hinges. An army of Willow's friends came streaming through them, heading straight for Willow's bed, ignoring the indignant pleas of Madam Pomfrey.

"WILLOW!"

"YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"WE MISSED YOU!"

"WHAT HAPPENED?"

"Guys! You have no idea how much I missed you," Willow exclaimed, hugging each one of them in turn.

"We told Professor Snape that we hadn't seen you in a few days, so he went off to see where you were, and apparently he's disappeared into his office for the past day!" Lavender explained.

"We've been so worried!" Mia said. "You're never gone that long without an explanation!"

"There's been a lot of rumors flying around." Willow realized it was Dean speaking, with Seamus standing right behind him. That was nice of them to show up, Willow thought. "Something about Quirrel and you."

"The same thing is happening for poor Harry," Sue said. "Everyone thinks they know exactly what happened, but some of the stories are getting pretty wild. I'm going to wait for him to tell you and you to tell me before I believe any of it."

"What actually happened to you, Willow?" Neville asked.

Willow swallowed. "Um...I may have done something stupid."

"Well, it isn't the first time," Mandy snorted. "What could be worse than your near-death experience with the troll?"

"Another near-death experience," Parvati guessed.

"Yes, another near-death experience, to sum it up," Willow agreed.

"Willow, you know how we feel about your vague explanations! DETAILS!" Fay demanded.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk!" Willow said, putting her hands up. "But be warned, it's rather...intimidating."

"Trust me, we'll be fine," Sally said. "Speak already!"

"So, for starters, I discovered something terrible," Willow began. "I'm sure you've heard most the of the story already, but I'll set it straight for you. Sorry, you're going to have to deal with me saying You-Know-Who's name. Quirrel was working with Voldemort, and somehow Voldemort decided he was going to coexist with him on the back of Quirrel's head, underneath the purple turban. Don't ask me how I figured it out. Long story short, he attacked me while I was serving detention in the Forbidden Forest, and a lot of puzzle pieces from throughout the year came together. I figured it all out. There was only one problem: I didn't have a person to go to about it. Without evidence, I was left with one choice to stall him, which was to confront him about it. I was hoping to keep him occupied longer than I did so that when you guys sent out a search party for me, you'd get Quirrel, too. But that didn't work out too well. I provoked him, and we ended up dueling, but I lost when he put the Imperius curse on me. He chained me up in that storage closet attached to his room and tried to get information out of me. The curse wore off, I tried to make it seem like the curse was still working while misleading him, then I blew my cover, and Quirrel...well, Voldemort ordered him to use the Crutiatus Curse on me."

All of her friends gasped, and a great torrent of "I'm so sorry, Willow," and "How did you manage that?" flooded her ears. Willow waited for them to fall silent once again to continue.

"It was awful, to say the least. He tortured me for quite some time. Eventually, he entered my mind, and I pushed him out, but the ceiling collapsed, which made him angrier, and he ended up getting into my mind. That was even more torture than the Crutiatus Curse if you ask me. After he was through with that part of the torture, he had one trick left up his sleeve."

Willow paused, swallowing. So far, she had enthralled her audience enough to cover up the slip-up about him entering her mind. Even Madam Pomfrey was listening, stricken. No more secrets could be revealed. She'd had enough forced out of her to last a lifetime.

"Quirrel called me a blood traitor, said I belonged with scum, and snapped my wand. Then, he laughed in my face and said he was going to kill Harry, Ron, and Hermione before they got the Stone and bring Voldemort back to power. I was stuck in the room until a few days ago when Snape brought me here."

Her friends stared at her in a stunned silence. No one even blinked. Willow's eyes flickered from person to person, hoping that she didn't see any signs of rejection or disbelief. Thankfully, none of them seemed to dismiss her story as bogus. They were simply shocked at how much Willow had gone through. At last, something unexpected happened.

The three shyest people in the room, Oliver, Lisa, and Samuel, stepped closer to Willow and wrapped her in a hug. Willow blinked. What just happened? Then, one by one, all of her other friends wrapped her in a hug. Willow was nearly moved to tears. Here were some of the least likely candidates to understand what she had gone through, and they were offering her emotional support, all because she was their friend. Some of the people in the group hug didn't even know each other's names but were hugging each other anyway. What had Willow done to deserve all these wonderful first year friends?

"Willow, next time, give us a heads up when you're about to do something dumb," Samuel said. "There's strength in numbers. We're all here for you, and I think I'm speaking for everyone when I say that I'd travel halfway across the world if that meant helping you."

Everyone murmured in agreement. Eventually, Madam Pomfrey removed everyone from Willow's bedside, telling her that she needed to be able to breathe. Willow stood up to chat with the large group of first years. It was refreshing to have a normal conversation with good people after the lengthy one she'd had with Quirrel. That conversation was more of a yelling match, riddled with lies, trying to lead Willow down the wrong path and make her think that she could do good things by defending her purebloodedness. She was fully aware of her declaration to stand by the opposition to Voldemort and hoped that her words would haunt him forever.

Apparently, the exam scores still hadn't been delivered, but everyone was nervous that they hadn't passed. Willow wasn't surprised, though. With as much tutoring as they'd requested from her, they must have not paid attention a to a single word any of their professors had said all year. They were cutting it close with relearning all of Potions a few nights before exams. Sally and Parvati were fairly quick learners and tried to help the others, but they were kind of busy helping themselves. They were all crossing their fingers for a good grade.

An hour passed, then two, and Willow hardly noticed it at all. Madam Pomfrey kicked everyone out when the lunch bell rang. Everyone left in a hurry, but not before saying goodbye to Willow and giving her a bone-crushing hug. Dean and Seamus stayed behind for a moment.

"We have a message from Paige to deliver," Seamus said. "By the way, you're welcome for busting the gang in here. That was my idea. I have a gift for pyrotechnics."

"More like you have a gift for blowing things up in you face," Dean remarked, earning him a punch in the shoulder. "Anyway, Paige said that if you want to keep your life, she suggests sneaking out tomorrow afternoon and meeting her on the quidditch pitch," Dean said, winking at her.

"Tell Paige I'd be glad to keep my life," Willow said, shaking her head.

The boys nodded, then evaded Madam Pomfrey's swatting them away and raced off to lunch. Willow wished she could join them. Instead, she went back to bed, exhausted from her time with her friends. She fell asleep within a few minutes and for once, didn't dream at all.

Willow got to talk to Harry the next morning. He recounted his conversation with Dumbledore, which gave rise to some more questions in Willow's already full head. Harry was feeling nearly as antsy as she was, but he was more willing to stay in bed, about a day behind Willow recovery-wise. Madam Pomfrey was strangely trusting of the two and left them alone in the hospital wing for most of the day. Big mistake. Willow chatted with Harry for a long time, but the minute the bell tolled to signal the end of lunch, Willow apologized profusely to Harry and zoomed out of the hospital wing, enjoying the feeling running gave her. Her back was still sore, of course, as was everything else, but the feeling of freedom was so good that it overruled everything else. No more chains, mentally or physically. She was free today.

By the time Willow made it out to the quidditch pitch, she was panting pretty hard. Paige was already waiting, and a few other familiar faces were, too, in front of an even more familiar frame.

"Where on Earth did you get that soccer net?" Willow asked in astonishment.

"Oh, never mind that," Paige said, waving the question away. "I forgot to tell you something about myself Willow. Remember how I play pickup soccer in London? Well, I forgot to mention that I play with all ages, and these are a few of the rascals that I share the field with."

"Wait a second, you two play soccer and you didn't tell me all year?" Willow asked the Smith twins, throwing her hands up in the air. "What gives? I'm a soccer maniac!"

"Looks like we all forgot to tell you something," Dean chuckled. "I call playing with Willow! It's twins versus the tall people!"

"Hey, are you calling us short?" Samuel complained.

"Yep, he definitely is," Paige said, grabbing a soccer ball. "It's 2v2, street soccer rules! Don't kill each other's shins, because I don't feel like explaining that to Madam Pomfrey. Play!"

Willow jumped right into the action, enjoying the surprise. They laughed, kicked each other in the shins on purpose, connected some good passes, and had the hardest time scoring on Paige, who was a much better goalkeeper than she let on. Of course, Willow found her weakness halfway through and started scoring, which earned her a few balls smashed into her face, but she laughed every time. Dean was actually a very good soccer player. He had all the advantageous characteristics- height, muscle, skill, soccer smarts, field vision, quick feet, and fitness. Willow was glad he was on her team instead of against her, or she would most definitely be outmatched.

Sally and Samuel were very good soccer players as well. It was probably something they had grown up together doing, similar to how Fred and George grew up pranking together. Soccer is an emotional game, and Willow used it as an amazing stress reliever, confidence builder, and happiness mechanism. The Smith twins probably used it to escape their awful home life, the same as Paige. It was a game that people bonded over, and Willow was glad to be able to play the game that evening, freeing herself even further from the events of the past. She forgot all of her worries as she played, faking people out, dancing with the ball at her feet, streaking towards goal; it was the most beautiful combination of feelings Willow could ever feel at one time. She loved soccer, and the game loved her back.

A few minutes before they were set to end the game, the clouds that they hadn't noticed moving in opened up and poured on them. They paused, glanced at one another, sharing the same idea, then reached down and put mud streaks across their faces, giggling as they did so. The game continued with them slipping and sliding everywhere on the slick grass. Willow had always called the mud on her face warpaint. It usually intimidated the other team when she slid in the mud and covered her face with streaks of it, another one of her more brilliant tactics. To her, it was all part of the fun. She loved everything about the sport.

"Alright, game's over! I can't see anything," Paige said, wiping the rain out of her eyes only to have another bucket of water dumped on her from the sky.

"Me neither!" Samuel laughed, picking up the soccer ball.

"OOH! Let's jump in the lake!" Sally suggested.

"Why?" Dean asked, confused.

"Why not? We're already soaked! Besides, it's fun! I'll race you guys there!" Willow exclaimed.

The five of them sprinted to the Black Lake, almost equal in speed. Willow came in last place, mainly due to her exhaustion from her injury, Sally won, Samuel was third, Dean came in fourth, and Paige second. They didn't care, though, and jumped straight into the lake, making a huge splash. Willow cast her senses around to make sure nothing dangerous was coming for them. The nearest thing that might be a threat was meters and meters and meters away in the deepest part of the lake. Even the Black Lake seemed to want them to have a care-free afternoon for once. Still, Willow made sure everyone stuck to the shallows.

"You've still got it, Paige," Dean commented. "I think Willow figured you out, though."

Paige scoffed. "She quickly learned not to test me."

"I think I won't be learning anything soon with the concussion you gave me," Willow joked.

"Well, I still think Samuel was an awful defender," Sally teased, getting splashed from Samuel.

"You're an even worse forward!"

"Oh, come off it, and everyone agree that we're all good players," Dean said. "You all did great."

"Thanks, Dean, you're really good too," Willow said.

"We're all good- except for Samuel," Sally said. Samuel sighed and splashed her again.

"You know, that was really fun," Samuel said. "Do you think we'd be able to find each other over the summer? Our mum intercepts all of the owls we try to send and burns the letters if she doesn't like them...she doesn't like much..."

"Of course, Samuel," Paige said. "I've found you every summer, before I even knew you were a wizard."

"That's true. The only problem will be Willow trying to find us," Dean said.

"Oh, don't worry, I have a knack for finding my fellow soccer players," Willow said. "I'll just find Paige first, and she can take me to where you play if I somehow fail to find you."

"Sounds good to me," Sally said. "Hey, look, a rainbow!"

The rain had stopped. Clouds were beginning to move away, but they were still dropping plenty of water for the sun to create a beautiful rainbow. It stretched across the sky and ended in the Forbidden Forest. Willow wondered if it was resting on the Wiggenwood Grove.

"Miss Guerrero, get back in here at once! Don't try to hide, I've already spotted you."

Willow's spine froze. She slowly turned in the water to see Professor McGonagall marching towards them. The five quickly removed themselves from the Black Lake and instinctively placed Willow in between them all.

"Oh, quit trying to hide her, she's not in trouble," McGonagall said. "Madam Pomfrey is throwing a fit, but I've convinced her that you're fine, especially since you were playing soccer only a few minutes ago, were you not?"

Willow nodded, trying not to smile triumphantly. Professor McGonagall could be strict, but she could be the most understanding person Willow had ever met, especially towards Gryffindors like herself that broke the rules for good, not bad.

"Professor Dumbledore seeks a word with you. If you could dry yourself off, I would be happy to take you to him."

"One second, then," Willow said. Cupping her hands around her mouth, Willow shouted, "IRIS! Bring Achelous, please!"

The tawny owl made an appearance over the Owlery, then swooped into a window of the Gryffindor Tower, and finally dove towards them at the speed of a bullet. Iris dropped the Puffskein into Willow's hands, then landed on her shoulder, twittering in anticipation.

"Sorry, I don't have any treats for you," Willow apologized. "I'll give you some tonight."

Iris chirped, annoyed, but waited patiently while Achelous slowly made his way all over Willow's clothes, absorbing all the water and licking up the droplets. It took a few minutes, but at length, Achelous sat atop Willow's head, soaking wet and happy as a clam. Willow patted him, promising extra scraps from the feat, and allowed Iris to whisk him away. When she finally glanced at her friends again, they were staring at her in complete awe.

"What? I'm close with my pets. They listen well."

"Apparently," Paige said.

"Well, now that you're dry, let's get you to the Headmaster," McGonagall said, breaking up the awkward moment and leading Willow up to the castle. She turned to wave goodbye to her friends real quick, thanking them, and followed Professor McGonagall. She made her way up several flights of stairs, her weariness encroaching on her ability to keep up with McGonagall. Willow was thankful that the final stairs to take her to Dumbledore's office moved on their own.

"Ah, there you are, Willow," Professor Dumbledore said when she arrived. "Have a seat, have a seat."

Professor McGonagall went back down the stairs, leaving Willow alone with Dumbledore. Willow sat down in front of the wizened old man, marveling at his golden spectacles, which completed his Headmaster look. She swallowed, wondering what he had to say to her this time.

"Don't worry, I do not have anything to say about your powers," Dumbledore began, as if reading Willow's mind. "I've summoned you here for a different reason. Two things, actually. The first order of business is a single plea. Please, Willow, do not go looking for trouble alone anymore. It's not safe for you to do so. You have plenty of friends who would be willing to accompany you, and those very friends would ask of you not to go when it is foolish to do so. Listen to them, Willow. You are very important, in more ways than one."

Willow nodded, knowing that this would not be the last time she would hear something like this. Nevertheless, she would try to do as her Headmaster requests, because she really did need to listen to her friends more.

"The second order of business is this."

Dumbledore opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out her broken wand. Willow swallowed hard at the sight of it, still hearing the sickening snap of each fiber as Quirrel slowly broke it in the back of her head. Dumbledore must have noticed, because he shut the drawer again.

"Your wand is broken, as you know. It is unfixable. But no wand is irreplaceable."

Willow glanced up, hope rising in her heart. "I'm sorry, Professor, but am I hearing you correctly that I can get a new wand?"

"Of course, my dear Willow," Dumbledore chuckled. "How many wands do you think I went through at your age? People change throughout the years, Willow, and along with them, their wands. As Olivander says, the wand chooses the wizard. Several wands can match a single wizard throughout their lifetime. Your wand was probably going to start disobeying you in the near future, anyway. A wand that no longer matches the wizard will not respond normally. Go to Olivander's as soon as you can. He has already received a payment from us and knows to look for you soon."

Willow's spirits soared. She was going to keep attending Hogwarts. She could still do magic! Quirrel hadn't destroyed anything but an old piece of wood with magical properties, the way she saw it. Willow did have a bright future ahead of her. She was just too blind to see it!

"Have a good afternoon, Willow, and do enjoy yourself at the feast tomorrow," Dumbledore said.

"You too, Professor!" Willow sang as she exited the office.


	18. Year 1: Chapter 18

The next twenty-four hours passed in a heartbeat. Willow almost thought that it never happened, it flashed by so quick. One minute, she was leaving Dumbledore's office, and the next thing she knew, she was packing up all her stuff with her roommates. Several of them were racing around, struggling to find a few things they had misplaced throughout the term. Willow was one of those odd children that would leave her room a mess at home but everywhere else, she practically measured each place all of her stuff would go in, she was so neat. It was an awful habit of hers. All of her Christmas presents (all the non-edible ones, of course, as she had eaten all of her treats in a week) were placed in a box she had kept and given plenty of space in her trunk to keep them nice. She was highly protective of thoughtful gifts from others.

Willow had to promise Iris plenty of treats when she got home, because Iris hated being transported in a birdcage. She told her over and over and over that there was nothing she could do to convince the Hogwarts officials to let her roam free. If they let Iris stay out of her cage, then they would have to let everyone's owls out. Iris pouted and eventually allowed Willow to put her in the cage along with Achelous. The two huddled together like the buddies they were, which was odd for an owl and a puffskein, considering that the two creatures would normally fight and owls would try to eat puffskeins. Willow was glad that they liked each other, because that was one less problem for her to worry about. She'd head enough of problems for the summer.

At last, the closets were empty, the bathroom was clean, their beds were bare, and everyone's trunks were packed. The Gryffindor first-year girls stared at their desolate room, so devoid of emotion for how much had happened in there that year. Lavender wiped her eyes.

"You know, this has been the best year of my life," she commented.

"Me too," Fay agreed, tearing up. "You guys are the best roommates a girl could ask for."

"I can't believe you all put up with my beauty products all year," Mia said.

"Of course we would, Mia, it's you, and you deserve to look how you want with whatever products you choose," Parvati said. "I'm sure you would have done the same for us."

"Really?" Mia sniffled.

"Of course! We're a tight-knit group now, aren't we?" Sally asked.

"We are," Hermione agreed. "No matter how much work you guys required from me to get you good marks on your exams, I still love you guys. You're the sisters I never had."

"That's it, everyone, group hug!" Parvati announced.

The girls all hugged each other, a few with tears streaking down their face. Fay reached out to Willow.

"Get you butt in here. You're part of the sisterhood, too."

Willow gave in and squeezed all of the girls tight. They really were her big group of sisters. Hermione was right. No matter how much they put each other through, they had gelled together so much that they were always going to be there for each other. Even if they didn't understand what the next girl was going through, they would be a support system. Willow found herself tearing up a bit with the thought of not seeing all these crazy girls all summer.

"Alright, guys, we'll be late for the feast if we don't get going!" Sally said.

"I'm starving!" Mia cried. "Let's go!"

The group broke up and dashed down the stairs, pretending not to feel a pang of sadness at how empty and barren the common room looked without all the posters and decorations students had brought in throughout the year. They bounded through the corridors and made it to the Great Hall at last, where the Gryffindor table was beginning to fill up fast. The girls chose a spot around the middle of it to sit down on either side. Several of the boys were already there. Gryffindor was looking pretty glum, and Willow noticed quite a few of them glaring at the silver and green decorations. She had almost forgotten that Slytherin had won the House Cup.

As if thinking about Slytherin had summoned him, Draco appeared behind Willow, poking her hard in the back.

"Hey! What's that for?" Willow exclaimed, turning to see the little git.

"You're not dead, congrats! And your back is better, finally, I've missed throwing things at you," Draco said.

Willow rolled her eyes. "You are such a loser sometimes, Blonde, you know that?"

"Actually, all of Slytherin is a winner today, Wisp," Draco drawled. "We've won the House Cup, thanks to your friends and their misadventures with Professor McGonagall."

"I see that, congrats, but it makes me slightly happier that Professor McGonagall also deducted points when she found you snooping about. Weren't you a part of that, too?"

Draco scoffed. "I would never do something like that. Honestly, I was hoping to find Harry and turn him in, but Filch did all the hard work for me. I didn't have to raise a finger. Would you do something that dumb, Wisp?"

"Seeing as I had a near-experience twice this year, yeah, anything less is within my range," Willow said, smirking.

Professor McGonagall tapped her glass to get everyone's attention. Draco winked at Willow and darted back to his table. Of course Draco would act flirty in front of her friends. When Willow turned back to her roommates, they were all holding back screams and nearly ripping each other's arms off, they were so excited for her. Harry had appeared next to her and she nearly jumped when she recognized his messy hair.

"Harry, Merlin's beard!" Willow whispered while Dumbledore started giving his End-of Term speech. "When did you get here? I would have thought I would notice you."

"The rest of the Great Hall did," Harry said. "I think you and Draco were the only people who didn't see me."

"Sorry, I wish people wouldn't stare and whisper about you behind your back."

"It's not like you can help it, Willow. Oh, Dumbledore's announcing the House Cup positions."

Gryffindor was in dead last. Hufflepuff came in third. Ravenclaw came in second, and Slytherin came in first. No one applauded loudly except the Slytherin house when their points were announced. The other three houses were all mad that Slytherin won the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. But that wasn't the end.

To everyone's surprise, Dumbledore made an announcement that there were more points to give out after reviewing some recent events. There were fifty to Ron, another fifty to Hermione. The Gryffindor table went wild, and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw began to get excited. Willow squeezed Hermione in a hug, so proud of her for her logical achievement, and stood up to hug Ron, too. His face was blushing so hard that it was beyond red. Then, Harry was awarded sixty points, and as soon as he finished his sentence, Gryffindor erupted into more cheers.

"We're tied with Slytherin! WE'RE TIED WITH SLYTHERIN!" Hermione and Willow screamed.

It was nearly five minutes until Dumbledore could speak again, for the Great Hall was on its feet and bouncing with excitement. Would there be a face-off to determine the winner? If only there was one more point for Gryffindor!

Then, the most incredibly shocking their to ever happen to Gryffindor happened. Neville, who had told Willow about how he had tried to stop Harry, Ron, and Hermione from going after the Stone, was awarded ten points for his courage. All of a sudden, the Great Hall shook with the explosion of cheering and whooping and hollering from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Slytherin sulked on their side of the room. The banners and decorations became Gryffindor colors instead of Slytherin, and Dumbledore announced that Gryffindor won the House Cup. Willow was the first to tackle Neville in a hug, laughing and cheering and screaming with the rest. Neville's face went from shock to confusion to a goofy grin that told everyone just how much this meant to him. He had never won a single point for Gryffindor, but here he was, winning the House Cup for them. Neville had never been happier in his life, it seemed.

"Thank you, Willow," Neville said amidst the pandemonium. "I never could have gotten the courage to do that at all if it wasn't for you. The way you stand up to Draco, who's your friend despite what everyone else says, is incredible. I couldn't have done this without you."

"Oh, Neville," Willow said, shaking her head. "This is all you. The sorting hat wasn't wrong. You have the most courage of anyone I've ever met, you just don't show it all the time. You won the House Cup for Gryffindor!"

Willow and Neville hugged each other tight, then proceeded to to celebrate with the rest of their House. This was their moment. This was the time they could finally celebrate all of their hard work and dedication throughout the year. They could finally celebrate all the good in the world instead of facing the bad. Willow could finally celebrate everything about her second home.

The feast continued in a happy, loud overtone of chatter from all the students. Willow piled all of her favorite food from throughout the year on her plate- rolls, roast beef sandwiches, grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, carrots, and so much more. She ate quickly and was so full by the time pudding was served that she would barely eat a slice of cherry pie. Ron out-ate everyone, as usual, and had at least five total plates of food. Willow, Harry, and Hermione blinked a few times after his final plate, wondering where he put it all. Ron sat back and happily belched, hopefully full for the rest of the week.

The feast ended, inevitably, and the students were sent to the carriages for transportation to the Hogsmede Station. First years were sent back down to where they had first come into the castle on the first day of the year. Hagrid gathered them all, his face ruddy and cheery from all the celebration, and lead them to the dock. They got into the boats in fours. Willow was about to get into one with some of her other friends when someone yanked her backwards.

"Nope, you started this year with me, you're ending this year with me," Draco said.

Willow rolled her eyes. "You're horrible. But fine, I'll tolerate a boat ride with you."

"Tolerate?" Draco questioned, raising he eyebrows.

"Oh, sorry, did you want me to say 'agree to against my will'?"

Draco got into the last boat. "Get in, Wisp."

Willow ignored her friends who were making heart signs at her from the boat in front of them. Draco noticed, however, and glanced at Willow with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Do they seriously do that every time you're near me?" he asked.

"Yes, unfortunately," Willow sighed.

"You're going to hate me for this, but you deserve it since Gryffindor won the House Cup."

"What- ?"

Draco blew a kiss to Willow's roommates. They could barely contain their screams and Mia actually fainted for a moment. Then, Draco sat closer to Willow, facing away from the girls and instead staring at the castle. Willow pinched him in the side, but he was too busy holding in his laughter to care.

"I hate you. You know they're going to be talking about this the whole way home," Willow said.

"Oh, I know, that's why I told you you'd hate me for it."

"Do you have to add the extra touch of having your arm around me?" Willow asked.

"Yes, and I want to see how much torture they put you through later."

Willow sighed. "You're awful."

"I know."

The two stared at the castle as it got smaller and smaller on the hill looming high above them. It was still the same as ever, only bathed in daylight instead of starlight. Willow felt like a part of her was being torn away as she got farther and farther away from Hogwarts. It had become a second home to her, one away from her real one that was full of equal parts good and bad memories. Hogwarts had been her fresh start. She loved it dearly, and it was truly painful to leave. Her very soul was attached to it. All the things that had happened there, whether for better or for worse, were now going to remain strongly in Willow's memory until the day she died. She wouldn't have changed a single thing that happened there. It had changed her for the better.

The boat bumped the dock. Willow got out and helped Draco, who at first tried to swat her hand away, but ended up almost tumbling into the water and held onto Willow's hand for dear life. She laughed and helped him onto the sand. Draco brushed himself off, pretended like nothing had happened to any onlookers, and marched up the steep slope to the Hogsmede Station. Willow's ears picked up some faint whistles from the Hogwarts Express.

"Don't slip, Draco, I'm not helping you," Willow teased.

"Shut up," Draco snapped. "I can handle myself."

Though he wouldn't admit it, he was following Willow's every footstep, as she was more experienced in climbing steep slopes than he was and knew exactly where to place her feet. She smiled to herself, knowing that she could use that on him later. The more dirt on Draco, the better.

"Whatever you say..." Willow trailed off. A memory surfaced and reminded her about something that she had meant to ask him for a long time. "Draco?"

"What?"

"I've been meaning to ask you this but keep forgetting: Why didn't you tell me that you saved my life? You know, after I died in the hospital wing after the troll battle?"

Draco glanced at Willow with a confused expression on his face. "That was a long time ago."

"Yeah, I know, I'm that bad at remembering to ask questions."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You really need to work on that, you know."

"Stop avoiding my question and answer it, Draco," Willow commanded.

Draco huffed. "Fine. I didn't want you to die, okay? And it was kind of embarrassing for me to use- yuck, I have to say it- Muggle tactics that I learned a way back. My parents can't know, and I didn't want you accidentally passing it around the school."

"I get it," Willow said, nodding. "Sometimes I let things slip that shouldn't."

"I know, that's why I couldn't let you know."

"Are you sure that's all?" Willow teased. "Are you sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I was your friend?"

"You still are my friend, dimwit," Draco said.

"It does," Willow concluded, ignoring Draco's comment. "You avoided answering the question, so I'll take that as a yes."

"Wisp- !"

"Nope! You can't tell me otherwise!"

They cleared the slope at last, and the pair reached the Hogsmede Station. Willow told Draco goodbye, then ran to the platform, leaving him flabbergasted. It was bustling with life, as chaotic as it was crowded. Every student was desperately pushing and shoving to get onto the train as fast as they could. Willow shook her head. All the seats were the same, but apparently there were some compartments that were better than others. She didn't care.

Willow found Hagrid towering over everyone and made her way to him through the crowd. She barely got to hug him goodbye before her friends tackled her, kidnapped her, and dragged her onto the train. Hagrid chuckled, waving as she was towed away. Willow couldn't help but laugh in return. The final whistle blew as they sat her down in a compartment.

"YOU ARE SO BAD," Lavender said.

"I THOUGHT YOU FANCIED NEVILLE!" Fay shrieked.

"Guys, pipe down, what if Neville hears?"

"WHO CARE IF HE HEARS NOW!" Mia shouted. "You so fancy Draco now! When did you realize it?"

"Guys, I still fancy Neville!" Willow said, making sure their compartment was shut all the way. "Draco was just doing that to spite me because we won the House Cup instead of Slytherin, and he knew that you guys would attack me afterwards."

"But you guys looked so cute in that boat together!" Parvati squealed.

"Guys, for the final time, I'm not dating for a long, long, time," Willow said. "Draco's just a friend."

"A really handsome friend that makes you guys look pretty questionable," Sally said, raising her eyebrows.

"Nope. I'm done. I'm not doing this."

"Please, Willow? Please?" Fay asked.

"No, guys. Sorry! You'll get to do this to me all next term. Now, if you'll excuse me- "

"Willow! There you are," Fred interrupted, opening their compartment. "Do you need to be rescued?"

"Fred, George! Perfect timing," Willow exclaimed. She turned to her friends. "I've got to go. I'll send you guys owls! Keep in touch!"

"We will!" her roommates promised, disappointed. Willow jumped out of the compartment and shut the door for them.

"Thanks for that," Willow breathed. "They're relentless sometimes!"

"We know, that's why we figured we'd stop by early," George said. "Now, let's go to our compartment. We've finally finished our surprise, and in the nick of time!"

Excitement bubbled in Willow's stomach. "Really? You're finally ready to reveal it?"

"Yes, now let's get going! Lee is waiting on us!"

Willow ran the length of the Gryffindor train car and found Lee in the very last compartment. The three swung inside and shut the door. Lee had placed something in a large box on the table. Willow stared at it, remembering the tarantula he'd kept in a box during the beginning of the year. She hoped this wasn't a joke and they'd just throw the tarantula at her.

"Are you ready, Willow?" Lee asked.

"Ready! I've been ready for weeks!"

"3...2...1...ta-da!"

George tapped his wand to the box, and it unfolded to reveal four name tags, each one with a name on it. He gave Willow one with her name on it.

"No, I know what you're thinking, this is not simply a name tag," Fred explained. "What good would that be. Well, we've been working on these for the past month to address a problem we've always had- communication. Watch this. Lee, if you would."

Fred picked up his name tag and Lee his. Tapping his wand against the name tag, Fred said, "Lee Jordan." On Lee's name tag, Fred's face appeared, and on Fred's name tag, Lee's face appeared. Fred moved his name tag to show Willow that the name tag captured whatever image it was facing, whether that was the actual face of the person you were trying to talk to or not. When Fred turned his name tag to face Willow, Willow's face appeared on Lee's name tag, and vice versa. Fred tapped his wand to the name tag to make the image disappear. It transformed back into a regular piece of plastic with his name written in cursive on it.

"Wow...I don't know what to say," Willow said. "Thank you. These are the coolest gifts I've ever received."

"You're welcome."

"You are a part of our pranking schemes, after all."

"What about Paige?" Willow asked. "Isn't she part of them, too?"

"Yes, she already got hers, though, because she's staying in another compartment with a few of her roommates."

"Oh, cool! This is great, guys!"

"Test it out once you get your new wand!"

Willow hugged Fred, George, and Lee in turn, thanking them profusely for mentoring her (whether it was good or bad) and expressing how much it mean to her that they let he be a part of what they do.

"It's nothing, really. We don't have anything better today," Lee said.

"Still, you guys are the best."

"Hey, we thought we were the best!" a indignant voice cried.

Willow whipped around. "Mandy, you have to share being the best people with these three guys. Sorry!"

"Well, you're going to have to prove it," Sue said. "You're coming with us now! Sorry, we're kidnapping Willow for the rest of the train ride. Have a good summer, you three!"

Mandy grabbed Willow by the wrist and started dragging her down the length of the train car. Willow hastily waved goodbye to the three dumbfounded third years.

"Bye, guys! Have a good summer!" she called.

"You too?" they said.

Willow was placed in yet another compartment, this time one in the Ravenclaw train car. Her friends sat down and burst out laughing, the hilarity of the shock on Willow's face too funny to not. They eventually calmed down enough to have a lengthy conversation with her. The five of them talked about everything that had happened at Hogwarts that year, the good, the bad, and everything in between. They compared exam marks, Willow and Lisa getting the highest while Oliver and Mandy barely passed. Sue was right in the middle, getting a mark that she wasn't happy with, but it was way better than Oliver and Mandy's scores.

They changed into the regular Muggle clothes when there was only ten minutes left in the journey. Willow and Mandy wore their typical t-shirts and shorts, Sue dressed in a flowery patterned sundress, and Lisa wore the latest fashion in Muggle clothing, looking pretty sharp. Oliver was in his favorite khaki shorts and dress shirt. His entire appearance was transformed from tall and skinny to adorable Muggle boy. Willow hoped that there wouldn't be any first year girls swooning over him at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

The Hogwarts Express pulled into the Platform at sunset, turning the red paint on the side of the steam engine to a scarlet red. It was rather beautiful. There was a lot of congestion at the Platform, as only a few people were allowed to go through the barrier at once to not scare the Muggles to death. Willow gathered her things, said goodbye to her friends, and made her way to the Gryffindor train car, where Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville were waiting for her.

"If it isn't the two most popular kids in Hogwarts," Willow greeted.

"Hi, Willow," Hermione said.

"Willow, I just realized, you're up one," Harry said. "By near-death experiences, I mean."

Willow shook her head. "Well, I guess I win."

"Not for long!"

"Harry! Don't you dare!" Ron scolded him. "Haven't you scared us enough for one year?"

"No, I don't think we'll ever scare you enough," Willow said, ruffling Harry's hair affectionately.

The group made their way onto the platform. Willow hugged Harry, Ron, and Hermione goodbye, wishing Harry luck with spending a few months with the Dursleys. She warned the three to be less like her and try to stay out of trouble. Finally, only Neville remained.

"Willow, before I go, I almost forgot," Neville rambled. He stood on his tiptoes and pecked Willow on the cheek. She instantly blushed, staring at Neville in surprise. "Thanks again for helping me all year. You're a great person, really."

"You know, Neville, I kind of like this courage thing," Willow said. "Keep it up."

Neville blushed deeply, awkwardly saying goodbye, and blundering through the crowd to find his grandmother. Willow stared after him, a tiny piece of her heart going with him.

Suddenly, Willow was tipped back and lifted off the ground. Paige was smiling down at her, obviously in a good mood.

"Hey, Paige," Willow said. "Nice to see you before you head off to God knows where."

"Oh, I don't even know where I'm going at this point," Paige admitted. She pulled out her name tag, smirking. "But at least I can contact you whenever I want, even in the middle of the night."

"Please don't do that."

"I wouldn't count on me not to."

Willow sighed. "You're ridiculous, but feel free. I can spare the sleep."

"Good. Have a good holiday, Willow," Paige said, setting her back on her feet.

"You too."

Paige squeezed Willow tight in a hug, then gave her a flirtatious wink before disappearing into the crowd. Typical Paige.

"Willow? Willow Lucia Guerrero, where are you?"

Willow's heartbeat sped up. She had been longing to hear that voice for so long. "Dad?"

"Willow!" Carlos said, appearing among the rest of the families.

"Dad!" Willow exclaimed, running towards him and jumping into his open arms. He held her tight and hugged her for what seemed like days, even though it only last a minute. When he finally set her down, Willow stared into his familiar brown eyes, feeling like a six-year-old again. She was safe. She was finally safe.

Her dad took her through King's Cross Station and into the parking lot, where he helped load her stuff into the back and even let her sit in the front seat. Willow rambled on and on and on about her times at Hogwarts, telling him everything good that had happened, not wanting to kill the mood with the bad stories. She could tell him about those later.

Carlos filled her in on the happenings at home. Everyone was safe. Her mother and her family were well and kept to themselves, which meant Abuela, Abuelo, and him were okay, too. Her grandparents were happily going back and forth between their American home and their home in Great Britain's countryside. He had so much he promised to tell her after they got home and settled back in.

The car pulled into the familiar gravel driveway, and the two-story mexican-style mansion rose to meet her eyes. Willow hurriedly grabbed her trunk and her pets, then rushed through the front door, setting everything down in the living room. Perrito barked and scrambled to meet her.

"What are you doing here, little one?" Willow asked, laughing as he licked her face.

"Surprise!" Abuelo exclaimed, coming from another room.

"Welcome home, nieta!" Abuela said, appearing behind him.

Willow ran to envelop them both in a big hug. Carlos laughed and joined them, Perrito barking and running in happy circles. Willow breathed in the familiar smell of her house, relished the familiar feel of her family's love for her.

She was home.


	19. Summer of Year 2: Chapter 1

Willow stared out her bedroom window, Achelous and Iris making a racket on the bed behind her. The wind blew in a cool summer morning breeze, gently rustling the leaves outside and making her curtains flutter as if on a slow-motion camera. She sighed inwardly. It was only the third day away from Hogwarts, and already she was feeling depressed and lost. The events leading up to the last week at Hogwarts didn't help. She kept having nightmares, which was no different than it had been before she went to Hogwarts, but this time, there were more horrors than just her mother waiting for her in dreams. Now there was Voldemort, Professor Quirrel, and the stricken faces of her friends as they were dying at their hands. She had refused to sleep for the past twenty-four hours, fearing the darkness that was awaiting her. It was taking its toll. Maybe if she was tired enough, the dreams would stay away...

"Willow, are you awake yet?" a voice said.

"I'm always awake at this time, Tío Cisco," Willow replied.

"Come on, then. There's no good holing yourself up in your room if the rest of your family is already up," he said.

"What do you- oh, I forgot, you guys all wake up early, too," Willow said. "Sorry, I'm used to my roommates needing to be dragged out of bed just to make it to breakfast. I'll be right out."

Willow quickly got dressed and made it down the stairs, not bothering to run. She was quite exhausted. Her family was working together to make breakfast, and it was only seven in the morning. Willow smiled to herself. She missed being surrounded by early risers. Her uncles were always pestering her dad about getting up late, even though he got up at the regular time of eight on the weekends. Willow's uncles, Cisco and Leonel, had come to visit. They weren't married- despite their dashing looks- and liked it that way. The two acted like twins even though they aren't, staying attached at the hip, finishing each other's sentences, traveling the world together, and even working the same job. They were both older than Carlos and loved to check in on him and Willow from time to time. No matter how much Willow's mother had torn her side of the family apart, the Guerrero side remained intact and would stay very tight with each other forever.

"You better be hungry, Willow, because we made a ton of eggs and bacon," Tío Leonel remarked, sauteing the eggs in a frying pan as he spoke. "And you know how Abeula is, always making sure you eat right. Best not to cross her."

"I'll try to summon an appetite," Willow yawned.

"Geez, sobrina, I thought you were a bundle of energy in the morning," Tío Cisco said. "Either I'm remembering wrong or you've gotten lazy because of Hogwarts."

"I think it's more the fact that she didn't sleep last night, isn't it, Willow?" Abuela asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow at her granddaughter. "Don't lie to me. The circles under your eyes are too obvious, nieta."

"Alright, alright, I promise I'll sleep later," Willow promised. A fresh wave of energy washed over her when she smelled bread being toasted and buttered. "How many pieces of toast am I allowed to have?"

"Is that even a question?" Carlos chuckled.

Willow helped pour everyone milk and set the table. Before long, Iris was chirping in agitation and Achelous was bouncing up and down, both demanding Willow's attention as she downed two pieces of toast in the same minute. Abuelo noticed.

"You have way too much of your father in you. I see that you spoil your pets frequently."

"Oh, just a scrap every now and then," Willow said.

"You're such a liar."

"Okay, maybe every week...or every day?"

"Hey, as long as Iris doesn't refuse to carry your mail anymore, it's all good," Tío Cisco said.

"Actually, I don't need her to contact all of my friends, just some of them," Willow said. "A few of my friends made me a name tag that actually serves as a face-to-face contacting system. I'll have to show you it sometime."

"It sounds like you made some very good friends, then," Tío Leonel observed. "Are they all in your House?"

"Mainly. I've made friends with five people outside Gryffindor- three in Ravenclaw, one in Hufflepuff, and one in Slytherin. Oh, and I have a few Gryffindor friends that are two years older than me. I can thank Ron for that."

"You've really made a Slytherin friend?" Abuela gasped. "I've heard nothing but awful tales about those witches and wizards. Nothing but deceit and treachery. Are there any decent folk that come out of Slytherin?"

"If you ask anyone else, no, but according to me, yes, there are actually a handful of good people in Slytherin," Willow said. She swallowed nervously, wondering if they wouldn't approve. "Do you know anyone from Slytherin?"

"Yes, and they're the only family we've met in person," Carlos said. "When we first moved here and went to the Ministry, actually. They're a nasty lot. I can't stand them and their pureblood mania...They're the Malfoys."

Willow nearly choked on her eggs. "Um...have you heard anything else about them, at all?"

"There's been talk of Lucius being a part of that gang of Death Eaters, but there's no solid proof," Tío Cisco said. "Pity. He's an absolutely insufferable git. I can't imagine what his poor son must go through on a daily basis."

"I'm sure he's fine, being treated to the best and filled with all that propaganda," Abuelo said bitterly. "He probably can't tell right from wrong at this point."

"He can," Willow burst out, then immediately regretted it. Her defensiveness earned her some odd stares from her family members. She wished she could become invisible, hating the uncomfortable situation. When would she learn to keep her mouth shut?

"What do you mean? Do you know this boy?" Tío Leonel asked.

"He is in Willow's year, last I checked," Carlos said.

"Hold on a second..." Abuela said, her brown eyes shifting like a kaleidoscope as her brain worked through the small details. "You said you were friends with a Slytherin...Please don't tell me Draco is the youngster you've befriended?"

Willow winced, but felt obliged to tell the truth. "Unfortunately, yes."

"But...how could you be friends- let alone acquaint yourself- with someone like Draco?" Tío Cisco questioned. "I thought you had high standards for your friends. How could he meet even the lowest bar?"

"I- I don't know, actually," Willow admitted. "My other friends have been asking me the same thing all year. They keep wondering why I allow him to make up with me after our fights and continue our friendship. I wonder myself, sometimes, but I've come to the conclusion that it's because I'm trying to help him."

"So it's a pity friendship? Thank God," Tío Leonel concluded.

"No, it's not quite that," Willow corrected.

"Then how are you helping this boy?" Abuelo inquired.

"Well..." she trailed off. "I think it's because I see the good in him, and almost exclusively that. He has such a beautiful personality hidden under all of that mania his parents bury him in. Draco is a good friend some of the time, and others he's a downright bully. But I think I've made some progress with him. We only had one big fight, really, and it was all over within the day-"

"What do you mean by 'big fight'?" Abuela asked, her eyes critical and piercing.

Willow cursed internally. "I mean that he started a fist fight with my friends, so I joined in because I was mad at him, and I hit him pretty hard after he gave me a nice bruise, but it's fine. We're past it now. I didn't sustain any major injuries throughout the course of the year because of Draco."

"As long as you're sure..." Tío Cisco said. "Just be wary of any Malfoy, Willow. He might only be friends with you because of your blood status. I don't want you to be let down again."

Willow nodded, remembering how many Muggle children had pretended to be friends with her, only for her to figure out that they were using her smarts or her money to get what they wanted. "That thought has crossed my mind. I don't think he cares too much about that anymore, but that definitely helped start up our friendship."

"Who are we kidding, Willow can help herself," Abuelo said. "She's stood up to enough people to last a lifetime. I've never known her to back down or let people walk all over her. If she thinks she can handle a rocky friendship, so be it. Willow's young yet. She can figure this out for herself without our interfering."

Her grandfather winked at her. Willow smiled, thankful that at least one person seated around the table believed in her. The rest nodded in agreement, though stiffly, as if they were still not satisfied with Willow's answers. She was known for being extremely kind, after all. But they would get over it. Willow hoped she was correct in that assumption.

"Well, the day's young, yet," Carlos announced, swiftly changing the subject. "What do you want to do today? There's lots of parks and zoos nearby. I think there might even be a soccer game going on."

"Futbol, dear brother, futbol," Tío Leonel chortled. "You need to start saying it right, or Willow's never going to be understood."

"It's okay, I don't understand what I'm rambling on about half the time, either," Willow said.

"How about we visit the London Zoo?" Abuela suggested. "I haven't been there in at least a decade."

"London Zoo it is, then," Carlos decided. "Everyone in the car, we can't Apparate and scare the Muggles. Keep you wands hidden, and for Merlin's sake, Cisco, don't confuse the Muggles just to entertain Willow."

"Aw, man, please? Just one time?" Tío Cisco begged.

"No, and that's an order," Abuelo said. "We are not going back to the Ministry to explain why a fountain exploded in the middle of a popular tourist plaza only to have water horses chasing innocent Muggles!"

"You have to admit, that was a good one."

"No means no, hermano," Tío Leonel said, though he still wore a mischievous grin with a twinkle in his eye. "Let's get going, then, because I can't stand the traffic in London."

Less than an hour later, the Guerreros were walking to the front gates of the London Zoo, equipped with hats and water bottles. Their wands remained hidden from the hundreds of Muggles pouring into the zoo. After paying, the group made their way through the crowding walkways to the giraffe exhibit. The gentle creatures were slowly grazing in the already hot morning sun. Their beautiful brown-spotted patterns attracted Willow's eyes. She traced every single one of them, for some reason entranced with the animals' beauty. Their long, skinny legs were at least twice her size, but Willow knew better than to presume that they were slow. On the contrary, she had seen them run the last time she visited the zoo. A new vet was trying to catch one of the females for a yearly checkup. Willow and several others present had looked on while the giraffe sprinted away in fear, running circles around the enclosure for nearly a half hour. The same giraffe was present today. Whether it was because of her powers or because she recognized the markings, Willow didn't know.

"Come on, sobrina, you can't stare at the giraffes all day," Tío Cisco chortled, pulling his niece away from the exhibit. "There's plenty of other animals that should capture your interest."

Willow followed her uncle, as though in a trance, to the lion enclosure, then the zebra one, and finally to the rhinoceros. The heavy grey animals were attracting lots of attention. Willow and her family had to fight through a throng of onlookers to even reach the plaque describing the situation with rhinos in their natural habitat and the zoo's conservation research they'd done throughout the years. When she finally looked up again, her family had left her side and was standing directly in front of the viewing area.

"Ouch," Willow complained, rubbing her head. It was one of those weird electrical signals again.

"Ah, those powers of yours are getting quite strong, are they not?" Abuelo whispered to her. "You can sense that one of the rhinos is not like the others."

Willow glanced at her grandfather, then at the rhinos. All of a sudden, one of them caught her eye. Her eyes darted in that direction. Another flicker. Willow's mouth slightly dropped open when she realized that she was not looking at a rhino.

"Is that- what even is that thing?"

"Very good. That, Willow, is an erumpent," Carlos explained. "The London Zoo has a mix of magical people and Muggles working behind the scenes, so the Ministry has allowed some species to be kept here, disguised as similar Muggle animals, for conservation purposes. Only a trained eye can spot the difference. They put some powerful masking spells on them."

"Sometimes my powers scare me," Willow said, staring wide-eyed at the creature.

"Well, you better get used to it, because we're going to have a nice chat about saying things about them in public once we get home," Abuela said. She gave both of her sons a look that would have made Willow shrink in fear had it been aimed at her. "Let's get out of the public eye. I've got a special treat for us, and I think Willow will thoroughly enjoy it."

Abuela lead her family off the main path. They found a small sidewalk leading away from the crowded walkway and towards the heart of the zoo. Willow's ears relaxed as they got farther and farther away from the harsh racket of thousands of Muggles, naturally tuning into more minuscule sounds. Hundreds of city birds flocked to this inner part of the zoo, shielded by the thick canopy of trees that provided plenty of room for their nests. Willow had always marveled at how intelligent city birds were compared to the birds of the countryside. They always managed to recognize the food potential of places that had a high concentration of humans and gathered there, then charmed humans into feeding them instead of shying away like they usually did. Willow blinked as she realized that she had analyzed birds for no reason. She was probably the only person that did that.

Willow nearly bumped into Tío Cisco when the group suddenly stopped. She cursed at herself quietly for being such an idiot, then brushed away her thoughts to look up at a wooden gate. A single, simple design was painted on it. For a moment, Willow wondered why anyone would bother to paint a ratty old hat on a gate, then recognized it as the Sorting Hat.

"What the- " she started.

"Yes, Willow, that's the Sorting Hat," Abuelo explained. "This path that we're on is magically disguised so that Muggles can't see it. There's a lot more to this zoo than there seems."

"Shut up!" Abuela hissed. "I'm trying to remember the pattern. What was it....oh! I've got it."

Willow watched as Abuela knocked on the gate in a sort of rhythm. It immediately swung open to reveal an older man dressed in wizarding robes. Abuela smiled and embraced the man, who laughed as she did so.

"Anita, it's been so long," the man said. "Too long, actually. How has your family been?"

"We've been well, thanks," Abuela replied. "And how have you been? I've heard mixed reports about the well-being of those demiguises. Last I checked, you were in charge of them, but I could be mistaken."

"Oh, I still am, and they're doing wonderfully," the man assured. "We've actually got a few babies at the moment. Would you like to come and see?"

"I wouldn't miss the opportunity if someone offered me a million galleons."

Abuela and the man lead the way inside the gate and shut it behind them. At first, the sunlight was almost blinding, but the moment her eyes adjusted to it, Willow's jaw hit the floor.

They had arrived at the wizarding section of the London Zoo. Exhibits stretched on either side of a single, wide, concrete walkway as far as Willow's eyes could see, and she had good eyesight. The gate at the opposite end was barely within her vision. Witches and wizards dressed in special robes ran here and there, Apparating out of thin air, carrying bags of food, hay bales, medicine, small magical creatures, and so much more that Willow hoped to learn about in the future. Winged creatures that ranged from the size of her palm to a Thunderbird took to the sky without restraint and enjoyed a flight in the mid day sun. One wizard was taking a break in a lawn chair, allowing a band of bowtruckles to lay across his stomach. Nearby, a team of witches struggled to lead a massive gray animal across the aisle to a medical station. It groaned and stubbornly pulled against them, apparently aware of the pokes and prods it was about to receive.

"Ah, don't worry about that Graphorn," the man said, seeing the look on Willow's face. "That big guy is named Albert. He's a stubborn old mule, but he's never attacked anyone. Today's his medicine day for the arthritis he's getting in his joints. As you can tell, he hates how it tastes."

Willow giggled. "He's amazing. This entire place is amazing. How did I not know it was right here all along?"

"Because our bullheaded brother wouldn't tell you for fear that you'd run off to live here," Tío Leonel said. "Honestly, he may have had a point. We might have to drag you out of here."

"You definitely will."

"Here we are," the man announced, stopping in front of a particularly large exhibit. "This is where my demiguises live. They're incredibly shy, mind you, especially with their young. It might be hard to spot them."

Willow focused her eyes on the enclosure. The jungle trees were well spaced to let plenty of light in, which meant there might be a shadow. But as hard as she looked, there were none. She gave up and let her life-detecting senses find them. When she stepped closer to the glass wall, her brain fired like it never had before. Willow rubbed her head.

"Here's one," she wheezed, putting her hand up against the glass.

Like she had undone an invisibility spell, a single hand appeared, and soon the rest of a demiguise. Its silky gray hair glowed with a sort of powerful curiosity that Willow could sense emanating from the enclosure. The demiguise's black eyes studied her with an intelligence she assumed to be nearly the same as her own. More of the creatures began appearing farther back in the exhibit and slowly crawled towards them. Willow had a feeling her presence was drawing them towards her.

"Well done, young one," the man said, patting her on the back. "You have good eyes. Demiguises are particularly tricky to spot, even here in captivity. They can come so close to being completely invisible that even Newt Scamander has one sneak up on him from time to time. Come on, they're interested now. They won't thank me later if I don't let you into their home."

Willow turned to the man with wide eyes. "You're going to let us in?"

"Of course," he said. "They're right friendly creatures. Completely harmless, especially the females. They're quite nurturing, actually." He opened a door to the right of the viewing glass. "Come along, right this way."

Willow walked through the door as if in a trance. The air immediately drenched her in heavy moisture, and the change in temperature was a shock. But she didn't notice any of that for once. Willow didn't stop with the rest of her family to take the habitat in, or even ask a question or two about how they fed the animals. She simply made her way into the middle of the enclosure. There was no need to make sure she was moving slow enough; she was so awestruck that she was surprised she could move at all. The demiguises shuffled towards her, surrounding her in a sort of arc. Her family and the caretaker fell silent. Willow could hear the buzzing of insects and the twitter of a few tropical birds, the running of a small stream deeper into the trees, and most of all, the hammering of her own heart. She stopped, slowly lowered herself to the ground, and waited for one of the silvery creatures to come to her.

The first one to come forward was the demiguise that had touched the glass. It inched cautiously forward, its black, merciful eyes nothing like Quirrel's. Willow could see the emotion, the brilliance, the tenderness in them. This was a creature with a soul much like her own. It stopped right in front of her, assessing her face, then reached out to touch her nose. Willow smiled and very nearly cried. The demiguise tried to beam back at her the best it could, as if imitating her. She giggled at its goofy face. Then, very gently, the demiguise wrapped its arms around her neck and hung there, staring into her eyes. Willow laughed when it offered her a banana.

"Don't look now, Willow, but you've made a lot of friends," Carlos called.

Glancing away from the demiguise hanging on her, Willow realized that all of the demiguises had crept closer and were now holding out bananas in her direction. She had an audience, apparently. Not knowing what else to do, she took a few of their banana offerings, wondering what she should do next, when a baby demiguise smashed one in her face. Willow froze, hoping that it wasn't a sign of aggression. She waited a single heartbeat. Nothing. Then another. Not a soul moved. All eyes were on her, as if anticipating her to react. Willow flicked a tiny bit of smashed banana back on the baby demiguise. As if that were a signal, an all-out food fight began.

The demiguises threw fruit at each other from across the jungle floor, seemingly laughing and smiling as they played. Babies tackled each other and flicked the peels at adults. Their silver fur was soon covered in a mushy yellow. Willow looked back at the caretaker and her family, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Go ahead, join in!" the man urged. "They love to do this with visitors!"

Willow didn't need to be told twice. She launched several bananas at the demiguises, causing them to pelt her with five more. Willow couldn't have cared less. She let the demiguises crawl all over her, getting a better vantage point. Every time she found a banana peel, she would place it over a baby's face, giggling uncontrollably as they tried to figure their way out of it. The adults were foreseeing the future and rapidly dodging blows Willow didn't even know were coming. They kept shifting between invisible and visible, too, making for an interesting game. By the time all of the bananas were gone, there wasn't a single demiguise that wasn't covered in yellow.

"Alright, Phoebe, that's enough," the caretaker chortled. "Wipe that piece of banana out of your eyes and lead everyone to wash off in the river. Yes, you heard me, go on! You're capable of washing yourself."

The demiguise that had touched the glass scowled at her caretaker, then flicked a bit of banana on him before climbing a tree. She hollered at the top of her lungs, as if announcing something, then dropped to the floor again and walked deeper into the exhibit. The entire community of demiguises followed her.

"Do they have a social hierarchy, sort of like chimpanzees?" Willow asked.

"Nah, they just have a leader, and everyone else below her is equal," the caretaker explained. "Demiguises don't usually have a leader in the wild, but in captivity, we need the smartest one to help herd the others as necessary. It happens that Phoebe is also the most curious of the group. Fitting, really, because she's too smart for her own good, always picking up on things that get her in trouble, like how to get out of the exhibit."

"She's amazing," Willow breathed. She wiped off a bit of banana that dripped in her eye. "How did you get all of these magical creatures? I've never seen this many in my life, and I've been to a lot of places."

"They're rescued, every single one of them," the man said. "Most of the time, when a magical creature's habitat is threatened, we're sent in to find all of the groups in the biggest danger. We try to rescue, rehabilitate, and release, but some just won't make it out there, and we need to keep them in the breeding program for conservation efforts. This particular group of demiguises was nearly dead by the time we got to them. We made it back here just in time to save the lot. The London Zoo is the only place in the wizarding world that keeps magical creatures in captivity, and we've got the best medical team this century's ever seen. There's a lot of devoted people here."

"We all worked here when we first moved to Britain," Tío Leonel said. "But after Mum and Dad retired, the Ministry had more openings for the Magical Creatures department, and all three of us boys went there. We've been regretting it ever since."

Willow's dad elbowed his brother in the stomach. "We're fine. The Ministry needs at least three people that look out for the creatures more than their pocketbooks in our department. Besides, it looks like you've already got many wonderful people here, Perry."

Perry beamed. "We do, but it's never too late to come back. Extra help is always appreciated."

"Especially with cleaning the exhibits, I see," Abuela joked. "It's a disaster zone! I say Willow comes here just to clean up after these guys."

"I say that I keep going to Hogwarts!" Willow protested. She flicked another banana peel off her head.

"You're an absolute mess!" Tío Cisco exclaimed. "But it was well worth it, wasn't it? You looked like you were having the time of your life out there."

"Here, I can wash you off with the hose," the caretaker offered. "I keep one on the off chance that someone food-fights with them, which isn't really an off chance at all, considering how often they do this."

"Thanks, Mr. Perry," Willow said. She sprayed the bananas off of her clothes. As she did so, the demiguises began returning from the stream, sopping wet but happy nevertheless. The babies scaled her legs the moment she put the hose away. A few fought for space on her head while the rest found spots on her shoulders and arms, causing a fit of laughter from her family.

"I love you guys, too," Willow chuckled.

The adult demiguises lumbered over to the group, pulling on hands, begging to be petted and given the utmost attention. Willow chortled as her dad was dragged every which way, bouncing from demiguise to demiguise like a pinball. Perry had at least ten demiguises picking through his hair for bugs and leaves, and the rest of her family simply became climbing gyms for the funny creatures. She sat down and let the adults comb her, too, while the babies playfully nibbled her fingers and tackled each other. Willow couldn't remember being happier in her life.

Their time was up too soon. The clock struck twelve, and with it the demiguises had to go for feeding time. They longingly glanced back as they departed, some trying to mimic the waving of the Guerreros. Phoebe was the last one to leave. She grabbed Willow's hand and flattened it out against hers, as if saying goodbye the same way she said hello, then scampered after her family into the trees. Willow wished she could go with them, but if she stayed any longer, she knew she wouldn't have the heart to leave. She dejectedly followed the rest of her family out of the enclosure and waited as Perry locked the door.

"Well, that was sure something," Tío Leonel remarked. "I've never seen demiguises that friendly."

"They've developed a love for humans after we rescued them," Perry said, shrugging. "I can't say I blame them. I would love anyone that rescues me from certain death, too."

"No argument there. Thank you so much, Perry," Abuela said, hugging the caretaker. "It was awesome to see you again- and your demiguises."

"I'd have to say the same."

"I'll see you another time, then. Good luck with the rest of your career! I'd better not hear any bad reports!"

"And to you, too, Anita! I'll treat them like family," Perry promised as they walked away.

Willow lingered a moment longer, staring into the viewing glass, hoping to see Phoebe again, but ended up tearing herself away. She had to leave. Maybe after Hogwarts, she could come work here. School comes first. Willow ran to catch up to her family.

"Where are we going now?" she asked as she caught up, trying to distract herself.

"We're going on a behind-the-scenes adventure for the Muggle part of the London zoo," Carlos explained. "Do you see the gates at the other end? When you go out those, you appear at the entryway to the tiger exhibit. Basically, every time you leave this way, you get a free pass to visit the tigers. It's really cool. The Muggle zookeepers don't have a clue."

"Awesome!"

The Guerreros made it to the gate. Another depiction of the Sorting Hat was painted on it. Abuela grabbed six passes out of a bin next to the gate, then opened it and let the rest of her family through.

Willow had to do a double take. One moment, she was staring at a pathway through the trees, the next, she was standing at the top of a flight of stairs. Glancing around, she found that the tiger exhibit was to her right, an in-ground pit with a wide open space on one side and a tree-covered area on the other. A throng of Muggles gathered in front of a glass viewing area, staring down at the animals. She had to hand it to whoever designed this enclosure- it allowed people to view the tigers while leaving them alone. The tigers appeared relaxed and unfazed by the crowd up above. A thin black net surrounded the top and sides like a dome, preventing birds and people from falling in. It was very well-designed.

"Ah, here's the next round," a voice echoed from below

Willow looked down to see a beaming man dressed in a zookeeper's uniform walking up the steps to greet them. Abuela beckoned for her and the rest of the family to meet him halfway. He stopped, took Abuela's tickets, and put them in his back pocket.

"Alright! Follow me down here, where we keep everything for the tigers."

Willow really did try her best to pay attention during the tour, but she couldn't. Her mind kept wandering back to Phoebe's longing gaze as she galloped away. The demiguise had already stolen her heart, and a piece of her was left behind at that enclosure. Willow knew she would go mental if she kept thinking about them, but she couldn't help it, like she was meant to care about them so much.

Suddenly, something broke Willow's train of thought. She noticed they were right behind the bar doors that lead into the tiger's exhibit. The view from down here was different, much more defined. She could see the tigers much closer from this position, trace every stripe with her eyes, even tell the color of theirs. But that wasn't what had her attention. It was something from above. Her eyes found it immediately, and when they did, Willow gasped.

A boy, around three years old, was climbing the netting. His innocent eyes were locked on a broken part of the covering. He was trying to get into the tiger pit! He could fall! Willow's heart rate spiked. She had to do something!

"Willow, what are you doing? Are you even paying attention?" Abuela asked. "There's this amazing method they have to feed them, you should really hear about it- "

"I'm really, really, sorry about this!" Willow apologized in advance.

"What- ?"

Before they could stop her, Willow lunged for the ring of keys on a hook next to the door. She scrambled to find the right one, then fit it in the keyhole and turned it. The handle finally obliged and let her swing the door open. She stepped into the tiger pit, her sight trained on the boy, who was just starting to make his way through the hole. Her entire family realized what she was about to do.

"Willow, no! Stop!" Carlos commanded.

"You're going to get killed!" Abuelo warned.

Willow didn't listen to them, filtering out their warnings. She sprinted past the zookeepers, who immediately screamed after her to stop, and towards the netting where the boy was dangling by a single leg. The tigers noticed her sudden movement and trotted after her in curiosity. She couldn't have cared less. The boy gasped when his foot came loose and he fell, plummeting towards the rocks below. Willow's eardrums shattered as the gathering crowd above screamed.

"He's going to break something!"

"My son!"

"Someone help him!"

"Willow, come back!" Tío Leonel called.

Willow pretended she didn't hear him. The boy was halfway down already. She wasn't going to make it in time! He rocketed towards the ground, every millisecond getting closer to impending doom. Willow wanted to cry as he was merely two meters above the ground while she was ten away.

All of a sudden, Willow's muscles pulsed. A familiar electrical energy flowed through her. Her heart seized in her throat when she realized what was happening.

No! No, no, NO! I can't shape-shift here! she screamed into her mind.

The voice lady didn't answer. Willow closed her eyes and prepared for the worst, accepting the damage that she was about to cause.

But it never happened.

Willow's muscles sprang forward of their own accord, pouncing with all the strength of a panther. She gasped when she felt herself hit something solid and tumble head-over-heels onto a hard surface. Her head scrambled, scattering all the wits she thought she had left. Then, she hit the wall and stopped rolling.

"Willow, get up!" Tío Cisco shrieked.

She groaned, releasing her grip on the shaking boy beneath her. He flopped onto the rocks, trembling in terror. When he opened his mouth, no sound came out, instead silently screaming.

"Willow, get up!" Abuelo shouted.

Dizzy and completely disoriented, Willow shakily rose to her feet, wobbling as she did so. She was met with cheers from the onlookers above. All that did was rattle her broken eardrums more, making it harder to concentrate. Her arm shot out on the wall to steady herself.

"The tigers, Willow, the tigers!" Carlos warned.

Somehow, through the thick fog clouding her head, the message got through. Willow glanced up to see four tigers slowly inching closer to her. But their eyes weren't on her. They were trained on their next meal- the boy.

Willow's mind was shocked into working order by a wave of adrenaline that slapped her across the face. The tigers were getting dangerously close now, within ten meters, and still getting closer. She tensed up, freezing under the weight of the situation. What was she to do? These were four very powerful, aggressive predators that would eat her as soon as use her for bait. How could she defend herself and the boy?

"Use them, Willow! You have no other choice!" Abuela shrilled.

Listen to your grandmother, you idiot! the voice lady scolded. Have you already forgotten about you abilities?

Right, sorry! On it!

Willow picked up the young boy in her arms. He tried to say something. All that came out was a strangled choking noise that reminded Willow of someone who was drowning- in this case, in fear. A hush fell over the scene as onlookers watched the situation unfold.

"Get back," Willow commanded, her eyes locked on the lead tiger. "You heard me. Get back."

The tigers froze, as if unsure how to respond. Willow took advantage of their indecision and gained a few paces towards the opening where the zookeepers were trying to get the tigers' attention. She gulped when one of the tigers licked their chops.

"I said get back," Willow repeated. "This is not food. He tastes bad."

The tigers didn't seem to think so. They stared hungrily at the shivering boy, as if he were a juicy piece of steak cooked just for them. Willow felt anger bubbling up in her when they got closer.

I said GET BACK!

But...

Willow would have slapped her hand over her mouth if she had a free one. Did she just...telepathically connect with a tiger? She didn't remember speaking inside her head...or did she?

So...hungry...

No! Get back! Human, not food! Willow shouted. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the tiger responded.

Smells like food though...

Willow kept inching away from the beasts, backing up towards the zookeepers. The tigers would always close the distance, though, and they wouldn't take their beady eyes off the little boy.

Go away!

Hungry...

Willow had enough by that point in time. She was sick and tired of the tigers not listening to her. How could they not listen and still target the boy? He wasn't anywhere close to meat!

Listen to me RIGHT NOW! Willow screamed at the tigers. They paused in the tracking. Back. Up. NOW.

The tigers lowered their heads, but, despite their agitated growling, took a few steps backwards. They still stared at the little boy in Willow's arms. It didn't do much to settle her fluttering stomach.

Sit down.

But-

NOW!

The tigers started chuffing, though it wasn't in a very friendly manner. Willow back peddled even faster now. Her pulse raced, the blood pounded in her ears, her heart hammered against her ribs. She was so close to her family. Only a few more meters and she would be there. Very carefully, Willow turned her back to hand the toddler to the zookeepers. The very moment she did, the tigers sprang at him, startling the zookeepers. Her heart stopped when she saw the boy get dropped amidst the chaos. There was only one solution that sprang into her mind.

"Dad, catch!" Willow shouted.

Before he could ask questions, she tossed the boy to her father, who stumbled into Cisco under the weight of the toddler. Willow felt the hot breath of the tigers on her heels as they tried to pass her and reach the boy.

They never got there.

Among gasps from the Muggle audience, Willow threw her entire body into the tigers' paths. They stumbled, fell, and tumbled into each other. Before they could get back up, she did something ridiculously stupid that Willow knew she would regret later. She took one gate in each hand and slammed them shut.

Locking her in with the tigers.

Willow turned and fled from the pile of tigers before they could change their menu to her. She scrambled on top of the nearest rock pile, narrowly avoiding a pile of poop. The tigers nipped at each other's heels for a second. Then, noticing her standing in the middle of their exhibit, they bounded over to where she was, surrounding her on all four sides.

"Willow! What are you doing?" Tío Leonel shouted.

"The boy is safe! Come back!" Abuelo called.

"I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment!" Willow croaked.

The tigers proceeded to pad towards her, enveloping her in a deadly circle. They got closer and closer each second. The crowd was now screaming, calling for help, hysterical with fear. Willow tried to steady her heartbeat. She shouldn't be afraid. These were animals, and with her powers, they wouldn't hurt her. But she couldn't shape-shift. Willow bit her lip, realizing that she would have to rely on her new telepathic abilities to talk them down.

Don't you dare touch me, Willow spat.

Powerful...aura...not food... the tigers thought.

What were they sensing? Did they know she had special powers? Maybe that was why they had gotten only a meter away and hadn't pounced yet. She hoped she was right.

If you touch me, I'll hurt you, Willow threatened.

Please, no, don't hurt us!

Willow blinked. They took her threat seriously. Maybe they would listen to her...

Stop where you are. Don't move.

Should we listen?

Is she the One?

She might hurt us if we don't listen!

Stay in place!

The tigers stopped, intently awaiting her further instructions. After waiting a few extra moments to make sure they were frozen in place, Willow breathed a sigh of relief. She took that as her cue to get a move on. Willow sprinted to the gate and knocked on the doors, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the tigers were staying put. They hadn't moved a muscle.

"Quickly, where's the keys?" Abuela barked. A zookeeper handed her the key ring. The gate was unlocked in record time, and Willow slammed the bars shut behind her, sealing the tigers inside. Sinking to the floor, she panted hard, barely telling the tigers they were free to go. Everyone present stared at her with wide, shocked eyes.

"Just another day at the zoo," Willow wheezed, causing a few smiles to go around the room.

"My son! Where is my son?"

A frantic-looking father nearly crashed into Willow's dad as he skidded to a stop. He spotted the toddler in Carlos's arms and scooped him up. The boy began to cry tears of joy, burying his face into his dad's shoulder. A tear leaked out of his eye, too.

"Well, I suppose you deserve quite the thank you, Miss Guerrero," one of the zookeepers said. "Without your quick actions, we might have had to put down a few tigers tonight."

"Yes, thank you, thank you so much for saving my son!" the father exclaimed, shaking Willow's hand. "I don't know how to possibly repay you for this."

"The best way to repay me is by making sure your son is okay," Willow said. "He's had quite the traumatizing experience. Treat him to ice cream, maybe?"

"I will. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" the father cried, walking down the hall and back into the guest part of the zoo. The entire room turned to Willow.

"That was very grown up of you, Willow," Tío Cisco remarked. "Brother, you've raised a very wonderful young lady."

Carlos reddened a bit. "I can't take all the credit. Bravery in the spur of the moment is something you can't teach, it's something you learn. Willow is how she is today because of herself."

"Now I see where she gets all of her proverbial sayings," Tío Leonel commented.

"Well, I'd say that pretty well wraps up our behind-the-scenes experience for today," Abuela said, swiftly switching the focus. "Thanks, guys. This is a very well-run zoo, and I'd say the tigers are in top condition. We won't be giving any bad reviews."

"Thank you, but I don't think that's going to stop the others from reporting to the news," the second zookeeper sighed. "It's not for you to worry about, though. That's our burden to deal with and sort out."

"Very well. Good day to you, sirs," Abuelo said.

"Enjoy the rest of yours."

The Guerreros made their way up the back hallway and back onto the main path. Willow was in a slight daze, still trying to process what just happened. She had revealed yet another part of her powers. Telepathically talking to tigers was not what she thought the highlight of her zoo trip would be. Nonetheless, it was kind of cool. Willow fleetingly wondered how many animals she could have conversations with.

Her mind kept wandering back to the stricken father's face as he watched his son falling into the tiger pit, then the immediate and complete relief that washed over it when he carried his son away. She had done that. Somehow, in the depths of her crazy, backwards, unorganized mind, she realized that her stupidly brave reaction saved a life. The boy would have been mauled before hundreds of Muggles had she not jumped into action right away. Willow almost stopped short, feeling like she had received a sharp blow in the stomach, then covered it up by pretending to trip and running after her family, who was hurrying away into the crowd at a fast walk.

"Where are we going to fast?" she asked her uncle.

"If we don't hurry away from here, then your audience will swarm you," Tío Cisco explained, his eyes darting from side to side. "The Muggle press could get involved, and if this gets out, your powers could be dangerously close to being revealed."

Willow gulped. "I think it's too late."

Cisco glanced where his niece was pointing, saw the other four family members already being surrounded by a group of Muggles, gave Willow a certain look, and jumped in to create a path to his brother. He made a racket, unnecessarily saying loud things that had nothing to do with the rescue. At first, Willow took a few steps towards him, thinking that he wanted her to follow, then recognized the whole show as a diversion to take the attention away from her. The rest of her family caught on and followed suit, yelling things out at the top of their lungs and leading the curious crowd away from Willow, back towards the tiger pit. But it could only last so long. With a jolt, Willow stealthily crept along the edges of the pathway, towards the front of the park. She was almost out of view when a little girl shrilled, "There she is! That girl that jumped into the tiger pit!"

Willow froze, slowly turned, and started backing away when the crowd flooded towards her. She desperately tried to make eye contact with her family, but only caught a glimpse of their distraught faces before those of Muggles' covered them up. Willow's heart rate spiked to an unsafe level as she was suddenly faced with hundreds of Muggles screaming for her attention.

"How did you do it?"

"What made you decide to take action so quickly?"

"Are you experienced working with tigers?"

Willow very carefully began backing away from the crowd, overwhelmed by their onslaught of questions and demands for answers to them. She almost yelped when she heard someone calling the local news. If she didn't get out of there, and fast, it could be all over for her.

"Willow! We're over here!"

"Let us through! We're her family!"

"Dad! Abuela!" Willow called in their direction. She still couldn't see them. The Muggles were starting to invade her personal space now, faces excited and way too close. She wished she cold share their excitement about being in the spotlight, but with everything that was at risk, and the small (actually big) fact that she was shy, she was downright terrified. Willow back-peddled a little faster with each passing second.

"Were you scared?"

"What was the first thing the boy said to you?"

"What did his father have to say to you?"

Willow was in full-on panic mode. She could hear the blood roaring in her ears, her heart pumped too fast, and she started hyperventilating. Of course, when she was faced with four tigers, she was barely even scared, but now when she was faced with a huge crowd, she was shaking in her boots. Willow again tried to find her family but couldn't find them over the sea of humanity. The Muggles didn't seem to notice the fear written all over her face. They only continued to press her with questions and forced her to back up further and further. Willow's senses went into overdrive, acting up her powers. She could hear every little sound the animals in the nearby exhibit were making, smell the food they were eating, see their individual markings. If she took her focus off of the animals, she would certainly pass out. Willow made a final attempt to control her breathing.

Every last ounce of oxygen left her lungs in one big rush when she felt to wall against her back.

Willow gasped and nearly choked on her own air. She frantically glanced to her left and right, only to see that she was trapped against a wall that marked an edge of the zoo. The Muggles pressed closer and closer, determined to get information out of her. Willow lost the ability to control how fast she was breathing. Her chest was so tight and painful that she thought it would kill her. The last straw didn't come then, though. Of course not. The last straw was when Willow felt a small tendril wrapping itself around her leg. Her blood froze solid in her veins. There wouldn't even need to be any news reporters now. Her powers were revealing themselves.

The more scared she got, the higher the plant grew. A few Muggles started pointing and whispering among themselves. Willow hoped it was her imagination when she saw ivy tendrils snaking up the sides of the walls around her. They started to wrap themselves around unsuspecting Muggles' ankles. She was done for. All it would take is a single Muggle to photograph her powers at work and she was exposed to both worlds, a lab rat to test, naked under their burning gazes. She was finished.

Willow's panic had turned into hysteria already. The Muggles' faces were contorting themselves into Voldemort's, his red, gleaming eyes hungrily thirsting for her blood, his papery thin lips parting just to let out evil cackling at her fetal position. Then, they shifted into Quirrel's maniacal face, his animal-like, black-as-coal eyes showing no mercy, only wrath, purely evil as the snap of her wand being broken was replayed over and over in her mind, magnified to ten times what it should have been. The final form they took, worst of all, was the troll's bloody face, his eyes dull and menacing. Willow covered her mouth as the guilt flooded over her. She was no better than Quirrel. She was an animal. She was the one that should be in a cage.

As if there was a curtain drawn before her eyes, Willow was thrown into blackness, then only moments later, it was lifted, and light flooded in. She jumped to her feet. Fear was still driving a knife into her gut. Completely disoriented, she gave herself up to her instincts, which had only one idea in mind: flight, not fight. She sprinted away on jelly-like legs, not knowing where she was going, only wanting to get away from all the Muggles. Willow only made it a room away before she crashed into something very solid.

"Let me go! Get away from me!" she shrieked. "I won't answer your questions! Just leave me alone!"

"Woah, woah, sobrina, calm down, it's just me," a tenor voice soothed. "You're at home now. You're safe. The Muggles are all gone. You don't have to run away now."

Panting hard, Willow tried to focus her eyes on the figure that had restrained her in its big arms. After a few seconds, Tío Cisco's brilliant eyes came into view. She fought her mind not to allow them to change into Voldemort's or Quirrel's. They were a beautiful brown, not anything close to the other two's. It really was her uncle. He was here. She was safe in his arms, in her own house. When her brain finally managed to catch up on these recognitions, relief washed over her like a bucket full of water. Willow buried her face in Cisco's abdomen.

"I'm so, so, sorry," she sniffed. "I've ruined your day at the zoo. I'm sorry I get in the way of everything."

"Sobrina, you don't get in the way of anything," Cisco whispered in her ear. "You were cursed with these powers. It's not like you asked for them, and you can't exactly help it when they act up. All we can do as your family is help you with them."

"But you shouldn't have to. I'm a burden on all of you!"

"Try again. You're the one carrying the burden for a lot of people."

Willow looked up at her uncle with teary eyes. "I know I'm carrying the burden for a lot of people. That's my role. It always has been. The only purpose I can think of for me being here is to help and protect others at all costs, and that includes carrying their weight. I've been doing it for a long time. That's not the problem- I'm the problem. I just wish that I wasn't so much of one for you guys."

"Willow, you're not a problem," Abuela said, appearing behind her. "The only problem here is we need to help you a little more, and we can't do that unless you tell us everything you know."

Willow swallowed. "Do you promise to tell me everything you know?"

"Of course we will," Tío Leonel answered. "That's one of the main purposes for our visit."

"Let's go out on the patio," Carlos suggested. "Willow feels more comfortable around nature."

Cisco allowed Willow to walk herself out to the patio, still a little unsteady on her feet. After she chose a chair and sat down, her family encircled her and gave her their full attention. Willow cleared her throat and, with a great effort, shoved her emotional mess away.

"First, you need to tell me whatever you found out in the fall," Willow said, making eye contact with her dad.

"Alright, I will, but it's not much," Carlos sighed. "I was snooping around the Department of Mysteries and nearly got caught by the guard on duty. When I fled into one of their storage closets, I found myself in a room full of old records, and I mean old old. The earliest date I found was nearly two thousand years ago. I was looking around, reading the titles, and one in particular caught my attention. It wasn't actually a record, but a diary. I started reading it, and it spoke of a war between two of the biggest wizarding clans this world had ever seen. It was quite interesting. But there was something more to the ending of this war. Some witch lost a very important family member, and right before she died, she cast the most powerful curse ever known to be cast."

"What kind of curse?" Willow asked, a few of the details prodding her memory.

"It didn't have any more information, only that it would last forever," Carlos said solemnly.

Willow frowned, feeling like she had missed something. As it wasn't surfacing, she moved on, filing the information away for later.

"It's my turn, then," she announced. "I think I'll explain it half and half- the powers I can explain in words I will, and the others I'll demonstrate. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

"Well, I'm kind of confused by some of them," Willow began. "It's an odd arrangement of abilities that seems to be contained within the arena of life. I can sense emotions and the mood of people, sometimes even whether their thoughts are positive, negative, for good, or for bad. In addition, I can heal faster than most people, and speaking of healing, I seem to have healing abilities that come with some serious limitations. I've only been able to heal people halfway, and I can't heal myself instantly. It's been a nuisance to try and figure it out.

"Just today, I learned that I can talk to animals telepathically, at least. I can also transform into them, and for some reason I can sense where any life is at any given time. Any injuries I sustain while in a different form carry over to my human one. I think the only animals I can turn into are magical creatures, birds, and mammals. It's weird. I can manipulate plants and grow them at will. I'll show you most of that later.

"There's a few other abilities that I think come from different magical creatures, like seeing visions when I sleep or during the day, but they're always of the present or past, never of the future. I've also had one out-of-body experience. Yes, literally. My body got frozen in place while I physically appeared across a quidditch pitch. I was my normal self aside from the fact that I was invisible to everyone else."d

"The last thing is something I probably should have told you sooner. You see, there's this woman who I can telepathically talk with at any time. She's been coaching me on my powers and helping me out. At times, she just plain insults me, but she's very helpful. She said she'll tell me everything and reveal herself to me when I'm ready. Apparently I haven't discovered everything yet."

"That's quite the array there," Tío Leonel commented.

"This woman sounds like trouble," Abuelo said. "Are you sure you can trust her?"

"She's helped me out in a few life-or-death situations, so, yeah, I guess."

"As long as you're sure..." Abuela trailed off. "Let's see your power display, then. I'm kind of excited."

"Okay, here goes nothing. Don't panic or scream or anything, please."

Willow walked off the patio and into the yard. Her family gathered at the edge to watch her. Taking a deep breath, Willow pushed down the bubbling anticipation in her stomach and started simple. She pressed her hand on the ground, felt the warmth in it, then pulsed, feeling the familiar energy flowing from her hand into the ground. A plant began to poke out of the soil, then grew faster and faster. Willow backed up as it expanded, keeping her hand only inches away from it. She willed it to stop when it grew to twice her height and watched for her family's reaction. They simply stared at the tree in admiration.

"Can you undo growing plants?" Tío Cisco asked.

"Um, I've never done that before, but I can try," Willow said.

Imagining the plant going back into the ground, she placed her hand on the tree and willed it to shrink. The energy was sucked back into her faintly glowing hands. Willow giggled. It actually tickled, probably because so much was being absorbed back into her, she guessed. The tree became a sapling again, then a shoot, and it was gone. There was no trace of it ever existing. Willow blinked slowly in amazement.

"I guess I can."

"That was incredible!" Carlos exclaimed. "Show us what else you can do!"

Willow smiled. They were taking it well. Thank God. She swayed the trees along the perimeter of her backyard, made the leaves rustle, and even made them lean a different way. Her family was very impressed at that point.

"You're very powerful, Willow!" Abuelo said. "It's amazing!"

"Wait until you see this," Willow said. "I've been working on transforming into bigger animals, and I think I've got one of them down. It won't be perfect, of course, because it's so big, but I think I can get to half the actual size."

"Go ahead!" Tío Cisco urged.

Willow inhaled deeply, the puffed it all out. She imagined how she would look when she was finished, then commanded herself to transform. The tingling sensation ran across her body much quicker than it had before she practiced. Her skin burned as scales covered it, a tail sprouted from her lower back, wings appeared, and claws lined her fingers. Willow flapped her wings, launching herself into the sky, then pounced back onto the ground, shaking the patio, and let out a roar, embellishing it with spreading her wings and everything. Her relatives' jaws had dropped to the floor, unable to believe what just happened.

"Y- You're a Chinese Fireball," Tío Leonel stuttered. "You just shape-shifted into a dragon."

"This is unbelievable!" Abuela shouted. "Look how flawless she is, Carlos! She's only half the size of a real one, but look at her! I've never seen a dragon's beauty up close before!"

"Can you understand us while in a different form?" Abuelo asked. Willow nodded. "Can you speak to us?" Willow shook her head no. She breathed sparks at him, playfully swiping her tail in his direction. Willow pushed off from the ground again, hovering just above the lawn, enjoying the amazing rush flying gave her. She was so powerful, so in control of herself, could do anything her heart desired. It was a great moment. Then, realizing that her strength could fade at any second, she clumsily changed back into herself. Because she had been practicing, transforming back into her usual self only took the blink of an eye. Willow fell out of the sky as a human. She stumbled to her feet while her family rushed over to her, steadying her.

"You are absolutely amazing, Willow," Tío Cisco chuckled, beside himself with amazement.

"We need to get you a place where you can practice your powers in private," Abuelo said. "You obviously have a lot of it contained in there. They must be bursting at the seams."

"They are, and quite honestly, it's annoying," Willow said. "I hate it when they act up in front of people. They're a hassle to keep from exposing themselves. I have to use them every day now, or they get uncontrollable."

"Don't worry, we'll come up with something," Abuela promised. "For now, we better get dinner going. The sun's already beginning to set!"

"Wait, one more thing before we head inside," Willow said, a thought occurring to her. "What happened after I was cornered? How did I get here? I didn't black out, did I?"

"Oh, no, Leonel here pulled a dangerous stunt that might get him in trouble with the Ministry again," Abuelo explained, though Willow wasn't sure whether he was happy or disappointed with his son. "He caused an explosion that threw black powder in the air as a diversion for us to Apparate you here. Cisco apparated directly here while the rest of us took the car. I can only imagine how much trouble we caused the London Zoo today."

"Can you really imagine a life where I'm not getting into trouble, though?" Willow asked.

"Nope," Tío Cisco said. "Now let's get dinner going. I'm starving!"

The sun had sunk fully below the horizon when the Guerreros finished dinner together. Willow was unusually quiet for the whole thing, her head spinning like a top with too many thoughts and questions jumbling together and tormenting her. When her family began to clean up, she didn't say a word before slipping away to the library, wanting to be alone.

The temperature had dropped. It was a little chilly to the average person, but to Willow, it was perfect, almost comfortable sleeping weather. The stars overhead were peeking in and out of the clouds that drifted across the purple night sky. They reminded Willow of diamonds sparkling against their black velvet displays in jewelry stores. She felt her mum's necklace weighing down her heck, almost forgotten in the chaos of the day. Willow took it off and placed it in the palm of her hand and stared at it. The jewels were still as clean as the day they had been wrought, the golden chain didn't have a single chip in it, and the photo brought back memories ever-present in her scrambled mind. She wished she weren't so attached to the locket. The memories were sometimes so powerful that they swallowed her whole for entire nights. Yet she still cleaned it to perfection every week, taking extra care to get into every nook and cranny, and smiled warmly back at her mother, the memory of who she used to be preserved in perfect stillness. Willow was secretly glad that the photo wasn't charmed to move like most wizarding world photos. This one made her mum feel more solid, more real. It gave her an anchor when she explored the good memories they had made together so she didn't get lost. Willow could always go back to her mum's face for support, just like she had when she was little.

Out of the blue, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around Willow's waist. She stifled a gasp when she recognized her uncle.

"The great Willow Guerrero isn't crying alone in a library, is she?" Tío Leonel whispered.

Willow wiped her eyes, hoping that she wasn't. They were barely watering. "No."

"You're such a liar, sobrina, but I'll let you have this one."

Willow smiled. "What are you doing in here? I thought everyone was helping clean up dinner."

"Everyone except you," Tío Leonel pointed out. "I saw you sneak away. With six people in this house, it's kind of hard to get away with anything. I did an awful job on washing a pot to get away from Abuela, if you're wondering."

"Thanks," Willow said. She was about to put her locket back on when Tío Leonel caught her arm.

"What's this?" he asked, looking at it with curiosity. "A locket? Since when did you wear any sort of jewelry? And especially jewelry that has a lot of expensive gems on it!"

Willow reddened. "Um...well, you see- " She sighed. Might as well be out with it. "My mum gave it to me at Christmas."

"She what?"

"Um...yeah, she wrapped it up and sent it with an owl to me for Christmas while I was at Hogwarts, to put it simply," Willow said. "I have no clue why she would pass on a family heirloom to me of all people, with how crazy she is now, but I think it's because she was having a very good day."

"You don't say!" Tío Leonel said, astonished as he turned the locket over in his hand. "And she made her picture still, like Muggle pictures. Why would she do that? Did she forget the charm?"

"I have never known her to forget a spell, so I have no idea."

Tío Leonel handed the locket back to Willow. "Whatever it is, this is big news. I don't think you realize just how much weight this heirloom holds in that wretched family. This is huge."

"Tell me about it another day," she sighed. "I'm too tired to think about outsmarting my mother for the second time."

Tío Leonel laughed. "Do you want me to take you to bed, then?"

Willow yawned and nodded. Tío Leonel picked her up and carried her out of the library, the smell of old books following her out. She felt herself being placed in bed and tucked in. Tío Leonel kissed her on the forehead, then shut her bedroom door. Willow smiled, the locket warming her heart as she fell asleep.


	20. Summer of Year 2: Chapter 2

Willow sat watching the rain pattering on her windowsill. The sound was oddly calming to her. She traced the shapes of the water droplets with her fingers, comforted by the storm outside. Her head was fuzzy and clogged with too many cobwebs to filter her thoughts. She simply stared out her window in the early hours of morning, drowning in snippets of time that she wished would wash away.

The nightmares had only gotten worse since her uncles and grandparents had left. Every night, she was reliving her torture, the pain as fresh as it had been the first time. She always woke up in a cold sweat and still aching from the curse. Willow missed Hogwarts, but more than anything, she missed her friends. They hadn't contacted her yet, and she was beginning to wonder how good of friends they really were when her ears picked up a low buzz in the corner of her room. It took a few seconds for her brain to catch up and realize that her name tag was going off. She scrambled over to it, knocking over a few things in the process, cursing, then tapping her wand to the card. Fred's face appeared in front of her.

"Willow! It's been so long! How are you?" he exclaimed.

Seeing Fred's cheery face and bright orange hair was enough to make Willow smile. "I'm good, for the most part. Has Percy tried to murder you yet?"

"Nope, George and I are still intact," Fred chuckled. "Ginny's been driving Ron insane with asking him all about Harry. He's all she'll talk about anymore, and quite honestly, I think she's obsessed. She keeps trying to send you an owl, but I think that bloody bird Errol has gone off and gotten himself killed. We haven't seen him in a few weeks."

"Oh, well, I'm sure Errol will come back."

"Have you gotten your new wand yet?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, it's actually a lot different than my last one," Willow replied, showing Fred the wand. "It's Rowan wood, Dragon heartstring core, twelve and a half inches, unyielding flexibility. I like it a lot more than my last one."

"Unyielding, of course," Fred sighed, rolling his eyes. "You never yield for anyone."

"Nope, and you'd better think twice before you think that even you could change me," Willow said. "Stubbornness can be a handy trait at times. At others, it gets me waist-deep into trouble."

"You know it. What are you doing today?"

"Sulking in my dark room while it storms outside," Willow pretended to joke.

"That's a load of dung. What would you say if George and I took you into London today? Paige said she'd like to give us a guided tour of downtown, with the added bonus of street soccer."

"I'd say get your butts over here as fast as possible!" Willow exclaimed, her mood swinging into a high. "I'll let my dad know where I'm going and get ready! Don't take your time!"

"We won't," Fred laughed. "See you in a bit, Willow."

The name tag returned to its normal state. Willow quickly threw on her favorite soccer shirt and a pair of shorts, then raced down the stairs to find her dad sitting at the table, reading the Daily Prophet. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and started eating it rapidly.

"Willow, your face is a mess," Carlos chortled. "Why are you eating in such a hurry?"

"I'm going into London today with Fred, George, and Paige," she said through a mouthful of cereal.

"Oh, well, be careful, and do smile," Carlos said, giving Willow a look.

"I will, I just have to have some fun first. Thank goodness this storm is clearing up."

Just then, two redheads flew out of the fireplace in the living room. Willow sprang to her feet and wrapped them both in a hug.

"Wow, this is a nice house, Willow," George commented as he glanced around.

"Much more organized than the Burrow," Fred remarked. "Then again, that's kind of our fault."

"Are we traveling to London through the Floo network?" Willow asked.

"Yes, unless you'd rather walk," George laughed. "We promise we'll return her in one piece, Mr. Guerrero. She might be just a bit dusty, but other than that, intact."

"That's fine with me," Carlos said. "Have fun!"

Fred stepped up to the fireplace, fistful of ashes in hand, and said, "Enterprise Manor" before disappearing into the emerald green flames. George went with Willow, placing her beside him in the grate. Carlos waved goodbye to them, then Willow was sucked into the Floo Network. Her stomach turned upside down as if she was on a roller coaster. She hated floo travel much more than Apparation, even though the two methods should have had similar results within her stomach. Willow had a strong stomach, but when it came to floo travel, she nearly threw up every time. That was in addition to the fact that she struggled to exit on the right grate. Had George not pulled her arm, she would have gone right past the fireplace she was supposed to use. Willow stumbled and fell in the same way she had the first time she floo traveled.

"Is this going to become a ritual?" Fred laughed.

Willow opened her eyes and realized she was suspended above the ground in Fred's arms- again. He set her down as she brushed herself off, cheeks slightly reddening.

"I think so, to be honest," she said. "If I can't learn to jump out of fireplaces and land on my feet, I'm going to need someone to go ahead of me every time I floo travel."

"There you guys are!" a voice exclaimed. "You take forever to floo travel."

Willow turned around, a bright smile lighting up her face. "Paige!"

Paige smirked at her. "Miss me much?"

Willow ran up and squeezed the older girl in a tight hug. "I missed you a lot!" She pried herself away, looking around at the room she had landed in. "Where are we, exactly?"

"In my parents' mansion," Paige explained. Willow raised her eyebrows in question. "Relax, they don't know I have the key to this room. It's supposed to be an extra dining room, but they use it as a giant storage closet. I figured out how to charm the fireplace to connect it to the floo network a few weeks ago, though it earned me a warning from the Ministry. Hopefully they don't care too much in the future."

"Mum was lying, then!" George said. "She told Freddy and I that we would immediately get expelled if we used any magic outside of school!"

"What else did you expect, though? It's Mum, for Merlin's sake," Fred said.

"Come on, let's get out of here before my parents get a chance to hear us," Paige interrupted, directing their attention to an open window. "I already knocked the screen out earlier today. All you have to do is squeeze your fat butts through here."

Paige crawled through the window and helped Willow, then the twins. They climbed down a short ladder and hit the sidewalk below. London stretched out in front of them, downtown only a block away. Willow was already giddy with excitement.

"Where to first?"

"A special coffee shop," Paige said. "Follow me."

Paige lead the group into the downtown area. They crossed several streets, turned more times than Willow could count, passed a wide variety of buildings, and finally ended up on a crowded walkway. Cars honked on the bumper-to-bumper street as the morning rush hour set into full swing. A bus alarm chirped annoyingly loud as it let out some passengers. A crew of street repairmen worked nearby, their jackhammers creating a racket loud enough to rival the monkey enclosures at the London Zoo. The city air had a tang to it that only Willow could detect, and though it stung her eyes and throat, it wasn't bad enough for her to complain about. Several tourists were stopping to take photos in front of ornate buildings that ranged from clothing stores to fancy restaurants. Paige walked up the steps to one of the smallest buildings and opened the door, beckoning them inside. Willow noticed the vines that grew across the facade. They were surprisingly decorative, controlled enough that they didn't look wild, but natural enough to give the shop a unique look. Paige pulled Willow through the door and shut it, a tiny bell ringing as she did. The loud noises of the city street were sealed on the other side.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Willow glanced at the new surroundings. The aromatic smell of fresh-brewed coffee tingled in her nose. Her ears appreciated the humble, relatively quiet background noise that was the customers chatting across their tables. A woman and her son walked by, carrying a fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie. Willow fancied herself being sent to Heaven when a hint of chocolate was wafted to her nose. Paige got in line, and the other three followed.

"Is this a place where Muggles typically spend their morning?" Fred asked.

"Some do, some don't, and for others, it depends on their mood," Paige responded. "As for me, you can probably guess that I come here every morning. I practically live on coffee in the summer. You could call it a morning routine. Without caffeine, I'm a zombie."

"We know," George said. "What about you, Willow, which kind of person are you?"

"My dad would murder me if I drank coffee every morning. I already have loads of energy at the crack of dawn; can you imagine how much I would drive you guys nuts?"

"I can, actually," Paige said. "You walk a dangerous path every morning you decide to wake me up early."

Paige ordered a coffee, then asked for three extra cups. She sat them down next to the window in a booth. Willow wished there was a park nearby for her to stare at instead of the dull grayness of inner-city London. It couldn't be helped, though, so she decided to be sociable. Paige poured a little bit of her coffee into her and George's cups from across the table, and after hesitating, she poured a little into Fred's, too.

"What, you think I couldn't handle a little coffee?" Fred asked.

"Well, having two equally crazy pranksters on the loose in London sounds a bit dangerous, if you ask me," Paige said. "But no one has to know it's me. Enjoy."

Willow took a sip from her cup and swore under her breath as she burnt her tongue. She always did that with hot drinks. In the winter, every time she would drink hot chocolate, without fail, she would take a small sip the moment she poured it and burn her tongue. It was a bad habit that she couldn't break. Aside from how hot it was, the coffee wasn't all that bad. It was a little bitter for her liking, but Willow liked some of the most obscure and odd of tastes, so coffee was definitely something she could acquire.

"I kind of like it, actually," George commented. "When does the caffeine kick in?"

"Believe me, you'll know," Paige said. "You'll start talking even more than you usually do. My- someone used to tell me that I sounded like a rabbit with its tail on fire after I drank coffee."

"As odd as that sounds, that's a good visual," Willow said.

"Thanks."

"Oi, Paige, I almost forgot, why would your parents be mad if they discovered us floo traveling?" Fred inquired. "I mean, you haven't told them anything bad about us, have you? Most Muggle parents are thrilled to see their magical children do non-Muggle things."

Willow tensed up. She looked at the table, hoping that Paige wouldn't try to make eye contact with her. Thankfully, the older girl was so used to these types of questions that she smoothed it over without skipping a beat. "I'm grounded right now."

"Typical. Always getting in trouble somewhere."

Willow let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Thank God the twins were always accepting of Paige's answers and knew not to push further. That could have gotten out of hand fast. Paige chugged the last few ounces of her drink, then set down the empty cup.

"How is Wood coping with the last loss on the year?"

Fred's and George's expressions soured. "He went into full-on rage mode. After the game, he destroyed practically everything in the locker room that wasn't stored out of sight. He vowed to come up with a training plan this summer that will make us unbeatable next year. I have a bad feeling about it."

"If he makes us train even more than last year, he's going to wake up hanging from the rafters."

"Now I'm kind of thanking my lucky stars that I suck at Quidditch," Paige said.

"We have a bet going for whether Wood's plan will fail or not," George continued. "I bet that Wood will go down in flames. Fred bet that he will somehow succeed."

"That reminds me," Fred said, a sly twinkle in his eye. "It has come to my attention that a time period for one of our previous bets has ended, dear brother, and you owe me ten galleons."

"Wait, what?" Willow asked as George groaned.

"I hoped you'd forget," he grumbled. He fished out a handful of golden nuggets from his pocket and handed it to Fred, who high fived Paige. "Here, you won."

"What was this bet about?" Willow questioned.

"These two idiots had the dumb idea to bet on who would spend more time with you over the course of your first year," Paige said. "I think Fred won by a lot."

"Yeah, he did," Willow chortled, though something dropped in her stomach. She decided to puzzle herself over it later. "What are we going to do now?"

"Street soccer won't be taking place for several hours yet, so we're going to walk the streets of London and see if we can't find any interesting places," Paige said. "I know of a few, but word on the street is that there's a new hangout spot that I'd like to check out."

"Let's get going, then," George suggested.

The four got up to leave, Paige leading the way. Willow was about to bring up the rear when a voice stopped her.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Willow turned around. A boy around her age stood there, his cheeks slightly red. He wasn't anything special in appearance, just dressed in all black to match his darker features. Willow wondered why a Muggle boy would pay any attention to her.

"I w-wanted to know if I could buy something for you," the boy stammered, his cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red. "Y-you're really pretty, by the way."

Willow blushed. "Thanks, but I have to get going. You're very sweet."

The boy looked up hopefully at her. "Can I at least know your name?"

"Yes. It's Willow, Willow Guerrero."

"That's a beautiful name."

Willow smiled. "Thanks. It was nice to meet you."

"It was n-nice to meet you too, Willow."

Willow turned and exited the coffee shop, going so quickly that she nearly ran into all three of her friends, who were standing open-mouthed at the door. She wished she could force the redness out of her cheeks.

"What- what just happened?" George asked.

"I hate to say it, but Willow's already being hit on, and it's not fair," Paige answered. "Why can't anyone be that nice to me? Not that you guys aren't, but you know what I mean."

Fred looked furious. "Nope. This is not okay."

"Oh, relax, will you?" Paige said. "Willow doesn't like it when people fancy her. The only reason she stands there and takes it is because she's nice. If she didn't like the way someone was treating her, or if it was a really creepy person, she would not hesitate to punch them in the face. Come on, let's get going."

Even after they walked nearly a mile away, Fred was still fuming. Willow wished he'd stop being so overprotective and get over himself, but she didn't mind having that extra protection if she would ever need it in the future, so she didn't say anything. Paige and he were whispering together ahead while George lagged behind, occasionally rolling his eyes when Fred said something too loud. Suddenly, they stopped in front of a store window. It displayed a few fancy, fashionable, and popular dresses. Willow wanted to throw up when Fred and Paige looked at each other, sharing the same smirk. They grabbed her by the arms and dragged her into the store despite her protesting. George caught on and helped make sure Willow couldn't escape.

"We've come up with the perfect idea," Fred announced. "It will kill two birds with one stone- you entertain us while receiving light punishment. George, Paige, you know what to do."

The two nodded and went off in search of the perfect dresses for Willow. Fred guarded her, making sure that she wasn't going to get up and escape. She pouted, crossing her arms in defiance.

"Do I have to do this?"

"Yep."

"But making me try everything on in this store is not what I'd call 'light punishment'," Willow said.

"Trust me, we could do much worse."

"You know how much this tortures me!" Willow hissed.

"Exactly my point. You tortured me, I get to torture you," Fred said. "It makes things even."

George and Paige returned, giggling out of control and high fiving. Willow raised her eyebrows, seeing that they were empty handed. She didn't even have to ask before they answered her silent questioning.

"We set up a dressing room for you," Paige explained. "Go try the first one on. Oh, and hand over your camera. I am not missing a chance to embarrass you even more."

Willow held her camera behind her back. "Um, no?"

"Um, yes," Paige said, stepping closer. "Hand it over, chica."

"Wait, you know Spanish?"

"No, she just looked it up to impress you with her limited knowledge of your favorite language," George answered from behind her. Willow realized the camera was no longer in her hands and gaped as George looked through the lens. "Wow, Fred, this thing is cool! Paige, show me how to work it!"

"No, no, no!" Willow said, swiping at her camera. George transferred it to his other hand. "You can't do this to me!"

"Actually, we can," Fred snickered, taking the camera from his twin. "I can see it now: your embarrassing photo plastered all over the halls at Hogwarts, students making copies, and maybe even people asking you to sign them. It might make the comedy section of the Daily Prophet if enough students ask for it."

"I hate you guys!"

"We know," all three of the fourth-years chorused. "Now get in there!"

Willow groaned, but complied before they could come up with another more embarrassing way to punish her. She entered the dressing room, shutting and locking the door behind her, then sized up the dresses she had to try on. The first one she saw was a white, fancy, floor-length dress fit for a wedding reception. It was adorned with enough pearls and diamonds to make it stand out in a crowd. The next one she noticed was more casual and trendy. It was shorter in length, almost too short for Willow's liking. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she could tolerate the unique patterns of blacks, whites, and grays that streaked across the fabric. The dress to the right of that was automatically her favorite when she saw that the tag read, "Made in Mexico." It was a neutral green background with several pops of lighter, brighter colors and tropical designs. She thought back to when she vacationed in Mexico and bartered for one very similar to it. Maybe she would actually like this one. That little bit of hope wasn't nearly enough to help her get through the sight of the last dress. Willow almost threw up in her mouth. The dress was enormous, poofy, and sea green. It was one of those gypsy wedding dresses. Worse, it was bedazzled with an ungodly amount of sparkles. Willow hated sparkly clothing. The only person that knew that was her dad, but it was pretty easy to guess. She had never had a stronger desire to burn something in her entire life.

"Hurry up, Willow!" Fred called. "George finally figured out how to work the camera!"

Deciding to get it over with, Willow disappeared into the giant dress. She hastily zipped up the back and majestically tripped on her way out the door, nearly tearing it off its hinges trying to right herself. Willow thanked her lucky stars that George wasn't there to take a picture of that.

When she finally stepped out into the open, George lowered the camera, Paige smirked, and Fred stared in complete shock. Then, as if on cue, they all burst out laughing at once. Willow's expression didn't change at all. She wished she could laugh at herself, but the dress was itchy and put her in a foul mood.

"I think you would look just as pained if you had a deep cut in your arm!" Fred guffawed.

"This was so worth it!" George said, snapping pictures from where he sat. "Great idea on this one, Paige!"

Willow's mouth dropped open. "Paige! You did this to me?"

Paige wiped the tears out of her eyes from laughing so hard, her stomach heaving. "Of course I did! What else would you expect? I wouldn't miss a chance to torture you like this if it meant passing up millions of pounds!"

Willow sighed heavily. "You guys suck. If we weren't surrounded by Muggles, I would try out my new wand on you guys! I'm due for hexing a person or two."

"Just go try on the next one," Fred laughed. "You look even funnier when you're angry in that thing!"

Willow stomped all the way back to the dressing room, but her anger left for the most part when she took off the hideous dress. The modern dress was met with only a little bit of giggling. Willow looked completely out of place in anything modern, "normal," or fancy. She couldn't wait to get in the Mexican dress. The soft fabric was just how she remembered it, cool and sturdy. She tied the strings behind her neck to hold it up, and, taking a deep breath, stepped out to show her friends.

This time, there wasn't any laughter on anyone's face. Instead, Willow was met with starry gazes. It took her a few seconds to realize her friends were in awe. Her cheeks reddened tremendously. Finally, Fred managed to speak.

"You actually look...I dunno...right, in that one," he said. "Like you aren't completely having your spirit broken."

"Thanks," Willow said, ignoring the few photos George was taking. She turned to leave, wanting to escape all of the positive attention, when something stopped her in her tracks. Her ears would have flicked had she been in a different form. Something had caught her ears off guard. It definitely wasn't her friends' pleas for her to come back. There was something that had just changed in the store, something she hadn't heard in a long time-

Suddenly, it hit her. Willow's favorite Spanish song had just came on the radio in the store. The familiar beat thrummed as fast as her heartbeat, transporting her an ocean away to the restaurant where she had first heard it played. Her feet automatically tapped it out, coursing with energy, begging her to dance. Willow nearly panicked as she found herself coming back to where her three friends were.

"Yes! More pictures, George, ASAP!" Paige ordered.

"Um, guys, do you know this song?" Willow asked.

"No, why?"

"Don't judge me, then."

Before they could even say a word, Willow grabbed Paige's hand and dragged her out into the open space in front of the dressing rooms. She whispered in her ear, "Just go with it, okay?" and started dancing. Paige jumped right into action, not skipping a beat. Willow's feet took off in a complicated rhythm, outpacing Paige by a lot. She shouted out movements to the older girl mid-dance, and by the third chorus, the two were dancing perfectly together. Fred and George cheered them on from the sideline. Willow hoped that these pictures wouldn't make it far. She couldn't care less, though, because she was having more fun with Paige than she'd had in years. When the song ended, both girls were panting hard and genuinely smiling.

"Not bad for picking it up on the move," Willow commented.

"Not bad yourself, Guerrero," Paige winked.

"Where did you learn to do that, Willow?"

"That was amazing! I have so much blackmail to use on you now!"

"I'm going to destroy that camera when I get home," Willow said.

"Oh, shut up already and go try on the last dress! I need a little bit more before I'm satisfied with my collection," George said.

Willow rolled her eyes and complied. She returned in the white dress and pretended to pose for her friends, keeping a serious face the whole time. Judging by the amount of laughter she received from her audience, her facial expressions were painfully out of place with what she was wearing. Willow couldn't help but laugh at herself when she got to see the pictures. After her torment was finally over, Paige and George went to put back the clothing, and the three left, finally returning Willow's camera to her with promises of torture if she deleted any of the pictures ("I need those for several possibly shady purposes!").

The afternoon came and went. They went nowhere in particular, just exploring the downtown area of London, every now and then spotting a burst of light from where Diagon Alley was hidden in the distance. Willow had fun, but what she was mostly holding out for was the street soccer game she was promised that evening. When the sun was beginning to set, Paige finally announced that they had to head to the game.

"It's kind of hidden, between two buildings," Paige explained. "Follow me closely and don't wander off. It's a tricky spot to get to. We made it that way so that no creeps could interrupt our games."

"That's happened before?" George asked.

"Yeah. Long story short, half a gaggle of idiots was talked down by a handful of kids until police arrived. Nothing much, but we didn't want it to happen again. It was annoying more than anything."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "Exciting. I really don't want to kick anyone with a soccer ball, but I will if I have to."

Paige wound through several buildings, traced well-worn gravel alleys, followed some secret messages coded on the sides of the buildings, and climbed a fence with ease. It took the other three a little longer to get over. Willow almost gave up and changed into a falcon before she realized that Paige didn't know yet. They finally reached a locked door with a slit cut in it. Willow peered into it and saw a pair of suspecting eyes staring through, glancing at the twins and her with a tinge of wariness.

"Password?" The guard was a girl, as far as Willow could tell.

"God save the Queen," Paige responded. "I brought a few friends with me. They won't cause you any harm."

The door creaked open, and the girl ushered them inside. Willow found herself staring at a makeshift soccer field surrounded by an a porch-like deck with an overhang. It looked very homemade, as if the kids that played there had patched up and connected several old decks. There were a few kids already out in the grass warming up, laughing and kicking the ball back and forth with the skill and ease that was specific to street soccer kids. Older kids dotted the perimeter, chatting in hushed tones, some smiling, some frowning, almost all with dirty faces. Willow guessed these were some of the kids that guarded the field, similar to the girl that was letting them in. She was older, too, maybe a year older than Paige. Her auburn hair was striking against her darker, dirtier clothing. She nodded towards the field, a neutral expression on her face.

"It's all yours. The game will start in about fifteen minutes."

"Thanks," Paige said. "Fred, George, I'm warning you now- if you try to do anything dumb while we're playing, I will make sure you never see Hogwarts again."

"Yes, yes, we know."

"We don't have anything with us."

Paige raised her eyebrows. "Time will tell."

The older girl guided Willow out onto the field, explaining the boundaries, rules, and what to expect. They both took their shoes off and found a beat-up ball to kick around. A steady trickle of players continued to arrive, and the atmosphere improved exponentially with each one. Willow enjoyed watching Paige light up each time another kid she recognized showed up. She liked seeing that smile on her face, and it wasn't until her face hurt that she realized she was smiling, too. Fred and George talked between themselves, most likely scheming for their next great prank. Willow was caught off guard when a friendly face appeared in front of her.

"Oh my God, Dean!" she exclaimed, hugging the taller boy. "I almost forgot you play here, too!"

"Yeah, this is my summer hangout place," Dean said. "It feels like an eternity since I've seen any first years from Hogwarts. I don't like it at all. Do you feel that way, too?"

"Definitely. I've been spending my summer holed up in my room wallowing in self-pity for all I know."

Dean chuckled. "Honestly, I never thought I'd miss the chaos of Hogwarts as much as I do now."

"Me neither. Have you talked to Seamus lately?"

"Yeah, I think our owls are probably ready to fall over dead, as much as we've sent them to each other."

"I should probably send my friends more owls. It might make me feel a little better."

"You'll feel a ton better if you win this game," Dean said. "These guys are a lot tougher than they look. Don't take that the wrong way- they won't injure each other on purpose or on accident. Most people here can't afford a trip to the doctor. We've all learned how to have clean contact and not kill each other's shins or knees. But you have to be light on your feet and quick, or they're going to be running circles around you."

"Hopefully I can keep up," Willow mused.

"You will. Oh, look, they're sorting out teams," Dean said, glancing to his right where everyone was gathering in the middle of the pitch. "Let's go before you get left out."

It turned out, Paige was actually a captain, along with another girl named Jewel. Naturally, Dean and Willow ended up on Paige's team, along with several other kids that were of varying heights and ages. The teams were given sides, and the game began.

"I can't believe we won! We make a pretty good team."

"You've improved dramatically since our Hogwarts scrimmage."

"Aw, Dean, you have too! I'm sure you haven't practiced nearly as much as me, and you're still better than I'll ever be."

"Oh, shut it with the modest nonsense already!" Paige scolded. "You both did amazing! Now quit trying to escape and come talk with the rest of the team."

Willow and Dean glanced at each other, then turned on their heels and raced back to the field, where both teams were gathering for what was shaping up to be social hour. Dean won by a stride.

"Ha! That's what you get for stealing my glory!"

Willow rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Prince Thomas, did I hurt your pride? I score one goal and suddenly I'm a threat to your leadership?"

Dean playfully punched her in the shoulder. "Shut it already. You did great, actually."

"And you could have done better."

"Hey!"

"Oy, new girl!" a girl shouted. Willow recognized her as Jewel, the other team captain. "You're pretty good for a rich girl. Where are you from?"

All eyes turned to Willow. She blushed under their attention, but Dean jabbed her in the back to remind her to speak. "On the outskirts of London. It's considered the countryside, really."

"You're one of the good ones, then," Jewel said, her blue eyes crackling with electricity. "I haven't met too many nice rich girls. Normally you're spoiled brats, and downright awful at football. I'm glad that there's at least one out there that can break the stereotype."

Willow smiled shyly. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, and actually, I wouldn't mind sharing the pitch with you more often," Jewel said. She looked at Paige. "You should bring her more often. I like this one."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she knows the passwords," Paige promised.

Jewel nodded appreciatively, then offered her hand to Willow. "It was nice getting to know you, Willow."

The two girls shook hands, then Jewel turned away to have a conversation of her own with her friends. Dean bade goodbye to Willow and joined a group of guys spectating on the deck. Paige lead her away to where Fred and George were waiting for them next to the exit.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I can kind of understand why Muggles love this game now," Fred admitted. "There are some things other than quidditch that can be fun, I guess. But they'll never come nearly as close as pranking."

"How surprising," Paige said sarcastically.

"Willow held her own out there," George said. "It was entertaining to watch. I only wish she could be that good on the quidditch pitch."

"Oh, be quiet!" Willow scolded, hitting him with her shoes. "I'm getting better. Maybe I'll make a reserve position by third year. I'm trying, I swear."

"You swear?" Fred cried, feigning disgust and surprise all in one.

"Okay, now you're both being ridiculous. I'm going to put my shoes on and ignore you."

"I haven't heard from the Smith twins in a while," Paige commented, suddenly drawing their attention. "Usually they'll owl me once a week to let me know how they're doing. They used to play soccer until their dad died. I became their legal guardian, you could say, and it's really off for them to not say anything. We should drop by their house."

"We definitely should," Willow said, struggling to untie her right shoe. "That's really worrying. I wonder..."

"What?"

"Nothing," Willow said quickly. "Let's just go."

The four headed off to the Smith house. It was a pretty far walk, on the outskirts of London, so Paige showed them how to get there by floo traveling. Fred jokingly went before Willow, but it turned out to be necessary when she fell right into him again. She was never going to get the hang of landing properly. Paige took them away from the abandoned building where the fireplace was located and down a few streets, and finally they arrived at a gated path named Smith Road. The black, rusting fence stretched out as far as Willow could see in either direction. There was something about the place that was unsettling to Willow. Whether it was the gloomy clouds that seemed to droop over the yard, the wild, manicured plants, or the fact that there was no sign of life within a mile radius, she didn't know. But her friends lived here. She couldn't run away because the atmosphere was less than cheery. The four continued towards the gates, where Paige showed them a hole in the fence. They popped out on the other side.

Willow liked it even less. It felt like an icicle had been driven down her back, sending chills up her spine. The grass was patchy and swathed in mud puddles, and despite the excess moisture, most of it was yellow and dying or already dead. The trees that lined the roadway were short, gnarled, and menacing. Their leaves appeared greasy and malnourished, like they were getting poison in place of water. Willow's powers started acting up again, detecting the slightest movement in the grass, sensing the few lifeforms that were barely surviving on the property. Her powers only got stronger as she became increasingly petrified. The grass started turning green around her, almost drawing the eye of Paige. Fred had to kick her in the shin to get her to notice. Willow immediately stuffed them deep down into her stomach, hurting her chest. She ignored it. Willow hated being afraid of the dark now more than ever.

"Why is this place so creepy?" George whispered to Paige, deafening in the silence of the cemetery-like property.

"It's always been like this," Paige explained. "Well, sort of. When their father was alive, they were a well-off family, renowned for their kindness and generosity. This place used to be a public park for the whole of London to visit. People voluntarily took care of it."

"Then what happened?" Willow asked.

"I'm going to let Sally and Samuel tell you the majority of the story, but here's what I can tell you: their mother is not nearly as kind as their father was. She refused to let anyone step foot on her property after he died. She locked the gates, and ever since then, the park has fallen into disuse, a wasteland formerly full of life."

"Wow," Fred whistled. "That's quite the dark tale."

"It is," Paige agreed. She stopped, pointing to the woods circumscribing the rectangular area. "That forest is arguably more dangerous than the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts these days. The Smith twins have been telling me that it now supports all sorts of dark creatures. Their house is nearly broken into by werewolves every full moon."

"What is the moon going to be tonight, exactly?" George asked, his voice pitched as he worriedly glanced at the sun disappearing behind them. "Because this is not the sort of place I'd like to have a monument describing my death."

"Relax, it's a waning gibbus," Paige said. "It's been at least two or three days since the werewolves have appeared."

That didn't seem to settle George's nerves very much. Willow didn't get any less jittery, either.

The four, now more conscious of where their wands were located, forged on, walking along the extremely long road to get to the Smith Manor. It wasn't until they'd crested the third of three large hills that the mansion came into sight. Willow almost threw up in her mouth. It resembled exactly how a haunted house looked in movies, with dark, dreary siding that was falling apart, creaking walls, and howling wind whipping at the gutters, making them sound like wolves. There were actual wolves at the edge of the woods, Willow's senses told her amid the paranoia, but they weren't howling yet. A few broken windows and a single light completed the picture. Paige continued towards the house, apparently used to this haunted appearance.

"Come on, guys, we have two crazy kids to find," she reminded them.

Not wanting to be separated, Fred, George, and Willow ran to catch up with Paige. George was obviously trembling in his boots, but Fred was putting on a braver face. She hoped that Paige and Fred's combined bravery against the dark would be enough to protect them. They reached the front porch. Skipping a step to avoid falling through a broken one, they made it before the front door. Willow tried to swallow the sense of dread that her senses were dragging her down with as Paige knocked on the front door. No answer. After a few seconds, she tried again. No answer again. Paige knocked as loud as she could the third time. The only sound was the tinkling of scary-looking wind chimes.

"Oh well, no one's home. Can't say we didn't try," George said, relief evident in his voice.

"No, they're home," Paige said. She blinked, as if steeling herself against a sudden realization. "Something's wrong. They always answer the door right away. No matter what."

Willow's heart stopped, yet the adrenaline was beginning to seep into her veins. Her friends were in trouble? She could barely piece together a coherent thought as Fred logically questioned, "What should we do, then?"

"We break in," Paige said, already picking the lock with a wire in her pocket.

"Do you seriously carry that around everywhere you go?" Fred said.

Paige paused, raising her eyebrows at him. "I'm pretty sure you can come up with a sure answer for that one, Weasley. I've seen you pick locks plenty of times to know that you do the same thing."

"Hey, it's a useful skill. Never know when it'll come in handy."

The door lock clicked. Paige hastily turned the handle and shoved the door open. The four flooded inside, taking positions on either side of the entrance hall. Paige put a finger to her lips to signal being quiet, then stealthily snuck down the right hallway, the other three in her wake. She lead them along a few passageways, and finally they ended up in a dark dining room. Paige gestured for them to circle up.

"Willow, you've got the best hearing," she breathed. "Can you hear the Smith twins anywhere?"

Willow listened intently to the world around her. At first, it was all the normal creaking and groaning of the house, but then something caught her attention. It was so faint, she almost thought she imagined it until it came again, louder this time. She was even able to pinpoint where it was coming from.

"I hear them," she said at last. "They're on the floor above us, maybe three rooms to the north and one west."

"That's detailed," Fred noted.

Paige slapped him. "Not the time, Weasley! This is serious!"

Fred rubbed his bruised shoulder. "Ouch, sorry. Just lightening the mood before we go off and blow stuff up."

"We are not blowing stuff up," Paige scolded. "Alright, I think I know which room you're talking about, Willow, and if I'm correct, there aren't too many deadly spots along the way. Let's go."

"Hold on, deadly spots?" George squeaked as they rose to follow Paige. "As in possible traps?"

Paige didn't answer. She guided them up the stairs, painstakingly checking every step before putting her full weight on it. They made it through three more rooms and were about to head through the fourth when Paige stopped them all suddenly.

"Listen," she hissed.

Now, the sound was closer than ever. Willow had pinpointed them, alright. The others may have only just begun to hear it, but to Willow, it was as if they were standing right next to her. Fear really did increase her powers. Without warning, bloodcurdling screams would erupt from two rooms down. The door was shut, blocking out a good deal of the sound, and Willow couldn't imagine what it would do to her eardrums if it was actually open. Another scream sounded, bringing her to her knees. The horrible reality of the situation pieced itself together as her senses picked up more sounds- the sheathing and unsheathing of a knife, the blast of magical spells reducing walls to rubble, the snap of a belt that might as well have been the crack of a whip. Willow covered her ears and managed to stand back up, her friends staring at her.

"Guys, Sally and Samuel are in trouble," she choked out. "We have to rescue them. Someone is beating them."

There was a sharp intake of breath from the twins, and Paige was barely able to stop herself from charging straight into the room. Her eyes glinted with malice and the thirst for a certain villain's blood. She drew her wand, aiming it at the door.

"No!" Willow snatched her wand away. "That person in there has a wand. If they see the door get blown off its hinges, they might kill everyone in sight."

Paige sighed. "Fine. You're right. Give me my wand back." Willow complied. "What's your plan then, Guerrero?"

Willow thought for a moment, her mind racing in panic. The screams were hitting higher pitches now, as if calling out for help with more urgency. She had to act fast. They couldn't use their wands without facing an inquiry at the Ministry. No, those had to be saved for a last resort. Her friends might be punished if they did that. She could use her powers- wait, no, Paige and the Smith twins couldn't know. A piercing cry followed by sobs nearly sent Willow into the wall.

Think, think! she frantically screamed at herself. We could all charge in there at once, take her by surprise. Wait, no, we've already ruled that out. There's no other options!

"Willow, five seconds, or we're coming up with our own!" Paige said.

For some unknown reason, Willow made eye contact with Fred. They understood each other perfectly. He gave a little nod, which told Willow everything she needed to know. They would have understood each other just the same had they spoken out loud.

"I've got it," Willow said. "Paige, you're probably going to panic. Don't. I haven't told you anything about this yet. I promise I'll explain afterwards. No time right now."

"What- why would I panic?" the older girl asked, caught off guard.

Willow ignored her question. "Fred, George, cover me!"

Sprinting to the door before she could change her mind, Willow turned the handle and blindly threw herself into the room, knowing her courage would fail if she stopped. She briefly glanced at the situation and summed it up in her head.

Blond woman with belt, Sally unconscious behind Samuel!

The woman didn't even get a chance to turn around before Willow willed herself to morph. Since the ceiling was high, she didn't even have to worry about folding up her wings. The scales grew in bright red, her pupils were reduced to slits, long, curved, deadly claws replaced her fingernails, and a spiked tail grew out of her back. She stared at the woman, and the woman at her.

"How dare you come in my house, filthy animal!" she shrieked. "Samuel, this is all your fault! You deserve everything that's coming to you!"

Willow watched, wide-eyed as a dragon could be, as the woman attacked Samuel with the belt, cracking it over his cheekbone, his forehead, his neck, shoulder, arm, stomach, legs- everywhere. She beat him so fast with such accuracy that Willow wondered if this wasn't the first time she'd beaten the children. That was confirmed when Willow saw the scars poking out from underneath Samuel's now torn long sleeve shirt. The boy fell to his knees, covering his head and begging the woman to stop.

"Mum, please, stop!" he begged. "I didn't mean to!"

"You damn well did, Samuel Smith! You're lucky you'll even get dinner tonight!"

That was it. Willow snapped. This was the Smith twins' mother. She was torturing them, beating them, abusing them verbally until they actually believed everything was their fault. How dare this woman touch them. How dare she hurt her friends like this?

"Willow?" Paige gasped. "What- did you- did you just-"

Willow barely even heard her. She roared louder than she had ever roared before, unleashing her fury on the woman. Willow swiped her claw at the woman's soft stomach, cutting her deep and knocking her into a wall. She hit it with what would have been a sickening thud had she not deserved it. The woman stumbled to her feet, pointing a wand at Willow.

"You'll pay for this!" she spat. She literally spat blood on the floor. "Samuel deserves this! How dare you attack me, his loving mother! I'm teaching him right from wrong! What is the harm in that?"

Willow roared as an answer, shaking the entire house. She pounced on the woman, snapping her jaws inches from her face just to scare her, then picked her up and threw her against the opposite wall. Willow's friends stood by, open-mouthed. The woman was even more beat up now and took longer to get to her feet.

"I see how it is," she cackled. "I see now! One of you little brats called them for help, didn't you? Look at me!" she barked. Samuel's fearful eyes turned to his mother. "You know the rules, Samuel! You're not allowed to ask for help, not when you deserve this!"

"Shut up! Don't listen to her, Samuel!" Paige shouted. "She's manipulating you!"

"Silence!" the woman shrilled, casting a silencing charm at them. Willow's blood boiled when she saw that her friends were trying to say something, but no sound was coming out. The woman smirked.

"Ah, yes, where were we?" she tutted. "Oh, right, punishing Samuel!"

The woman cast a spell at Samuel, but Willow saw the words forming on her lips and reacted quicker than she could cast it. Willow threw herself in front of the woman, blocking the spell and absorbing it in her tough dragon hide. Although it didn't hurt like a normal Crutiatus Curse, Willow's form flickered, and she realized how quickly her strength was fading. The woman's face contorted in agitation.

"Fine! I guess I need to kill you guys to get some quality alone time with my children," the woman said, as if they were annoying pests that she absolutely had to get rid of. She raised her wand and pointed it directly at George. "Avada Kedavra!"

Willow originally thought she jumped too late. The spell rocketed towards the frozen redhead as if it was shot out of a canon. Her chest constricted with fear. George was about to die! She couldn't let that happen, not while she still had life left in her! Willow jumped without a second thought, directly into the path of the spell. She stretched her body as far as it would go and beat her wings for extra propulsion. Suddenly, she was in front of George, then in the next moment, she was flung across the room from the sheer power of the spell. Willow hit the floor with a loud thud, leaving a nice battle wound for later. She realized a second later she was now in human form. Apparently, taking a killing curse, even in the form of a dragon, was the last straw for her shape-shifting abilities. Willow rolled over, trying to get to her feet. She must have hit her head. It was super fuzzy and unable to focus correctly.

"Look what you've made me do, Samuel!" the woman shrieked, stepping closer and closer to her son, who weakly stood in front of his sister. "This all could have been prevented if it weren't for you."

Willow stumbled to her feet. Her head suddenly cleared, as if a foggy morning ascended into noon. She took in the current situation. While she had been down, the woman had cast a spell that held Fred, George, and Paige against the wall. They struggled against invisible bindings, silently insulting her. It didn't take a very experienced lip reader to decipher what they were saying. Samuel's mum had returned to his side, her belt at ready, wand in her pocket. Willow's brain made up its mind in a split second. Just as the belt came down again, Willow charged.

How the woman didn't see her coming, she didn't know. Maybe she thought that Willow had been knocked unconscious when she hit the wall. Maybe she was that stupid. Whatever it was, she yelped when Willow bowled her over. She tried to grab her wand, fumbling for it in her pocket, but Willow had thought ahead and stolen it before they even hit the ground. The woman angrily thrashed and hacked at her attacker, desperately trying to grab her wand again. Willow transferred the wands to her left hand. She didn't even stop to think before she brought her right fist down with everything she had into the woman's face.

A satisfying crack strangely echoed off the walls. The woman's jaw was at a gross angle, and her eyes were closed. She had probably been knocked out. Willow massaged her bleeding, throbbing knuckles. That was a hard hit. Just in case the woman was faking, Willow sprang off of her, pointing both her own wand and the woman's wand at her. She counted to ten seconds to make sure she was down. Then, she returned to Samuel, who had joined his sister on the floor. Quickly checking their pulses, Willow determined that both of them were alive and as well as they could be after being beaten. Maybe just a little head trauma, but other than that, no life-threatening injuries. Her knuckles were even beginning to heal themselves already. Willow breathed a sigh of relief.

That didn't last long. A hefty blow hit her in the back of the head. Willow hit the floor hard, her nose instantly gushing blood. Of course, she had turned her back on that dumb woman! She had been so careful to get off of her right away, but she made the fatal mistake of turning her back when she checked on the twins. How much more of an idiot could she be?

Willow's friends were still stuck in their soundless prisons against the wall, struggling harder than ever to remove their bonds. The woman rolled Willow over, blood dripping out of her mouth, and placed her hands on her throat. For a second, Willow simply sat there and blinked. Then, reality set it.

Oh, how convenient. I'm being choked to death.

Willow struggled. She was used to having little ability to breathe, but nothing like this. There was nothing to prepare her for the sheer panic that sets in when someone is cutting off her airways. The woman's bloodshot eyes showed no mercy, only thirst for blood. Willow groped for something, anything to help her.

Then, she saw it. The slightest breeze outside rustled the leaves in the tree. She vaguely heard them. The window right beside her was open, only a screen separating inside from out. If she could just get this woman off of her...

Willow closed her eyes, willing herself to relax. She didn't need to breath just yet, and the less she struggled, the less oxygen she would need. The wind rustled peacefully outside. On top of her, the woman continued crushing her windpipe, determined to murder this intruder in her "morality" lesson with her kids. She slowly inched her way towards the window. Her vision was beginning to falter, the pain in her neck worse. But she kept going. Maybe she was so close to death that she had reached nirvana, because Willow would never be able to explain later how she stayed so calm while the life was being choked out of her. Finally, right when they were next to the window, Willow opened her eyes. She glanced at her friends, saw their worried expressions, saw their screaming, and had the audacity to wink and grin before throwing herself and the woman through the screen and plummeting towards the ground below.

The tree reacted to Willow's silent commands. It caught the both of them. Willow gasped a fresh breath of clean air, the woman still screaming from their fall. The tree ripped them apart, cutting up the woman a little bit. Then, while the tree held her in its highest branches, Willow gave one last command. The tree coiled up all of its branches, tightened them together to form a little ball, and trapped the woman inside. They encroached on her space until only just enough of it was left for her to stand up. The tree stood still, and Willow, satisfied that the woman was safely trapped inside the tree, commanded it to throw her back through the window. It had surprisingly good aim and she landed without any harm on the bloody second floor dining room of the Smith Manor. She fell over upon landing, as usual with any sort of traveling anymore, then sprang to her feet and ran over to her friends. They were still trapped in their invisible prison, but the silencing spell had finally worn off.

"Willow! You're alive! You made it!" Paige cried. "How did- what did you do?"

"A long story for another time," Willow croaked, wincing at how sore her throat was. "Fred, George, did one of you leave your name tags at the Burrow?"

"I did," George said.

"Good," Willow said, fishing hers out of her pocket. "I'm going to call in some help. I don't have a clue how to get you guys down from there, the twins need medical attention, and their mum it currently waiting for aurors to come pick her up." She tapped her name tag. "Ostende faciem tuam!"

A strangely angled view of the Burrow's living room came into view. Arthur Weasley was on the edge of the frame. Willow's heart sped up in a small ray of hope.

"Mr. Weasley!" Willow shouted. "Mr. Weasley!"

Arthur stood up so suddenly that he spilled a bit of his coffee. He fumbled with the name tag for a moment before his face settled into view. "Willow? What's that matter? Why aren't you home yet?"

"Mr. Weasley, there's been an incident," Willow said. "We went to see the Smith twins at their house because Paige hasn't heard from them in a while, and we found their mother beating them. Paige, Fred, and George are stuck against the wall, Sally and Samuel are unconscious with minor injuries, and Mrs. Smith is- harmless, at the moment." Willow angled the name tag so that Mr. Weasley saw the three hovering midair, the twins on the floor, and the tree wrapped around Mrs. Smith. "Can you send a little bit of help?"

"Merlin's beard, Willow, do you go looking for trouble?" Mr. Weasley exclaimed.

"No, sir, but please send that help. I don't have the counter-curse to get your sons and Paige down."

"Yes, yes, I'll gather some extra wands and be there as quick as I can. Stay there, and for God's sake, don't try to do anything rash!"

"I won't," Willow promised as Mr. Weasley's face faded. "Abscondam faciem tuam."

The name tag returned to its usual cheery self, reading, Hello, my name is: Willow Guerrero! Willow slipped it back into her pocket and waited with her friends, trying to keep them entertained by randomly changing conversation topics. It didn't work to well. Her voice was reduced to a half-gurgle, half-whimper within minutes. She decided to save her voice for when help arrived. The Smith twins remained completely unconscious, so the only other noise left in the room was the crackling of the fire pits on either end and the pounding of Mrs. Smith against the tree outside. The tree didn't even budge. Willow made a mental note to thank that tree later with extra water and attention. Finally, Mr. Weasley burst through the door, a minimum of ten other witches and wizards behind him. They all had their wands at the ready.

"Where is Mrs. Smith?" a dark-skinned wizard demanded.

Willow pointed to the tree outside. "Follow the knocking and you'll find her."

While the majority of the witches and wizards crossed the room to figure out how to apprehend Mrs. Smith, Arthur worked on freeing his twin sons and Paige from the wall. He muttered a few simple counter-curses, and within seconds, all three of the third years were group-hugging Willow. She didn't know how to react, so she simply stayed still. Paige finally pried them off of her.

"Mr. Weasley, is there anyone here to help with the Smith twins?" Willow asked.

"That would be me," a familiar voice said.

Willow whipped around to find herself facing her dad, relief and worry etched into his face. The colored drained out of hers. She wanted to jump into his arms and back away at the same time, profusely apologizing. Of course, something ridiculous came out of her dumb mouth.

"Please don't take away my day trip privileges," Willow said quickly.

Carlos burst out laughing. He pulled his dumbfounded daughter into a tight hug. "You almost get killed for the God-knows-which time, and the first thing you do is beg to keep your day trip privileges?"

Willow cracked a shy smile. "I have my priorities."

"You need to sort those out," Paige snickered. "Back to the topic of the Smith twins, please?"

"Oh, right," Carlos said. The group crossed the room to where the Smith twins laid at awkward angles next to each other. Carlos pulled them into regular lying positions and checked them out, every now and then trying a spell. He glanced at Willow as he finished his examination.

"Have you tried healing them yet, just in case my magic doesn't work?"

"Oh, shoot, no," Willow said, shaking her head in self-disappointment. "I was so distracted by everything else that I nearly forgot I could do that. I can't believe myself..."

"Less self-pity, more healing, please," Paige said. "We'll cover you. Well, they will. I haven't seen this yet, so I'm watching."

Willow half-smiled. As the four guys sat on their knees, talking with one another and creating a shield, Willow and Paige attended to Samuel and Sally. The familiar tingling feeling warmed up her hands until they were glowing, then spread in simple curling designs across the twins' bodies. Just like last time, it mainly concentrated in their heads. Now Willow had an inkling as to why.

"Wow," Paige breathed. "I don't know whether to be mad at you for not telling me about this, terrified that you're going to impale me with a tree, or mockingly bowing at your feet."

"All three would be fine," Willow said.

Paige told the guys they were fine to stand again, and Willow wandered closer to where the other witches and wizards were discussing an elaborate plan to capture Mrs. Smith. She was still knocking against the tree and making zero progress. The tree held firm. She actually got lost in thought, dreaming up satisfying images of the woman trapped in the tree, when Mr. Weasley tapped her on the shoulder.

"Um, Willow, did you do that to Mrs. Smith?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I think it would be a good idea if you made it easier for the Ministry workers to capture her," he hinted.

"Oh, right," Willow said. She lazily flicked her hand, and the tree chucked Mrs. Smith through a window. She smashed the glass so hard that she was unconscious by the time she landed in her own ruined family room. The dads and her three friends stared at her in shock.

"What?" Willow said, shrugging. "It's a lot easier to manipulate plants than you think."

"Well, it's not that."

"It's the way you carelessly threw a woman into her own house."

"Hey, the tree did it, not me," Willow reasoned, holding her hands up in innocence. She didn't know whether it was her imagination or not, but she could have sworn that she heard the tree creek and grumble in complaint.

"Arthur," the dark-skinned man said, walking over. "We've got Mrs. Smith from here. I'll keep in touch with you guys about the details of her trial and what will happen with the twins. You guys go home and get some sleep. You'll need it after this kind of ordeal."

"Thank you, Kingsley," Mr. Weasley said. With several flashes, all of the Ministry employees apparated back to the Ministry, taking Mrs. Smith with them. The Smith twins took that perfect opportunity to wake up.

"Hey, guys," Sally coughed. "How did you get in here?"

"Paige picked the lock. What did you expect?" Willow chuckled.

Samuel looked around in a daze. "Where's Mum? She went to bed, didn't she? She'll be really mad if I have visitors at this hour...what time is it, anyway? I seem to have lost track."

Willow glanced between her dad and Mr. Weasley. They nodded, as if giving permission. Willow took a deep breath. "Your Mum has been apprehended and taken to the Ministry to await trial. You don't have to worry about her anymore."

Sally and Samuel looked at each other, unsure of how to react at first, then melted into an emotional hug. They cried on each other's shoulders, squeezing tight as if they were afraid the other might get ripped away at any moment. At length, they pulled away from each other, wiping their eyes on their dirty shirts.

"Sorry, it's just- God is that a good feeling, getting rid of Mum," Sally sniffed.

"It's alright. We understand," Paige said.

"Well, since it's late, and my house is closest, you can all crash at my house tonight," Carlos offered. "Does that sound good to everybody?"

Everyone nodded in assent. Samuel showed them which fireplace was connected to the Floo Network, and they were whisked away to the Guerrero Mansion. Fred was there to catch Willow (again). Carlos prepared all of the extra bedrooms for the guests while Willow gave her guests a half-tour of her mansion. By half past eleven, the Weasleys were sleeping in the room next to Willow's, the Smith twins were in the room next to Carlos's, and Paige was in Willow's bed. Willow, of course, had chosen to sleep on the floor instead of shoving Paige down there. Her back hurt from all of the fighting, anyway. By midnight, the Guerrero Mansion had fallen into silence again, and everyone sank into a peaceful sleep, and for once, that included Willow.


	21. Summer of Year 2: Chapter 3

The sky was just beginning to lighten in the east. Willow breathed in the sweet morning air, the humidity already present. It was going to be hot later that day. There was a promise of rain in the heavy clouds hanging overhead. She could smell the amount of moisture in the air. It was not her favorite kind of weather, but she was overdo for a cloudy morning. Her mood was back to plummeting through the ground.

No one else would probably get up for a while. She was guaranteed at least an hour of alone time, which is exactly what she needed. Willow absentmindedly grew a few small sprouts. In the back of her mind, she was still worried about how the Smith twins and Paige would react to her keeping this secret from them. If she ended up destroying their friendship because of this one secret, she would be devastated. Willow couldn't even remember how she made it through each day without her friends from Hogwarts before she turned eleven. All she could remember was the pain.

The sun was rising fast, turning the clouds blood red. It reminded her of her injuries from the previous night. Willow examined her knuckles, noting how they were nearly healed already, leaving only light bruises behind. She was still amazed by how extensive her powers were, and how powerful they were shaping up to be. They were quite plausibly the only reason she had survived her first year at Hogwarts. Pulling through the first near-death experience was one thing, but living through the second one...that was very lucky. She probably wouldn't get that kind of luck again, knowing how bad hers usually was.

Willow's emotions were growing stronger by the day. She was tired of keeping them down, exhausted from how many secrets she was keeping. It seemed like she was straining herself to the max every day in order to hide herself from the piercing gaze of the world. She was frustrated that she couldn't simply tell everyone about her powers. She could help, help protect innocent people like the Smith twins. Willow didn't see the big deal in making sure they stayed hidden. She wasn't in danger because of them, as far as she knew. No one was. She could control them, and they'd never had lethal tendencies. There was nothing wrong with them. For the time being, she'd listen to her father and keep them hidden. But the moment she could expose them, she would not hold back.

I've already told you, the voice lady scolded. It's very dangerous to release that information. Knowledge of your powers, in the wrong hands, could spill too much innocent blood.

Willow sighed. I know, it's just frustrating. I wish you would hurry up and tell me what this is all about. You promised that you would reveal yourself and give me a little bit to ponder. Aren't I ready for that yet?

You are, but are you sure you're ready for me to reveal myself?

Yeah, unless it's immediately going to kill me.

Alright, you need to stay out of sight for this. Others might panic if they see you talking to my physical form in your backyard. I don't remembering anyone telling you that I'm invited.

Oh, shut up already.

Willow's pulse quickened with excitement, despite the attitude she was displaying. She thrust her hands upward to grow a small, secluded ring of trees and shrubs around her. No one stirred inside the house. Willow tried to calm herself down, but she was so excited about the sudden change of events that it was impossible. She was about to learn some more! Maybe it would help her state of mind, put her at ease. She could only hope.

Ready? the voice lady asked.

Ready, Willow immediately replied.

She gasped as her body shivered with a chill that she didn't feel. It felt like someone was drawing all the energy out of her body in one go. A silvery light covered her eyes, then there was a bright flash, and Willow stumbled. She wanted to scream, though not in pain or fear. Then there was the weirdest sensation- as if something was being yanked out of her, something attached with super glue- and it was gone. Willow realized she had closed her eyes. When she forced them open, she gaped in awe.

A ghost stood before her. This wasn't any normal ghost, though. Unlike Sir Nicolas and the other ghosts at Hogwarts, she wasn't completely gray. She had color everywhere, dulled by the silvery mist that swirled around her form. Her hair was a rich brown, her eyes a brilliant blue, her skin a beautiful copper. The woman's clothing was a patchwork of every color Willow had ever seen. They were arranged in just a way that it was appealing to the eye, in patterns, abstract scenes, and artful background hues. Willow thought she remembered the woman's face from somewhere, but she couldn't place it. A dream, maybe?

"Willow, at last," the woman sighed. "This moment has been prolonged much too long for my liking."

Willow blinked slowly at the woman. Her voice was even more silky and ancient when it was outside of her head. It reminded her of a waterfall she had seen in the Amazon Rainforest- thousands of years old, reverberating with the memories of thousands of years of carving its way to that single pool, and gentle, but powerful. Willow reminded herself not to get on this woman's bad side.

"Hello..." she said shyly. "Am I still not allowed to know your name?"

"Not yet, Willow, but I promise it will not be too much longer. When the time is right, and you are fully prepared to know everything, I will tell the rest of my secrets to you. Now is not the time. You are much too young. Have fun in your life, make memories with your friends, be happy. The world is never at peace for long."

Willow nodded, expecting that sort of answer. "You did promise to tell me a little bit more, though."

"Ah, yes, a tad more than before," the woman said. "Reach in your pocket."

Willow furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't have anything in her pocket. The only things she had on her at all times during the school year were her pens, pencils, and a notepad or two. When she reached into the side of her shorts, she came up empty-handed. "Um, I'm pretty sure I didn't put anything in my pocket today."

"Your other pocket, dimwit."

Willow reached in her left pocket and recoiled her hand immediately. "Ouch! What is that?"

"An inanimate object can't bite you, Willow," the woman said. "It's just cold to you. Quit being a baby and get it out!"

Willow shook off her hand, then reached into the side of her shorts again and pulled out a small, silver object. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head as she recognized it.

"How- why- what- " she stammered. "How does the map do that?"

"It's more than just a map," the voice lady said. "Open it up. Yep, tap that corner."

Willow tapped the corner of her Astronomy cheat sheet. It opened up into its usual self, displaying the constellations and stars in extreme detail. She glanced quizzically at the woman.

"It's the same as it always looks."

"That's simply a security measure," the woman scoffed, as if it was obvious. "You were drawn to this map at Diagon Alley in that little shop. Have you ever wondered why?"

"Not really," Willow admitted.

"Well, it wasn't supposed to be there," the voice lady explained. "This map belonged to several special people before you. It's been passed down from generation to generation until the last family in possession of it was murdered by Voldemort. He didn't know about it, of course, and when scavengers raided the place, it was sold to Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment. It's been hiding in their junk piles ever since."

A realization slapped Willow across the face. "I'm the next special witch, aren't I? That's why I was drawn to it! That's why it feels different to everyone else that touches it!"

"Exactly. This map responds to you, and you alone. No one else can open it."

"Wow," Willow breathed. "Is there anything else I should know about it, you know, since you can't tell me who these special people are and why I'm one of them?"

"Yes, actually," the woman replied. "You've unknowingly discovered it before. Tap it anywhere except the edge."

Willow complied, touching the map directly in the center. She took a step backwards when it suddenly changed again. It was the same as last time, dividing up into several screens depicting very different images in multiple locations, but she recognized one of them. Her hand flew to her chest.

"That's- that's- " she stuttered.

"Fred and George, right?" the woman finished for her. Willow nodded, still staring, rooted to the ground, at the image. “You see, Willow, this map is not really a map at all. It's useful for studying- and the occasional cheating- but that's not its real purpose. This map shows the people close to you. Anyone that manages to win your absolute trust and friendship and reciprocates it will appear on this map. Mind you, I mean absolute trust and friendship. Very few people will win that from you, and you from them. The people that appear on this map can see it as it appears when you open it for them. Others will only see a constellation map, no matter what. If you play with it a little bit in the future, you'll discover its special features, like how to isolate images and get it to show you a select few at a quick glance. I think you'll love it."

Willow glanced at each of the images. She was still in shock that there was more than one image. Willow never thought that anyone would win her trust, not even the twins, and to have them trust her back, probably with their life...that was something. Paige also appeared on the map, and so did Harry. The only other ones were her family members and-

Oh my God, Willow thought.

"Um...Miss- Voice Lady? Can people be removed from this map if the trust is broken, or do they remain on it forever, no matter what, if you've already had a connection between them?"

"Of course they can be removed!” she exclaimed. “No trust, no special protection from the map."

Willow stared with wide eyes at the image. After everything she's been through, after everything I've been through, how can my mum and I still trust each other that much?

The Voice Lady’s image faltered, as if she were a hologram running out of power, redirecting Willow’s attention. "I must return to your head now, Willow. Soon, I'll have to rely on your energy to sustain my form, and believe me, it's much more taxing than you think."

Willow nodded. "Okay. Is there any way I can take you out of my head like this, or do you have to do it yourself?"

"You are strong enough now. If you call me, I will come."

A smile grew across Willow's face. "That's so much more reassuring than you know. Wait, you know everything about me already. Nevermind."

The woman laughed. "It's scary how much you ignore about yourself. I'll return to you now."

"Wait!" Willow called, having one last question. "Can I call you a name so that I don't have to call you ridiculous things like 'Voice Lady'? It's weird."

"As long as I approve of it. Do you have anything in mind?"

"Cebba," Willow said immediately. She blinked, the name not having any meaning to her. Were her powers acting up again? She had never heard that name before, and it had slipped right off her tongue, like Norbert's breed had when she first saw him.

"Sure," the woman said, though there was a wary gleam in her eye. Willow didn't catch it. "Call me Cebba from now on, then. Try to have a good, safe rest of your summer, Willow."

"I will, Cebba," she promised, liking the way the name naturally flowed off of her tongue.

Cebba disappeared in a flash of light, and with a quick sensation similar to someone pulling a bag over Willow's head, the woman was gone, leaving Willow alone in her ring of vegetation. She reversed her powers and returned the trees to the ground. The energy rush it left her with only lasted seconds before her sadness swept it away. With Cebba’s presence gone, she was left with an empty feeling. Willow committed herself to regrowing a tree and undoing it to entertain herself. The longer she sat there, playing with her powers, the deeper she sank within herself. Why was she so sad all of a sudden? There was nothing wrong in her life at the moment- well, aside from her powers situation. The Smith twins were finally safe, she'd had a fun day with her friends, she had her new wand, and September first was drawing nearer every day. There was nothing to get down about.

But there was plenty to be worried about.

As Willow sat there, her powers unknowingly reacted with her sadness and drew the attention of nearby small animals. Baby rabbits hopped closer, their noses twitching in curiosity, a few stray kittens wandered near, and a cluster of brave fawns stood on the edge of the nearby forest. Willow barely turned her head when they encircled her.

Too much sadness, they chorused, their voices echoing in the back of her mind. Too much sadness.

Willow wanted to tell them to go away, but her chest longed for their comfort and care. She let the animals burrow themselves against her sides, cuddling away her sadness. An overwhelming sense of guilt hit her when she thought about how much her dad had tried to comfort her over the years and how she had pushed him away every time. She was letting baby animals raise her up in a dark time over her dad. What kind of person was she becoming?

Willow didn't get enough time to ponder that question. Her head whipped towards the sliding door at the same time the fawns' did. Someone was opening it. The deer and rabbits ran for it the moment it opened, but the kittens stayed a little longer, not fearing humans as much. Willow gently brushed them away and stood up, trying not to trip over them as they rubbed against her ankles.

"Fancy seeing you up early," a voice whispered.

Willow smiled weakly when he came into view. "You're one of the few Gryffindors that does get up early, George Weasley."

"You're the only Gryffindor that would get up at half past five every morning if we'd let you go to bed earlier."

"Touche."

"I heard you singing earlier," George said, grinning. "You're actually a very good singer, did you know that?"

"What were you- You heard that?" Willow stuttered furiously, her mouth dropping open. She did have a habit of singing early in the morning when she was any bit of emotional. In fact, that morning, she had woken up with the intention to sing through her favorite three songs. George must have woken up when he heard it. "I- I didn't know you were up- "

"Oh, shut it already," George said. "You're acting ridiculous. Of all the things for you to be scared of, people hearing you sing it one of them? The great Willow Guerrero, the one that couldn't care less about her appearance, let alone what people think about her, is afraid of people judging her singing?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, I'm terrified of people judging my singing. I don't have a good reason, I just am. Got it? You better not tell anyone."

"I won't," George promised. "Seriously, Willow, lots of people at Hogwarts sing. Most aren't great, and I know from experience. Most of the Gryffindors will belt out random songs in the hallways whenever they feel like it. Don't even get me started on what happened one night after a Quidditch match when they played a drinking game with Butterbeer..."

"I'm...not going to ask about that."

"Hey, for what it's worth, you shouldn't hide your voice forever," George said. "It's okay to keep it to yourself, especially since it seems to help you with a few things, but there's no need to hide it. You're a bloody Gryffindor. People expect you to shout out whatever's on your mind."

Willow smiled. "You sound like you know a thing or two about this."

"I do. Fred doesn't know it, but I've actually taken a liking to a few Muggle songs before. Every once in a while, I try to sing them, but it's kind of difficult. Muggles are good at music."

"Some spend their whole life making it, performing it, reinventing it, etcetera." Willow looked up at George. "That's pretty amazing that Fred doesn't know. How did you manage that?"

"With great difficulty."

"Obviously."

George stared at the kittens that still crowded around Willow's ankles. "I think you've got some admirers."

"They're more trying to comfort me than worship me at the moment," Willow admitted, her lifted spirits crash-landing again. "I think my powers react to my emotions. They sensed my sadness and decided I needed a cuddle or two."

"Since when does a cute animal not cheer you up?"

"Since...today."

George walked closer and picked up one of the kittens. It crawled around his shoulders like a scarf, bright blue eyes shining with approval. "Must be in pretty bad shape, then."

Willow nodded. "Summers are the worst time for me."

"Too much time to think?"

"Exactly," she said. "I'm kind of pathetic, really. I've withstood much worse than this before. I should be stronger, right? But it's only crumbled by foundations more. I'm afraid- "

Willow stopped herself, unable to continue. George put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're afraid that you won't be able to keep up your strength much longer, aren't you? You've always been the strong one, always been the shoulder to lean on, always been the protector of the group. You are strong, Willow. You're not getting weaker. You have to have weak moments to become stronger, you know."

"Good point."

Willow stared at the horizon where the sun was just beginning to peak over the trees. She wanted so badly to open up to George. Everything she had been holding back was pounding against the floodgates, some already dripping over. She didn't want to unload on someone- that wasn't fair to George- and, after all, he might try to get her to spill the biggest thing on her mind. That was a secret she had to keep. No one was allowed to know about that. No one. But George's kindness pushed through.

"Alright, you've obviously been suffering from something," George noticed, getting straight to the point. "What's the matter? Don't you dare hold back, Willow. You know better. Just because my life is laughter and joking around doesn't mean I'm completely clueless about sadness. I have emotions other than happiness every once in a while."

Willow sighed. "Fine. Are you sure you don't want me to hold back?"

"Positive. One hundred and ten percent."

"Here goes nothing," Willow began, stroking the kitten in her arms for support. "I'm still having nightmares about killing that troll. I didn't tell you guys about that, did I? Whoops. My mum has been creepily silent about the whole locket situation. She was also friends with Quirrel, and I'm surprised she didn't give anything away to him. She saw me shape-shift when I escaped her. I'm worried that she's got bigger plans for me and it didn't have anything to do with a mother's loyalty to her daughter. I almost died twice this year, not that it matters. Several people know about my powers that shouldn't. My powers are getting stronger, sometimes a little out of control. They almost exposed me to Muggles at the London Zoo last month when I had some sort of panic attack because they were surrounding me- long story short, I rescued a boy from a tiger enclosure, and they wanted to plaster me all over their news stations. Harry had to go back to his possibly abusive home with the Dursleys, Mandy had to go back with her horrible mother, Oliver has no parents to return to, and it sounds like his grandparents are awful. The Smith twins have been abused by their mother all along and I didn't recognize it. That might be tied with first prize for foremost thing on my mind with the entire fight with Quirrel. I have horrible nightmares about it. Him and Voldemort, and sometimes my mum...They're awful. They play with my mind in dreams, torture me, make me feel like I'm worthless, make me feel like my death wouldn't be anything worth crying over. I don't know what to believe anymore. Sometimes, when I wake up, I can't separate dreams from reality. It's tearing me apart. I'm sick and tired of waking up drenched in sweat, wanting to cry but being unable to, wanting to laugh it off but hanging onto that lingering doubt that it's true. I just want to feel...happy. All I wanted when I came home was to truly feel like I came home. Quirrel took that away from me. Voldemort took that away from me. My mum drove the point- I'm not going to make that pun. But you understand, right?"

George stared at her, eyebrows raised, completely stunned for a moment. Then, he nodded slowly, as if still digesting everything she had just told him. "Yes, I do understand. I can't empathize, of course, but...bloody hell, Willow, how long have you been holding that in?"

"Um...as far back as the troll attack," Willow admitted. "I think I've let bits and pieces slip, but that may be my imagination, too. The thought of unloading that on you guys- I thought it might break you. I promised myself to hold back if that was what it would take to protect you guys from me."

"Protect us- from you?" George chortled. "Willow, there's no need for that. You're not some kind of monster that we need to keep in a cage. You have a good heart, anyone can see that. Except you, for some reason. You really need a lesson in self worth."

"I've been putting that off as long as I can," Willow said. "I need to not hold back when it comes to a life-or-death situation involving my friends. Knowing me, I'll attract that kind of danger to all of you." Her eyes widened with sudden fear. "You haven't been attacked by anyone lately, have you? Other than Mrs. Smith, I mean."

"No, but that doesn't mean you're responsible for taking us into the danger, and neither is Paige," George said quickly. "You're the one that got us out of the situation, remember?"

"Yeah, but you've still gotten into so much more trouble with me around," Willow said, her first year replaying in her mind. "Quirrel could have done so many things to you if I had told you about my plans. If you came after me, and found him there..." She shuddered. "I'm not sure I want to picture something that gruesome. And with all those Quidditch lessons, all those times I scared you to death, I shouldn't have, I'm sorry. You could have fallen off your broom or been hurt in the Forbidden Forest chasing after my sorry arse. You shouldn't have to do that. And- "

George cut her off by pulling her into a tight hug. Willow fell silent, hugging him tightly, too.

"You listening to me, Willow?" She nodded. "Good, because you need to hear this. You're not endangering us. If we were scared to be around you, don't you think we would have said something by now? We're not afraid. Even if you were endangering us, I'm pretty sure we would choose to stick around anyway. We can hold our own, and Merlin knows you can turn into a bloody dragon to save the day whenever you want. You have nothing to hold against yourself, Willow. Don't ever think you're a burden on us, because it's just the opposite."

Willow's mind took a few seconds to process the message, then, for the first time since summer had began, it got through to her. Her mind stopped racing to find faults, a little bit of the weight lifted off of her shoulders, and she actually smiled a little bit.

"Thank you, George," Willow said, trying not to cry.

"It took you long enough," George chuckled. "Now can you stop being insufferably sad?"

"I can try," Willow said.

The two backed a few paces away from each other, sheepish smiles on their faces. George yawned sleepily.

"I'm apparently tired, still," he said. "I think I'll go back to sleep now. See you in a few hours, Willow."

"I'll make sure you're the first one up," she teased.

"You better not, or you're first on the pranking list!" George threatened.

"Oh God, no! I'm just joking! Or maybe...Alright, I won't. Good night, or good morning, really."

George disappeared back into the house, closing the sliding door behind him. She got that weird fluttery feeling in her chest again. What was up with that? She hadn't felt it in a long time. It was gone as soon as it came, though, so she didn't puzzle herself over it. Willow glanced at the kitten in her arms, its icy blue eyes staring innocently into hers. She stroked its back.

"I think you're magic. You made me actually speak for once."

The calico kitten simply mewled and begged for Willow to rub her belly. She obeyed, looking up at the sunrise once more. For once, instead of longing for happiness and an end to all of her suffering, she felt at peace with herself. Willow was a lot happier than she had been in a long time. And it was all because her friend had taken the time to get her out of that place. A single tear trailed down her cheek, as if making a new path for her to follow. She was ready to face the world again. She was once more on strong foundation. Maybe there was a benefit to this "talking it out" thing all of her friends did. She could hear Mandy now.

Wow, what a concept. I never would have thought something I do to help me would work on your totally different problems.

The calico kitten nuzzled her head into Willow's hand. Yep. She was keeping this kitten, whether her dad liked it or not. Willow glanced at her watch, pressing a few buttons to check the date. It was already July 31st. Today is Harry's birthday! She still hadn't heard from him all summer, and she was starting to get suspicious. What if he was in trouble? The Durselys could be doing something horrible to him right now, and he couldn't tell anyone! Willow's mind flashed back to the night before, where a simple visit to the Smith twins' house turned into a rescue mission. The same thing could be happening to Harry! He might need her help right now!

Woah, woah, woah! Slow down! Willow scolded herself. You're growing things with the amount of worrying you're doing! At least wait until everyone gets home safely to fly off on yet another quest to save a friend or two.

Willow glanced at the ring of greenery that had indeed been growing in her runaway train of thoughts. She took a calming breath. There was no need to get worked up yet. Harry might be fine, on the other hand, something that she hadn't considered. But something told Willow that wasn't the case. Her senses were getting so powerful that they were extending to sensing danger for her friends. She had an instinct to trust them more than reason.

Look, as soon as everyone gets home safely, tell Dad where you're going and get there as fast as you can, Willow told herself. You know where he lives, just head that way and your senses will guide you to where he is. It will all work out, and in the end, you'll get to say Happy Birthday!

Willow sat outside until the sun was high in the sky, submitting to the demands of the kitten. When it was around nine, she went to wake her friends, using the kitten as a diversion so they wouldn't murder her. She found that they were much happier to wake up to a kitten than her. How rude. Nevertheless, her dad and she started breakfast, and everyone slowly stared trickling into the kitchen. Paige was (naturally) the last one up, and she wasn't ashamed in the slightest. She grumpily found a chair at the table and plopped down in it. Willow sent the kitten her way as a plead to be spared from her wrath. She started forgetting about Harry and focusing more on her guests. Her dad and she made a wonderful breakfast buffet, one that could have rivaled Hogwarts's selection in the morning. Fred and George made sure to leave no leftovers on the table, and for once, Paige and Willow helped out. The Smith twins still looked quite haunted and couldn't eat nearly as much, though they probably ate much more than they would have at their mother's house. Every one of their ribs was visible beneath their borrowed shirts and shorts. Willow suppressed the anger she was seething with.

After breakfast, the Weasleys and Paige packed up their stuff and left promptly via the Floo Network. George gave her a knowing look before leaving, passing a silent message between them, a promise, almost. The Smith twins remained a lot longer. While her father apparated to the Ministry to sort out their housing situation, Willow stayed behind. She couldn't stand the silence left in the wake of the morning's business. It couldn't have been two minutes before she struck up a conversation with the Smith twins.

"How are you guys doing this morning?"

It took Samuel a moment to reply, "Much better off than yesterday, thanks to you."

"You can thank Paige, mainly," Willow corrected. "She's the one that decided to take us to your house to check on you. I can't imagine what would have happened had we not..."

"I can," Sally said bitterly. "Mum would have casually punished us for nothing again. That wasn't even the worst Mum could have done. She was in a good mood yesterday, unlike- "

Sally stopped herself. This was obviously something she couldn't share, so Willow didn't push it.

"How long has it been since your dad died?"

Samuel winced. "Let's see...it seems like ages ago, hasn't it? We weren't that young, I can still remember his funeral plain as day, he was buried on our own property- oh, yeah, three years. So we would have been eight years old."

"And has your mother been hurting you that long?" Willow prompted.

"No, not exactly," Sally said, her kaleidoscopic eyes shifting and changing as the horrors they'd seen replayed before her. "You see, Mum was a noble woman. She used to be the most loving, caring person in the world. Mum was in Hufflepuff, and from what Dad told us, she was a true Hufflepuff, right down to the core. She would have laid down her life for the people she loved. But about a year after Dad died, we started seeing changes in her. She started forgetting things. Then she would have severe mood swings. Samuel and I were getting worried at that point, but she wasn't harming us yet. She was suddenly nasty to people at work and got fired from her job. Money got tight, so she started selling things, sometimes our stuff without our permission. Mum became very introverted and wouldn't come out of her study for hours. It was then that Samuel and I knew that something was very wrong. We tried to coax Mum back to us, but nothing worked. It only provoked her more. She became violent towards the house elf, so bad that we freed him to save his life. Before then, she would have scolded us for pulling his ears. We were one of the few families that treated our house elf well. She had lost it for good. Finally, her violence turned on us, and we were done for. She would punish us for every little thing we screwed up. Beatings became a regular occurrence. I don't even recognize the person that's pretending to be Mum right now."

Willow nodded, blinking back tears. How could this have passed her by? As haunted as the Smith twins were when they first arrived at Hogwarts, she'd thought that learning their story would have taken precedence. But no. She had let them fade into the background and hide their stories when that was exactly what they didn't need. "And to think, all this time, I didn't even bother to ask."

"Don't," Samuel said, standing up despite his weakness. Willow looked up in surprise. "Don't you dare blame yourself. It wouldn't have changed anything. The Ministry workers would never have believed us anyway, and I'm honestly surprised they came at all when you asked for help. They don't want to get involved in family dynamics for some reason."

"I know, it's ridiculous," Willow agreed. "Muggle laws do better at protecting children from bad parents than wizarding ones. I think I might have a few things to say to the Ministry when I come of age."

"It's okay, Willow, really," Sally said. "Your voice against hundreds will hardly change anything. Besides, we helped each other through the past couple of years. We aren't in too rough of shape."

Willow's eyes traced each twin in turn, Sally's words triggering a realization. Their skin was oddly perfect for being beaten all the time. She noticed how much healthier Samuel looked, and how much less haunted Sally was. Willow had a sudden desire to run directly to the Minister of Magic and scream in his face.

"Oh my God," she breathed. "You covered up your scars with a disillusionment charm. That's why I've never noticed anything, aside from the fact that you always wear robes. And...Merlin, Sally, do you give Samuel more food because he takes more beatings than you?"

Sally and Samuel shared an equally panicked glance, then nodded stiffly. Willow turned away for a moment, wishing the tears away that were welling up in her eyes. They wouldn't help the situation. She was angry at their mum much more than she was sad about their abuse There was no need for tears; she needed to report this to her father once he got home.

"Willow, seriously, we're fine," Sally assured, putting her hand on Willow's shoulder. "You don't need to worry about us anymore. Thanks to you, we don't have to go home to Mum anymore. Samuel can finally get away from her harsh words, we can re-hire our house elf, maybe even claim the property when we're of age and turn it back into a park..."

"I still can't believe how strong you guys are," Willow said. "She abused you not only physically, but mentally, especially with Samuel. I would have broken down and gone mental by now."

"That might be the only perk to living with Mum," Sally said. "She gave us one thing we would have never gotten otherwise- armor against the words of others. We could care less what other people think of us anymore. There's very few people's opinions in this world that we take seriously."

"I suppose that's true."

"It is," Samuel said. "Honestly, it's an amazing feeling, being above the opinions. We don't have to change ourselves for anyone. It's refreshing."

Willow smiled. "You guys are cheering me up now. How ironic is that?"

"Very. It's nice to have the roles reversed every once in a while. You need a little support every once in a while, Willow."

"Aw," she sniffed. "Come here, you two."

Willow drew Sally and Samuel into a soft hug, trying not to cry. The twins hugged back without hesitation, holding her close. Then, they pulled back, eyes a little misty.

"Thanks for caring so much," Sally said. "I thought most of my friends would reject me because of this kind of background, like they thought some of Mum transferred to me, but that might be part of Mum's manipulation over the years..."

"It definitely was," Willow concluded. "I will personally make sure she never hurts you guys again."

"Trust me, I'm excited to see her behind bars," Samuel said.

"Me too, Sam." Willow caught herself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you with the nickname or anything, it just kind of slipped out- no harm intended- "

"It's fine," he laughed. "I like it, actually. My Mum always called me Samuel. I think I'd like to make the change to everyone calling me Sam, now. Might help me move on."

"Good, because I was really going to struggle with that."

Willow's dad arrived just then. He sped towards the three, looking distressed and frustrated, but he quickly hid it for their sake. Willow thought it odd that his wand was gripped tightly in his hand.

"Alright, I've finally sorted it out with those bloody fools," he announced. "Sorry it took so long. They were dreadful to deal with, taking their sweet old time...Anyway, this may come as a bit of a shock, Sally, Samuel, since you don't have any living relatives, but there is someone next in line to take care of you. Your father, shortly before his death, decided to nominate a godparent for you. She's a dear friend of his."

The Smith twins' eyes widened. "Hold on, really?"

"Why did Dad not tell us about this?"

"I have no idea," Carlos replied. "But everything's official- Sarah's going to take care of you."

"Oh my goodness, Sarah Brown? Dad's told us so many stories about her!" Sally exclaimed, her eyes shining. "She and him used to be study partners and pretty much did everything together back in their years at Hogwarts! Remember, Sam? That Muggleborn Hufflepuff girl that blew up one of the greenhouses?"

"Oh, now I remember! I really do! She sounded amazing."

Carlos smiled. "Perfect. We can leave whenever you're ready. She's expecting you to floo travel through her fireplace any time now."

The twins said their goodbyes to Willow, saying they'd see her soon at Hogwarts, and floo traveled away. As soon as they were gone, a dreary silence settled over the mansion once more. Carlos walked up to Willow and took her hands in his.

"What a day," he sighed. "Well, past twenty-hours. A rescue mission, giant breakfast, crabby Ministry workers, imprisoning a violent mother. What a summer. I bet you're almost glad to go back to Hogwarts."

"That reminds me," Willow said, the mention of missing Hogwarts triggering her memory. "I haven't heard back from Harry all summer. I'm worried that he's in trouble, and he can't tell anyone."

Carlos didn't even need to ponder her words. "I know I can't stop you, so I'll just tell you to be safe. Little Whinging isn't far from here. You'll make it there before your powers exhaust you. I know how easy it is for you to become a bird anymore. If anything goes wrong, anything at all, make sure you send Iris or fly right back. I'm always able to help."

Willow gave her dad a quick hug. "Thanks. I'll see you in a little bit. Te amo, padre."

"Te amo, mi hija."

Changing into a falcon and squawking softly in farewell, Willow took off into the afternoon sky, the sun quickly heating up her dark feathers to an uncomfortable temperature. It was much later in the day than she would have liked, but as long as she reached Number 4, Private Drive and made sure Harry was okay, then she would take what she could get. The sun was getting unbearably hot, though. She dove into more than one fountain to cool off. The Muggles didn't seem too surprised. She hoped they wouldn't suspect her, since birds do dumb things and all.

About two kilometers away from Little Whinging, a thought occurred to Willow- she should get Harry something for his birthday! There were plenty of Muggle bakeries in the area. All she would have to do is take one without the Muggles noticing, which she figured out with a twinge of guilt. Willow hated stealing, but it wasn't like she had any money with her, let alone Muggle pounds. She would take something small that she could hide easily. Harry would be surprised no matter what she got him- the Dursleys refused to get him anything on his birthday.

Willow wanted to throw up as she remembered that little fact.

A busy street appeared below her. She glanced around, her falcon form lending better vision, and she spotted a tiny little shop with a cake displayed in the window. Perfect. Willow dove into a small gap between the buildings and landed, smoothly changing into a human. She was getting the hang of that trick. Peering around the corner, Willow made sure no one had seen her, preparing a story on the fly just in case, but thankfully, the Muggles continued going about their own business, ignoring her entirely. She joined the partially crowded sidewalks and slipped into the bakery with a happy smile on her face.

The smell hit her immediately- chocolate frosting, sprinkles, baking cakes, cupcake batter- Willow almost wanted to stay a little longer and eat something herself. But she shook her head, banishing that fantasy. She was there for one small dessert. Stealing two would be way too much.

Willow scanned the displays, then the menu. There was every dessert she could imagine there. Some of them she had never even heard of, but looked so good that her mouth was watering. Her nose twitched when one of the bakers opened up an oven to remove a cake from it. Willow wished it was for her. She returned to her task, searching out the perfect gift, when something caught her eye. A freshly made miniature round cake with the words "Happy Birthday!" in frosting sat all alone in the corner nearest to the door. It was perfect for Harry. That was the one she had to get.

Now she had to figure out how she would get it without the Muggles noticing.

Willow glanced around the shop, taking in her surroundings. The bakery was very busy. People were bumping each other as they tried to get to the counter to request specific items. The bakers themselves were bustling around, getting orders as fast as they could, looking very stressed. Willow's heart broke to think that she would steal this cake from those poor Muggles. They probably worked very hard to make it appear so perfect. She almost thought about not getting it at all, just going straight to Privet Drive. But Harry needed something for his birthday. Willow sighed, promising herself that she would come back to that bakery and give them a hefty tip with the next thing she actually bought. Grabbing a gift back and placing the cake round inside, Willow nonchalantly made her way out the door, as unobtrusive as ever. No one stopped her, which made her wince with guilt. She went back to the alley and shape-shifted into a falcon again, hooked her talons around the handle, and took off before she could change her mind, refusing to look back.

Willow reached Privet Drive without much of a problem. Iris somehow found her mid-air, as if she knew that her master was going to a new place. That would definitely spare her father some worry if things went awry. She had a bad feeling that they would.

As soon as Willow laid eyes on Number 4, Privet Drive, her brain started firing like crazy. Her head hurt with impossibly fast signals racing around it. Something was definitely wrong. Her eyes confirmed her powers' misgivings when she saw Harry's uncle throwing him into his room. Harry was fighting against him for all he was worth, but the bigger man was too strong for him. Her blood boiled when Vernon threw Harry against his bed and shouted at him. Harry looked like he was about to cry and scream back all at the same time. Willow wanted so badly to burst right through his window and attack that purple-faced, ignorant, vicious man, but she knew that it wouldn't help the situation. She waited angrily outside his window until Vernon slammed the door, locking Harry in. Then, she knocked on his window, scaring the living daylights out of Harry. He shakily got up and open it. Willow set the cake down on the ground, waddled a safe distance away from it, and transformed back into a human. Harry turned so white that Willow thought he would pass out.

"What- Willow! What are you doing here?" he hissed. "If Uncle Vernon sees you- "

"I'll be fine. I can change into a mouse to hide, remember?"

The panic faded in Harry's eyes, instead replaced with relief. "Thank you for coming to visit me. I've been stuck in this place far too long. Not seeing you guys is killing me."

"Why didn't you answer my letters?" Willow asked. "Did something go wrong?"

Harry sighed, flopping back on his bed. "Yes, something went very wrong. Uncle Vernon locked Hedwig in her cage, over there, and a house elf named Dobby has been stopping all letters from reaching me."

Hedwig tweeted in agitation. Harry reminded her that she couldn't be let out, there was a lock on the cage. Willow picked up the round cake and handed it to Harry, who gave her a confused look.

"I realized today was your birthday," she explained. "So I brought you a cake, since your aunt and uncle refuse to do anything for you."

"Aw, Willow," Harry said, nearly choking up. "You didn't have to do this. I'm used to not getting birthday presents by now, let alone cake- "

"I did have to do it," Willow interrupted. "You deserve a birthday cake ten times this size for all the birthday celebrations you've missed. Besides, I think it might be the only thing you'll eat for tonight."

"You're probably right about that."

Harry dug into the round cake. He ate it slowly, trying to savor eat bite as if it were his last. Willow wondered if her poor friend had ever gotten the chance to eat cake before coming to Hogwarts. Knowing the Dursleys, he hadn't. She couldn't believe Harry was forced to live with these horrible people all of his childhood. An awful childhood wasn't something he could go back and fix. He grew up being hated all his life, hidden away because he wasn't normal. Willow had had enough of abusive parents for that summer. She was definitely going to make a case to the Ministry of Magic when she was older- or at least punch Vernon in the face.

Suddenly, something clanged against the side of the house. Harry and Willow rushed to the window, only to find more bad news. Vernon had set a ladder just beneath Harry's windows and was already gathering his power tools and a set of bars. Willow's mind went into overdrive when she realized she wouldn't be able to escape soon.

"Quick, Willow, you have to leave!" Harry urged. "You have to go get help!"

"No, I'm not leaving you!" Willow protested. She cursed when she realized that she had left her paper and pencil at home. "Where's the nearest quill and parchment? Where is it, Harry?"

"I have some left over in my trunk," Harry said. "But what does that have to do with- "

Willow ignored her friend as she flung open the trunk and dug out some parchment and a quill. She frantically scribbled a short message on it:

Harry in trouble. Send help. Stuck in room. Bar on windows.

Willow

Whistling loudly, she called Iris, who immediately swooped down from the roof. Iris took the parchment in her mouth and flew away, just before Vernon started climbing the ladder. Willow panted, falling backwards onto Harry's bed.

"What- did you- Merlin's beard, Willow, did you seriously send your owl for help instead of escaping yourself? You're going to be stuck in here for days, maybe even weeks!"

"So will you," Willow pointed out. "I can't leave you here all by yourself."

"But- " Harry stopped himself. "You're absolutely mad, Willow. Mental. But thanks for staying with me. It might make it a little less lonely and boring." Harry looked out the window, his eyes widening in fear. "Willow, get down! Shape-shift! I don't know, just do something, Uncle Vernon is nearly here!"

Willow instantly shrunk into a mouse, retreating to the dark corner of Harry's bed right before Vernon arrived at the window. His power tools hammered and hacked away, creating a ruckus that could be heard all down the street. Harry silently stared at his uncle. His eyes forlorn and desolate, he spaced out, as if trying to wish himself away from there, but at the same time giving up because it was no use. Harry didn't even react when Vernon shouted and grinned wickedly at him through the window. When the front door slammed to announced Vernon's arrival back inside the house, Willow finally allowed herself to shape-shift back into a human.

"Wow, I can see why you hate your uncle so much," she said. "He's the trashiest human being on this planet. I think he could give Voldemort a run for his money in diabolical evilness."

"Yeah, he could."

The two fell into silence. They stayed that way for several hours, simply sitting next to each other on the bed, lost in thought, too shocked by how quickly things had escalated to do anything. The only interruption was Uncle Vernon installing a cat door and pushing a morsel of dinner through. It was cold and unappetizing, making Willow wonder if it were a leftover from their dinner. The only consolation was that keeping Harry locked in his room forced Petunia and Vernon to cook their own food. When Willow mentioned this to Harry, he barely even cheered up. Understandable. As night fell, Harry crawled under the covers to go to sleep. Willow transformed into a dog and laid at his feet, falling into a deep sleep.

Apparently, flying to Little Whinging and sleeping in dog form stretched her powers more than she thought. Willow was so exhausted that she slept until early afternoon the next day. She found herself still curled up as a dog when she woke up. Harry was munching on a small bowl of warm salad. The expression of disgust on his face told her everything she needed to know about how it tasted.

"Finally, I thought you would sleep forever," Harry said as Willow transformed back into a human. "Do you want some of this salad? I know, its gross, but it's food."

"No, you go ahead and eat it," Willow said. Harry shrugged and ate the rest of it. "Anything exciting happen while I was out, other than receiving a disgusting salad?"

"Nope. Just general boredom."

"Sorry I was out so long," Willow apologized. "My powers take a lot more out of me than most people realize. It surprises me half the time."

"Don't worry, it's not like you were getting me in trouble," Harry said. "Aunt Petunia never saw you, and if she did, maybe she might've skipped over it. I mean, you chose the perfect color to blend into my bed. I lost you more than once."

Willow smiled. "That's been known to happen."

"I wish that Dobby would have gotten lost, to be honest..." Harry muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Oh, did I not tell you about how I got myself locked in my room?" Harry asked. Willow shook her head no. "This is going to sound crazy, but I'm sure you're more than used to this crazy wizarding world by now. Two days ago, my uncle was hosting a dinner with a possible buyer for his Muggle tools or whatever, saying that if the deal fell through, he'd make a bunch of money, buy a vacation house, it would change their life, blah, blah blah. Well, the plan was that I'd stay up here and be quiet so that the evening would go smoothly. That did not happen. A house elf named Dobby showed up in my bedroom. He warned me that terrible things would happen to me if I went back to Hogwarts, that there's some sort of evil plan in the making. Dobby stopped all by letters from my friends thinking that it would make me want to stay here. I don't think he realized that this place couldn't be any worse. I'm pretty sure I'd simply starve to death here, while at Hogwarts, at least I have a fighting chance if something goes wrong. When I refused to swear I wouldn't go back to Hogwarts, he ran downstairs and magically dropped a cake on the dealer guy's wife. Dobby disappeared to make it seem like it was me, and an owl flew in from the Ministry, warning me not to use magic underage. Uncle Vernon locked me in my room last night for the first time, believe it or not. What you saw yesterday was me accidentally trying to go down the steps to start dinner. I'm so used to that, now. Vernon thought I was trying to defy him and- well, you saw what kind of damage he followed through on."

"That's awful," Willow said. "Your uncle sounds like the most disgusting, worthless piece of rubbish this world has ever seen."

"He pretty much is," Harry agreed. "I wouldn't want to cross him again, though. His bark is just as bad as his bite. He doesn't make empty threats very often."

"I will personally help you hex him when you turn seventeen," Willow promised.

"Thanks."

"So, about this Dobby character. Who do you think he belonged to? There's a lot of powerful wizarding families these days...I can't even think of them off the top of my head. Of course, I, of all people, wouldn't pay attention to who's pureblood and who's not, who's got all the power and who's powerless. But that might come in handy some day when I raid the Ministry of Magic to improve a few things. I'll pay attention to that now."

"When you what?" Harry squeaked.

"Oh, nothing," Willow said. "Just a future plan to rescue you from all of these horrible adults."

"Okay, that makes me feel better," Harry breathed. "For a second there, I thought you meant you were going to take over the Ministry and become a dictator of the wizarding world. You didn't mean that, right?"

"No, but thanks for the idea."

"I can't decide whether you'd be a really good, fair dictator that would fix things, then replace most of the officials to remove corruption, or a tyrant that would take over the world and rule with an iron fist."

"I'd go for the first image, but take you pick."

Harry chuckled to himself as Willow beamed innocently. "Enough of that. I'll just stop you if you ever march on the Ministry. How have your powers been progressing, by the way?"

"They're doing great, to everyone's surprise," Willow answered. "For once, I think I'm getting them under control. That might be due to the fact that I'm constantly using them now, but nonetheless, it is nice to not have to worry about them acting up all the time. They are getting stronger, though, and that could pose a problem when I get back to Hogwarts, because the more powerful an emotion is, the harder it is to hold them back. My powers have started reacting to strong emotions and helping me defend myself or reach a balance in any way they can."

"So, to sum it all up, you're getting super powerful, and there's no way to stop it," Harry concluded.

"Yep. That's it, aside from the fact that the voice lady in my head finally appeared to me."

"Who now?"

"I don't think I've told anyone much about her, so here's a quick recap: there's a woman whose voice has been in my head since the beginning of first term. She's been helping me transform, work with my powers, discover a few secrets about them, and some miscellaneous things. This woman and I like to insult each other, by the way. We can have telepathic conversations virtually any time. You guys would find it funny. Anyway, this voice lady promised to appear to me and reveal some more information about my powers. This morning, she finally did. She's not exactly a ghost, but she kind of is. There's more of a blue sheen to her than a typical ghostly silver. She didn't float above the ground but walked on it, and I'm pretty sure she would be solid if I touched her. I call her Cebba now. She said that I can call her whenever, and she will come to me."

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Harry said. "Do you think others will be able to see her?"

Oh, I see where this is going, Cebba interrupted. You're going to call me just to show me off to your friend. I don't think so, girl. I'm no model. There's no need to call me, and besides, he won't be able to see me anyway, idiot. You should have known that.

"Shut up," Willow muttered out loud.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry, I was trying to respond to Cebba," Willow explained. "She's talking to me again, since she can see everything I see, and says that you wouldn't be able to see her. Sorry."

"That's fine. Just curious."

Harry put the empty salad bowl next to the door. He sat across from Willow on the floor, whose stomach growled softly. She hoped Harry truly didn't hear it when he didn't react.

"Well, there's not really much to do in here, other than sleep and talk," Harry said. "I wish I would have brought something entertaining up here when I got home from Hogwarts, but it's all locked in my trunk in my old bedroom."

"The cupboard under the stairs?"

"Yep. That's the one. This only became my room this summer because the Dursleys were afraid of me cursing them to wake up as some ridiculous creature."

"How nice of them," Willow said sarcastically. Hedwig chirped in her cage, begging to be let out. "That reminds me. I hope Iris got home safe and delivered the message by now. Help should be on the way soon."

"It better be, because at this rate, we're both going to starve to death before September first."

"I really wish my powers weren't reserved just for life," Willow said. "I know, that sounds really self conceited when you think about it, because that's basically the most broad power I can think of, but it's annoying when I have all that power and I can't move soil to grow something in your bedroom. And because of these dumb bars on your window, I can't grow a plant tall enough for us to reach it."

"It's not your fault, Willow."

"Still, I would have loved to help..."

The two sat there in silence for a while, watching the birds fly outside. Willow almost regretted staying with Harry, instead wishing that she had flown off to get help and arrived with full backup, then smashed the Dursleys' house apart to get to Harry. But that thought immediately vanished. She couldn't leave Harry all alone for days on end when he was being systematically starved and dehydrated to death. If things got really desperate, she could try to turn into a strong animal and bang the bars out of his window, but they looked pretty strong. She would pass out from concussive effects just as fast as the exhaustion of holding herself in a new form. Willow sighed. She was stuck again, and she hated being trapped. It was the worst sensation she had ever experienced, almost as bad as being helpless and too weak to act upon her anger when Quirrel trapped her in that storage room. That meant a great deal to her.

Before she knew it, the afternoon wore away, Harry was let out to use the bathroom, and he returned without any injuries. They chatted all evening into afternoon, and after much encouraging and reassuring, Willow got Harry to take all the food for himself. Not that it was enough to fill even one person's stomach. They had another round of silence, and, once darkness enveloped the landscape, they recognized their inability to sleep and talked late into the night. Somehow, they made a game out of trying to make each other laugh, and at one point Uncle Vernon actually broke in to ask what was so funny, they were laughing to loud. Willow quickly changed into a black mouse again, and the moment they heard the bedroom door shut down the hall, they resumed the game, just a little quieter that time. The clock on Harry's dresser read half past three before they finally went to sleep. Willow changed into a black dog again and laid at Harry's feet. Right before she fell asleep, Harry whispered something.

"Willow?"

She perked her head up, glancing at Harry.

"You'd make a much better cousin than Dudley."

Willow thumped her tail a few times on the bed in agreement, then fell into a deep sleep.

The evening sun was already shining through Harry's window when she woke up again. She really needed to practice sleeping in different forms more often if she was ever going to sleep regularly while in them. Willow transformed back into a human and stood up, stretching her stiff muscles. Harry was already up again, eating the last remains of what looked like a broccoli cheddar soup. He dumped the vegetables into Hedwig's cage, and when the owl turned her beak up at them, Harry tried to explain that she wouldn't be getting anything else.

Eat them, Willow commanded Hedwig.

The snowy owl glanced at her, as if scowling, then began to eat the vegetables, slowly and with as tortured an expression as an owl can have. Harry whipped around to see Willow staring at Hedwig with her eyebrows raised.

"Did you- did you just...Make Hedwig eat?"

"I guess you could say that," Willow replied.

Harry set the bowl down by the cat flap, then sat on his bed, yawning. "I'm still tired. I didn't sleep to well last night. If you don't mind, I'll doze off now..."

"I wouldn't mind in the slightest," Willow said as Harry fell asleep.

She was left alone in the room as the sun sank below the horizon. It darkened again, but she didn't mind, since Harry was there and all. Willow may be afraid of the dark, but when she had someone with her, the fear was almost nonexistent. She entertained herself by shape-shifting into random animals and creatures. At one point, she called all the birds and telepathically ordered them to land on the Dursleys' house. She could barely contain her laughter when she heard Vernon screaming that his roof was turned white with bird poop. Then, she sat and gazed out at the stars, fingering the map in her pocket, wondering just how many people would show up on it over the years.

The time was passing fast. Willow could hardly believe it when she looked at the clock to realize it was half past eleven. Her stomach growled loudly, and she wished she could tell it to shut up. Harry would need all the food he could get, being much skinnier than her from the start. Willow forced herself to keep focusing on naming all the constellations in the sky. Then, the unthinkable happened.

One moment, she was staring at the sky, and the next, there was something blocking her view. Peering at the figure, she realized it was an abnormally large shape to be flying in the sky. It grew bigger as time passed until Willow saw that it was heading straight towards her. Then, it slowed down and pulled up next to Harry's window, and the figures inside could be recognized. There was no mistaking the blue Ford Angelina and the three shocks of red hair inside.

"Fred! George! Ron!" Willow exclaimed.


	22. Year 2: Chapter 1

"Willow!" Fred exclaimed. "Thank Merlin you're okay! What on Earth were you thinking? We just got done with the Smith family's situation, now this! Are you trying to get killed? You promised- "

"Oh, shut it already with that nonsense!" Willow interrupted. "I don't need a lecture right now, and I'm perfectly fine."

"You are not fine! I know bloody well you've made sure Harry has everything he needs, which means you probably haven't eaten in days, and- "

"Fred! I'm fine! See how I'm breathing? I'm not bleeding out, I won't starve to death for at least another week, I've had enough water to get by, and I've slept enough to kill a dragon."

George and Ron awkwardly glanced back and forth between Fred and Willow as they argued, not sure what to do. Willow noticed and finally shut her mouth. They had more pressing things to attend to at the moment.

"We'll talk this out later, Weasley," she promised. Fred gave her a stern look that meant she was going to be held to her word. "Do you want me to wake up Harry, or...?"

"Yes, that's our reason for coming here," George said quickly, looking relieved. "You keep an eye on the hallway for now. If the Dursleys wake up, let us know."

Willow nodded in ascent. She shook Harry awake, and the moment he saw the Weasleys he sprinted to the window. Willow took up her position next to his bedroom door, peering through the peephole and listening intently for any sign of the Dursleys' awakening. So far, so good. It appeared that the Dursleys were sound asleep.

Suddenly, the Ford Angelina revved. Willow whipped around just in time to see the bars come clean off Harry's window. Ron and George worked together to store it in the back seat. Listening intently, Willow put her ear up to the door, but not a soul stirred outside Harry's bedroom. She sighed in relief. The twins jumped into Harry's room, unlocked the door with their hairpin ("I told you it comes in handy! Two times in a week!"), and stealthily made their way downstairs to the cupboard. Willow crept into the hallway and stood directly outside the Dursleys' bedroom. There still wasn't a single noise. Harry appeared from his bedroom, looking frazzled and pale.

"I'm going to help the twins with my trunk," he whispered. "Please come help. It's dreadfully heavy without any extra charms on it."

Willow silently ran down the steps with Harry, finding the twins struggling to move a massive trunk. Even with the four of them, they barely managed to skip the creaky step, and they were panting heavily by the time they reached the landing. Fred, George and Harry continued into the bedroom to put the trunk in the car while Willow stayed behind to keep watch. She was glad she did, because the moment she let go of the trunk, Uncle Vernon coughed. Her blood ran cold at the same time Harry lost his color. She listened closer to the bedroom, but there was nothing. Willow put her hand over her heart, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. They were safe for the time being. Vernon was coughing in his sleep. Hopefully.

"Willow, go get Harry's broomstick, will you?" Fred asked.

"On it."

Willow dashed down the steps. She almost forgot about the bottom stair, but dodged it at the last second and rushed into the cupboard. Grabbing Harry's Nimbus, she ran back up to the landing, nearly crashing into George as he careened into the hallway.

"Oh, so sorry!" Willow apologized.

"No, no, it's fine, I should watch it," George whispered. "Someone coughed again. Had to check it out." His expression changed as he glanced at Willow's arm. "What the bloody hell happened to you already? How do you manage to injure yourself every five seconds?"

Willow glanced down to find that she had somehow gotten a deep gash halfway up her forearm. Her brow wrinkled in confusion. How did that happen? She wasn't around anything sharp, was she?

"You must have cut yourself on that broom," George guessed. "Here, let me fix that."

Willow stayed perfectly still as he ripped off a part of his sleeve, then wrapped it around her arm. A sheepish smile made its way onto her face. She hated being cared for by others, especially her friends, but for some reason, she was letting George help her. What was going on with her lately? Maybe it was the chaos of escaping messing with her brain, or the fact that she was bleeding fast. It had to be one of those.

"Thanks," Willow said, trying not to blush with embarrassment.

"Not a problem. Let's get out of here before one of these douchebags wake up." George glanced at the Ford Angelina, then seemed to remember something. "Actually...we might need you to fly ahead. Mum doesn't know about our midnight flight, and I don't think she'd be too happy to discover we're gone. If she wakes up before we get back, please distract her. I'm not sure anyone can take her wrath if she finds out we've done this."

"I'll try my best," Willow said. "Stay safe, and try not to be seen!"

"We will. Now, go, quick!"

Willow jokingly saluted George, then got a running start and jumped straight out of Harry's window. George could barely contain his snickering when Fred tried to whisper-shout at Willow for her recklessness. She laughed to herself as she fell through the air, almost having forgotten the electrifying sensation of the wind through her hair. Transforming into a falcon, she took to the sky, screeching in goodbye. Ron gawked at her from the back seat, but quickly recovered and waved. Willow turned towards the village of Ottery St. Catchpole and ascended into the clouds.

The night sky stretched out above her, velvety black as always. Diamond-like stars glittered brighter and brighter as she flew higher. Willow's feathers ruffled as a strong wind blew into her side. She kept on course and continued to stare at the constellations that glowed as clear as they did when she was in the Forbidden Forest. Willow would have sighed with content had she been in a different form; she missed a good night fly here and there while she was at Hogwarts.

Sooner than she anticipated, the sun began rising over the horizon behind her, and the village was silhouetted before her eyes. Willow cast around for the telltale chicken coop and lopsided house. With her enhanced eyes, it took all of five seconds for her to find it. Her heart warmed as a piece of it felt like it had finally come home.

That was quickly evaporated when a stout, angry woman with blazing red hair was fuming on her way out of the shed.

Oh no, Willow thought. Looks like we're screwed. Mrs. Weasley already knows.

With no other options, she dove down onto the Weasley's front porch and shape-shifted back into a human. Willow suddenly lurched and fell into the side of the house. Her eyes flew wide as she steadied herself, getting back onto her weak legs. She'd already forgotten how much energy flying long distances took. By the time she stopped seeing black dots, Mrs. Weasley had noticed her.

"Willow!" she exclaimed, her face slack with surprise. "What a surprise! Oh, goodness, you look dreadful! What happened? When did you get here?"

"I just flew here from Little Whinging. Um...I see you found the missing car," she chuckled. "Uh...about that- "

"Oh, enough with the cover up story," Molly said, waving away Willow's words. "I have a pretty good guess at what they've done. We were planning to rescue Harry this Friday if we hadn't heard back from him, but the boys had other ideas." Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "Come inside, dear, you need food, and right away! You look like you haven't eaten in days!"

Willow forced a pathetic laugh as she followed Mrs. Weasley inside. Her stomach thankfully decided to quiet itself. She sat down at the table, dreading the moment the four boys would get back. It wouldn't be a pretty sight, that was for sure.

The Burrow soon filled up with the delectable smell of sausages, fresh-cooked eggs, bacon, and homemade bread. Willow was almost drooling by the time Molly set down an overfilled plate in front of her. She dug into the hearty food with several words of thanks.

"Eat up, that's it," she encouraged. "There's plenty left, so eat as much as you like. I'm going to collect the round of eggs from the chicken coop. Ginny should be upstairs in her room when you're done."

"Thank you," Willow said in between swallows.

Mrs. Weasley exited the kitchen, leaving her alone. The Burrow was far from quiet, though, as several magical things kept up the pandemonium. It was exactly as she remembered it from before: a cluttered, controlled, chaotic mess that captured one's heart in the most unexpected way. Willow almost wished she had siblings to share her dad's mansion with, but stopped herself when she started digging up a painful memory. She was okay being an only child.

A blue speck appeared out of an east-facing window, catching Willow's eye. She recognized the flying Ford Angelina and tensed up. Mrs. Weasley was outside! What if she saw them? Willow's mind raced to find a solution, something, anything to distract the Weasley's mother, but it was too late. Molly had spotted the car and was marching around the house towards the driveway. Willow winced when the boys touched down and skidded a little in the driveway. They would be furious with her for failing. She decided not to witness the awful chewing-out that was certain to happen, and after putting her empty plate in the sink, sprinted up the stairs, hoping to find Ginny in time. Willow looked up when she got to the first landing and immediately regretted it.

A horrible vertigo unbalanced her so badly that she had to lean heavily into the railing to stay upright. There were at least five other landings above her, each one creaking and swaying with the instability of the house. If it weren't for magic, this home would have fallen apart years ago, and building it wouldn't have lasted a second. Willow racked her brain. She had stayed her last summer, but why couldn't she remember which floor was whose? Thankfully, she didn't need to ponder that question for too long.

"Oh my God, Willow, is that you?" an excited voice squeaked.

Willow turned around to see Ginny standing in the doorway to her room. The younger girl ran and jumped into her arms, laughing and squeezing her tight.

"I knew it! I knew you would end up here some way or another!" Ginny exclaimed. She jumped down and bounced on her toes. "You have to tell me everything! Well, Ron told me a lot already, of course, but you must have loads to say that Ron forgot! And I heard you're best friends with Harry Potter! I can't wait to meet him! Here, come in my room!"

Willow was dragged into Ginny's room at top speed. They both sat on the bed, and Ginny turned her full attention to her friend.

"Tell me everything! Tell me everything!"

Willow couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face as she recounted all of her first year to Ginny- leaving out all the gruesome, unfriendly details, of course. The soon-to-be first year was a great audience, laughing, beaming, gasping, and groaning exasperatedly at all the right times. She asked many times for Willow to say more about Harry, and every once in a while Willow would have to give a few basic details about her non-Gryffindor friends.

"You're really into Harry, aren't you?" Willow observed after finishing her story.

Ginny blushed scarlet. "No, not like that...I mean- well, to be painfully honest- "

"Oh, Ginny, you're obsessed with him!" Willow giggled. "But I can see why. He is quite the extraordinary character, Harry. Don't worry, though, he's just a brother to me."

"He's so amazing, and I can't explain why!" Ginny said, flopping dramatically on her bed. "I hardly even know him!"

"Well, your brothers decided to go rescue him late last night. He's here right now, so you can probably get to know him pretty well until school starts again."

"WHAT?!"

Ginny dashed out her room and down the stairs before Willow could stop her. She squeaked and sprinted back into her room, diving under the covers and burying her red face in them.

"Willow, what do I do? Help!"

Willow shook her head. "First off, you close your door so no one can hear us, and we come up with a plan. I think I've got something in mind. Get out from under you covers first, though, I don't think I can take you seriously if I'm looking at a lump under the duvet instead of your face."

Ginny shoved her covers off, shocked herself with the static in her hair, and sat up straight to pay attention to her friend. Willow tried not to snicker at her ridiculous appearance.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do," she started. "Harry's one of my best friends, right? That means I know him pretty well. I can give you hints on what he likes, dislikes, the types of people he doesn't mind being around, what he's getting up to, the whole thing. What you have to do, in the meantime, is become his friend. If you aren't his friend first, you'll have no chance."

Ginny's eyes lit up. "That's easy! I'm going to make loads of friends this year, everyone does, it will only seem natural that I want to be his friend, too, since Ron is his best friend and all, and if I get in Gryffindor, that would be loads easier!"

"Your attitude is awesome. I'm ninety-nine point nine percent certain you're going to be in Gryffindor. We'll share the same common room, be one floor apart in the dormitory, and have plenty of places to meet and come up with plans. I'll try to be the best wingwoman I can."

"You're already turning out to be the best!"

Willow smiled sheepishly. "If you say so." Suddenly, she remembered something. "Oh my God, my dad doesn't know I'm okay! He might have got Iris's message, but he might not have, what if he thinks I've been kidnapped? What if he's worrying out of his mind right now? Merlin's beard, I can't do this to him again, he'll never let me out of the house- "

"Willow, what are you talking about?" Ginny interrupted. "Did something happen?"

Willow's stomach dropped. "Um...I shouldn't have said that. I'm pretty sure your mum doesn't know, either..."

"Don't you dare hide something from me!" Ginny said, standing up and crossing her arms in front of her. "You don't need to protect me from words, Willow. They don't hurt me. I can learn what happened, since anything short of what happened with Quirrel has to be hardly a problem, and you're had loads of problems, from what I've heard."

Willow sighed. "Fine. I went to check on Harry three days ago for his birthday, and the situation wasn't good. Did Ron ever tell you about his aunt and uncle?" Ginny shook her head. "Well, they've always treated Harry like rubbish because he was magic. They've come close to being abusive before, but this time they really crossed a line. Harry apparently was visited by a house elf that warned him not to go back to Hogwarts, and when Harry wouldn't swear that he'd stay- I mean, who'd want to stay with those monsters? I don't blame him- the house elf framed Harry for dumping a cake on a possible business partner for Harry's uncle. Apparently, it was a big deal to them, because they shut him in his room. Shortly after I got to the Dursley's house, they attached bars to Harry's window and trapped us inside. I managed to get Iris out in time with a message to my dad, but I'm not sure he got it. I hope she's okay..."

"Iris is a good owl. I bet your dad did get the message." Ginny's eyes lit up. "Maybe that's why the boys went to get Harry early! I bet anything your dad sent an owl to them, and they were up and out of here first thing."

"Maybe. But I still feel bad that he's in the dark. I should get back to him soon."

Ginny pouted. "Aw, can't you stay longer, too?"

Willow shrugged. "I bet I can stay for a little longer, at least. Just to make sure your twin brothers aren't mad at me."

"Why would they be mad at you?"

"They sent me ahead as a lookout to keep your mum from finding out about flying the car, but your mum was already storming out of the empty garage by the time I got here, so there wasn't much I could do."

"How- oh, right! You can shape-shift, can't you? Has it gotten any better?"

"Oh, it's gotten better, but I've discovered that's not the only thing I can do. Wait until you hear about this. You're not gonna believe how much I'm able to do."

Willow recounted her usage of her powers and the conversations with Cebba to Ginny. The little redhead's eyes were wide and full to the brim with images of her friend being this awesome nature-wielding witch. She asked several times for Willow to show her, but Willow shook her head each time, promising that she'd get a full show when they're at Hogwarts. They busied themselves instead with playing with Ginny's puffskein, Snuffles. Before the girls knew it, the clock struck noon.

"Lunch time!" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen. "Get your sorry butts down here, boys!"

Willow and Ginny raced to the kitchen, surprising Mrs. Weasley. They couldn't stop giggling in fits, as if each other's presence was fueling their crazy, jumbled up over-excitement. As the two sat down at the table, the rest of the household minus Mr. Weasley trudged down the stairs. Percy appeared first, proudly displaying his prefect badge, then Harry and Ron, which caused Ginny to knock her silverware on the floor, and finally Fred and George, who looked like they just woke up from a nap.

"Do you think he saw that?" Ginny frantically whispered.

"I don't know, but even if he did, Harry doesn't mind," Willow breathed. "He's very polite and pretends not to notice a lot. I'm an absolute mess in the Great Hall half the time, and he doesn't say a word."

"Thank God."

Mrs. Weasley set down two enormous platters of sandwiches in the middle of the table, and everyone took several helpings. Willow only ate a single sandwich before she was full. She wasn't used to eating such a large breakfast, and after not eating for three days, her stomach wouldn't take too kindly to her usual eating habits. Fred, as sleepy as he was, seemed to notice this. He put another sandwich on her plate.

"What- ?"

"Eat it," he commanded. "I know that you ate loads for breakfast- Mum always makes sure of that- but I know for a fact now that you didn't eat anything while at the Dursley's house. Harry told me."

"You're...not mad that I failed to redirect your mum?"

"Not really. She was bound to find out somehow, and I know that you would have succeeded in distracting her had you not been too late. You're really good at distractions. Snape, of all people, knows that now. You wouldn't have let her find us if you had time."

Willow half-smiled. "Thanks for using your brain and not hating me."

"You're welcome. Next time, I'm making you explain, because that's exhausting to think through."

"I thought so," Willow chuckled. "And sorry for arguing earlier this morning. I should let you be a little more worried about me. It's not like I don't get into loads of trouble."

"Good, because you can't get rid of me that easily."

Willow flicked a crumb at Fred. "We'll see about that."

Lunch finished too quickly for Willow's liking. By the time everyone had gone off in their own directions, it was one o'clock, and Willow really had to leave. She said her goodbyes, and thanked Mrs. Weasley profusely. They promised to owl her when they were heading to Diagon Alley. With one last sad glance back, Willow transformed into a falcon and flew off Northeast.

The journey home took forever. She had forgotten just how far London was from Ottery St. Catchpole. Surrey was barely a good distance away, but a straight shot to London from Ron's house, without a break in between, was torture. Willow wanted to fly so much faster but knew that if she did, she would fall right out of the sky. Her powers were already stretched from not getting proper sleep after flying. When she reached Little Whinging again, she could have done a happy dance. Her mansion wasn't too far away.

Suddenly, Willow's form flickered. Her brain was trying to shut down. She strained to keep in falcon form, but it was no use. Willow slowly began descending as her human flickering dragged her down. She was going to fully pass out soon if she didn't get help.

Then, a flash of white appeared out of nowhere, and Willow felt claws digging into her back. She looked up to see Iris flying steadily above her, keeping her falcon form suspended. Willow wanted to hug her, but as she was flying, that wasn't possible. A last surge of energy flowed through her as the mansion came into sight. She pushed the pace, Iris keeping up, until she crash-landed through the open living room window. Carlos shot to his feet.

"Willow! There you are!" he cried, helping her up. "I got your message, and I sent an emergency letter to the Weasleys, but I wasn't sure if they'd gotten you yet!"

"Well, they did," Willow coughed. Iris tweeted from the wooden beams. "Okay, Iris is literally the best owl on Earth. She followed me to Privet Drive and even helped me make it home now."

Carlos did a double take. "Hang on, why did you fly from the Weasley's house? You could have used the Floo Network!"

Willow sighed. "Dad, I suck at Floo traveling. I always have to make Fred go ahead of me and George go with me, or I'll miss the grate and/or fall when I pop out."

Carlos shook his head. "You are always being so difficult, aren't you?"

Willow's dad pulled her close and squeezed her tight in a hug. She didn't let go for nearly a whole minute. When she finally pried herself away from him, she saw a stack of mail on the table.

"Woah, what's all that from?"

"Oh, your friends must have heard from the Smith twins about what happened," Carlos explained. "They sent you a ton of owls over the past few days. You might want to get reading."

"Thanks. I'll need some time to catch up."

"I will leave you to it, then. We'll talk later over dinner, okay?"

"Perfect. See you later, dad."

Willow's dad headed off to another part of the mansion. She sat down in a chair next to the coffee table, eyeing all of the mail she'd have to go through. Upon opening the first one, Willow realized it was from Mandy, and it was one, big rant. She groaned.

"I think I'm going to take a nap before this."

Willow leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes, and passed out for a long time.

"Come on, Dad, we're almost there! I could swear you're getting slower every summer!"

"Willow, slow down! I don't want to lose you in this crowd."

"Dad, I haven't seen Hermione in forever!"

"Willow, I won't see you for several months. Don't make me homeschool you!"

Willow abruptly stopped to let her dad catch up to her. Hundreds of Muggles jostled her around and glared at her as she held up the traffic flow. Charing Cross Road happened to be extremely busy at the particular time of day that Willow and her dad decided to head to Diagon Alley. The throngs of Muggles were so thick that they were spilling out onto the road, causing an enormous traffic jam of honking cars. Willow wished she knew a spell to make her temporarily deaf, because her sensitive ears were about to explode.

"Ah, here we are," Carlos announced after a short while. "The Leaky Cauldron."

Willow let her dad guide her through the front doors and immediately slammed them shut behind her. She sighed as the ear-piercing sounds from outside were sealed away. Carlos pointed to a table for her to sit down at.

"I'll be right back. The Grangers might need some help finding this place."

Willow nodded and shuffled into a small booth, which had surprisingly comfy seating. Now that she thought about it, almost everything in the pub looked like it was better than it seemed. The Leaky Cauldron seemed run-down and old upon first glance, but after a few seconds, one would realize that everything was actually polished and updated ahead of its time. She wondered how old the Leaky Cauldron was. It was definitely several times older than she was.

"Willow!" a familiar voice shouted.

She didn't even get a chance to properly greet Hermione before her friend slid into the booth beside her, squeezing her to death in a tight hug.

"Oh my God, it's been ages since I've last seen you, what have you been up to? Other than getting into trouble, of course, Ron wrote to me about everything, and the whole rescue operation with Harry- completely mental, obviously- I can't believe the things you do to keep yourself entertained! It's like you run into dangerous situations every step you take!"

"Honestly, I'm beginning to feel like I'm cursed," Willow chuckled, hugging Hermione back. "I've missed you so much! I missed everyone a lot, to tell the truth."

"Well, we're going to see Ron and Harry right now, so that should help a bit, but you're probably seen so much of the Weasley family lately that you're almost sick of them."

"I don't think it's possible to get sick of the Weasleys."

"Let's get going, then!" Willow's dad said, Hermione's parents smiling shyly behind him. "They're going to be waiting on us if we leave too much later!"

Hermione and Willow jumped out of the booth and ran to the brick wall. Carlos tapped his wand on it in a certain pattern, and much to the surprise of Hermione's parents, the bricks crumbled away to reveal Diagon Alley. Willow's heart warmed with the memories of her first few trips here. She couldn't wait to make more with her friends.

"Where were we supposed to go first?" Hermione's dad asked, still staring at all the magic around him in astonishment.

"Oh, right, we need to convert your Muggle pounds to wizarding gold," Willow's dad said. "Right this way; it's not too far from here."

Carlos lead the group past several shops, helpfully pointing out the ones that Hermione would need to go to later for her parents. The poor Muggles looked as if they were about to have a breakdown with all the information overloading their brains. Thankfully, the pure white marble steps of Gringotts came into view and they climbed up to a sort of large gathering area before the doors. The Weasleys weren't even there yet.

"It seems we're a bit early," Willow's dad said, checking his watch. "No big deal. They'll be here very soon. In the meantime, Willow, why don't you go get some galleons from the vault? I already gave you the key."

"I'll be right back," Willow promised. She glanced apologetically at Hermione. "I would take you with me, but I'm not sure how well you'd hold up for the ride down...it requires a strong stomach..."

Hermione waved her words away. "I'm fine. Just go now so you can help us later."

Willow smiled thankfully at her, then turned and jogged into Gringotts. She had to wait for someone to go before her, tapped her foot impatiently, and finally gave the goblin her key. He nodded and hopped into the mine cart. Willow barely had time to settle herself in for the ride before they shot off, down, down, down into the depths of London. She closed her eyes, knowing that she would get dizzy if she tried to watch their ride. It wasn't until the cart screeched to a stop that she opened them. The goblin was already pressing his hand to the vault to access the keyhole. After a few seconds, the keyhole appeared, and Willow opened the door.

She never got used to the sight of her vault. There was gold beyond her wildest dreams, passed down from generation to generation on both sides of her family. The galleons nearly spilled out of the doorway. Her mother's side still had plenty of money to go around, but a satisfying chunk of their fortune remained inside the Guerrero's vault from when her mother was still a good person. Willow grabbed her leather pouch and filled it to the brim with galleons. She crossed her fingers, hoping her plan for later would work.

The goblin sealed her vault, then took Willow back to the surface. Her eyes took several minutes to adjust to daylight again. When she could finally see again, Willow curtly thanked the goblin, then almost marched out of the bank before she recognized a large family of red-haired children standing behind Hermione as her parents exchanged their Muggle pounds for wizarding money. They didn't even notice her sneaking up behind them until she shouted, "WEASLEY!"

The whole family whipped around with smiles on their faces. Ginny ran up to her and jumped into Willow's arms, squeezing her in a hug. Willow held her for a moment before setting her down.

"I missed you so much!" Ginny squealed. "Can you believe I'm getting my wand today? I'm finally going to do magic this year! I thought this day would never come!"

"Honestly, Ginny, the way you act when you see Willow, you'd think you haven't seen her in years!" Fred said.

"I don't mind," Willow laughed. "She's like my long-lost little sister at this point. She can do whatever she wants when she sees me."

"And there we have it!" Mr. Weasley announced. "Everyone has the proper currency. Let's go check off our lists!"

"You've already got your coins?" Willow questioned as they returned to the marble staircase outside, Mrs. Weasley shouting something at their backs.

"Yeah, we must have passed you," George said. "I think we went right behind you, actually."

"George, look, it's Lee!" Fred said, pointing out their friend in the crowd. George's face lit up just like his twin's. "Willow, do you want to come with us? It looks like everyone's heading off in their own directions."

Willow glanced back at her dad, who nodded. Hermione waved her away and winked at her, looking at the twins immediately afterwards. She giggled at Willow's astonished reaction. She shook her head as her friend ran off. Was everyone trying to get her to date someone?

"Are you coming or not?"

"Sorry, yes, I'm coming!"

Willow ran to catch up with Fred and George as they made their way across the street to where Lee was waving at them. He was sitting at a small table, an empty bowl of ice cream in front of him. Fred, George, and she sat down. The twins exchanged a few words with him, then caught sight of a witch entering a dark walkway and stared at it. Lee turned around to look at it too, and upon seeing Willow's confused face, elaborated.

"That's Knockturn Alley. It's supposed to be full of demented witches and wizards, home of all dark arts. I've always wondered what it was like in there...Fred and George have been trying to sneak in while their mum isn't looking for years."

For some reason, the darkness didn't strike fear into Willow like it normally would. She wondered why the place had earned such a bad reputation. What if there were truly interesting and cool things in there? Her curiosity piqued, and she stood up and walked towards the entrance. The twins and Lee got up so fast that they knocked over their chairs.

"Willow, what are you doing? Don't you know how dangerous that is?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, but I kind of want to check it out," she said, shrugging. "Do you want to come with me? Lee said you guys have been wanting to go for ages."

"That doesn't mean we have to!" Lee squeaked.

"Well, I for one have always wondered what it looks like," George said. "But I'm not sure that I want to go now, on a busy day like this..."

"Oh, come on, don't back out now!" Willow said. "You're bloody Gryffindors, right? Where's all that courage that you're supposed to have? Are you going to dismiss a perfect chance to go check it out?"

Fred, George, and Lee looked at each other, then back back at Willow. She simply smiled as innocently as she could, trying to win them over. Fred gave in.

"I never thought I'd see the day where Willow is convincing us to do something stupid," he said. "But lead the way, Willow. I'll bring up the rear to make sure no one's following us."

"Perfect!"

Willow strode right through the entrance and into Knockturn Alley. There was an immediate covering of darkness that descended upon them, but she didn't mind. They quickly passed a few hideous shops displaying gory artifacts, then came upon an interesting shop named Borgin and Burkes. She stopped in front of the window, which was showing off some ordinary looking, but probably deadly, magical objects.

"Um, Freddy? Recognize the name of this place?" George asked, obviously trying to keep himself together.

"I do, and not just because Harry told us about it," Fred responded. "This is a very dark shop, full of nasty people with equally nasty magical objects. They glorify items that kill unwary Muggles."

"Let's go in," Willow said, opening the door before they could stop her.

The interior of Borgin and Burkes was just as dreary as the outside- dark, depressing, and dilapidated. But it didn't outwardly appear evil to Willow. She got the impression that the shop was merely a place to sell evil-intended things. There weren't too many hideous, gory items for sale, but even one was too many for Willow's liking. She perused the first isle of darkly cursed traps while Fred, George, and Lee shuffled along behind her.

"Honestly, this place is not bad," Willow commented. "It's a lot cooler in here than outside, the floors look like they're mopped nightly, and everything's organized into rows."

"We're in a shop that dark wizards use to sell their illegal items, and that's your first impression?" Fred hissed.

Willow shrugged. "Yeah. Ooh, look, I've seen that before!"

George grabbed her arm before she could get closer. "Don't touch anything!"

"Hey! I know for a fact that my mother removed the curse from that idol!" Willow protested. "It used to sit on the biggest pedestal in my mum's mansion, and when I was little, I would always threaten to touch it, so she and her mum worked together to get rid of the curse."

"But what if it's gone through a few hands? What if it's been re-cursed? The possibilities are endless, Willow," Lee said. "It's best if you didn't touch it."

Willow conceded the point. She crossed her arms. "Fine. But I'm going to check out the rest of the store."

"Please don't take too long," Fred reminded her. "Mum will be livid if she finds out we were late getting to Flourish and Blotts because we were sneaking around Knockturn Alley."

Willow nodded. She continued wandering around the aisles, goggling at all the things she never knew existed. While her gut twisted every time she saw a placard that read "Useful for Mudbloods", she still wondered what use some of the items would be against the people that were the intended buyers. She could make so many inventors roll over in their graves! What if, for example, she used a cursed necklace on Alex? He wouldn't suspect a thing. She could be using all these evil-intended things for good, to knock some sense into horrible people. But it probably wouldn't do any good. Most people were fully gone by the time they reached Alex's point.

"Come on, I've had enough," Willow announced. "Let's check out some other places."

"Finally! I thought you'd never let us out!" Lee gasped.

"What's the matter, Lee? Can't handle a little exploration into uncharted waters?"

"I'm perfectly fine to let others do the exploring, thank you very much."

Willow lead the way back into Knockturn Alley. A handful of wizards bumped into them as they passed by, throwing them dirty looks as they whispered darkly with each other. Willow brushed off her clothes and kept walking deeper into the maze of dark magic shops. A few older witches cackled with each other in front of what appeared to be a twisted ice cream parlor, which, upon closer examination, was actually a poisoned food dealer. Willow caught sight of a sign that said, "We only sell the best in Muggle-killing products!" That sent the first shiver down her spine, the first of many to come. Finally, something not completely horrific caught her eye.

"Let's duck in here," Willow suggested, making her way into a well-lit shop. Fred, George, and Lee were all too happy to comply. They nearly slammed the door behind them.

"Blimey, I thought you'd take us into the very heart of the black market," George panted. He glanced at his surroundings. "Wait a second...Where in the world are we?"

"The very heart of the black market," Willow said.

George went very pale as he realized Willow was right. All around them, illegally caught and domesticated magical creatures were contained in cages, boxes, miniature enclosures, and some ridiculously shaped things that Willow didn't even know how to explain. A few wizards stared at them, so she walked at a brisk pace to the back of the shop. There were enough Class A non-tradeable goods present to give her father a heart attack. Trembling in a corner was a demiguise, half of his hair shaved off. Another corner was home to a group of nifflers. She could easily guess that those were in high demand among thieves. Willow was surprised at how healthy all of the creatures looked, considering the nature of the people taking care of them. But there was always a new concealment charm these days. Any of these creatures could be in terrible condition.

"Fifty galleons! For this? You must be joking!"

"Sir, it's a matter of supply and demand. We don't have nearly enough bowtruckles to supply everyone with."

"I don't give a damn about your bloody 'supply and demand' theory! That bowtruckle isn't worth more than thirty!"

Willow turned her eyes to the arguing men at a makeshift register. The man behind the counter, who she presumed to be the seller, was gripping a small, green, stick-like creature so hard that it was squealing. Another man was pointing at it and screaming insults at the seller, which only increased his grip on the bowtruckle. Blood boiled in Willow's veins. It didn't matter how mad someone was- no one is given permission to hurt a creature. Ever. Plastering on the sweetest smile she could muster, she marched right up to the counter.

"Excuse me?"

Both men turned to her with bewildered expressions. "What do you want?"

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and wonder, how much is the average bowtruckle worth? Fifty galleons does seem like an awful lot, but it may be worth that. I don't have much experience, see."

The man behind the counter shot a glare at the other man and smugly smirked at Willow. "Bowtruckles are selling like wildfire lately. These little guys can pick just about any lock. They work great in a pinch. Not too much upkeep, either. You'll see 'em going up for sixty galleons in some markets. Which is why fifty is a bargain," he growled, pointedly looking at the potential buyer.

"Well, let me see what I have..." Willow said.

Both men glanced at her in surprise when she dumped a handful of galleons on the counter. "I'm not very good at counting. Can you tell me how much I've got there?"

The seller dutifully counted the golden coins, then handed them back to her in the bag. "You've got forty-five. Sorry 'bout that, but I can't sell for less than fifty."

"That's alright," Willow said, beaming at both men. "Have a good day, sirs!"

"You...too?"

Willow skipped out of the shop, her bag of galleons jingling in her pocket. Fred, George, and Lee sprinted after her, wearing shocked and very confused expressions on their faces. She slowed her pace to a walk to allow them to catch up. At first, they couldn't figure out how to speak. They walked in complete silence in the direction of Diagon Alley. Then, George managed to form words.

"How- what did you- Who taught you how to do that?"

"Do what?" Willow asked innocently.

"That! Back- back there! In the shop!"

"If you're suggesting that someone taught me how to be charming, you'd be mistaken. I picked up a few things during Muggle school, and one of the most important ones was how to charm your way into being treated nicely. Most mean or rude people will be at a loss for words and automatically treat you nicely just because they have no idea how to react."

"Oh," Fred said. "I guess that makes sense...sort of...But doesn't confronting people head-on and flat-out telling them they're rude work even better, since that points it out loud and clear to them?"

"In most situations, sure. In this one, absolutely not."

"Willow, why are you walking so fast?" Lee panted. "We're not in a big hurry, are we? Didn't you guys say you had an hour to be back at Flourish and Blotts? It's only been a half hour!"

"Wow, that's a lot of questions in a row."

"Now you're avoiding my question! What is the matter with you? You never- "

Lee suddenly stopped, forcibly grabbing Willow by her shoulder and stopping her, too. She smirked knowingly as Lee stared at her pocket. He blinked a few times to make sure it was real. Fred and George caught sight of it too.

"You did not," Fred breathed.

"I did too," Willow giggled, gently stroking the little green creature. "Your eyes are not deceiving you, guys. This here is a freshly stolen bowtruckle, and if we don't get going fast, those guys are going to come after me, so let's get a move on."

"No way!" George said. "Are you going to keep it? How did you even get it?"

"Absolutely, and long story short, I used my galleons as a diversion to coax it onto my arm. It's going to stay my pocket. Now come on, let's go! I don't want to get caught!"

Willow took off at a walking pace so fast it was nearly a jog. They passed Borgin and Burkes, broke into a light jog at the hideously gory shops up front, and exploded into the light of Diagon Alley. Panting heavily, they paused for a moment, letting their eyes adjust to the sun, then looked at each other and erupted in hysterical laughter.

"That has to be tied for the best and stupidest thing we've ever done!" Fred guffawed. "Which one do you think it is, George? Best or stupidest?"

"I can't decide!" George said breathlessly. "Lee?"

"Dumbest thing I've ever tagged along to do!" he chuckled. "But I think it's the best for you guys!"

"I can say I enjoyed it very much!" Willow said, gently patting the pocket where the trembling bowtruckle was being held. "Besides, I've got a new friend now. I think I'm keeping him. His name is going to be Fidget."

"Can we use him for a couple things?" Lee begged.

"Absolutely not!" Willow chortled. "The only locks he's going to pick are the ones I put him up to."

"Aw, man! Please?"

"I'm not changing my mind, Lee! And don't you dare try to bribe me. You know that hasn't worked- and it never will."

"Okay, okay, I won't...for now."

Willow shook her head. "I've got to go find some supplies for Fidget. I'll see you at Flourish and Blotts."

The twins and Lee departed, heading to a joke shop, while she headed in the other direction. Fidget the bowtruckle was now happily peeking out of Willow's pocket. She was glad she had been able to rescue the poor creature. What if that angry man had gotten his hands on it? He would have undoubtedly used it for ill purposes, most likely illegal ones. Willow shook her head. How could anyone even think about using innocent little creatures for bad things? She remembered something that her dad had told her about bowtruckles- they are social creatures, preferring large groups, and they live, defend, and die as a single unit. When a wizard comes along trying to hurt their home, they fight to the death, and capturing them instead of killing them with their comrades at their home drains the life out of them. A good, nurturing wizard can cause them to become clingy after an experience like that, and the life comes back to them. Willow smiled as she realized that Fidget would never let her leave his sight. It was a strangely comforting thought. At last, Eeylops Owl Emporium appeared. Willow cut through the heavy foot traffic and entered the shop.

The little jingle of the bell above the door woke a few owls, who unhappily hooted at her. A group of tabby cats snaked around her ankles, rubbing their scent on her, while some bored-looking toads stared through the glass of their enclosure. It was surprisingly quiet in the shop for as many customers were in it. Fidget chirped from her shorts pocket, causing some of the cats to lick their chops hungrily. Willow moved Fidget to a pocket deeper within her robes.

Let's see, what all do I need... she thought. Iris would like some more treats, Achelous seems pretty content...as content as a puffskein can get, I guess...ooh, I should find a bed for him! And Fidget needs plenty of bugs.

Willow quickly found all of her items, including a big bag of aphids and miniature crickets. She grimaced at the thought of releasing those bugs for Fidget. Despite her love for nature and all life, Willow could not learn to love insects. She could tolerate some, but if it wasn't a butterfly, caterpillar, or other friendly, cute bug, she couldn't stand it. Willow kept reminding herself that it was for Fidget. Fidget needed the insects. She could deal with them until she found a more permanent feeding solution. After paying for her items, Willow got a bag for them and sealed it shut. She checked her watch. Thankfully, there was about fifteen minutes left for her to get to Flourish and Blotts. Plenty of time to take a break on the bench outside. Sighing in relief, Willow set down her bag, counting her remaining galleons and putting them away for later. The shade cast by the overhang was much appreciated as she stretched out on the bench. Maybe she could take a five-minute nap...

Suddenly, a certain blond-haired, grey-eyed someone exited a fancy robe shop across the street. He started walking away, completely unaware of her. Willow shot to her feet and shouted after him.

"Draco!"

She barely gave him time to turn around before she ran up and hugged him as tight as she could. Draco hesitantly hugged her back, and Willow finally let go after a few seconds.

"Miss me much?" Draco coughed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to tackle you like that, I'm just really excited to see you, since I haven't seen much of anyone all summer," she rambled, "and I've got loads to tell you, somehow I get into more trouble over the summer than during term, it's been a mess"

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Don't tell me you've gotten into more near-death experiences?"

"No, but it's nice to see that you care so much."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, that's not going to happen. You know I'd never admit that I care about anything, even if I did."

"Blonde, we talked about this," Willow groaned.

"You're right, we did. But that doesn't mean I'm going to take your advice." Draco smirked at her exasperated expression. "Is Wisp already giving up? I thought Gryffindors were the most determined people on Earth! Or was it stubborn? You do have a tendency to repeat your mistakes until something changes, after all."

Willow crossed her arms. "Draco, you know what happens when you test me."

"You get an Outstanding mark."

Willow was completely caught off guard. "What was that?"

"You heard me. You get an outstanding mark."

Willow and Draco stared each other down. Then, as if coming to a silent agreement, burst out laughing. Willow couldn't believe Draco had pulled that with her. Normally she was the one playing with his words, not the other way around. Maybe he was finally coming around. Willow had missed being with this mierdito for a while. He always knew how to cheer her up, whether it was intentional or not. She could always expect things to take an unexpected turn when with him. It felt good to shake things up every once in a while.

"I wish it were true," Willow said. "But an Outstanding mark seems to be out of my grasp most of the time."

"For Draco, it seems to be all the time," a voice sneered.

Draco turned very pale as a man with long, blonde hair similar to his strutted out of the robe shop, a staff with a snake head on it by his side. Willow gritted her teeth. She had a feeling she knew exactly who this was, and from what she had heard about him, there was no need to give him a clean slate for his first impression. This man was manipulative, cruel, and an awful human being in general.

"Dad, you know I'm trying- " Draco started.

"Be quiet when you father is speaking," Mr. Malfoy said sharply, whacking his son in the back with his walking stick. Draco winced and shut his mouth. The man offered his his hand to Willow. "I'm Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father. And you are...?"

"Willow Guerrero." She shook his hand, matching his icy gaze with her own.

"Ah, yes, the troubled pureblood," Lucius said. "Draco's told me much about you. It seems...you're the first Gryffindor in a long line of Slytherins, are you not?" Willow nodded, not allowing her gaze to stray. "How disappointed your mother must feel...Her whole family, for that matter. They were such successful students."

"Trust me, I'm plenty successful where I am, Mr. Malfoy," Willow said. She met Draco's eyes. "And for the record, Draco is doing better than every single pureblood in our year. I'm proud of him. He studies much harder than I'll ever be able to. I'm surprised I even passed my exams, to be perfectly honest. He was one of the only ones staying up late to correct his study guide."

Something menacing flickered in Lucius's eyes, but he hid it quickly. "I'm aware of his habits, but I suggest you study harder, too. You'll get plenty of time together if you do the House Exchange this year."

Willow furrowed her brow in confusion. "What House Exchange?"

Lucius mockingly pretended to be surprised. "You haven't heard? I guess that's another item you can add to your list of things your dreadful father Carlos hasn't told you. Professor Dumbledore announced that in order to promote more house unity this year, there will be House Exchange. Students can sign up beginning the first day of term. Anyone who decides to sign up will be staying in a house of their choosing for one week out of each month of the school year. You should sign up to stay in Slytherin, Willow. It might make up a little bit to that dear mother of yours. Maybe she'll even be less disappointed in you."

Willow strained to keep the smile on her face. "My father has a good reason for not telling me things, and I'm well aware that my mother hates me at the moment. But I don't need her approval. She's already given me the family heirloom, and I don't want to follow the faintest trail my mother's ancestors laid down for me. They're awful people with terrible agendas that need to get a life. Now, if you don't mind, I've got to make it to Flourish and Blotts before my father gets worried out of his mind. Have a good day, Mr. Malfoy, and I'll see you at Hogwarts, Draco. It was nice to see you again."

Grabbing her bag of pet supplies, Willow turned on her heel and marched away. She couldn't believe how rude Lucius was. Didn't he at least give Draco's friends a chance before hating them? Apparently not, because even purebloods don't get second chances with Lucius Malfoy after the faintest whisper that they're blood traitors.

"Willow, wait up!" a voice called. "How do you walk so fast?"

"I get lots of practice. It helps in getting away from situations like that."

Draco was panting by the time he caught up with her. "Willow, I've tried to tell him that you're fine, but he won't listen. I've pleaded with him over and over again to give you a chance. The problem is, he's the stubbornest person in the world besides you, and I can't do anything about it. If I ask again, he'll- " Draco paused mid sentence. He shook his head. "Nevermind. That's beside the point."

Willow looked at him sharply. "I know better than to ask. But you can tell me later."

Draco nodded thankfully. "You know I won't. By the way...thanks for defending my grades back there."

"It was nothing," Willow said, though she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "You're a really good student, Draco. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Like I said, I know exactly how hard you study."

Draco half-smiled in reply. A comfortable silence fell between them. Willow could tell he was trying to work up the courage to say something, but it was taking a lot of digging. She wanted to help in the worst way. Surprisingly, before she could even prompt him, Draco said something so fast Willow could barely catch it.

"No one's ever been that excited to see me before."

Draco's face turned beet red, and he whipped around to practically run the other way before Willow had a chance to respond. She stared open mouthed after him. Then, as soon as he disappeared from sight, a warming sensation spread from her head to her toes.

He is a good kid. I knew it. And he's finally getting better.

Willow nearly skipped the rest of the way to Flourish and Blotts.


	23. Year 2: Chapter 2

"Why am I driving across London again?"

"Take a right turn up here. I already told you, Dad, this is important to Oliver, and I have to be there for him."

"But on the morning you leave for Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

Carlos sighed in the front seat as he swung the car onto another road. "May I ask why we're taking him to Kings Cross Station?"

"Oliver's grandparents are awful to him. He won't tell me why, exactly, or even what they do to him that's so awful, but they hate the fact that he can do magic. They suddenly decided this morning that they won't take him to Platform Nine and Three Quarters."

"So...why are we meeting him in a cemetery?"

"Because he needs my help with something."

Willow stared out the window at the passing countryside. Although it didn't appear that way, she was over-the-moon excited about returning to Hogwarts. The last time she had seen her friends was at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley, where everyone went home, shaken from the brawl between Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy. Willow made sure Ginny knew that her standing up for Harry was definitely a good first step in becoming his friend. She had shown her the bowtruckle, too, and the first year could barely contain her excitement when she got to hold it. Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley never found out about their excursion to Knockturn Alley.

Now, Willow and her dad were racing to meet Oliver. He had contacted them with an emergency letter explaining that he needed her help getting to Kings Cross Station. Also in the letter was a request that she helped him with something he hadn't gotten a chance to do all summer- transplant the tree she had given him over the Holidays at Hogwarts. He had included a picture of himself with it, all smiles, saying "The leaves are still the same!" Willow pulled it out of her pocket and couldn't help reflecting the grin. It was good to see Oliver happy.

Carlos pulled into the cemetery, driving slowly and carefully along the one-way road. Willow stared in wonder at the rolling green hills that stretched out for at least a mile. Trees with leaves of every color dotted the hillsides, casting a peaceful shade over much of the landscape. It was one of the most beautiful cemeteries she had ever seen. As horrible as Oliver's grandparents sounded, at least they had the decency to bury Oliver's parents in a wonderful setting.

"Stop," Willow ordered. "Wait here. He's not too far."

Carlos stopped the car, letting his daughter out with a hesitant smile. She gave him the most winning smile she could pull off and jogged over the nearest hill. A familiar tall, skinny, dark-haired boy was sitting by a pair of headstones in the valley below. He stood up when he saw her and half-grinned.

"Hi, Willow," Oliver said.

"Still as shy as ever, are you?" Willow chuckled. "Come here, you. You're not getting out of this without a hug."

Oliver reluctantly wrapped his arms around her, then pulled back, returning his melancholy gaze to the engraved stones. "I'm sorry this was so last-minute, but my grandparents are in one of their moods again, and this is probably the only chance I'll get to do this."

"Don't worry about it." Willow took one of Oliver's hands in her own. "I wouldn't miss being here for you if someone offered me all of the money in the world."

"Thanks."

Oliver pointed to the shovel and the bright foliage of his eternally fall-colored tree. "Let's get started, then."

Willow picked up the shovel and started digging a hole directly in between the headstones. Oliver stood by and started loosening the soil around the base of his tree. By the time Willow was done, Oliver had managed to get the tree out of its pot, completely intact. She set the shovel away from the graves and grasped the roots of the tree. Catching Oliver’s gaze, they hoisted the tree into its final resting place, filled in the soil around it, and stepped back to admire their work. The tree's magical leaves were already beginning to shimmer and turn different warm colors, responding to the new environment. It cast a beautiful yellow-tinted shade onto the graves, lighting up the headstones and making it seem like happiness itself had come down from the Heavens. Oliver's hand found Willow's, and they stood there together, silently supporting each other. She didn't know whether it was her imagination or not, but Willow could have sworn that she heard the faint whispers of the fallen, the singing of the angels that ascended from the graveyard. The warm breeze carried their voices into her mind and filled it with a peace she had not felt in a long time.

"It's beautiful," Oliver breathed, a tear tracing its way down his cheek. He turned to Willow. "I've always wanted to plant something special over their graves. They deserve so much more than they got in life. At least- at least they can have a beautiful place to rest."

Willow squeezed his hand. "I know they're proud of you, Oliver. They know how much you care about the world around you. Even if they didn't have this cemetery as a final resting place, they'd still be just as happy, because they have the best son in the world to watch over."

Oliver wiped his eyes. "I can only hope."

Willow watched the sun rise through the gaps in the leaves of the little tree. Oliver simply stared at his parents' graves, lost in thoughts that he needed this time to sort out. Willow had her own thoughts to sort through, too, like whether she should tell her out-of-house friends about her powers or not. There were plenty of people who knew in Gryffindor- too many, actually- and it might make her friends mad at her for God-knows-how-long, but they deserved to know, and right now, as Willow realized while subtly played with the tree's leaf colors, she needed their support more than ever. Her powers were growing to the brink of being out-of-control. If they suddenly saw her using them by accident, how would they react? What's more, they could be allies in helping her keep them a secret. She needed their help.

Oliver took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. "I think I'm ready to go to Hogwarts now. Thanks for staying here."

"There's no need to thank me," Willow said. "Do you have everything?"

"Yeah, everything's in that trunk over there," he said, pointing at the top of the hill. "You almost tripped over it on your way here."

"And I thought I was observant," Willow chuckled. She was glad for the change in mood. “Come on, we don't want to miss the train. Mandy would go ballistic."

Oliver dragged his trunk into the back of the Guerrero's car, got buckled in, and they were off. Willow tried her best to make it look like her dad's stories weren't embarrassing her, but it was nearly impossible. Carlos made Oliver laugh at her expense more than one time. She merely threatened to hex him once they got out of the car.

When they got to Kings Cross Station, it was nearly quarter to eleven. Willow's dad hurriedly stacked their trunks into a trolley and they set off towards the platform. Loads of witches and wizards casually gathered around the brick barrier, every now and then rushing through when the Muggles weren't looking. There was no way to pick out anyone in the crowd, and Willow couldn't see any of her friends. She shrugged. No one had ever been late to the train, as far as she'd been told. Everyone would be on the train in no time. Their turn came up shortly and the three of them rushed through the barrier.

A loud whistle came from a familiar bright red steam engine, and the Hogwarts Express came into view. Witches and wizards rushed here and there, handing forgotten items through compartment windows, hugging their children goodbye, catching up with an old friend or two. A few kittens chased some very scared rats through the crowd. Neville was frantically trying to catch Trevor again, and owls hooted in agitation inside their cages. Willow's stomach flipped with excitement. She was finally going back to her second home.

"Hurry up, go find a compartment before they're all full!" Carlos urged.

Willow and Oliver darted onto the train, found the nearest empty compartment, set their stuff down, and wandered back outside. Oliver caught sight of a familiar face and headed away. Willow returned to her dad, slowly recognizing how long she would be away again. He seemed to be in the same boat, his eyes glistening, barely able to hold his daughter’s gaze without crying. Willow ran up to him and jumped into his arms, holding him tight in a desperate hug.

"I'll try to make sure you can come home for Christmas," Carlos promised. "I couldn't stand spending the Holidays without you."

"Me neither," Willow sniffled. "I'll miss you so much, Dad. I promise I'll study hard. Please stay safe."

"I will. I love you so much, Pumpkin."

"I love you too."

The last call whistled throughout the platform. Willow plopped down onto her own two feet, letting go of her dad. She looked one more time into his warm, familiar brown eyes, smiled sadly, and hopped back on the train. Willow made her way into her compartment and sat down, staring out the window to try and calm herself. She fanned her face to try and get the redness out of it before Oliver got back. Thankfully, her emotional control prevailed. She would be able to see her dad again soon. It wasn't like she was going off to war or anything.

Oliver appeared at the front of the compartment, eyes alight with excitement.

"Guess who I found?" he asked.

Lisa, Mandy, Sue, and the Smith twins appeared behind him. They rushed the compartment and tackled Willow in a hug.

"I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN FOREVER!" Mandy exclaimed. "You got my letters, right? I have loads to tell you, especially if you didn't read them, you wouldn't believe what happened this summer- "

"Mandy, at least give her a chance to breathe!" Sue chuckled.

Her friends got settled into the compartment, then all tried to talk at once, bombarding Willow with so many questions that she thought her head would explode.

"Whoa, whoa, one at a time, please!" she begged. Something bright caught her eye. "Mandy, since when did you die your hair bright pink? I thought it was naturally red- "

"Oh, shoot, did I never tell you guys?" Mandy gasped. "I probably didn't. You must be completely confused! I'm a metamorphagus. No, Lisa, I didn't lie to you, I'm naturally a redhead, but it's not naturally as bright as I make it. Sometimes my hair will change colors when I'm overexcited, super angry, etcetera."

Willow's jaw dropped as Mandy changed her hair back to it's normal shade of red. "That's so cool!"

"I know, right?"

Willow switched her attention to the Smith twins. Their skin looked much less taught over their bones, their eyes were brighter, and their shirts didn't look like they were full of air anymore. "Wow, you guys look amazing! Is Sarah Brown really that good of a cook?"

Sally and Sam laughed. "Yeah, she's amazing," Sam said. "She knows her pudding really well. I may have eaten a few too many of those, but Sarah wouldn't have it any other way. She's the nurturing, caring mum we never had."

"That's awesome!" Willow turned to Lisa and Sue. "And how was your guys's summers?"

"Pretty regular," Sue said, and Lisa nodded in agreement. "Nothing exciting, but nothing boring, either, which is completely the opposite of yours, from what I've heard."

Willow shook her head. "Just a day in the life of Willow Guerrero. What's life without a crazy, mind-blowing experience every weekend? I mean, it's going to be hard to keep me entertained after last year at Hogwarts, and now my summer. You're going to have to keep me chained to my common room, or trouble's going to find me one way or another."

"Please don't have another near-death experience," Oliver said.

"Yes, don't you ever do that again, or I'm going to make Lisa and Sue help me in personally building a magic-proof cage to keep you in," Mandy said. "You are not allowed to die on me!"

"Why do you get into so much trouble, anyway?" Lisa asked. "You never go looking for it."

Willow smiled, her decision from earlier made. "You're really smart, do you know that, Lisa? You always are a step ahead of me in wizarding chess; I should know this by now."

"Wait...what are you trying to say?" Sally said.

All of her friends stared at her, and Willow got up to lock their compartment. She stood in front of them. "This might come as a shock to most of you, but Sally and Sam have come really close to seeing it. I have magical powers outside of the ones every witch and wizard receives."

"What?" everyone exclaimed.

"It's complicated," Willow said. "But I can't really show you right now, as I'm not in a place where they can take effect, so I'll have to try and explain them to you."

Willow went on and on and on, telling the story of her powers from the very beginning. Her friends sat especially quiet, listening intently, eyes wide, imaginations running wild. They could barely believe what they were hearing. Willow sincerely hoped that they wouldn't think it was a joke, and thankfully, they seemed to believe her. She finished her story at the present moment.

"The reason I've kept this from you guys for so long is because I wasn't supposed to tell anyone at first, and the more people that know about it, the greater chance someone could invade your minds and figure it out," Willow explained. "But I've weighed it out, and I think that you guys deserve to know. At this point, half of Gryffindor knows, and you guys are my best friends! I was sick and tired of hiding it. It's only going to get harder for me to hide my powers from the world, and I need your help. If something goes wrong, it's easier when you have friends to help redirect attention instead of just yourself. You don't have to help me, exactly, but I need you to keep this a secret."

"I knew it!" Sally said. "I could have sworn I remembered you healing me on more than one occasion, but I thought it was a figment of my imagination. This is really cool, Willow! I hope you can show us sometime!"

Willow blinked a few times. "Wait...you're not mad that I kept this from you?"

Sam scoffed. "Why would we be? It's not like you had much of a choice at first. Besides, I trust you enough to know the right time to tell people about these things. You have a right to keep a secret."

"Yeah, especially a secret that might affect the fate of the world," Sue said. "I don't like this 'impending war' stuff, but I have a feeling that you will figure it out."

"Mandy? You're making a face," Lisa observed.

"I wonder why," Mandy said sarcastically.

Willow sighed. "Mandy, I won't hide anything from you ever again. I promise. Cross my heart, swear to die."

"Mandy, please don't stay mad at her," Oliver begged. "You're scary when you're mad."

Mandy smirked. "I know." She looked at Willow. "Fine. I forgive you. But you owe me an entire show of all your powers, and I mean all of them. It better be epic."

"It will be," Willow promised.

"Ooh, Willow, is that your camera?" Sue asked, pulling it out of her bag. "Can we go through your pictures?"

"Seeing as you've already got it out, I don't think I've got a choice."

Sue turned Willow's camera on as the rest of her friends gathered in a tight circle, clamoring for the best view of the tiny screen. Willow's cheeks were scarlet and pink within seconds. First, there were the ridiculous photos of her with her dad the day she was leaving for Hogwarts. Then, it moved onto random pictures of places within Hogwarts, thirty different shots of the Forbidden Forest, and a few of the giant squid in the Black Lake. Before she knew it, they were scrolling through Christmas, which contained picture after picture of the whole gang. Ron, Harry, and Hermione popped up a few times, then the twins, Lee, and Paige. When the photo of Snape in his ugly Christmas sweater came on, the entire compartment erupted into laughter, suggesting that she should make copies to torment him with during the upcoming Holidays. Willow was definitely marking that on her calendar.

More photographs yet of the spring months passed by. The trolley witch came, and Willow made sure to treat each of her friends to pumpkin juice. Finally, they got to the summer pictures. The few quick photos Willow had snapped at the magical part of the London Zoo were apparently fascinating. Lisa seemed really interested in visiting it all of a sudden. Mandy howled with laughter at the captured moments of Willow with the gypsy wedding dress on while the rest of her friends politely admired the rest of George's and Paige's choices. Finally, the last few pictures flashed by, and Willow wanted to hide herself under the table. Harry's cheery face shined despite its gaunt paleness. For some reason, she had thought to bring her camera with her when she went to visit Harry and took a few fun pictures with him to pass the time- and capture the moment. She hadn't realized it before, but the photo reminded her of a similar one she had taken years before. The same goofy, undefeated smile was on his face, his broken leg all wrapped up on the couch. Willow could barely hold back the tide of memories that threatened to rush forth. She couldn't let anyone know how much that hurt her.

"Wow, Willow, you should print these out," Sally suggested. "These are amazing! I had no idea you were a good photographer."

"Well, I wouldn't call myself 'good' yet, but thanks," she said.

"Willow!" Mandy shouted. "How many times to I have to remind you that you don't have to be modest about everything? You know we've been over this before, and you're obviously letting it go in one ear and out the other-"

"Whoa, guys! Look here!" Sam interrupted, rushing to the window. "There's something flying out here! I think- Wow, it's a flying blue car! Are you guys seeing this, too?"

Willow turned around and stood on her knees to get a better view. She looked up, and sure enough, a blue car was flying just above the train, peeking out from above the clouds every now and then. Something was oddly familiar about it...It took a second to place it, but suddenly Willow knew exactly whose Ford Angelina that was.

"Oh my God," she breathed. "What did they do this time? They're absolutely insane!"

"What do you mean? Do you know who that is?" Sally asked.

Willow fished her map out of her pocket. Placing it in the center of the table, she tapped the corner, and it expanded to cover the entire thing. Her friends watched in awe as she placed her finger in the middle of the starry cheat-sheet. A handful of small images popped up. Thankfully, she had played with the map enough since Cebba had talked with her to better understand how it works. Willow double tapped the image of Harry. His image covered the entire screen, a telltale car interior in the background.

"Merlin's beard! What are Ron and Harry even thinking, flying the car all the way to Hogwarts? Don't tell me they missed the train, that would make them the first in ages, and to fly a car instead of relax and ask for Mrs. Weasley to make arrangements..."

"Okay, I have two immediate questions that need answering now, or I'm going to explode," Mandy said impatiently. "One, why in the heck haven't you shown me this map before? I could have used it on my Astronomy exam! Two, don't go bashing Harry and Ron, you would have done the same thing, you crazy Gryffindor."

"The second one wasn't even a question," Lisa pointed out.

"Well?" Mandy asked, her eyebrows raised, ignoring Lisa's comment.

"Remember the map I told you about?" Willow said, looking at all of her friends. "This is it. For some reason, I haven't completely earned your guys's trust yet. That just means we have to spend more time together before you all appear on here and can see what's on it. No big deal." She shrugged. "I haven't shown you guys this map yet for the exact reason you want to use it, Mandy. None of you are going to cheat on my watch. I don't even use it to cheat. It's basically a big, beautiful, completely comprehensive and accurate study guide that I might let you use every once in a while if your notes are awful."

"My notes suck, so I might be using that a lot more than intended," Sam chortled.

"No you will not!" Sally said, playfully slapping him with a book. "Your notes are plenty good, you cheating idiot!"

"So are Lisa's, so I'm going to copy hers," Mandy said. "She's the smartest one here."

"Oh, stop it, all of you guys are smart," Willow insisted. "The only reason I'd say you weren't is because you can't seem to see how many braniacs are in this room! You all passed your exams! That means you're all perfectly smart. There's no need to get down on yourself."

"Look who's talking," Sue said, shooting her a knowing look.

"You caught me, but I'm serious, remember that whenever you think getting an E is bad." Willow caught sight of Oliver staring at her side with a weird expression. "Did I get a grass stain on my shirt or something?"

Oliver blinked a few times, shaking his head. "I thought so. But that's a bowtruckle, not a grass stain."

Mandy nearly spit out her pumpkin juice. "What?"

"Oh my goodness, he's right!" Sue exclaimed. "Look, Sam, do you see it?"

"I see it, alright," Sam said, staring at the bowtruckle with wide eyes. "Am I dreaming? Sally, pinch me! Ouch, not that hard! But that means I must not be dreaming! That's really a real, live bowtruckle! Sally and I haven't seen one of those since Dad passed away!"

Willow blushed, taking out the bowtruckle that was hiding in her pocket. "This little guy is named Fidget. I rescued him over the summer in Knockturn Alley, where he was being sold on the black market. He seems to have some attachment issues, so I'm sorry if he's wary of you, he doesn't take well to strangers. I can try to coax him onto the table..."

With a little bit of encouragement, Willow got Fidget to detach his tiny little claws from her shirt and stand on the table. He shook a little at the knees as he glanced at each of her friends, his figure a bright green blur. Willow giggled as he timidly crawled back up her arm and onto her shoulder, peering nervously at Mandy in particular.

"Sorry, Fidget doesn't like warm colors, I've found," Willow apologized. "He must have had a bad experience with a person with red hair or something. Now that I think about it, the man I stole him from did have red hair...I may have to pay him an extra visit..."

"Showing off your highly illegal creature, are you?"

Willow grinned as she looked up at the open compartment door. "Hey, Blonde. You're still not touching him."

"I'll find a way to make him like me, you'll see."

Willow was painfully reminded of how unwelcome Draco was here as her friends glared daggers at him. He had hurt each of them in some way or form over the last year, whether he intended to or not. She couldn't forget that. Her stomach dropped as she remembered all the times Sue had come crying to her because of Draco's friends, sometimes even Draco himself. He was a horrible person to everyone around her, and no matter how abnormally nice he was to her, she couldn't ignore that side of him. Willow set her jaw.

"You'll have to wait until we get to Hogwarts," she said. "I'm booked for the next few hours, and Fidget is staying right here."

"Figures. I'll make sure I pay you a visit." Draco smirked. "See you at school, Wisp."

"Catch you later, Blonde."

Willow lost sight of Draco within seconds and quickly redirected her attention on her friends. They were all smiling knowingly at her, sending a silent message that they all understood. Just then, Mandy yawned, and it sent a domino effect throughout the compartment. Sam grumbled that she was purposely casting a sleeping spell on him, then yawned again. Soon, Sally and Sam had fallen asleep on each other's shoulders, Mandy had stretched herself across Sue and Lisa, who were also fast asleep, and Oliver was laying his head on Willow's lap. He grinned wistfully as he drifted off to sleep.

"You're a great person, you know that?" he whispered.

"I'll never be as great as you," Willow breathed. "Sweet dreams."

Oliver softly snored away. Willow noticed how thin he was looking as his shirt rested against his stomach, revealing a few of his ribs. She shook her head. It was going to be a long year trying to keep up with all of her friends, but in the end, it was worth it. Willow couldn't imagine a better role in life than the one she was in as she finally drifted off to sleep.

"The train will arrive at Hogwarts in five minutes. Have a good year, students."

Willow's eyes fluttered open as the announcement bounced around in her foggy brain. The sky outside had darkened considerably since they'd fallen asleep. Outlined in the distance by the last rays of sun was a familiar forest, vast and darker than a nighttime stroll on a new moon. As Willow's brain finally caught up to her ears, she shot to her feet, accidentally throwing Oliver into the seat, where he was jolted awake. Everyone's eyes snapped open when she rapidly knocked on the table.

"Merlin's beard, Willow, isn't there a more humane way to wake us up?" Mandy groaned.

"Not when we have five minutes to get changed into our wizarding robes!"

"Shoot! Oliver, we gotta go, pronto!" Sam exclaimed. As he quickly located his robes, he paused. "Hey, that rhymes! Maybe I'm a poet and I don't know it, or I just rhyme all the t- "

"Shut up and get going already!" Sally interrupted, shoving her brother out the compartment, Oliver close behind. She grabbed her robes dashed off to the restroom. Willow and the rest of the girls chased after her. Exactly five minutes later, the train screeched to a stop, just as five second year girls burst out of the restroom, their hats on crooked, wands sticking out of their pockets, and goofy grins on their faces. Fidget was slightly disgruntled by the sudden change in garments, but otherwise appeared fine to Willow. Achelous and Iris were thankfully nestled away in their shared cage. The last ones off the train, the girls nearly crashed into the horde of students waiting to get into a carriage.

"Whoa! That was close!" Sue yelped as she nearly bulldozed a third year.

"Is it just me, or did you get taller?" Mandy asked. "I mean, it might be the robes, but you definitely look taller."

Willow peered at Sue, noticing the change as well. Mandy was right. She did look taller, carrying herself differently from the previous year. Sue's muscle tone had grown, too. Had she been working out all summer?

"Oh, I only grew an inch," Sue said sheepishly.

"Some people look taller when they are confident in themselves after a long period of being self-conscious," Lisa said, sounding like an informational textbook on human physcology. "Maybe it's that? You have gotten quite confident. It suites you."

Sue's cheeks glowed red. "Thanks."

"You look a lot stronger, too," Willow observed. "I don't remember you saying that you did any sports...Wait, didn't you say something about doing martial arts? I could have sworn you did."

"Yeah, I do taekwando. It's excruciating, really, but I'm trying to get to my green belt, and it seems to be eluding me."

"That's amazing!" Sally said. "I can see it now- Slytherin boys trying to bully you, then bam! Bang! Crack! They won't even know what hit them! Sue will be on their list of 'Do Not Approach'!"

"Aw, guys, you're making me blush!" Sue complained.

"Don't go ruddy in the cheeks! Own that praise, girl! You're awesome, and everyone needs to know that!" Mandy scolded.

Sue covered her face as Oliver and Sam finally fought their way through the crowd to get to them. Slowly, carriage by carriage, the throng of students thinned until it was their turn. Willow recognized the creatures pulling them. It took her a moment, thinking back to when she had finally asked Hagrid about them, and remembered that they were called thestrals. They neighed softly when they saw Willow, flicking their tails over their bony backs. She smiled, still not fazed by their appearance. They were unique, like her, and there was no shame in that. Willow climbed up into the carriage and stared lovingly at the thestrals.

"I can see them too," Oliver whispered, materializing behind her.

Willow choked on her own air. Trying to hide her surprise, she said, "You saw your parents die?"

Oliver nodded. "They were killed in a car accident. I was waiting with my grandparents for them to come pick me up, and just down the street, someone ran a red light and hit them at over one hundred and fifty kilometers per hour. By the time we got to their side, they were beyond help, and they died right in front of me."

"Oh my God, Oliver," Willow breathed. "How did you cope with that?"

"The same way everyone does, I'm sure."

"You never got mad at the person who hit them?"

"No," Oliver said decisively, his eyes glazed over as he pictured his memories. "The girl was thrown through the windshield of her car and was in a wheelchair for the longest time. She was trying to get away from her abusive parents. I visited her often, and she would cry and say she was sorry every time. She never saw my parents coming."

"That's awful," Willow croaked, tapping into her mental strength to hold herself together. If she broke down on Oliver now, he would stop opening up. This was a rare occasion. "You're an amazing person, Oliver, just like I told you. You have a heart of gold. To comfort the person responsible for the death of your parents, without jumping to conclusions in the first place...I don't think anyone else could do that."

Oliver half-smiled at Willow. "I'm sure she would have done the same for me if our positions were reversed. There are a lot of good people left in this world; I just haven't found all of them yet."

Willow wrapped her arm around Oliver. "I hope I can be one of those people. Thanks for sharing that with me, Oliver. I know how painful it is to hold things in- and how conflicted you feel letting it out."

Something flickered in Oliver's emerald eyes, then disappeared. But Willow had seen it. That was all she needed.

"Hey, where did your smiles go? Get excited! We're going back to Hogwarts!" Mandy yelled at them.

"Heck yeah!" Sam said. "I'm going to start the biggest party Gryffindor has ever seen once we get settled tonight! Sally, you're helping whether you like it or not! Wait, you like parties now- nevermind, just lend a hand!"

"Since when are you two excited about partying?" Lisa asked. "Usually you'd help me scope out the best place to sit back and watch people from...I guess that's Oliver's job now."

"We've always been party animals. It was just a bad year last term, so this one we've got to make it double fun," Sam explained. "I'm talking smuggling in butterbeer, competitive house-wide games, the whole shebang!"

"Are we invited?" Sue asked.

"I will personally escort you to our parties to make sure you get there," Sally promised. "You guys are the special guests!"

"I like where this is going," Mandy said, smirking. "Oliver is going to be thrown into the mayhem- courtesy of me, of course- and we'll get to see what kind of party-goer he really is. Meanwhile, Sue and Lisa and going to be shoved onto the middle of the dance floor so we can see their moves, and Willow is definitely going to be in the middle of it all. I'm sure your Weasley boyfriend will do all the hard work for us!"

Willow lost the ability to speak English for a second, stuttering to death in Spanish, then coughed and told them off. "Excuse me? We've been over this, I don't have a boyfriend, and Fred and George are just my friends. They'll swear on it for me."

"You're blushing," Oliver quietly observed, smiling giddily. "You're lying!"

"Oh my God, Willow likes one of the Weasleys?" Sally gasped. "We need to get them together, pronto!"

"No, no, I don't like them as any more than friends!" Willow tried to tell them, though she enjoyed their enthusiasm. "They're just awesome guys that I enjoy hanging out and causing trouble with. If anything, it's Neville that I might fancy..."

"WHAT!" Mandy screeched. "Willow is openly admitting that she fancies someone? Merlin's beard, we have to act fast! Change of plan, guys! Operation Get-Willow-Together-With-Neville commence!"

"What- no, I said might, please pay attention to my word choice- " Willow begged, her cheeks scarlet.

"Nope! No way," Lisa giggled. "We're doing this thing."

"Guys, shush, Neville is in the carriage right in front of us!" Sue warned. "He might hear us!"

"Thank you!" Willow hissed. "Now, if you'd all listen, I'd like to announced that I will not be dating anyone until at least fourth year, since it's distracting and all, and that's beside the fact that I would refuse to make extra time for anyone- I do love my free time, as you know- and I can't possibly jeopardize our friendship for the rest of my life by acting on an ickle, silly little crush!"

"Aw, fine," Sam pouted. Sally slumped with her arms crossed nearby.

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Willow protested.

"Guys...you're gonna want to see this," Oliver whispered.

Everyone in the carriage turned to look where Oliver's eyes were trained, and they were glad they did. They had arrived home. Hogwarts towered above them, tiny bits of candlelight flickering in every window. The night sky illuminated the castle in a soft glow, as if it knew what day it was, that it was welcoming all the students back. A long line of carriages wove its way up the hill, reminding Willow of an army returning home after a successful battle. She spotted the Astronomy tower, the Ravenclaw Tower, the charms hallway, the several courtyards, and at last, the Gryffindor Tower came into view. Her heart warmed within her chest as her eyes detected the faint traces of red in the windows of the common room. She missed being surrounded by swarms of fellow quick-tempered, stubborn, true, over-protective Gryffindors. Willow could still remember the ever-present smell of oak wood in the fire, the cushions squishing underneath her as she jumped onto the couch, the fulfilling laughter of older students. She missed Hogwarts much more than she could put into words.

"It's even more beautiful than last year," Lisa breathed.

"I've heard of other students describing their first look at Hogwarts, but it can't compare to the real thing," Sam said. "It's even more amazing than they say. I can't begin to put it into words."

"This is technically your first look, isn't it?" Willow remembered, her first memories of the twins replaying in her mind. "You didn't get to ride the train here. I bet this is really special for you."

"More special than you'd be able to comprehend," Sally agreed.

The rest of the way up to the castle, the seven stared, stars shining in their eyes as they looked upon their awe-inspiring home. They were almost sad when they got to the front gates, their fleeting view from afar replaced with the more familiar close-up one. Willow found herself being ushered along with the rest of her friends into the Great Hall by older students. Several joyous squeals and many a happy shout were to be heard from the students mingling among each other, reuniting with old friends, meeting with newer ones. Soon, Willow was separated from her out-of-house friends, and she sadly said goodbye, having to be dragged by Sam and Sally to the Gryffindor table. She sighed as she sat down, but her emotions changed so fast it hurt when Fred, George, Lee, and Paige surrounded her on either side.

"There you are!"

"We've been looking all over for you!"

"Thought you'd gone off with Harry and Ron, the buggers."

"They're in big trouble, you know. Saw them land in the Whomping Willow."

"Guys!" Willow exclaimed, hugging all four of them at once. "Did you really see Harry and Ron crash into a tree? I knew they'd gone off and done something stupid, but I didn't know it was that serious."

"Oh, it's bad," Lee chortled. "Snape will be advocating for their expulsion, just you wait. It's going to be a fun night for Dumbledore. I wouldn't want to be in between McGonagall and Snape while they're arguing about Harry."

"Fred and George are still jealous that Harry and Ron didn't invite them on the flight," Paige remarked, smirking at the slightly put-off redheads. "We'll have quite the job keeping them out of their hair later."

"Shut it! We'll behave!" Fred protested.

"Yeah, we'll just come up with something else to upstage them later. We are smarter than them, you know."

"Sit down already!" Willow ordered, though a smile was playing on her lips. "You're going to cause a scene! How would that make Ginny feel? Oh look, they're coming in now! Hurry up, get down!"

Willow shoved the twins into a seated position before finding a place on the bench next to them. Professor McGonagall pushed open the doors with a big BOOM, then lead a long line of terrified first years up the middle of the Hall and onto the raised platform where the teachers sat. Willow remembered that day from last year- shaking in her boots, hoping against hope that she'd make it into Gryffindor, then the absolute relief as it washed over her that she was in the same house as the Weasleys. She spotted Ginny in the crowd and gave her a thumbs up. Poor Ginny shakily nodded in response, probably trying not to throw up.

The Weasley Twins' eyes were locked on their little sister, fidgeting more than she was. Willow realized then just how important this moment was. Ginny was the very last of the Weasley children to reach her first year at Hogwarts, and the first female born into the family for decades. If she didn't make Gryffindor, it would still be okay, but she would disrupt generations upon generations of her family's getting into the same house. Willow's face returned to its usual neutral expression. She barely heard the Hat as it sang its usual Sorting Song. All she could think about was how poor Ginny must be feeling, with everything riding on her making it into Gryffindor. Willow suppressed the urge to march up to the Sorting Hat and force it to place Ginny into Gryffindor.

"Creevy, Colin."

With a jolt in her stomach, Willow watched the Sorting begin. A mousy-haired boy with a camera dangling around his neck nearly tripped over the stool as he sprinted to it to sit down. His excitement written all over his face, he patiently awaited the Sorting Hat's decision, lighting up even further when it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" and running to an empty spot further along down Willow's bench. She clapped with the rest of her house, but much less enthusiastically than usual, more worried about her best friend standing white-faced only meters away.

At a snail's pace, it seemed, the Sorting continued, placing students into their proper houses whether they approved or not. Quite a few bubbly, friendly-looking girls were sorted into Slytherin, which prompted the rest of the houses to stay silent instead of booing like they usually did. Willow was still holding out hope that the upcoming House Exchange would work, and judging by the positive reaction to the Slytherin Sortings, there was still a chance of the houses coming together. Her expression darkened as she wondered what Fred and George would think of her signing up. She shook her head, leaving that for later thought. Right now, Ginny needed her full attention and support, and it was nearly her turn.

Finally, at long last, "Weasley, Ginny," was called. She swallowed nervously and moved in slow motion to the stool. Then, as she lowered herself onto the seat, Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head, and the Great Hall fell dead silent. Beads of sweat trickled down Ginny's face as she screwed it up in concentration. Willow could practically hear her screaming Gryffindor, Gryffindor! to the Hat. After only thirty seconds, the hat screamed, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Ginny's eyes snapped open, alight with excitement. Willow, Fred, George, Paige, and Lee were the first ones on their feet, screaming happily and cheering on Ginny as she made her way towards them, her face matching the shade of her hair. All of Gryffindor had exploded into hooting and hollering. Ginny was bombarded with high-fives, claps on the back, and congratulations as she sat down. Willow couldn't bring herself to stop hugging her friend until Dumbledore called for silence.

"I'd like to say a few words," he said. Pausing to let the last of the chatter die down, he continued. "The separation between houses these past few years has been affirmatively pronounced. The gap has never been greater between Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Let this be a reminder to you that not all friendships have boundaries. House unity is one of the most important accomplishments this school can achieve, and only you can initiate it! Let the feast begin!"

Ginny's eyes lit up, as did all other other first years', when piles of every food imaginable appeared on the table. Fred and George good-spiritedly placed a sample of every food on their sister's plate, making sure to point out everything she should eat seconds of, then dug in themselves. Willow found herself suddenly not that hungry, mulling Dumbledore's words over in her mind. The houses were extremely isolated last year. She was one of the only ones who constantly kept up her friendships with out-of-house friends throughout the year. The hope that had recently risen in her heart fell off a cliff as she remembered the hostilities between Gryffindor and Slytherin on and off the quidditch pitch; how could they ever come together as one?

"Are Harry and Ron still missing?" Ginny asked, her mouth full of food.

"Unfortunately, yes," Willow sighed. She took a small bite of roast beef. "I really hope they didn't get expelled."

"You really think McGonagall would let them get expelled?" Paige scoffed. "Harry's one of their best quidditch players, and he's one of the most famous wizards to ever live. It would look awful if Harry was kicked out of Hogwarts for something as simple as flying a car to school. And Ron is related to these two- " She poked Fred and George in their arms- "which grants him automatic immunity from being expelled. The only way Ron would get removed from Hogwarts is his own mother pulling him out."

"That's too true," Fred snickered. "Mum wouldn't hesitate to do that if he so much as sneezes a wrong way now."

"Dad will still try to congratulate him for making it all the way here."

"Well, as long as they don't get expelled, I guess it's going to be okay," Ginny concluded, turning back to her mashed potatoes. "Ron promised he'd help me when you guys are too busy pranking. I think Mum threatened him into agreeing to it."

"Don't forget, I've got plenty of people willing to sell their notes for you, so just ask any time you need them," Lee offered. "Willow unknowingly made me a fortune last year, though I'm not sure she really agreed to it."

"I stopped caring after the first time," Willow said. "Besides, how else would all those people pass their exams at the end of term? I wouldn't want to disappoint."

"You're technically participating in Hogwarts' black market, yet you don't care?" Ginny squealed, trying to keep her voice down. "Who are you and what have you done to Willow Guerrero?"

"I do have a bowtruckle, do I not?"

With flawless timing, Fidget poked his head out of Willow's robes and playfully blew raspberries at Ginny. Everyone burst out laughing. They could have cared less about all the weird looks they received from other students. It was the first time they had all been together in a long time, and it was the best way Willow could have asked for to return to Hogwarts. Dessert was soon served, and long after everyone had finished their fourth helpings, Dumbledore rose to take his place at the podium once more.

"Students!" he boomed, quieting everyone at once. "I have an announcement I'd like to make before I send you off to bed. There is a reason I left you a few words of wisdom before the feast. A new program called a House Exchange will be implemented this year to promote house unity. During the last week of each month, students that choose to participate in this program will be staying in the house of their choosing. Students may sign up beginning tomorrow morning. Only two students per year may sign up, so make your decision quickly! Now, off to your common rooms, all of you!"

An excited whisper broke out among the students as they marched out of the Great Hall and to their dormitories. As Willow listened, she figured out that students were either totally against the House Exchange or super excited for it. She knew exactly where she stood on the matter- and no one was going to stop her.

The Prefects were already gone with the first years by the time Willow fought her way through the crowd to her Ravenclaw friends. They were standing in the Entrance Hall, impatiently waiting for her. She happily skipped over to them.

"Where's Oliver?" Willow asked.

"Right here," he said, materializing from behind her.

"Merlin's beard, don't scare me like that!" Willow gasped, jumping into the wall. "Oh well. I guess I have no choice except to punish you by dragging you to the party Sam is starting."

"He's really doing that?" Sue questioned.

Willow nodded to where Sam was speaking in hushed tones with Fred and George. "What does that look like?"

"The beginning of a memorable night," Mandy said. She grabbed Oliver and Lisa by their sleeves. "Come on, let's get this party started! You guys are not missing out on this! You're not getting out of this either, Sue! Willow will make sure we get back safe."

Rolling her eyes, Willow lead her friends to Gryffindor Tower. By the time they got there, Fred, George, and Sam were running all over the common room, barking orders to Paige, Lee, and a few older students. Willow's friends got some odd looks from the Gryffindors, but they didn't seem to notice. Her out-of-house friends had never seen the Gryffindor common room before. Their eyes glimmered as they gazed at all the comfy furniture, taking in the completely different atmosphere from their own common rooms. Willow guided them to where Sally sat on the couch, watching her brother put together a party, clearly in a food coma.

"Sally? Earth to Sally," Mandy said, waving a hand in front of her friend's face. "Are you petrified or something?"

Sally sat bolt upright. "Oh my goodness, hi guys!" she exclaimed. "Sorry! I may have eaten one too many dinner rolls...or five too many...But that's beside the point! I heard that they're bringing in some butterbeer for this party! Can you believe it?"

"What's butter beer?" Lisa asked.

"Only the greatest drink ever invented!" Mandy exclaimed. "I've had a few bottles before, when my dad finally agreed to bring them home. He tried butterbeer in, like, six different taverns. 'Said they all tasted great, but the best is from Hogsmede."

"Is it strong enough to make me dance on a table in front of everyone?" Willow asked.

"Only if you make it enchanting enough."

"Perfect, because now I know not to accept a single drink from Fred or George. They're going to try and get me to do something stupid all night long, and I am not about to be embarrassed in front of my entire house."

"Willow, that's what parties are for!" Sally squealed. "Please, please, please let them convince you to do one thing? Or at least let me get you to do something?"

Willow sighed. "Fine, bring on the butterbeer, because it's going to take a lot of convincing."

"Ooh, I wonder what would happen if we gave a bunch to Lisa and Oliver..." Sue trailed off, mischievously glancing in their direction. "Would they suddenly become the life of the party?"

"Not a good idea!" Lisa squeaked.

"I'll pass," Oliver said.

"Oh, leave them alone," Willow said. "Aren't I enough for one night?"

"Not getting full of yourself, are you?" Mandy questioned.

"Ladies and gentleman!" Lee announced from the top of the stairs. The entire common room went silent, gazing up at him. "It's my great honor to announce that we'll be having a festive celebration to honor Harry and Ron's spectacular arrival for the start of term. If you could all place yourselves around the portrait hole, we'll be kicking off as soon as they arrive. There will be butterbeer! Now, get in position, everyone! They'll be here any minute!"

Willow stood up and motioned for her friends to join her. They stood on the couch, well above the human tunnel forming around the portrait hole. A lot of hushing and shushing went about, then, after only a few minutes, Harry and Ron appeared, followed by an angry-looking Hermione. There was a chorus of cheering and applause, dominated by the twins and Willow, of course, and they were congratulated all the way to the other side of the room. The minute they disappeared, Hermione went to join Percy in the corner of the room to commiserate about how irresponsible and ridiculously stupid it was for the boys to fly a car to school. Lee popped open a bottle of butterbeer on the other side of the room and turned on some music.

"Let's get this party started!" the twins and Lee chorused.

The entire common room shouted together in an uproar of celebration, then swarmed forward to attack the cups of butterbeer. Willow was planning to wait back until every had gotten their share when someone scooped her up from behind and hung her upside down.

"Hey! What- " Willow recognized the person suspending her from her ankles. "Nice to see you too, Paige."

Paige smirked and dropped her to the floor, who was thankfully expecting that. Willow stood up and brushed herself off, her friends staring at her open-mouthed, not sure whether to be concerned or laugh.

"Is that...typical Gryffindor greetings?" Sue asked.

"I dunno, there's some pretty wild handshakes a few seventh years have come up with already. They might involve some back flips, fighting moves, you know, the usual." Paige shrugged. "You might as well consider us a separate species at this point. Would you like some butter beer? I've hoarded at least fifteen bottle for myself."

"Heck yeah!" Sally said. Paige waved her wand, and a bottle came zooming out of nowhere. Sally caught it, popped it open, and took a few sips, sitting back and sighing. "That's the stuff. We might need three more of those- for the rest of us, I mean."

Paige summoned three more bottle of butterbeer. Mandy immediately took two of them, opened them up, and shoved one into Willow's hands. Sue, Lisa, and Oliver refused any party favors, opting to sit back and enjoy it from afar. Willow took a sip of her butterbeer. A smile slowly spread across her face. The warm, buttery flavor mixed perfectly with the cold bit of a tang in it- probably from whatever special ingredient made the drinker intoxicated. She downed half of her bottle in another go. Willow was already dropping her barriers, thinking more on edge, looking for an opportunity to mix in with the crowd. She was fighting it, of course, but she had always wondered what it felt like to be an outgoing party girl, and this was her chance. Willow was just finishing her drink when Sam bounced over, Fred and George on his tail.

"Can you believe the turnout for this? So many people like the party! They're getting into it, look!" he said, talking like a rabbit with it's tail on fire. "And this butterbeer is sooo much better than the one Mum gave us, isn't it, Sally?"

Sally nodded in agreement, still working on her drink. "Ten times better. Where'd you get it?"

"A favor from Lee's friend," George said. His eyes were on the crowd of people gathered in the middle of the common room. "That looks like trouble in the making."

"Look who's talking! Speaking of trouble, Sam, are you already drunk?" Willow asked, a knowing smile on her face.

"I've only had...one or two."

"You're such a liar!"

"Okay, you're right, I've had three before the party started," Sam admitted. He wore a goofy grin on his face. "But I'm fine! Sally's always kept an eye on me." Sam's eyes lit up as he looked back at the throng of Gryffindors. "Hey! Aren't those your roommates dancing?"

Willow caught sight of her roommates jumping onto a makeshift dance floor made out of a few tables. They didn't even show any signs of drinking butterbeer- they were just tearing it up, like they always said they would at a party. Mia and Fay were spinning each other in circles so fast it made Willow dizzy just watching them. Lavender was rocking out her own solo, and Parvati was trying her best to mimic the moves of Lavender. Hermione was still glowering from the corner of the room. Deciding to leave her alone, Willow dragged both Sally and Mandy to their feet, seeing an opportunity to put herself out there.

"We have to join them!" Willow said. "I don't know why, I think I must be a lightweight or something, but we have to go for it! Come on, Sue! Everyone would love to have you out there!"

"Who are you and what have you done with Willow Guerrero?" Fred laughed. "I like it!"

"Don't worry, I'll have another butterbeer waiting for her when she gets back," Paige said, winking. Fred looked horrified.

Willow left the rest of their conversation- or argument- behind as she ran through the crowd, springing onto the dance floor. Her friends screamed and hugged her tight, then Sally, too. Mandy and Sue started dancing beside them as they all broke out into rapid freestyle moves, earning hearty cheering from the crowd.

"Oh my God! We haven't seen you two in forever!" Lavender squealed. "What are you doing awake at this time?"

"Dancing, obviously!" Willow giggled, in a happy stupor.

"You're dancing, and in front of people!" Fay shrilled. "What happened to you over the summer?"

"And your hair! It's even more flawless, if that's possible!" Mia added.

"A few near-death experiences will definitely teach you to live life on the edge, won't they?" Willow chuckled. "I've never been happier in my life! I can't stop moving my feet! And look at you guys go!"

Willow's roommates burst out laughing. They could easily tell what had gotten into her. "We need to give Willow butterbeer more often!"

"Wow, look at that girl go!" a girl shrieked from the crowd below them. "She's amazing! Whoa, watch that jump! Does she take dance or something? She's amazing!"

Willow turned around to see something she never thought was possible. Sue had her eyes closed, hair pinned back, feet bare. She dipped backwards, then sprung forward in a complicated front flip, landing perfectly. The crowd roared as she opened her eyes and smiled, dancing furiously in a series of quick moves Willow had never seen before. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She yelped in pain. Nope, not dreaming. Sue continued to dance in a beautiful, practiced fashion. When the song ended, she struck a final pose, and Willow clapped along with the rest of the crowd. The Ravenclaw's cheeks turned bright pink as she stepped off the dance floor. Lisa sprinted up to her and gave her a bone-crushing hug as Willow and Mandy chased after her to do the same.

"That was blood brilliant!" Lisa squeaked. "You never told us you took dance! What other awesome things do you do without us knowing? Marathons? Computer coding? With you, it could be anything!"

"Our family friends taught me dance back in Japan," Sue said, beaming shyly. "I still practice often."

"Well, you should teach me sometime, because I'm awful at anything that requires physical exertion," Mandy laughed. She flopped back down on the couch where Oliver, Paige, Sam, and the Weasley twins were waiting. "In fact, I think I might need another butterbeer- "

"How about no," Oliver interrupted, taking the drink out of Mandy's hand and replacing it with a cup of water. "You've already had two. You'll regret it tomorrow morning."

"Aw, man!" Mandy groaned.

"That goes for you too, Sam," Lisa said, pointedly staring at him until he put his butterbeer down.

"Wow, you already have your medical team set for parties," Fred noted. "I would have thought you would take up that roll, Willow, but I think Oliver and Lisa have beat you to it."

Willow yawned and fell into the couch. "I'm only responsible when I choose to be."

"Speaking of responsibility, you have to make sure we get back to our common rooms without getting caught, remember?" Mandy said, a sly grin on her face. "You're not getting out of this, even drunk on butterbeer."

"I'm not drunk, just out of it," Willow insisted. She tried to stand up and fell over. "And exhausted. I swear."

"Yeah, you and everyone else here," Paige snickered.

"Are you guys ready to go now? I bet your roommates are missing you," Willow said. She glanced at her watch. "Merlin's beard! It's already half past midnight! When did it get that late? And don't give me a snarky answer."

"I won't. I think we're ready," Mandy sighed. "Thanks for the party, guys. I should recruit you to plan some of Ravenclaw's, but the others might kill me. They have a habit of making them very exclusive."

"You're welcome anytime," George said. "Do us a favor and give Mrs. Norris a good kick when you see her, will you?"

"Don't worry, we all will," Willow promised. "Let's head out while I'm still conscious."

After exiting the portrait hole, Willow transformed into a dog and lead them through the corridors, having to take the long route to the Ravenclaw Tower because Filch was prowling in all the right spots. She bade goodbye to Mandy, Lisa, and Sue, then sniffed her way to the kitchens to drop Oliver off. He gave Willow one last grateful hug before silently slipping into the Hufflepuff common room. Staggering through the corridors as a human, then a dog, then a cat, Willow made it back to Gryffindor Tower without being caught. She drank two bottle of water before she even thought about going to bed, still conscious enough to know that she would feel the butterbeer tomorrow. The party was dying down, so she said good night to Fred, George, Paige, and Lee, and headed up to her dorm. Her roommates were already snoring. Willow couldn't help the grin that spread over her face as she drifted off. There were no words to describe how much she missed falling asleep surrounded by her friends.


	24. Year 2: Chapter 3

Ginny stared in delight at the Quidditch pitch in the distance. Iris playfully nibbled the first year's ears as she begged for more petting, already having grown fond of her touch. Willow knew that she would have to up her game with her own owl soon if Ginny kept paying this much attention to her. She whistled to Iris, and the beautiful tawny owl landed beside her in the rafters. Several other owls, including Hedwig, were chirping to each other nearby, enjoying her company.

"I hope to be playing for Gryffindor next year," Ginny said. "What about you, Willow? Do you think you'll make it this year?"

"I...have a shot," Willow said uncertainly. "Maybe as a reserve, but not as an actual player. I haven't honed in on a single position that I love yet. Being an all-around player isn't that helpful, I guess."

Ginny looked up at her from the floor of the Owlery. "You'll make it. I just know it."

A loud click! startled a few of the owls. Feathers flew in every direction as they took off, landing mostly on Willow, somehow. She sneezed and brushed them away from her eyes. "Colin! I told you not to scare the owls! They spook easily in the morning!"

"Sorry!" the mousy-haired boy apologized, putting his camera back around his neck. "I'm just excited about being here! There's a whole new world out there that I never knew existed! I want to photograph it all and give my dad a whole scrapbook of it."

Willow sighed. Colin Creevy had become fast friends with Ginny during the party the night before, and when he found Willow leaving to take her on a tour of the castle, he decided to follow them. Willow didn't mind. He reminded her of Neville in the way that he was a complete klutz but made up for it in his adorable nature. The boy had been fascinated with everything so far, especially the small details, like moving pictures, self-cleaning bathrooms, and enchanted quills. Willow remembered being in his position last year, barely having any knowledge of the wizarding world, either. She was only a little less enthusiastic than him about taking pictures of everything.

"How did you even get up there?" Colin asked, goggling at how high Willow was in the ceiling. "I've barely climbed a meter in my life!"

"I don't know, actually," she admitted, frowning. "I guess I just start climbing and finding handholds until I'm satisfied with where I am. There's lots of nice beams to sit on, actually. The owls enjoy the company."

"You should teach me sometime!" Colin suggested, bouncing on his toes. "I'd love to do a photo shoot on the roof sometime!"

"Can we move onto the next stop?" Ginny said. "I need to know where all the classrooms are before breakfast starts! Ron told me how he and Harry got lost so many times last year before they figured out the corridors."

"Yes, they got lost much more than I did," Willow agreed. "But thankfully, I've got a good sense of direction. Follow me!"

The rest of the morning, Willow showed Ginny and Colin where every classroom was, the locations of the restrooms, and a few miscellaneous places they'd need to know about, like the library and the kitchens. Colin took a photo of every single place they went, maybe collecting forty shots of the Astronomy Tower and its view. Ginny could barely keep her voice down as they passed through the corridors. Both first years were unbelievably excited, making Willow wonder if she was that insufferably giddy the year before. Their tour ran into to breakfast, so by the time they sat down at the Gryffindor table, nearly everyone was there, looking sleep deprived and hungover- which the majority of them were. Hermione was scowling at both Harry and Ron. Ginny and Colin found their roommates, leaving Willow to herself. She decided to grab an apple and stay out of the quarrel between her friends. Thanks to the water from the night before, she didn't have the pounding headache that Lee was whining about further down the table. She shook her head and glanced around the Great Hall, looking for something to do.

Then, she caught sight of the signup sheet next to the grand entrance.

Willow's pulse quickened. She glanced at Fred and George. Their attention was fully focused on Lee, who was dramatically reenacting the party from the night before, much to the sleepy delight of the exhausted fourth years. If she hurried, she could sign up before anyone noticed. Willow bit her lip. Checking one last time, she walked at as normal a pace as she could to the signup sheet.

There were already three names on it from other houses. So far, two girls had signed up from Hufflepuff to stay in Gryffindor and one boy from Ravenclaw had signed up for Hufflepuff. Willow quickly scribbled her name in the Gryffindor column, then wrote "Slytherin" in the other column. She spun around and was about to head back to her seat when she was surrounded on all sides by familiar faces.

"What- Holy- Ay dios mio! What are you all doing here?" Willow hissed.

"Covering for you," Sally explained. "We saw you looking between the Weasley twins and this sheet, so we decided to make sure you went unnoticed. Besides, we were curious as to which house you signed up for."

"Ha! I knew it!" Mandy exclaimed quietly. "You owe me a sickle, Sam!"

"Aw, man!" Sam groaned, handing a piece of silver to Mandy. "I really thought she would have gone for Hufflepuff..."

"Guys, are you sure you're providing cover this way?" Willow asked hurriedly, peeking at the Weasley twins between the gaps in her friends' ring around her. They were still focused on Lee. "This is kind of a dead giveaway that you're protecting me."

"Fine, we'll casually stand near you, then," Sally said. She positioned everyone so that they were inconspicuously standing near Willow. "Hey, why did you sign up for this, anyway? You don't strike me as the type."

"I don't know, really, but it's too late now," Willow said. "My name is down. I'm going to do it."

"Well, in that case, we'd better join you," Sue concluded. She grabbed the quill floating next to the signup sheet and put her name down for staying in Slytherin. Sally did the same, and surprisingly, Oliver did, too. Willow gaped at her friends as they smiled at their work.

"What- why are you doing this?" she whispered. "You didn't have to."

Oliver shrugged. "I want to see if the Slytherin common room is as creepy as they say it is."

"But- hang on, Sue, you'll be separated from Mandy and Lisa. Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Like you said, it's too late now," Lisa said. "Besides, Sue can handle herself with all of those taekwando skills, I've got Mandy to protect me, and if anything goes horribly wrong, I'm sure you can sleep in your original dorm. It should be fun."

A smile slowly made its way across Willow's face. She hugged all of her friends at once. "You guys are truly the best friends anyone could ask for. Now, go sit down, quick, before anyone notices! I don't want to get you guys in trouble."

Willow unobtrusively made her way to the Gryffindor table. Just as she did so, a hundred or so owls poured into the Great Hall, dropping off gifts, forgotten items in Neville's case, and well-wishing letters. A single letter landed in front of Willow. She tore it open the moment she saw her dad's name on it, her eyes scanning the page so fast she forgot to absorb what it said the first time. By the time she finally read the whole thing, Willow realized she was almost in tears. Her cheeks reddened as she inconspicuously wiped her eyes.

Suddenly, an enormous, tumultuous voice burst through Willow's eardrums. She covered them in pain and literally fell on the floor. It wasn't until she spotted a red letter curling into fiery smoke that she realized it was a howler from Mrs. Weasley. Ron sat petrified not too far away. Harry looked equally affected by the content of the howler, except more guilty than scared. Willow understood why.

"What are you doing down there?" Fred asked, pulling her back into reality.

"Oh. I don't know how I got down here, actually," Willow said. She got up and brushed herself off. "Is Ron going to be okay?"

"He's fine, don't worry a bit about him," George said. "This isn't the first huge mistake he's made. And little Ronniekins is the youngest, which makes him immune to most threats."

"I'm seriously questioning if he shouldn't take that as a real threat."

Professor McGonagall dropped a schedule in each of their hands, abruptly ending their conversation. Willow was almost thankful for the interruption. Any longer, and she might have let it slip that she was doing the house exchange. The twins, Lee, and Paige discussed their plans for the day. Willow barely had time to notice she had double Herbology first when the professor of the very class appeared behind her.

"Miss Guerrero, if you could gather your things and follow me, please."

Willow glanced at the professor. Her foot was tapping impatiently, the corner's of her mouth twitched in agitation, and a sort of anger simmered in her eyes. Sincerely hoping she wasn't in trouble, Willow bade goodbye to her friends and followed Professor Sprout out of the Great Hall. Her short, stout frame implied all the wrong things about her. Professor Sprout was a Hufflepuff through and through, being their head of house. For the most part, she was a strict but caring woman, very understanding of students when they didn't finish their homework because of a quidditch match and whatnot. But when she was mad, she didn't hold back the firestorm within her. Students knew not to take her threats lightly. She meant business, and everyone knew it.

Willow had to break into a light jog to catch up to Professor Sprout. She wasn't heading towards the greenhouses like she had originally thought. Instead, Professor Sprout was marching towards a massive tree. Willow recognized it as the Whomping Willow almost immediately. Its branches were broken and frayed in several places, the bark was beaten and scratched here and there, and in one place, a car-shaped dent had been punched into the trunk. Willow grimaced at the damage. As many bad things as she'd heard about the tree, she felt sorry for it. The tree was much more intelligent than most plants, and it had so much of a spirit that it was enough to cause Willow's powers to act up around it, sensing its "emotions" and how much it was hurting. The Whomping Willow almost looked sad, appearing to slouch at the top of its hill.

Professor Sprout stopped about ten meters from the base of the tree. It was already reacting to their presence, turning towards them and preparing to beat them into a pulp. Professor Sprout sighed, taking in the damage, then grumpily began to unpack a bag she had brought with her. Waving her wand, an array of bandages, slings, and medical wrap appeared from it. She opened her mouth to say something to Willow when another voice that was definitely not hers carried across the landscape.

"Oh, isn't it marvelous?"

Willow thought Professor Sprout would implode. Turning around, she found herself facing an unfamiliar figure. The man was dressed in a bright shade of blue robes, seemingly chosen to make his perfectly wavy blond hair stand out. He wore a charming smile that almost twinkled, reminding Willow of a celebrity she had seen in a Muggle magazine. The way he walked across the hills as if he owned all of Hogwarts told her all she needed to know about this wizard. Professor Sprout's beet-red face confirmed it.

"Hello, ladies! I know you already, Pomona," the wizard cheerfully greeted. He turned to Willow with fake interest. "I don't believe I've met you, though, young lady, but I suppose you know me, of course. You've probably read all my books already- "

"Ah, but you see, I don't know you at all, actually," Willow interrupted, her stomach twisting into a sickening knot as she remembered Harry telling her all about this vain man. "I think you're going to have to explain who you are and why you'd assume I'd know about you."

A menacing flicker passed over the wizard's eyes, but he quickly hid it beneath his toothy smile. "Why, I'm Gilderoy Lockhart, of course! I'd think everyone in the wizarding world would know me by now, especially since you've got my books for this year. Of course, how could I be so thick? You must be a Muggleborn!"

"I'm a pureblood," Willow said simply. She turned her back on Lockhart, nauseous with the idea of having this arrogant idiot as her professor. "Professor Sprout, am I in trouble? You never explained why you called me out here."

The look on Lockhart's face must have been priceless, because Professor Sprout's lit up in glee. "I didn't, did I? Well, since you're particularly gifted with taking care of difficult plants, I decided I could use an extra hand fixing up this Willow."

"I'd be glad to help."

"So would I!" Lockhart butted in. "I absolutely love Herbology! Why, I was exceedingly successful in it during my Hogwarts years. I've seen loads of these monsters through my travels- "

Willow willed her ears to go temporarily deaf as she blocked out Lockhart's useless ramblings. Professor Sprout showed her how to doctor up the Whomping Willow's limbs without getting punched in the face, involving some complicated spell that she kept failing at and soon gave up on, all while Lockhart pretended to help. He was going on and on about some vampire that he'd defeated, and all Willow could think about was whether there was a spell to make someone permanently mute. She shook the sinister thought away and focused on subtly using her powers to tickle the Whomping Willow into submission. Professor Sprout got a few cuts and bruises, which returned her to her sour mood. Willow really wished she could reveal her powers and help her, but thought better of it and continued higher and higher into the tree. Lockhart wouldn't shut up the whole time. He didn't even offer to help Professor Sprout up when the Whomping Willow threw her to the ground only feet away. Willow wondered if he even noticed, because he didn't so much as put a break in his sentence. By the time Lockhart had finished telling the two of them about his adventures ("People would pay for even those summarized versions, you know!"), the Whomping Willow was strung up in slings and bandages, looking like a giant spider had spun a web in it. Professor Sprout hurriedly put her remaining supplies away, wiped the blood off the cut on her cheek, and speed-walked towards the greenhouses, where a group of students was waiting for them. Willow trailed behind to make sure Lockhart stayed as far away as possible from the professor. She was beginning to wonder if Professor Sprout was plotting to hex Lockhart in his sleep when Lockhart suddenly stopped talking about himself, pulled Harry aside, and left her alone. She felt bad for Harry, but not bad enough to wait around with him. Willow sprinted into greenhouse three and found a seat with Neville, Oliver, and another Hufflepuff boy.

“Good morning, lads!” Professor Sprout called as she swept across the room.

“Good morning, Professor Sprout,” the students murmured.

“Let’s try that again, good morning class!”

“Good morning, Professor Sprout!” they said with much more enthusiasm.

“I was beginning to think you were all sleepwalking, and on your first day, in greenhouse three to boot! What were you all doing last night? Not staying up until half past one drinking, I hope?”

Willow and Sally shared a knowing glance that required no interpretation. They hid their faces while they tried to contain their giggling. As Professor Sprout gathered the supplies for the lesson, Willow decided to talk among her group.

“How was your summer, Neville?”

Neville’s cheeks reddened. “It was great. Nothing out of the ordinary, though my grandma did threaten to throw me out the window when she caught me sneaking a Venomous Tentacula into my room.”

“I’m glad you had a good summer,” Willow said. She turned to the Hufflepuff boy, who seemed to be exploding with energy. “I don’t think I know your name.”

“I’m Ernie!” the boy burst out. Willow noticed how he was completely confident in himself, not shying away from new people in the slightest. He was definitely an extrovert. “Ernest Macmillan, actually, but please, call me Ernie, I don’t like the sound of Ernest. I’m in Hufflepuff. I know all about you guys, of course, from last year’s events.”

Ernie shook each of their hands in turn, pausing when he got to Oliver, as if expecting something. Willow gave Oliver a meaningful look. He shyly shook Ernie’s hand and said, “Hi, Ernie.”

The already energetic Hufflepuff boy seemed to overload with extra enthusiasm. He bounced over to Willow, nearly in awe. “How did you get him to do that?”

“Do what?”

“How did you get him to speak to me?” Ernie clarified. “That’s the first two words he’s spoken to any of us Hufflepuff boys!”

The blood rushed to Oliver’s face. He backed up behind Neville, who was already behind Willow. She rolled her eyes at the two nervous boys. Willow would never understand how anyone could be even shyer than her, but here she was, defending two of the most introverted wizards in her year. She mentally made a note to make sure they treated her to some Chocolate Frogs in the near future.

“I don’t know, really,” Willow said. “Sometimes it takes a gentle word to get him out of his shell. Other times, I hand him over to Mandy, and she does everything for me.”

Ernie furrowed his brow. “Who’s Mandy?”

Willow grinned. “Boy, are you in for a treat. Oliver, can you please make sure you point out Mandy in your next class?”

“As long as she’s far away, yes.”

Ernie stared at Willow as if she were a goddess. Thankfully, Harry popped into the greenhouse, and Professor Sprout promptly began the lesson, sparing her the embarrassment. She announced that they'd be repotting Mandrakes for the lesson. When she asked if anyone knew what they were, Hermione, as usual, answered, sparing Willow from digging into the depths of her brain to remember the books she'd read last year, something about hundreds of magical herbs and mushrooms.

Willow shook her head to clear the cobwebs. What was wrong with her? Normally, she remembered at least the title of every book she read, but that apparently wasn't the case today. Willow tried really hard to pay attention, but Professor Sprout's words went in one ear and out the other. She ended up putting on a pair of earmuffs that were her least favorite color- pink. It was then that her eyes started blurring. Another room swam in and out of focus every five seconds. Willow sat down as she realized that she was about to have another vision. It didn't do any good, though, because right as Professor Sprout pulled out a Mandrake, her slightly right-leaning weight yanked her off the stool, and she was swallowed up by the vision before she hit the floor.

Willow found herself rooted to the ground of a dark room. It wasn't a room, really, she realized as she took in her surroundings, but more of a cave. The walls were dripping with moisture, several puddles surrounded the dry path she was on, and a pool of water sat at the far end of the great place. Willow shuddered with a chill. She could physically feel the sinister cold of the place leaking into her skin. Willow wished the vision would end already so she could get back to the lesson, but her powers had other ideas.

Something stirred in the corner of her eyes. A small sound came from way behind her. Whipping her head around, Willow tried to find something, anything that would explain the noise. But there was not a creature stirring. Plink! It was louder this time. Willow's heart hammered against her ribcage. There was definitely something down here, a big something, for that matter. If it came for her, would she physically feel it? Could she be killed in a vision? But no one could see her in the last vision she'd had of her mum's house. It wouldn't be able to mess with her, could it?

A giant sliding sound rang in Willow's ears. She wanted to cover them so badly but found that she was completely frozen in place except for her head. Frantically glancing around, she tried to find anything that would bring her out of this vision. Something in particular caught her eye as she did. At the end of the dry path, beyond the pool of water, there stood a giant statue of a god-like figure. He had intricate snake patterns carved around his head, as if he controlled them. Willow's heart leaped into her mouth. She wasn't particularly fond of ancient snake stories involving gods. Any time a god was mentioned controlling snakes, it usually turned out bad. Willow didn't want to find out if this was the place where those stories were based.

Suddenly, behind her, the giant uproar of a creature splashing and thrashing soaked her shoes in water. Willow closed her eyes and screamed. The creature didn't even make an incriminating sound to identify itself. It simply threw itself on her, squishing her deeper and deeper into the puddles, slowly suffocating the life out of her...

Then, her eyes flickered open, and Willow was back in Herbology class, propped up against a few pots. Sweat lined her forehead and made her robes uncomfortably hot. Someone kneeled before her and handed her a cold washcloth.

"Here, use this," he said.

Willow blinked, and her vision fully cleared, revealing Oliver's familiar face. She gratefully took the cloth and dabbed it around her face and neck. It quickly took care of her overheating and wiped away the sweat. Oliver offered her a hand and helped her stand up. A few people nearby were staring at her, but otherwise, the class was busy struggling to put shrilling Mandrakes into their pots.

"What happened?" Willow asked. "Anything important I missed?"

"Not really." Oliver shrugged. "You passed out, and Professor Sprout said it was probably because your earmuffs weren't on right. Neville and I put you over here." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "We know it was a vision. You can tell me later."

Willow smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Oliver. Did you at least talk with Neville a bit?"

Oliver nodded. "I promise. He's easier to talk to than most boys."

"Is he? I'll take note, then."

Willow and Oliver set to work repotting their Mandrakes, taking extra care to make sure they didn't get cut from their sharp little claws and teeth. Neville struggled a little bit, and one time he dropped a Mandrake on himself, but otherwise did much better than the rest of the class. The three of them managed to repot all of their Mandrakes way before the rest of the class finished. Ernie, not being in their group from last year, was definitely not as advanced as they were. His rather small Mandrake was putting up the fight of its life. Instead of easing it into the pot, Ernie was forcefully pushing the plant in while it hung onto the edges for all it was worth.

“Do you need a hand with that, Ernie?” Willow asked, practically shouting to be heard.

“Nope, everything’s under control!” Ernie puffed, trying to dodge his Mandrake’s attempts at biting his finger. “I’m really good at…Herbology. Ornery little…bugger…Come on, into the pot…So close…”

Oliver tried and failed to hide his laughter. Willow nudged him, and he got the message. While he helped Ernie not get his fingers lacerated, Willow observed Oliver in a comfortable silence, watching the way he gently handled the Mandrake, soothingly speaking to it as if it were a misunderstood toddler instead of a deadly plant. He eased the Mandrake into the pot, then buried it in potting soil. Oliver brushed his gloves off and placed them on the table. Ernie stared at him, open-mouthed, apparently shocked. Willow wondered if he’d ever seen Oliver this confident before. Judging by Oliver’s scarlet face when he noticed, he hadn’t.

"Wow, you're really good with plants!" Ernie observed after they had finished placing the last Mandrake in its pot. "Have you always been this good at Herbology? I've never paid enough attention to it, to be perfectly honest. I barely passed my exams last year. Don't get me wrong, it's a fascinating subject, in fact, fascinating enough to get me to study hard by the end of the year."

Oliver looked at Willow in pure panic. He hid it very well, but to Willow, he could be screaming and it would make no difference. She fixed him with a stern stare when he tried to hide behind her. Yes, he was incredibly shy, and that was perfectly fine, but Ernie was being very nice to him and there was no reason Oliver couldn't try to talk to him, especially when Ernie was complimenting him. This was the perfect opportunity to get him more acquainted with his roommates. Nodding towards Ernie, Willow made sure Oliver got the message, and he nervously stepped up to the Hufflepuff boy.

"I've been- I've been pretty good at it," Oliver stuttered. He cleared his throat. "It's always been my favorite."

Ernie barely held back his shock. Nearly passing out from it (or appearing to, at least), he said, "My favorite has always been Astronomy. I'm not the best at it, but it's still my favorite. I love how there's all these constellations up in the sky creating the perfect map for the entire universe to use. It's an extraordinary idea to wrap my head around, and one day I hope to understand it all."

Oliver glanced back at Willow, received an encouraging nod, and turned back to Ernie, who was excitedly shifting from foot to foot. "I wish I understood Astronomy, but I'm no shooting star."

Ernie burst out laughing. "That's really funny! I didn't know you had a good sense of humor, Oliver!"

Oliver's cheeks burnt bright red. "I have a good sense of humor?"

"Yeah! You're super funny, actually!"

Oliver and Ernie began talking back and forth about their classes, every once in a while finding something they had in common. Of course, Oliver was making his sentences as short as possible, but he was still participating in their chat. Willow tried her best not to do a happy dance. She had finally gotten Oliver to talk with his housemate! Sitting a good distance away, she tapped her foot with boundless energy, excitement coursing through her veins. Oliver was holding a conversation all on his own!

Willow was almost sad when the bell rang to signal the end of Herbology. The majority of the class was covered in dirt and sweat, so they were instructed to wash up before heading off to their next classes. Ernie caught up to some of the other Hufflepuff boys, loudly raving about Oliver, while Oliver himself found his way to Willow like a magnet. He was visibly shaking, but otherwise appeared to be fine. His emerald green eyes were brighter than ever.

"Did I do good?" he asked.

"Yes!" Willow squealed, hugging Oliver tight. "You did so good! I didn't have to help or step in at all! You did that all on your own, Oliver! Congratulations!"

Oliver beamed all the way into the castle, glancing at his shoes to hide his bright red face. Willow was finally pulled away by her roommates when they got to the staircases. She said goodbye to Oliver, then was dragged up the stairs at record speed by Lavender, Fay, and Mia. Parvati and Sally were streaking along behind her as if to make sure she didn't fall behind.

"Whoa, whoa, guys, what's happening? What did I do?"

"What did you do? What did you do?" Fay squeaked. "It's like you're blind, honestly!"

"How can you not see it?" Mia gasped.

"You were surrounded by three adorable boys in Herbology, and they're totally into you!" Lavender shrilled.

Willow face palmed, then tripped herself and had to keep jogging to keep up with her roommates. "Guys, please don't do this to me again! You know those guys are just my friends, especially Oliver! In fact, I got him to talk to Ernie today- "

"We know!" Sally giggled. "He was totally conspiring with Ernie to ask you out."

"And Neville is definitely planning something, I just know it!" Parvati claimed.

Willow looked up at the ceiling exasperatedly. "Why is it always me? Why can't it be you guys?"

"Oh, don't worry, we've got loads to tell you about," Mia assured, conspiratorially winking at her. "There's going to be sooo much more drama this year than the last. We've all got a special someone we're going after! It's time for the Gryffindor Sisters to start taking their rightful places as wingwomen!"

"'Gryffindor Sisters'? Is that what we're called now?"

"Oh yeah, we came up with that last night!" Fay said. "It's our official team name. The Gryffindor Sisters have to stick together through thick and thin, good and bad, and of course, all the drama and juicy gossip!"

Willow chuckled. "I like it. Alright, Gryffindor Sisters, let's put away the drama for later. Right now, we've got to clean up before Transfiguration. I call shower first!"

"Not if I take it first!" Lavender shouted, crawling through the portrait hole and sprinting up the stairs.

"Oh, you're on!"

The Gryffindor Sisters raced each other up the spiral staircase and entered their dormitory as one, big, crazy, completely ridiculous mob of giggly, screaming girls. Willow wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'm done with this thing!" Ron exploded. "I might as well snap it!"

"Ron! Don't you dare!" Hermione scolded. "It's not impossible, see? I turned loads of beetles into buttons. If I've done the math right, you have at least a fifteen percent chance of succeeding based on- "

"Hermione, it's probably not going to make them any happier if you do that," Willow interrupted. "And you've forgotten to factor in the problem of his wand being broken. That would make it a lesser chance for Ron."

Hermione cursed under her breath and began redoing her calculations. Willow dropped her three coat buttons onto the table, examining them for the fifth time since Transfiguration ended. She was suddenly very good in a subject that she had had to study very hard for the previous year. Willow bit her lip, wondering if she should talk to Cebba. They hadn't had a good chat in a while. That, and the fact that Cebba was hiding some obviously important information from her.

Hermione suddenly snatched something out of Ron's hands. Her face was bright shade of red as she closed a notebook and hid it deep within her robes. Willow was about to ask what it was all about when Lavender answered her unspoken question.

"Oh my God, Hermione, you're obsessing over him too?"

"I wouldn't exactly call my behavior 'obsessive' in comparison to some other girls," Hermione said.

"Quit trying to worm your way out of this!" Fay exclaimed. "Don't you realize what this could become? Mia and I were starting to think about founding a Lockhart fan club, but we should keep this within the Gryffindor Sisters!"

"That's our new name, by the way," Mia explained proudly.

"We could stay up for hours just talking about how dreamy Lockhart's hair is, the way it glints golden in the sun, those perfect curls, and don't forget his fashion sense, of course," Parvati said.

Hermione sat up straight, her mouth slightly open. "You think it's revolutionary, too?"

"Yeeesss! I knew we'd figure out a way to connect with you sooner or later!" Sally squealed. "Welcome to the Gryffindor Sisters, Hermione! This calls for a group hug!"

Willow couldn't tell whether Hermione was embarrassed or overwhelmed with joy when her roommates surrounded her in a giant hug. She opted to think it was both, because that's exactly how she felt when her roommates started doing things for her in their first year. Hermione finally had a group of girls she could connect with. Willow was a little moved by the whole display and excused herself from the Great Hall before she could say something that would ruin her reputation.

The courtyard was fairly empty when she arrived outside. There were only a few older students chatting here and there aside from Colin and Ginny, who were sitting on one of the stone walls. Willow was about to head over to them when someone yelled, "Boo!" right in front of her.

"Ahh!" Willow tripped over her own feet and fell hard on her bum. "Ouch! Who the heck do you think you- " She stopped mid sentence and rolled her eyes when she recognized George hanging upside down from a tree branch. "George! What are you doing up there? I thought you were in the Great Hall with- "

"That's the beauty part, isn't it? No one suspects I'd leave Fred's side. It works wonders on Halloween to scare the first years."

"George! That's awful!" Willow said, standing up and brushing herself off. A thought struck her as she did. "Since when do you leave Fred to talk to me, anyway? I'm curious now."

George shrugged. "We have to spend five minutes away from each other now and then. I get on Freddy's nerves fast. I mean, have you seen us when we fight?"

"No, but it sounds awful," Willow said.

"Do you want to come up here?" George asked, sitting up. "There's actually a nice breeze."

Willow climbed the tree and sat next to George in response. She closed her eyes and breathed in the sweet early fall air, which promised colder weather in the near future. The tree swayed and groaned ever so slightly. Willow grinned as she let the fall aesthetic overwhelm her senses. There was no question when it came to which season was her favorite- fall won by a landslide. The crunch of colorful leaves underfoot, the cooler temperatures inviting her to run around with her friends, the warmth of a sweatshirt on the weekends...everything about fall made Willow happy, no matter what was going on in her life. She guessed that was why she loved the season the most; if anything could take the worry off her shoulders, it was a stroll through the woods during autumn. It was nice to live in peace once in a while.

"You really like fall that much?" George asked softly.

"You have no idea," Willow said.

She leaned up against George, who didn't seem to mind. They both sat there in silence, enjoying a peaceful moment in such a beautiful setting. Willow couldn't believe how happy she was to be back at Hogwarts with all of her friends. If only she could stay this happy all the time and forget about the implications of her powers...

"GEORGE AND WILLOW SITTIN' IN A TREE, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Fred shouted from below them.

Willow and George sprang apart, glaring down at Fred, who was laughing his fool head off while the older students stared. Paige came galloping out of the Great Hall, skidding to a stop in front of Fred.

"You better be joking! Willow is not allowed to do such things until she's older!"

"Fred! I'm going to throw you to the dragons one of these days!" George yelled.

"Sure, of course! You know I'm right!"

Willow jumped out of the tree, sighing. Would anyone leave her to have a moment with a friend without trying to get her together with them? "George, it's not worth it. Don't bother." She raised her voice. "As for you, Fred Weasley, I've heard you were snogging Angelina the other day! Care to dispute?"

Fred's mouth dropped open. "I was not! Who started that rumor? George? You better not have!"

"How the tables turn!" Willow sang. "Nope, it wasn't George. Someone just passed along the truth."

"That is not the truth! I'll have you know- "

"Save it for later, Weasley," Willow interrupted, waving away his statement. George and Paige could barely contain their snickers behind her as she stood with her arms crossed in front of Fred and smirked. "I know how to play this game."

Fred was silent for a moment, looking between George, Paige, and Willow, then burst out laughing. The other three followed suit. They knew this was all in good fun. But for a moment, Willow considered the possibility that Fred was trying to tell her something. He better not be. She was not ready to handle the complicated relationships with her friends that would result from them fancying her. Willow shook her head, dismissing the abominable rouge thought. There was absolutely no way that any of her friends liked her as more than just that, friends, even Neville. She had made up her mind. Now that she thought about it, as Fred, George, and Paige walked away, she didn't truly fancy Neville. What she did feel for him was a type of admiration. He was bumbling, stumbling, klutzy Neville, yet he didn't let any of that stand in his way. Neville made friends, worked hard in school, and went through life without letting the bullies get him down. Willow had never met anyone with his amount of mental strength to push through obstacles. She decided that what she really wanted to do was get to know Neville better than she knew herself, because down the road, he could become the best friend she ever has.

Willow became suddenly aware of a crowd forming in the middle of the courtyard. She jogged closer and recognized Colin and Ron angrily staring down Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. The hair on the back of her neck prickled in agitation. Draco was causing a fight yet again. She really needed to keep a closer eye on that idiot. Just as she fought her way to the front of the crowd, Professor Lockhart appeared, swooped in, and took Harry away while Colin fumbled with his camera. Draco smirked as if he'd won a particularly satisfying argument. He turned around to address the crowd when he yelped and leaped back in fear. Willow was standing right behind him, crossing her arms and glaring daggers at him. Draco brushed himself off and pretended not to be affected by this.

"How are you doing, Wisp? Did you come by to congratulate me? Potter finally gave into his fame, you should have seen how happy he was when Colin asked for a picture- "

Willow slapped the smirk right off of Draco's face. "You think you're so smart, don't you, tonto?" Draco stared at her in horror as he rubbed the red hand-shaped mark spreading across his cheekbone. "I know Harry better than almost every person in this courtyard, and I'm here to tell you that he's a better person than you're shaping up to be, you mierdito! We know better than to believe your snake tongue. And I thought you were going to change for the better! I guess I was wrong, yet again! Why do you keep doing this to me? Why do you keep doing this to yourself?" Willow balled up her fists angrily, ignoring to expression of pure terror on Malfoy's face as he backed away. "I don't know why I keep forgiving you! Sometimes I wonder how you're still my friend. I hate you! You slimy, arrogant, stupid, selfish, piece of rubbish! I hate you!"

Willow was vaguely aware of the crowd backing away as she stormed off to Defense Against the Dark Arts. For a few flights of stairs, she thought she was alone, that no one had followed her. But someone had. As she briskly walked down the hallway where Lockhart's class was, a small voice called out, "Wait!"

Willow whipped around. "I don't want to see you right now! Get out of my sight!"

"But...I can't. We have Defense Against the Dark Arts together, remember?"

Willow ripped her schedule out of her robe pocket. Her eyes furiously scanned the page until they stopped on her current class. She crumpled up the piece of parchment and chucked it at Draco, helplessly trying to diffuse her anger. Willow banged her fists on the walls, then sank to her knees, breathing heavily. Draco tentatively crept towards her. She could see that Crabbe and Goyle were staggering up the steps out of the corner of her eye. Willow quickly stood up and icily stared down Draco, wishing she could send him to the moon. He cowered under her gaze.

"I don't need to monitor you on top of everything else that's going on right now," she said. "This is getting old. I'm done, Draco. I can't make you be a good person if you won't try."

"Is it...your powers, messing with you?" Draco whispered. Crabbe and Goyle were resting beside the staircase, pathetically winded, but still out of earshot. "I remember you telling me they won't stop getting stronger."

"Yes, you idiot, that's part of the problem," Willow snapped. "And your enticing me to use them on you isn't helping."

Draco took a step backward, his hand tight around his wand. "Please don't."

"I won't if you don't give me a reason to."

Draco sighed, hanging his head. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to do this to you, Wisp. You know I don't. I just hate Potter. You know how much he gets on my nerves, and he hates me almost as much as I hate him- "

"I don't need another rant to add to the list of Potter rants," Willow said. Crabbe and Goyle stumbled past them into the classroom. Checking her watch, Willow followed suit. "Come on, we've got two minutes until class starts."

Draco perked up. "So you forgive me?"

"First you have to prove that this wasn't just a ruse to make me like you again so I don't beat you to a pulp."

"I'm not like that!"

"Yeah right. You've done that too many times before. Once you prove it, I'll believe it."

Willow stepped into the classroom, surveying the empty seats. Unfortunately, all of the desks on the Gryffindor side of the classroom (Gryffindor and Slytherin students always sat on separate sides of the room) were taken. Before she could try to move a desk, Draco yanked her into the seat beside him. She glared at him as he smirked triumphantly. The mierdito was never going to give up.

Gilderoy Lockhart swept into the room from his office, making a big deal of himself. Willow grimaced every time he said something extraordinarily cocky (which was a lot). When he gave out the quiz over his books, Draco and she exchanged a look that said the exact same thing: This teacher is an egotistical idiot! They piled their books in front of each other and shared answers, hoping that they'd get something right out of the fifty-four questions. Professor Lockhart paid no attention to their snickering when they passed notes afterwards, only smiling giddily at himself in the mirror. He reminded Willow of the Greek story of Narcissus. Draco took offense when Willow compared him to Lockhart and shoved her out of the desk. Everyone except Lockhart seemed to notice. She didn't care, though, because the moment she sat back up in her seat, Willow transfigured Draco's hair into the flowing golden locks of their Professor's. He desperately tried to change it back while the Slytherin girls pointed and giggled. Willow choked an apology out of him before fixing it, dragging it out so long that Draco was practically begging her to fix it by the end. It was safe to say they had made up for the time being.

Willow hadn't been paying attention while Lockhart was discussing their answers. She noticed that Hermione was blushing furiously while the rest of the Gryffindor Sisters whispered excitedly with her. Meanwhile, everyone was watching Lockhart, who was now standing beside a covered cage. He made such a big deal about it that the whole room quieted down in a tense silence. Willow decided to reach out with her senses and discovered that what was in the cage was barely worth the concern. Cornish pixies? They could be a handful, of course, but there was no need to get everyone so excited by them. Surely he'd teach them the Freezing Charm and they'd be on their way.

But he did not. Amid everyone's laughter and doubt, Lockhart opened the cage and let the pixies explode into the classroom. Chaos erupted. Willow sprang to her feet, desperately trying to remember the spell for the Freezing Charm, then giving up and beating at the pixies with her copy of Voyages with Vampires. She knew that there was no reasoning with the little buggers. If she had barely gotten tigers to listen to her that summer, then never practiced the ability again, there was no way she was going to charm the pixies into submission.

Neville was hanging precariously from the chandelier. Willow's sensitive ears heard the metal snap, then give way. She dove towards Neville and caught him before he could smash to the floor. The heavier boy stopped rolling almost immediately, but Willow's lighter frame was painfully carried into the wall by extra momentum. She was going to feel her spine for the next week.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed hers, and Willow found herself being dragged out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He cursed at her to hurry up, then at Lockhart as he disappeared into his office, and finally at her again. Willow tried to fight against him. She needed to stay in the classroom and help! Her friends were still fighting off the pixies! But shortly after her fuzzy brain processed these thoughts, Willow was shoved into the hallway, out of range of the pixies. She rubbed her temples and sank against the wall as she tried to crack her spine.

"Merlin's beard, Wisp, you're even more stubborn when you hit your head!" Draco said.

Willow blinked to clear her vision. She realized Draco was standing over her, and the rest of the Slytherins were hovering nearby, appearing disgruntled from the turn in events.

"Why'd you drag me out here? My friends are still in there, fighting off the pixies!" Willow complained.

Draco raised his eyebrows. "I thought friends are supposed to keep each other safe? Or am I wrong in assuming you didn't want me to let the pixies throw you out the window?"

Willow's mouth dropped open. "You were actually trying to...protect me? Without ulterior motives?"

Draco's face went slightly pink, but he quickly recovered by smirking. "There's always ulterior motives, Wisp. Always."

Draco left to talk with Blaise Zabini. Willow found herself beaming idiotically as he did. She was finally getting through to him. Draco was starting to think about others instead of himself. If only the end of September could come faster...


	25. Year 2: Chapter 4

“Willow! Willow! Wake up! Come on, wake up!”

Willow yelped as she tumbled onto the floor. “I’m awake! What happened? Are you in trouble? Did Malfoy do something stupid again?”

“Shhh!” Ginny put a finger to her lips. “Don’t wake up your roommates!”

Willow glanced at the sleeping girls around the room. Fay was mumbling in her sleep, Lavender was face-down on her pillow, Mia was drooling from the corner of her mouth, Parvati and Sally were snoring loudly, and Hermione was peacefully smiling, deep in a dream. Pointing to the door, Ginny tiptoed out of the dorm. Willow nodded and quickly threw on a t-shirt and shorts. She had discovered that the professors didn’t mind how they dressed on the weekends, so long as it was appropriate. Willow didn’t care for the long wizarding robes; it made her feel a little too powerful, aside from how hot they were (she overheated easily).

Ginny was bouncing up and down on her toes when Willow found her in the common room.

“Where are we going?” Willow whispered, glancing at her watch. It was getting close to seven. “And since when are you early riser? I know you like mornings, Ginny, but I’ve never known you to get up this early.”

“I saw Harry heading out with his quidditch gear!” she quietly squealed. “I think they’re going to have an early practice this morning, and I’d love to see Harry in action! Colin might be up, too, because I think I saw him following Harry, and- I'm just so excited!."

Willow smiled. “Harry’s going to kill me for saying this, but I’m liking the Harry Potter Fan Club so far. I’ll take you to the quidditch pitch, then, if you so desire.”

“Yes, please! Ooh, and can you show me your broom?” Ginny asked, rambling on and on. “George said you got one as a gift over the summer! Is it a Nimbus 2000? Ooh, maybe a 2001! That would be so cool! I’m dying to see it! Did you get to fly over the summer? Are you even better than last year? George said you’re a fine flyer, that’s for sure-”

Willow’s cheeks reddened. “I’ll grab it real quick. You go ahead, I’ll meet you in the corridor.”

She raced to her dorm, grabbed her broomstick, splashed her face with water, and found Ginny waiting for her outside the portrait hole. She didn’t know why compliments made her so embarrassed. Most of the time, it wasn’t that bad, but for some reason this round of praise was driving her crazy. What was wrong with her? She needed a good fly to get this out of her system.

“Wow!" Ginny gasped when she reappeared. "Let me see that! Wait, nevermind, I'd rather see you demonstrate! I can hardly wait to see you fly on it! Let’s go, let’s go!”

Willow laughed, her voice echoing through the corridors as Ginny sprinted towards the quidditch pitch. She really had to pull on her sleeves to steer her in the right direction. They burst into a courtyard, then raced each other to the pitch. Ginny was much faster than her over a short distance, but Willow was sure she could beat her any day in a mile-long competition.

“I win!” Ginny proclaimed proudly, stopping in front of the stands.

"Sure, you win for now, but wait until the rematch!"

Ascending to the top of the Gryffindor quidditch stands, they found Colin waiting for them. He was bouncing on his toes with boundless energy. After rambling for a good while about how cool he thought quidditch sounded, he settled down and they stared out at the pitch, admiring how peaceful it looked without anyone on it. Ginny became entranced before long. Only the occasional snap of Colin’s camera broke the soft silence. Then, acting on an idea without even pausing to think, Willow gripped her broom tight in her hand, backed up several paces, sprinted right in between where Colin and Ginny where leaning on the railing and jumped.

“Willow, what are you doing?” Ginny frantically called.

“Ahh! You’re going to die!” Colin shouted.

Willow merely relaxed herself into the free-fall, looking up at the warm-coloured morning sky and enjoying the wind sifting through her hair. Then, when she sensed herself approaching the ground, she swiftly turned herself onto her broom and zoomed across the quidditch pitch, grazing the grass with her fingertips. A small chorus of cheering went up from the far side of the pitch where Colin and Ginny stood. Willow grinned from ear to ear and yanked herself into a vertical straight-shot up into the sky. When her broom stopped gaining momentum, she let herself dip upside-down and fall towards the earth for a little while, then regained control and flew on a steady decline towards Colin and Ginny. The unmistakable flash of Colin’s camera clicked as she went by. Willow shot through a goalpost, zoomed around the pitch one more time, and screeched to a halt directly above the stands where Ginny and Colin were screaming their fool heads off. She waved to them, pretending that she was a professional quidditch player and they were her dedicated fans.

“Pose for me, pose for me!” Colin begged. “I can’t miss this photo op!”

Willow giddily complied, placing herself in a ranges of poses, from serious to cute to ridiculous. Ginny kept shouting out suggestions, pretending to be her director. Willow didn’t know how long she sat on that broom, completely in a euphoria with her two friends, forgetting about the rest of the world for a while. She had discovered the pair had that charismatic ability. Anytime she was around them, Willow tended to leave the weight on her shoulders behind, throw all her problems away, and have a good time. They were naturally optimistic. She loved that about them.

"Ooh, look, they're coming out of the locker room!" Ginny squeaked. "Look, Colin, look!"

"I see them!" Colin yelped, fumbling with his camera as he turned around to photograph the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. "Wow, they're so cool! They almost look like a professional quidditch team in their robes! I can't wait to see them in action!"

Colin continued to ramble on to Ginny about the quidditch team, but Willow had to tune him out. Her senses were going nuts. She couldn't figure out what it was at first; she could hear loud, arrogant talking far in the distance, and her stomach was filling with butterflies. Then, she recognized it as a warning of danger. Willow had practiced identifying the different ways her sixth sense gave her advanced information over the summer. She honed in on the sound, trying to figure out where it was coming from. Willow found herself facing towards the locker rooms. She furrowed her brow, but only for a moment, because the next thing she knew, the Slytherin Quidditch Team was marching towards them across the pitch. Willow had a strong desire to fly straight into Marcus Flint. Most of the time, she loved her powers, but sometimes, she wished they wouldn't warn her about situations that she couldn't stop. Broom in hand, Willow hurried down the spiraling steps and onto the pitch just as the Gryffindor team spotted the Slytherins. They argued immediately. Willow started to march towards them when a small hand grabbed her arm.

"Don't," Ginny warned, eyeing the giant Slytherins across the pitch. "Fred warned me about getting in the middle of this. It gets nasty enough as it is when the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams meet; other people only get mixed up in the trouble." The redhead's expression morphed to exasperation. "Great, now my idiot brother is marching straight into the trap, and dragging Hermione with him."

Willow glanced beyond the teams to where Ron and Hermione were running toward them from the castle. Flint turned to look at them, wrinkling his nose in disgust. The second-years unfortunately made the mistake of asking what was going on, then getting into the heated argument. Flint couldn't stop smirking at the full-on raging Oliver Wood. Willow noticed Draco amid the Slytherin team, proudly holding his Nimbus Two Thousand and One. In fact, the entire Slytherin team was displaying their fancy broomsticks. Willow's blood boiled. Malfoy had bought his way onto the team, and just when she thought he'd changed for the better...

Then, Willow heard the worst part of the whole exchange. That one word that would destroy her trust with the boy for a very long time.

"...Mudblood!"

Hermione's face went slack in shock and embarrassment. Fred and George roared like a wild herd of buffaloes and attempted to attack Malfoy, who was cowering behind a concerned Flint. The captain tried his best to fight the two of them off, but it wasn't until his two beaters backed him up that Fred and George could be kept at bay. Alicia Spinnet had given a thunderous, appalled, absolutely disgusted cry and threw herself onto one of the Slytherin chasers. The shocked boy went down under her weight, and they tumbled across the pitch, scratching and fighting each other like wild animals. Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson started a fist fight with the other two chasers, and Harry stood in the middle of it all, looking very confused. Willow and Ginny gaped at the scene from afar. They had no idea what to feel; their feet were frozen to the ground. Suddenly, a jet of green light burst from Ron's wand, and he flew backwards. Willow's previously paralyzed limbs decided to work again as she sprinted onto the field. Ginny was hot on her heels. They crouched down by Ron just as he burped up a round of disgusting, slimy slugs.

"Ew!" Ginny cried, springing away. "Merlin's beard, Ron, what were you thinking?"

The Slytherin team was completely engulfed in laughter. Alicia Spinnet shoved the chaser off of her and ran to Ron's side, along with the rest of the Gryffindor team. Katie and Angelina sported some nice bruises on their faces. The Gryffindors surrounded Ron, concerned about his safety, but not sure whether they wanted to help the poor boy, either, for fear of getting slugs and slime all over their quidditch robes. Harry and Hermione at last braved it and helped Ron to his feet. They had to shoo Colin away, who had decided to come down from the stands and was begging for a picture of Ron, then made their way to Hagrid's hut. Colin seemed disappointed, but found Ginny in the back of the crowd and kept himself entertained.

No one moved for several moments after they were gone. The silence was deafening. Not even the sounds of the Forbidden Forest could have pierced it. At last, Malfoy snorted.

"Serves him right, the blood traitor. He shouldn't be friends with a Mudblood in the first place."

Willow didn't know what came over her. Something had finally snapped. She was at her last straw with Draco. He had given her false hope too many times. Adrenaline flowed through her veins and gave her extra strength. She marched right up to the smirking boy, grabbed him by the front of his robes, lifted him off the ground, and slammed him back down. An uproar went up between the teams, but Willow couldn't have cared less. This was something everyone needed to hear.

"You idiot!" she shrieked with all the power she could summon into her voice. "You're the blood traitor! We may be pureblood, halfblood, mudblood, or something in between, but who gives a damn! We're all witches and wizards, we're all part of the same wizarding world, we all go to the same school! It doesn't matter about our lineage! If you turn against your fellow kind because of pureblood mania, then you are the traitor! You're turning against your fellow wizards that have magical blood flowing their veins! What do you call that, Draco, huh? What do you call that?! I don't care if you call me a blood traitor, because I know the truth! If you want to call me a blood traitor, then fine! I'm a blood traitor! I'd rather be a traitor against something wrong than be the kind of douchebag you are!"

Everyone around Willow went silent. She breathed like an angry bull, face blotchy red, staring straight into the petrified gray eyes of Draco Malfoy. He tried to say something incoherent, then bailed. The slimy douche jumped on his broom and raced away. Willow had been expecting the coward to do that. She was right behind him, and with her Nimbus 2001, she was keeping pace with Malfoy no problem. He glanced back at her several times, realized she was gaining on him, and made a break for the castle. Willow cut him off. He turned around, then tried again. She blocked all his possible paths. Malfoy made one last desperate move towards the Entrance Hall, but Willow came so close to knocking him off his broom that he aborted the mission and flew back towards the quidditch pitch. He kept turning around to shout something at her. She couldn't understand what he was saying, but she could detect the tremor in his voice.

Willow slowly closed the distance between her and Malfoy. He started trying fancy maneuvers meant to throw her off, but they didn't faze her. Despite the adrenaline screwing with her brain, Willow was still able to mentally keep up with the fast flyer. She was within five meters of him now. If he would keep repeating the same pattern, she would catch him. Four meters...three meters...All Willow could see in her mind's eye was throwing Malfoy off his broom, and the satisfaction it would bring her. Two meters....one and a half meters...Every episode of Draco turning on her replayed in her heart, ripping it to shreds piece by piece, destroying her trust in the boy bit by bit, making her wonder if she should put her full trust in anyone at all. One meter...if she reached out, she could grab Malfoy and throw him off. She was so close...

Suddenly, Willow found herself plummeting towards the ground. She was no long in control of her broomstick. Instead, two red-headed beaters flew on either side of her, forcefully guiding her to the ground. Willow fought them the whole way down, her anger dying to be released, the need to inflict damage overwhelming.

"Stop it! Let me go! I have to get him!" she growled.

"He's not worth it, Willow," George said, his voice almost a whisper. "Don't get yourself expelled over him."

"I don't care anymore!" Willow screamed, fighting wildly against the twins as they restrained her on the ground. "He deserves it! Malfoy's a low-life, slimy, prick! I can't take it anymore! He's hurt too many people! He deserves to take a fall off his pedestal! He deserves to know pain!"

"Willow, for God's sake, stop it!" Fred shouted, struggling to keep his hold on her.

"Malfoy's getting away!" Willow screeched, spotting the blonde boy dashing into the Slytherin locker room. She was seeing red. "Let me after him! Let me after him!"

"Willow, stop!" George ordered.

But she had broken free from his arms and was sprinting across the quidditch pitch to where her broom laid on the ground. Her mind was in such a state that her senses didn't even warn her about the obvious shadow streaking toward her, then tackling her to the ground. Willow gasped and painfully thudded into the grass. The older girl shifted her weight over top of her. She was pinned to the ground. Willow writhed and ripped at the grass in her attempts to get away.

"Enough!" Paige yelled. "This isn't you! I know you're better than this! As much as anyone hurts you, you still want to forgive them! Always! You never want to hurt anyone, never in a million years! Especially not in retaliation!" Paige stood up and wrapped her in a full-body hug, though it was more of a forceful restraint. The strong girl's arms held fast against the raging second year. "This isn't the Willow I know! Don't let this come over you! You're better than your anger!" She whispered in her ear. "Let it go."

Willow felt her body go limp as all the anger drained out of it. The adrenaline melted away, and her motives dissipated. As her brain cleared, she realized what she had tried to do. She was about to possibly murder Draco. Knocking him off his broom at that height could have killed him! And it was all in the name of revenge. What kind of monster was she? What had she become?

"I'm..." Willow's lip trembled as she choked on the lump in her throat. "Paige...I'm so- I'm so- "

There was nothing to hold back the tears that poured from her eyes. The emotions had spilled over the floodgates, and they crumbled away. Malfoy had hurt her so much more than she knew over the past year. As much as she wanted to continue fighting through their rocky friendship, it was taking its toll on her. She didn't want to give up on this boy who had so much potential to become an amazing person, but if it had too much personal cost, if it made her give up too much, she might be forced to end their friendship once and for all. Willow wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up.

Paige held her close and let her cry. She didn't care that the whole quidditch field was watching them; there were plenty of other things on her mind at the moment. Tears dripped off Willow's nose and cheeks onto the torn-up mess of the quidditch pitch. Fred and George looked on nearby, unsure of what to do and shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. They struggled in dealing with heavy situations. The other quidditch players were staring in horror at this mess of a Gryffindor. It must have kicked Willow's emotional containment system into gear, because she found herself wiping the salt water off of her face moments later. Paige released her iron grip and let Willow stagger away.

"I'm sorry, Paige," she whimpered. "You shouldn't have to see me like this. I shouldn't be acting this way."

"Hey, somebody's got to make sure you don't kill that prat." Paige cracked a smile. "This was a long time in coming. I could have told you the moment you started hanging around with him that this was going to happen."

"Still, I- " Willow's eyes nearly popped out her her head. "Paige, you're- you're bleeding- I don't- what- "

Paige glanced down at and stared. Blood was seeping out of long, semi-deep cuts all along her arms. Willow looked at her own hands and yelped. Scarlet stains spread all over them, freshly painting her skin with the sickening shade. Willow covered her mouth to prevent herself from vomiting all over the pitch. Paige wiped her arms off on her robes, shrugging it off and walking towards her, but Willow backed away instinctively, holding up a hand in warning.

"No, don't get any closer to me," she said. "I've hurt you. What if I do it again?"

Paige made a weird face. "Why would you hurt me again? You were doing something stupid, and I got in the way. It's my fault I'm bleeding."

"No, its not!" Willow exclaimed. "I did that! Look at my hands, there's proof! I'm a monster!" Her hands trembled as violently as her voice. "You shouldn't be anywhere near me right now. I don't want to keep hurting you."

"Quit being a crybaby. You've hurt me just this once, and it doesn't even hurt that bad, look- "

"Please, don't cover for me," Willow said softly, her heart hammering against her ribcage. "I need to spend some time alone. My head feels like it's about to split open. Just- don't come looking for me."

Paige was about to say something when Willow grabbed her broom and took off. She peeked back, just once, and saw Paige sadly staring after her, the pain in her eyes evident even from hundreds of meters away. An overwhelming sense of guilt punched Willow in the gut. Paige was only trying to help her...but it wasn't safe to stay anywhere near her in this state. She needed some help, and maybe a few answers. Willow ran directly to the Gryffindor Tower, snuck past her roommates, and disappeared into her dormitory, locking the door behind her. She leaned back against it and closer her eyes, sinking to the floor. Draco wasn't the only thing causing her trouble. Her powers were getting out of hand, and with them came stronger defenses, some of which she had accidentally used on Paige. She discovered to fought more like a wild animal than anything when it came to self-defense. And when she was in total berserker mode, there was nothing stopping her from getting to her target, even if that meant accidentally hurting her friends along the way.

Cebba, where are you? I need you right now, Willow said.

I've been right here, all along.

Willow gasped as the familiar quick pulling sensation sent shivers down her spine, then jumped to her feet. Cebba was spiritually standing in front of her. In the middle of her dormitory.

"Cebba! What are you- this is the middle of Hogwarts!"

"Technically, this is on one of the edges of Hogwarts, actually, but you're safe here. Did you not lock the door? I could have sworn you did. And keep your voice down, you idiot! People are going to hear your big mouth before they hear my soft voice."

Willow bit her tongue to keep from retorting. "Alright, Smart Alec. Can you answer something for me?"

"Of course, as long as it's within reason."

"This should be within reason," Willow remarked to herself. She cleared her throat. "Why are my powers this out of control? Shouldn't a little bit of practice be enough to contain them? They're messing with everything! Before, I never would have attacked someone like that. They're making me moody, dark, and extremely sarcastic, though I think I'm getting that from you. I can't have them destroying my friendships! Why are they dragging me down like this? I thought they were good!"

Cebba held her angsty gaze for the longest time, deep in thought. Finally, she replied, "I think you can hear this much. There are two things that it is of utmost importance to keep in mind concerning your powers. First, the more people know about them, the greater they become in scope and strength. Your decision to tell your friends was quite the catch twenty-two, I'm afraid. Because they now know and fully believe in your capabilities, they spiked. It's going to be extremely difficult to keep them in check if you keep telling people. Second, your powers...aren't exactly all good, Willow. The thing is- " Cebba paused, appearing to mentally be rewording what she was about to say. "Your powers are meant for a great purpose, and for you, that means the greater good. But for some, it could be evil. Unfortunately, your powers will sway one way or the other depending on your mood if you don't practice concentrating them on the good that you want to come of them. They don't prefer dark or light; they only respond to you, and if that means using dark magic as a defense method or something similar, they will do it of their own accord. You're going to have to be careful, Willow. In the future, you're going to hit some tough obstacles along the path to your ultimate destiny. One of them is learning how to reign in your powers. They will make you question the very purpose of your existence, strip away everything you thought you knew, and cause you to wonder whether using dark methods for good is a lost cause or not. Stay true to yourself, Willow, and everything will go as smoothly as you want. But you have to stay true to yourself, truer than you've ever been. Don't let anyone sway you. You're going to trip and fall a few times. Pick yourself up and keep pursuing that goal. You're the most stubborn and bull-headed kid I've ever met; I think you'll be just fine if you keep doing your thing instead of everyone else's. Keep picking up the pieces, Willow. The puzzle will be complete sooner than you realize."

Willow stared at Cebba's ghostly form in shock. Cebba merely smiled warmly at her, a truth hidden deep within her eyes. As much as the woman berated her, she was thankful to have her as a guide during these difficult times. Cebba really did care about her. If anything, she was more of a mother to her than her real one was; then again, that wasn't hard to accomplish, but it didn't matter. Willow was so, so thankful. She touched her mum's locket, the cold metal reminding her of her mum's heart. There was no way she was going to let herself down like her mother had. She held the locket tight until it was warm. Willow knew who she was- a strong, independent, stubborn girl hell-bent on doing good in the world, even if it killed her. Hope rose within her chest as she stared determinedly at Cebba.

"Thank you," she whispered. "That's exactly the kind of pep talk I need right now."

"I know. Do you always forget that I'm in your head?" Cebba teased.

"Oh, shut up," Willow chuckled. She felt much more relaxed now. "I think my roommates are going to invade soon. You should probably go back...into me. God, that sounds weird. Should I just say, 'return to me' instead, or something along the lines of that? I hate it when I do that- "

"For Merlin's sake, just order me to return to your head," Cebba laughed. "I'll be ready to talk whenever. Bye, for now."

Willow braced herself against the wall as the sensation of being doused with cold water ran over her again. She would never get used to that feeling. Willow yawned, realizing how tired she was from the whole ordeal of the morning, and on top of summoning Cebba to boot. She flopped in bed, sleepier than she had ever been before. Pulling the Slytherin pin out of her pocket, Willow drifted off to sleep, trying to hold onto all the good, untainted memories of Draco that she had left.

It was only an hour later that Willow awoke to a sharp rapping on the door. She groggily got to her feet and opened it, revealing an extremely concerned group of girls.

“Where have you been?”

“We’ve been looking all over the castle for you!”

“I didn’t know where you’d gone!”

“You scared us to death!”

Willow blinked slowly, the dark events of the morning replaying in her mind. She guiltily glanced at her Gryffindor Sisters in turn.

“Sorry, I was super tired, and I kind of fell asleep,” Willow apologized. “Did I lock you out for long?”

“No, we just got here, but don’t scare us like that!” Sally scolded. “You know I hate locked doors, especially when someone I know is behind them! Even Sam is better than you about that!”

“What happened to you this morning? Was it something really bad? Did Neville reject you?” Mia asked.

Willow shook her head solemnly. “No, I’ve recently figured out I just like Neville as a friend. Something much worse happened.”

Lavender gasped. “Oh my God, what could possibly be that bad? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?”

“No, I hurt- I accidentally hurt someone.”

All of the girls were so surprised by Willow’s response that they didn’t even accuse her of lying about Neville. They ushered themselves through the door and locked it behind them, much to Sally’s lament, and forced Willow to sit down on the beds with them.

“Okay, start from the beginning,” Fay said gently. “Hermione told us something pretty bad happened.”

Willow’s eyes grew misty again as she thought back to the morning. “No, please don’t make me. It’s…kind of complicated. I don’t want to cry in front of you all.”

“That bad?” Parvati said. Willow nodded. “Well, you don’t have to be the strong one every second of every day. We’re quite the handful to take care of like you do. Besides, you’re entitled to expressing your emotions, you big dummy. We’re here for you just like you’re here for us.”

Willow sniffled, trying really hard to swallow the lump in her throat. “Aw, guys, you’re going to make me cry.”

“Good! You need to get something out of you,” Lavender said. “It’s been an inhumanely long time since you’ve even shown emotion!”

Willow’s resolve hardened enough to keep her feelings at bay, but just barely. The warm, caring eyes of her Sisters were almost too much. Since when had she done something amazing enough to deserve these amazing family-like friends? She wasn’t about to share what happened this morning with them, that was for sure. It would totally ruin the moment. Maybe she could tell them another time.

“I shouldn’t say what went down this morning,” Willow said, shaking her head to disperse the thoughts. “It’s bad enough that the Gryffindor and Slytherin quidditch teams saw that. I can’t have you guys knowing how bad it was, as much as you care about me. It would hurt you more than me.”

“Fine, I’ll tell them then,” Hermione declared.

“What? No!” Willow cried, horror chilling her to her very bone marrow. “Hermione, that’s the darkest thing I’ve done in my life. No one should have that image of me! And who told you what happened? Didn’t you go off with Ron?”

“Yes, I did, but Fred told me everything. He’s worried about you.” Hermione fiercely looked her in the eyes. “Willow, I’ve had enough of you hiding your true feelings for our sake! It’s time to start confiding in people instead of hiding from us! We can handle anything you do, and I mean it. Why the heck do you think we were put in Gryffindor? We’re made of bloody steel! Our skin is thick! Nothing hurts us on the outside, but on the inside, some things do, and right now you need to let it out, whether it’s by your words or mine! The only choice you have right now is to speak or let me do it for you!”

Willow stared open-mouthed at Hermione. She determinedly met her eyes, silently declaring that nothing was going to change her mind. The rest of the Gryffindor Sisters raised their eyebrows in shock. This was a brand-new side of Hermione, one they had never seen before. Willow decided very quickly that she liked it.

“Fine. You tell them, not me. It’ll probably make more sense coming from you, anyway.”

Hermione proceeded to jump right into the story, recounting everything that Fred had told her. Willow was tempted to excuse herself to the bathroom several times, but mentally slapped herself across the face and told herself to deal with it. The memory was in her, of course, so she’d have to either tough it out or break down every day for the next week. She had the mental strength to break through a brick wall; all she had to do was use it. Willow kept her expression neutral, only occasionally broken by a wince accompanying a rough part of the story. By the end, every one of her Sisters had instinctively moved closer to her. Parvati wiped a tear off her cheek while Lavender sniffled quietly.

"Willow..." Fay croaked, reaching out a hand. She took it gently in hers. "I'm so sorry all these terrible things are happening to you. First you almost die facing a troll, then Quirrel attacks you- twice, from what I've heard- and now this."

Willow weakly smiled. "It's okay. I was born to face these things so you guys don't have to. I'm a big believer in 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger', literally. The more I go through, the easier it becomes to face dark, scary things for you guys. I like to be there for my family in times of need, from the smallest, pettiest problem to an all-out war. One day, you won't have to be sad for me. It's my job to take on these things. I just wish- I just wish I didn't have to hurt so many people along the way."

Mia swallowed hard. "That's life, Willow. I, for one, end up hurting someone every day. That doesn't mean we can't make up and move on with our lives. We have to take everything that happens in stride. Eventually, we figure it out. You will, too."

Willow leaned over and hugged Mia, burying her face in the thicker girl's shoulder. Mia returned the embrace and squeezed tight. The rest of the Gryffindor Sisters followed suit, and soon every girl in the room was holding onto some part of Willow. A single tear traced its way over her freckles and dripped onto the floor.

"What did I do to deserve you guys?" she said, her voice muffled.

"You chose your path and refuse to let anything divert you from it," Hermione answered, her eyes clearly watery. "I don't think you should be asking what you did to deserve us, but what we did to deserve a foundation like you holding us together."

"I couldn't have put it any better," Sally whispered.

The Sisters were silent a moment. Then, someone broke the silence.

"That's because none of us are smart enough to say something like that."

"Oh, shut up, Fay, you're ruining the moment," Lavender said. "Actually, the moment is ruined already. Great job, Fay! It's actually getting a little warm in here, though. I'm out!"

Lavender collapsed on her bed. Fay ran and jumped on her, throwing a pillow on her friend. Then, Mia joined the fray, then Sally, then Parvati, and finally Hermione until the dorm had erupted into a war zone of feathers and pillowcases. The Head Girl had to come in and briefly yell at them to stop, but the moment she left, they burst out laughing. They did a horrendously poor job of stuffing the feathers back into their pillowcases. Whether it was on purpose or her friends were that awful at it, Willow couldn't tell. It didn't matter. She had never been cheered up so willingly in her life. The Gryffindor Sisters were her family, and she had meant what she said. Right before lunch began, a buzz vibrated Willow's eardrums. She glanced at her nightstand, where her name tag was working its way towards the floor. She caught it just before it fell off as Fred's face appeared in it. With promises to save her a seat in the Great Hall, the Gryffindor Sisters giggled and skipped their way out of the dorm, shutting the door behind them.

"Fred! Aren't you on your way to the Great Hall?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, but I just wanted to check in on you," he said. "How are you feeling? No one's seen you since you disappeared this morning."

"I'm fine," Willow lied, though she wasn't sure it was a complete lie anymore. "I just came back to Gryffindor Tower to take a nap. No big deal. Sorry for scaring you like that. It was...kind of out of a horror movie."

"What's a horror movie?"

"Oh, something Paige should definitely introduce you to," Willow said. Her stomach dropped as she uttered the name. Fred must have read her falling expression.

"Don't worry, Paige is fine," he assured. "Madam Pomfrey fixed her up in less than a minute. I'm not entirely sure if she bought our story of a weird creature jumping out of the Forbidden Forest, but she didn't ask any further questions. Paige has been out on the quidditch pitch since we left the Hospital Wing. I'm not sure whether you should visit her or not. She's in one of those possibly scary, possibly friendly, possibly murderous moods again."

"Let's hope she's up for a visit, because I owe her an apology."

"Hey, Willow! If it isn't my favorite second year!" Lee butted in, appearing to steal Fred's name tag. "I heard you had a rough morning! That doesn't mean you're not going to pull through on that Charms essay this weekend, are you? I've got a few customers counting on it."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Have I ever not come through for you, Lee?"

"Now that I come to think of it, nope. I'll see you later!"

Fred wrestled the name tag out of Lee's hands, and his face reappeared. "Sorry about that. We're about to enter the Great Hall, so I'm going to have to cut you off. Good luck with Paige. I'll know what happened if you don't come back."

The corner of Willow's mouth twitched. "Thanks for arranging my funeral. I prefer willow wood for my casket, by the way. But I digress. I'll see you later!"

Fred's appalled face disappeared with a tap of her wand before he could say anything more. Willow placed the name tag back into her pocket and set out to find Paige. Fighting her way through the lunch crowd, she made her way to the courtyard, then the open field, and finally onto the path that lead to the quidditch pitch. She nearly slapped herself when her powers went into overdrive in reaction to her elevated heartbeat. They detected a single life form sitting in the Gryffindor bleachers, a few birds flying above her, the thestrals that were wandering close to the edge of the forest, the high-pitched squealing of excited first years in the Great Hall, and so many other things that her senses temporarily overloaded. Willow's breath caught in her throat. She focused on Paige in the distance, all alone, her wand dangling limply from her arm as she leaned over the railing. Everything else faded into the background. Gritting her teeth, Willow determinedly took control of her powers. They were not going to get in the way anymore. She was fighting for good, and hurting people was not an option on the way to the greater good. Paige was a close friend, and to Willow, that was as good as family. Family was always worth fighting for. Cebba said that her powers would only get more powerful. And if that caused trouble? Who cares! She was going to fight the pull to darkness every step of the way, every second of every day, until they obeyed her commands for good, and good only. Willow swallowed her pride, pushed everything else away, and made her way towards Paige, the lonely figure in the distance.

The steps were rather creaky and gave up her presence sooner than she would have liked. Paige still had her back to her when she got up there, however, and as clueless as the girl could be sometimes, she was definitely aware of Willow. She could sense it with her powers (which she begrudgingly shoved away again). Paige continued to stare nostalgically at the pitch, the swaying, brittle grass in the distance, the rustling leaves of the Forbidden Forest, anything but Willow. Then, at last, Paige stood up straight.

"You know, after I lost my nanny, I thought there would be no one else special in my life," she began. "Everything was dark, dreary, depressing, you get the idea. But then Fred and George came into my life. They brightened up my entire world, then brought Lee along as well, and I thought it couldn't get any better when you appeared on the horizon. But you're a right handful, you know that?"

Paige turned to face Willow, her eyes filled with an indescribable pain that was mixed with countless other emotions. Their brown irises swirled with bright patches of sparkling life and dull areas of depressed melancholy. Willow bit her lip, hardly able to hold the fourth year's gaze.

"You could have stayed, you know. I wouldn't have cared if you stood there in that field with me and waited for days on end for Madam Pomfrey to come. Those Slytherins didn't matter. They were stupid, ignorant onlookers that deserved to be thrown into the wall. I didn't do that, if you were wondering. But you ran away. The one thing I never thought you'd do on me, but you did. Willow, you're a strong, independent girl plagued by something beyond your control. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. Nothing you can say or do would make me believe otherwise. But you still ran away, completely afraid. You're Willow Guerrero, for God's sake! You're not afraid of anything! Why would you suddenly fear my rejection and run from it?"

Willow stared at her shoes. "Paige...I wasn't afraid of your rejection. I was- I was afraid of myself. I've never hurt anyone with my powers before, only protected people with them. To injure someone to that severity- I just- I couldn't- " Willow's eyes raked over her palms, regret and guilt coursing through her. "These hands are meant to do good in this world. I can hardly bring myself to face to possibility that they might not. I'm- I'm sorry, Paige- "

"Don't apologize," Paige interrupted, suddenly sure of herself. "You have no one to blame but the person that cursed you with these powers." She kneeled down in front of Willow, taking her hands in her own. "You have one of the most secure, blunt, over-protective personalities I've ever dealt with, but I'm grateful for it. For once, someone that understands pain and sorrow but decides to fight against it for other's sake has befriended me. There's not too many people that can say that about themselves, Willow."

Willow's cheeks blazed red. "Aw, Paige-"

"Shut it," Paige ordered. She stood up, hands still intertwined with Willow's. "You don't have to be afraid of yourself. I know that these powers of yours, however out of control and nasty they get, are controllable. You know how I know that? Because you're strong, Willow, stronger than anyone I've met, and it's because of your big heart. You hate to see anyone in this world without the love they deserve. Don't deny it, I can see it in your eyes. Use that love. It's the best weapon you've got against the darkness." Paige enveloped Willow in a hug and whispered in her ear, "You have a right to be afraid. Just don't let it push you away from those you love."

With that, Paige took off on her broomstick, landing by the Gryffindor locker rooms and disappearing inside. Willow stood in shock for a long time, Paige's voice echoing in her head, until the bell reminded her that it was lunchtime. Her whole way back to the Great Hall, one thing was imprinted upon her memory for the rest of time itself.

You have a right to be afraid. Just don't let it push you away from those you love.

Willow showed up at the Great Hall nearly half an hour late. She had spent the entire time staring out at the quidditch pitch, thinking over what Paige had said. Sentences jumped out at her, expressions were burned into her memory, and her roller coaster of emotions were documented, filed, and stored away for later memory. Willow couldn’t figure out why she was so affected by Paige’s speech- she’d gone through much worse after the troll incident, for God’s sake- but this time, she was left speechless, unable to process her feelings, thoughts, anything. She was still very disoriented when she managed to trip down only a single flight of steps on the stands and make her way to the Great Hall. Ginny was standing in the Entrance Hall, worriedly playing with her fingers, when Willow showed up. The red-head’s face lit up and the frown lines melted away from her forehead.

"There you are!" Ginny exclaimed, throwing her arms around Willow and hanging on her like a monkey. "I was so worried! Fred told me that you went to talk to Paige, and that if you didn't come back, you were dead! I know not to believe him, honest, but sometimes I don't know whether I shouldn't take him seriously! Don't disappear on my like that!"

"I'll try not to, but no promises," Willow chuckled, setting down the precious first year. "What's for lunch today?"

"Oh, Shepard's pie, nothing much."

"Are you kidding? That's one of my favorites! Hurry, we have to get in there before all the food's gone!"

Willow found her roommates and took a seat with them, quickly digging into the delectable main course before moving onto the rolls. She decided that participating in her Sisters' conversation about Lockhart would be torture, so she averted her eyes and ears, trying to find a few people in particular. Paige was distracting herself further along the Gryffindor table by reading, Colin was attempting to get Harry's attention, and Ginny was doing her best not to stare at the Boy Who Lived. On the far side of the Great Hall, Draco was sulking while Blaise Zabini tried to cheer him up, eventually giving up and chatting with Millicent instead. Willow pretended her heart didn't sink at the sight. Her spirits automatically rose when her eyes found the Hufflepuff table, where Oliver was trying to hide his cherry-coloured cheeks while Ernie was obviously telling his housemates all about the adorable boy. Oliver was attempting to speak every now and then, however, so Willow wouldn't berate him later for attempting to conceal his face. At the Ravenclaw table, Mandy was having a deeply philosophical conversation with Sue and Lisa about the colour brown. Very intriguing. She would have listened in more had Harry not waved a hand in front of her face.

"Earth to Willow, anyone in there?"

She shook herself and made eye contact with Harry. "Sorry, food coma's already kicking in."

"You must be related to Ron. He's in a food coma after every meal. I don't think he ever stops eating; it drives Hermione insane." Harry gestured to a very sleepy, grumpy, dazed Ron, who was completely zoning at that point. "Honestly, how can someone stuff that much food into their stomach? Anyway, how are you?"

"Good," Willow replied.

Harry eyed her suspiciously. "No, how are you really doing?"

Willow sighed, motioning for Harry to follow her outside. He hopped up from his seat and the two made their way to the courtyard. It was deserted for once. Willow jumped up onto a gap in the wall, Harry following suit. She inhaled a deep breath of fresh air.

"I'm quite to opposite of good, actually. I'm assuming you've heard about the incident this morning. Yeah, that was...not my best moment. I really need to get myself under control, and soon. Cebba visited me this morning, and what she told me was kind of frightening. I don't like all these awful possibilities for how I could end up. I wish I could shout out to the world who I am and what I can be, but even then I'd be hurting myself. Cebba hasn't even told me everything yet. It sounds like there's much worse to come. I'm just so- so frustrated!"

Willow leaned against the side of the wall. Harry looked her over, and her powers annoyingly picked up some strong emotions drifting towards her. He eventually sat back and faced her. "You've obviously learned something big, and you don't have to feel pressured to share it, but that would be nice. I can't help but feel that you're going to do great things, Willow, and when the time comes, you'll make all the right decisions. I'm no stranger with frustration. I mean, I practically caused Mr. Weasley to lose his job, and I have no way of apologizing to his face. But to be perfectly honest, I have no idea how to relate to you without making zero sense. My situation can't compare to yours."

"Trust me, it can. Don't ask me how I know that. My powers don't come with a user guide, unfortunately."

"That's unfortunate."

"That's why I said unfortunately, tonto."

"Hold on, what does that mean? I don't speak Spanish."

"There's no way you're getting me to translate that," Willow giggled.

"Hey! You better not have called me a bloody arsehole!" Harry threatened. "That's taking advantage of me!"

"No, I'm capitalizing on you ignorance."

"There's no difference!"

"Says who? The one that doesn't speak Spanish? Soy más intelligente que tú!"

"I have absolutely no clue what that means, but I think I could take a pretty good guess! You're so mean to me!" Harry dramatically pretended to fall off the wall. "How could you turn on me like this? What did I ever do to deserve this torment?"

"Exist."

"Whoa, hold on, that took a dark turn."

"Willow! Come on, we've got some plans to discuss!" Lavender chirped, appearing from the Great Hall. Lunch had just ended, and students were pouring out. "You've got some very important roles to play! I think you'll like them!"

Willow glanced apologetically at Harry. "Sorry. I'll catch up with you later."

"That's no problem. I'll see you later, Willow."

Willow was dragged into the very center of a tight circle of giggling, chattering girls. The Gryffindor Sisters moved as a single unit, trying not to trip each other up the stairs, shushing each other all the way to Gryffindor Tower. Once they finally arrived in their dormitory, they spread out and all started blabbering at once about at least five different schemes to get each other together with the boys they liked. Willow groaned to herself, but on the inside she was over the moon excited. There was no better way to spend a Saturday than with her Sisters.

"...and Willow's going to do this, then take him to the Entrance Hall, where I'll be standing just so against the wall- OOOH! WILLOW'S GOING TO SEDUCE HIM FIRST! Then, after he figures out it's fake, I'll..."

Willow grimaced. Well, there was almost no better way.


	26. Year 2: Chapter 5

“Ginny. Come on.”

“No.”

“Ginny.”

“No!”

“Don’t make me get Fred and George. You, of all people, should know firsthand how overprotective they are.”

“No!”

“Fine, suit yourself! I’m going to get them!”

Ginny sneezed violently as Willow exited the portrait hole and wandered the castle in search of the twins. The rest of September had flown by so quickly, she hardly had time to register it. A whole slew of colds had attacked the students of Hogwarts. It was so bad, in fact, that the House Exchange had been postponed to begin at the end of October instead. Willow couldn’t tell whether she was relieved or sad about it. On one hand, she didn’t know how facing Draco would have gone, since she hadn’t spoken to him since the incident, but on the other, it might have forced them to come to terms with one another sooner rather than later. Draco had been coughing the whole week, though Willow was pretty sure he was faking it just so that he could skip the painful hours that they’d have to tolerate each other during class. Her heart broke every time she saw him anymore. At least she had been able to reconcile with Paige. The older girl continued on with life, taking Willow with her, and their relationship was back to normal. She couldn’t be any more grateful to have an understanding friend like Paige in her messed-up life.

Suddenly, Lee Jordan appeared in front of her, very nearly bowling her over. He was at a full sprint, which was unusual for the rather lazy boy. His eyes lit up at the sight of Willow.

“Perfect timing! Come with me, quick!” he shouted, giving Willow no choice as he grabbed the front of her robes and dragged her down the corridors with him.

“Lee! What- “ Willow yanked her shirt out of his hands and ran on her own two legs. “What in the name of Merlin are you doing? And what’s that- “ The vivid wrappings in Lee’s hands were unmistakable. “You’re pulling another prank? Alright, I’m in! What’s the plan this time?”

“I knew I could count on you! Okay, Fred and George put some complicated charms on these fireworks. We need to give a certain celebrity a warm welcome.” Lee’s eyes shone excitedly. “Lockhart won’t know what hit him!”

“Couldn’t choose a better victim!” Willow exclaimed. She lowered her voice as they got closer to Lockhart’s classroom. “Why are we sprinting, though? Did you almost get caught leaving class? Or do you somehow have a free hour at the same time as the second years?”

Lee waved away the question. “When do I not almost get caught? You’ve gotta live life on the edge every once in a while! Filch would definitely not approve, but hey, he’s a grump. Maybe we’ll put a smile on his face for once.”

“Doubt it!”

Willow and Lee arrived at Lockhart’s classroom, peeking in cautiously. A class of fifth years were barely paying attention as the self-absorbed excuse of a teacher raved about himself. Willow smiled with anticipation. They didn’t know how much better their day was about to get.

“Camera at the ready?” Lee whispered.

“Light ‘em up!”

Lee repositioned the fireworks one last time, then drew his wand, counted down from three, and set them off. The fireworks blasted into the classroom. There was a single gasp from the students, then cheering and applause. Lockhart yelped and tried to save his paintings. It was already too late. The fireworks had shot straight into most of his self-portraits, most of which were now shattered or screaming and trying to fix their hair. Red, blue, green, and yellow lit up the ceiling in different arrays of sparkling patterns, then arranged to display a single message, reading “Celebrity is as celebrity does!” Willow snorted in uncontrollable fits of laughter. Harry had told her not too long ago about the ridiculous things Lockhart had tried to tell him. Word must have gotten through to Fred and George, because this burn couldn’t be a coincidence.

“Go, go, go! Run, quick!” Lee urged, shoving Willow out the door between fits. They hadn’t even made it down two corridors before they ran into Fred and George.

“How did it go?”

“Was it brilliant?”

“Did Lockhart save his portraits?”

“Please tell me you got that on camera!”

“Everything went according to plan,” Willow announced, showing them her camera. The pictures were still, but with the right charms, they could become the perfect short clips of Lockhart’s embarrassment.

"Fred! George! Lee! Willow! My office, now!"

The four tensed up and slowly turned around to see an angry Professor McGonagall staring them down at the end of the corridor. She still had her spectacles on, though they were slightly off-center, as if she had sneezed. She probably had, Willow thought, as she remembered that McGonagall had caught the cold that was going around. Nevertheless, she was as intimidating as ever. Her wand at the ready, resting anxiously beside her hip, gave her the impression of a strict disciplinarian. Well, they'd done it this time. Lowering their heads so as not to meet her eyes, Willow, Lee, and the twins followed Professor McGonagall to her office, where she shut the door swiftly behind them. She promptly sat down at her desk and stared at each one of them in turn.

"I'm not even going to ask if you were the ones that did it. It wouldn't take a genius to pluck you out of the student body and figure out that you'd done it."

"Professor, we didn't mean to- " Lee started.

"I don't need to you to explain yourself, Mr. Jordan," Professor McGonagall interrupted. "You're lucky I'm letting you keep your position as quidditch announcer after this."

Willow's shoulders sagged. She'd always thought through the consequences of her actions before Hogwarts; what had changed? Her dad was not going to be happy with her. "When do we serve our detention, Professor?"

"Detention, Miss Guerrero?" McGonagall gazed at her questioningly. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. Unfortunately, Gilderoy Lockhart was able to repair all of his portraits with a simple repairing charm. He specifically instructed me not to give any of you detention for such a ludicrous prank. In his words, it was 'All in good fun. Kids these days!' You are going to be let off with a warning, and that is all."

Fred and George almost high-fived each other, then seemed to remember they were still in the presence of McGonagall. They cleared their throats and returned their eyes to their shoes.

"May I suggest you do something more permanent to Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart in the future? You are dismissed."

Willow, Lee, Fred, and George all mumbled "Thank you!" and left her office. Lee and the twins quickly apologized before departing to their afternoon class, saying something about having to get back to Binn's class before he recognized their absence. Remembering Ginny, Willow giddily skipped back to Gryffindor Tower. She had survived! Her father was not going to get a disappointing letter about her behaviour at Hogwarts after all! Apparently, she was not the only one that was annoyed by Lockhart's mere existence.

Willow dragged Ginny to the hospital wing, ignored her grumblings, and was joined by Percy at the door. He finally convinced Ginny to take the Pepperup Potion. Despite her slight dislike for the particular Weasley, Willow had to give him credit for how gently he handled the situation, how tenderly he treated his sister that he seemed to know so well. Little wisps of smoke curled out of Ginny's ears all the way back to Gryffindor Tower. Willow didn't even get a chance to take a picture of it before Mandy grabbed her from behind. She barely got to apologize to Ginny, then waved goodbye as she was dragged by the arm down the hallway. Ginny giggled and waved back, puffing out more smoke.

"You've got a free period this afternoon, right?" Mandy double checked.

"Um...yes. Why?"

"I've decided it's time for you to give us a wonderful display of your so-called powers."

Willow shook her head. She hoped the surprising, spur-of-the-moment missions from her friends would never end.

"That was incredible!" Lisa exclaimed, hours later.

"Lisa, how many times are you going to repeat that?" Sue chuckled.

"As many times as it takes to sink in! Wow, Willow, you were just- there's no words for it!"

"You just said it was incredible," Mandy pointed out.

Lisa threw her pillow at Mandy. "Oh, shut up! Let me bask in Willow's glory!"

"My glory is so tiring," Willow groaned, sprawling out on one of the beds. "You have no idea how exhausting it is to do all of that in one go. My back is going to be sore for the rest of this week."

"That's your own fault," Mandy snorted.

Willow sat bolt upright. "You're the one that made me do it!"

"But you did it willingly after that, did you not?" Mandy inquired, raising an eyebrow. Willow conceded the point, shrugged, and fell back onto the bed. "You are amazing, by the way. I think you're going to accomplish some great things, starting with stealing me extra dessert on Friday evenings. Those cheesecakes are to die for."

"I'm with you, but I don't think I'm going to be stealing anytime soon. Bad habits are hard to break, you know."

"You call that a bad habit?" Sue squeaked, clearly taken aback. "Something that morally wrong is just a bad habit to you?"

"I need to take notes on morals from you," Willow said. "Mandy should, too, but God knows she'll just buy my notes from Lee, like she always does. That's technically cheating, you know."

"Don't get all morally righteous on me now."

“Ooh, that reminds me of a Muggle game I used to play,” Sue said, her features brightening up. “Have any of you played Truth or Dare before?”

Willow and Lisa gasped at the same time. “Heck yes!”

Mandy smirked and sat up on her mattress. “Oh, you have no idea how many interesting dares I’ve dreamed up. Hold that thought.” Mandy exited the room, then returned moments later with a shocked second-year girl. Willow thought she was Parvati for a second, then realized she wore her hair slightly different. It was Padma Patil, Parvati’s twin sister. Padma shyly smiled and waved delicately in her direction.

“Willow, this is Padma, in case you didn’t know that,” Mandy announced. “She’ll be joining us in this fun round of Truth or Dare. Don’t let her fool you, she’s a downright genius, but you’ll never catch her admitting it.”

Padma’s cheeks reddened. She sat herself down on what was presumably her bed, listening in to Mandy as she re-explained the rules of the game. Willow wasn’t exactly listening; instead, she found herself studying the beautiful temporary tattoo that swirled across Padma’s arms like a work of art. Padma’s skin was darker than hers, but Willow was almost envious of its naturally gorgeous tone. It reminded her hot chocolate, warm, smooth, and comforting. Her hair was dark brown and super long. It was tied into a braid that tumbled down her shoulders until it reached the small of her back. Padma was surrounded by a unique incense that Willow had never had the privilege to smell before. It was different than Sue’s- starkly different, in fact- but with each passing second, Willow grew more fond of it. Padma was the epitome of natural beauty in Willow’s opinion. Realizing she was accidentally staring, Willow returned her attention to Mandy just as she finished explaining the rules.

“-nothing that will get us in serious trouble. Okay, let’s get started! I’ll go first.” Mandy cast about the room for a second. Then, her eyes landed on Willow. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth? Either way, I’m in trouble.”

“You know me too well,” Mandy said. She paused to think for a moment, then perked up. “I’ve got it! Okay, please don’t kill me, but what is your middle name?”

“Oh, thank God, I thought you were going to get into the heavy stuff already,” Willow sighed. “It’s Lucía. That means ‘light’ in Spanish.”

“Cool! You are the light of a lot people’s lives,” Lisa said.

“Ahh, don’t hit me with this many emotions this early in the day!” Willow complained. “Thank you, though, I do need to hear that.” She clapped her hands. “Moving on! Padma, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Do you live in Great Britain?”

"Yes. What gave it away? My accent?"

"Yep," Willow said. "I can actually switch between three accents. My dad came from America, but he also spoke Spanish, so he had two accents, then when he moved to Britain and had me, I received three accents and two languages at home. I was constantly confused for so long!"

"That's really interesting!" Padma exclaimed. She seemed to reign herself in, as if embarrassed by her outburst, before gathering herself and saying, “Sue, truth or dare?”

The game continued well into the afternoon, with several dares in a row taking them outside. All told, Willow had to fly through every ring on the quidditch pitch, Padma had to learn a dance and perform it with Sue, Lisa had to convince five people that she wasn’t human, and Mandy had to play a song on her guitar in the middle of the Great Hall. Willow couldn’t think of a better way to spend her afternoon. When they finally returned to the Ravenclaw common room, it was already four in the afternoon. Mandy, Sue, and Lisa collapsed on the floor together, laughing so hard they were too weak to stand. Willow and Padma managed to make their way to one of the comfy couches next to a huge window that sported a grand view of the Forbidden Forest. They both clutched their stomachs, still hurting all over from the last laugh.

“I think I like you, Padma,” Willow chuckled.

“I think I like you too, Willow,” Padma said.

“How have I never met you before? I see Parvati all the time, but I must have missed the times you guys hang out together.”

“You must have,” Padma agreed. “Parvati and I usually end up sparing time to see each other every day. It’s hard, being separate from her all the time, but we’re managing. I signed up for the house exchange so I have an excuse to see her more often.”

“Really? I did too!” The blood rushed to Willow’s cheeks. “Well, not for my own house, of course. I signed up to stay in Slytherin. It’s going to be interesting, alright, but I think it will be good to gain some behind-the-scenes knowledge.”

Padma nodded. “There’s a lot of merit in that idea.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, I do,” Padma replied. “For one, I’ve never believed a word of this every-Slytherin-is-a-villain thing. I met a first year last week, and she is friendly and bubbly as can be, if not a little too concerned about her reflection.” She shook her head. “Every house has its advantages and downsides. I wish I was brave enough to spend time with someone outside of my house instead of staying in with the newest charm we’ve learned.”

“Well, you’re spending time with me right now,” Willow pointed out. “I’m not the most intelligent, let alone very agreeable, but you’re tolerating me.”

Padma blushed. “Sorry, that must have come off as rude. I’m too shy to actively make friends. It makes it hard to understand social etiquette. You’re really easy to talk with, by the way. Don’t put yourself down.”

“Oh, thanks!” Willow said. “That wasn’t rude. I have trouble with social cues as well. Most of my friends found me, not the other way around. It’s a happy coincidence.”

“So there is hope left for me.”

“If there’s anything I learned in life, especially when it comes to relationships with other people, you have to stay hopeful.”

Padma nodded, her eyes fixed on a point far away. She appeared to be mulling over that idea. Willow imagined her brain to be processing everything a thousand miles per hour, picking apart every detail, analyzing connotation, and doing other things she was definitely too lazy to do on a regular basis. In the comforting silence, she stared out the window, admiring the way the sun turned the playing thestrals’ coats to silver. She couldn’t believe how people stigmatized them to be depressing and scary; they were beautiful, completely misunderstood creatures that deserved just as much love as was given to puppies. That reminded Willow of Fidget. She fished him out of her pocket. Thankfully, Fidget had grown used to being on the move all the time and faithfully clung to Willow’s robes. He happily climbed on her shoulder, his little claws tickling her.

“Merlin’s beard, is that a bowtruckle?” Padma gasped.

Willow started. “Not so loud! I don’t want any prefects to take him away.”

“So it is one!” Padma said, lowering her voice as she spoke. Her eyes sparkled in wonder. “I’ve always wanted to see one! Do you- Do you think he’ll let me touch him?”

“It all depends. He’s super shy with strangers, to be honest, but he’s quite the ladies man.” Willow lifted her hand to her shoulder, waited for Fidget to climb on, and put him on the couch next to her. “Go on, Fidget, go see Padma.”

Padma held out her hand for Fidget to climb on. At first, he backed away a few paces, emitting a small whimper, but after a bit of coaxing from Willow, he reluctantly took a few tentative steps forward onto Padma’s hand. She carefully drew him close, then placed him on her shoulder. Fidget brightened up almost immediately. He smiled, scaled Padma’s braid, and finally sat on her head. Padma giggled elatedly.

“He’s adorable!” she exclaimed quietly. “Where did you get him? I thought they were illegal to keep as pets.”

“Well, I decided to explore Knockturn Alley over the summer, and I came across this little guy in a magical creature black market. Two people were fighting over him and scaring him, so long story short, I stole him and got away with it. Yes, it's highly illegal to keep a bowtruckle as a pet, but as they say, once you name them, you get attached, and since Fidget got attached to me, too, there was no way I could put him back. Fidget belongs in a domestic, natural setting full of people now.”

"Wow!" Padma admired the playful quirks of Fidget. "He's pretty amazing. Maybe I should try and stage a rescue operation within Knockturn Alley. There's all sorts of techniques I've read about that I might be able to explore."

"M-a-y-b-e you shouldn't do that," Willow suggested. "Those people were not friendly, and like I said, it's highly illegal, and I wouldn't want a genius like you to get caught on their first rescue operation. Besides, I'd much rather rescue magical creatures as I come across them, or I might end up keeping them all before I have a chance to put them back in the wild."

"Good point."

Padma gave Fidget back to Willow, who crawled contentedly into her pocket and fell asleep promptly. It had been a tiring day for the little bowtruckle. Willow glanced at her watch.

"Merlin's beard, we're going to be late for dinner!" she announced. Her friends sprang to their feet and rushed to the door- minus Padma, of course, who graciously stood up and practically floated across the room. Willow was reminded yet again of how much Padma appeared as a goddess. All she needed was divinity, and she was all set.

As they calmly walked behind their rambunctious friends, Willow began to notice how much people stared at Padma and she. Well, more at Padma than her, but there were a few unmistakable glances in her direction. It was slightly intimidating at first. Some of the boys appeared as if they were staring at the prize of the school, waiting to be won and taken by them. Others slapped them upside the head, berating them for being so rude. Willow had never cared about her appearance, so it didn't make her paranoid, but the stares were something she could live without. She looked sideways at Padma for help. The elegant girl held her head high, kept her shoulders back, stared straight ahead, and wore a genuinely happy smile on her face. Willow adjusted her stance until she matched Padma, then trained her eyes on the end of the hallway, too. She nearly gasped with surprise at how much confidence was restored. Willow felt like the Queen of England, tall, proud, and kind. Now she understood why some girls appeared so stuck up at first glance when they were walking down the halls. They weren't being arrogant; they were avoiding the stares of idiot boys. As she retraced her memories, Willow was completely floored as she realized that all the girls that walked like that were exceptionally pretty. She had a lot of retraining her brain to do.

"Hey, Willow!" a voice called. "Wait, let me talk to you for a second!"

A noticeably strong boy rounded a corner behind them. Willow paused and recognized Oliver Wood jogging to catch up with her. She apologized to Padma, promising to find her later, and waited for Wood to catch up with her. His breath steamed in the crisp October air as he panted.

"There you are! I've been looking all over the castle for you!" he exclaimed. "Every time I asked someone where you were, they said a different place, and you weren't there!"

"Oh, Wood, I'm so sorry!" Willow said. "My friends and I have been playing Truth of Dare for the past few hours. It's taken us all over the castle. I wish I would have known to spare you the trouble!"

"No worries, none at all," Wood said, waving her apologies away. "It's good exercise for me. I don't get nearly enough in during quidditch practices, being a keeper." His eyes brightened. "Actually, that brings me to what I was looking to ask you. I saw how skilled you are at flying the other day when you chased down that Malfoy snot. Nice job, by the way. He missed a few practices after that. You're a heck of a flyer, Willow. A complete natural. With all the sickness that's been going around, a few players have been missing, and I realized it's time to add on some reserve players. I've been thinking it over for a while, and I've decided that we need to have someone like you as a backup. It won't be much, of course, lots of practice and little playing time, but if you want it, the offer is there."

Willow blinked. Did Oliver Wood...just offer her a spot on the quidditch team? Without a try-out? Just based on her flying skills that he saw one time? Since when had anyone had that much faith in her?

If he wants me as a reserve just from that one instance, that means...My flying skills must be pretty impressive.

Say yes, you idiot, before the offer is gone! Cebba shouted at her. Say yes!

Okay, okay, I'm getting there, jeez!

Willow smiled giddily. "I'd love to play for you, Wood."

Oliver Wood clapped his hands together. "Great! I'll have Harry let you know when the next practice is. I'm so excited to have you, Willow! Thanks for accepting!"

"Thank you for offering!"

Oliver Wood caught sight of his friends and ran off. Willow stood there for a moment, hardly believing what just happened, then did a sort of happy dance, completely unaware that Draco was standing nearby.

"What the heck is with you, Wisp? Did Oliver jinx you or something?"

Willow froze. She hadn't heard Draco directly speak to her in ages. The shock was so much that she forgot to speak, only staring at him suspiciously instead.

"Oh, come on, you're never this happy," Draco said. "What did he tell you?"

"It's none of your business," Willow snapped. She furrowed her brow. There was no reason for her to snap at Draco in that moment; what the heck was she doing?

Draco rolled his eyes. "If it has anything to do with Oliver Wood, I'm assuming it has everything to do with quidditch. What did he tell you? That Harry fell off his broom and they need a new seeker? But that's too much to ask. Perfect Potter can't get hurt. They'd have Madam Pomfrey on him quicker than he could say 'Ow'."

"Well, I'd hope so! I wouldn't want anyone to fall off their broom!" Willow retorted. "Just because he's better than you at quidditch doesn't mean you have to make up excuses for yourself! And for your information, Oliver Wood did not need a new seeker. He simply asked me to be a reserve player. Not that you would care, being all high up on that throne of yours. I don't even know why I'm talking to you right now."

"I do. You miss me, don't you?" Draco said slyly.

"No, I don't!" Willow shouted, knowing full well it was a complete lie the moment she uttered the words. "I'd rather spend the rest of my life with a friend that actually cares about me."

"So I am still your friend?"

Draco smirked at her as Willow struggled to find a comeback. She finally gave up. "Inevitably, I always make up with even the worst people meddling in my life. I can't hold a grudge. You should know that after invading my privacy and reading my diary, you douchebag! I can't believe you'd decide to take advantage of me like this."

"I'm not taking advantage of you. For once, I'm interested in your life more than mine. Did you really accept being a lowly reserve on the Gryffindor team? You know you'll never play."

"Maybe I'll never play, but I'll still be playing, unlike any of the girls in Slytherin," Willow countered. "You guys are too sexist to even let girls try out for your quidditch team! What's wrong with you? Don't you know that the girls might actually be better than you?"

"Yeah, there's a few that are much better than us," Draco said, shrugging. "It's kind of annoying that they're not allowed to try out. Our chasers are rubbish. I would take it up with Flint, but he's even more of a douchebag than me, believe it or not."

"Wait...you actually want the girls to play? As in, you're not as much of an idiot as I thought?"

Draco scoffed. "I may be racist, but if there's one thing I'm not, it's sexist."

Willow stared at Draco in shock. Here he was, openly admitting that he was on board with pureblood mania, but he didn't care what gender the quidditch players were when the rest of the team did. She was wrong about him. Maybe in a century or two, she would figure Draco out, but for now, she was never going to assume anything. Willow almost felt guilty for it.

"Hey, Draco..." Willow started. He expectantly looked up at her. "I'm sorry I chased after you the other day. That was way out of line. I probably scared you to death, and I didn't mean to, but it still happened. Can we...go back to speaking terms?"

Draco smirked. "I was wondering when you'd come back around. We're back on speaking terms, Wisp. Good luck not dying on Wood's crazy practice schedule. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Blonde."

Draco waltzed away. Willow stood there for the longest time, trying to process how much had happened in a small space of time. She eventually went and ate dinner, but it wasn't until long afterwards, when she was relaxing in the common room, that it sunk in. A satisfied sensation washed over her like a cool pool on a hot summer day. She couldn't begin to describe the relief that was lifted from her shoulders.

"Hey, Willow," Sam said, appearing beside the couch. "Are you up for a walk? Oliver and I haven't move all day, and we need to stretch our legs."

"Sure!" Willow replied without hesitation.

Sam lead her out the portrait hole and into the hall where Oliver stood. They made their way through the long corridors of Hogwarts, simply passing the time and enjoying themselves. Eventually, Sam stopped in front of a great stained-glass portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw. He settled himself into the ledge underneath it. The rain was lightening up by now and the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. Sam stared in wonder at the glass as it faintly glowed, an aura of peace surrounding it. He noticed a reflection of gold on the wall and spotted Willow's locket, which was directly in the sunlight.

"It's beautiful, your locket," Sam commented. "I wish I had something that great."

"Well, everything great comes with a price," Willow said. "You know this is my mum's. I wear it proudly, but there's always that doubt that it makes me more like them, more evil. It's just a locket, of course, yet I can't help but feel this means so much more than I know. They've done so many bad things to everyone. Especially now that I've got these extra powers, I don't want to end up like one of them."

Sam sighed sadly, appearing more melancholic than Willow had ever seen him. "Do you ever miss the Muggle world?" he asked. "I mean, Hogwarts is great, but sometimes I just want to go home and live without magic ruining people's lives."

"Hey, don't be so depressed about stuff, that's my job," Willow said, nudging Sam's shoulder. "As much as magic can ruin our lives, it makes it ten times more interesting, too. Would you rather be sitting at home, screaming about some dumb math class that Muggle children are forced to go through? I know I wouldn't. And if you were thinking along the lines of my powers, don't even bother. These are just a curse, as far as I know. Normal witches and wizards don't get these. They're getting better, Sam, really. I just need some help every once in a while. Magic isn't to blame for the world's problems; awful humans are."

"Everyone knows you refuse to ask for help," Oliver said. "You're a hypocrite. But you're right."

"Thank you, Oliver," Willow said.

Sam's melancholy passed, and his usual cheerful aura returned. He drew out his wand and charmed the water droplets on the window to form a wonderful image of Hogwarts. Willow was glad she had her powers to sense feelings and negative thoughts for her, because without them, she would be fairly clueless until she got to look someone in the eyes. That used to be the only way she was able to get a good read on someone. Now, she got all of her social cues from her powers in advance. She guessed that was at least one positive.

Suddenly, a loud BANG! ripped apart Willow's eardrums. She yelped and covered them in pain, hoping to God they weren't bleeding. Then, just as Oliver stepped back from the window a few paces, the floor caved in under him and he tumbled onto the next floor. Sam and Willow shot to their feet, wands drawn.

"Oliver!"

The boy's head was all that was visible beneath the pile of rubble. He coughed, the sneezed, and finally peered up at them through the dust. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be in pain. Willow darted to Oliver's side, Sam hot on her heals, and pulled a few chunks of stone away from him.

"What the heck just happened? Was that an earthquake? Ooh, I bet it was an explosion! Do you think- " Sam rambled.

"Not now, Sam!" Willow interrupted. "Oliver, can you move?"

"Um...no."

"Okay, hold still, then. I've only tried this spell once, but let's hope for the best." Willow stepped back, drew her wand, pointed it at the demolished floor, and shouted, "Reparo!"

Piece by piece, the floor levitated itself and flew back into position. Oliver's body was slowly uncovered until only the piece underneath him remained. He staggered to his feet just as the last bit of corridor replaced itself. Willow rushed to his side, brushed him off, and checked him over for any injuries. There was mercifully only a single cut along his collarbone. She sighed in relief and placed her hand on the cut, healing it until only a little scratch remained. It was better than nothing, but Willow wished that her powers would let her fully heal an injury. That would have come in handy more than once.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Oliver replied. "What was that?"

"It was totally an explosion!" Sam exclaimed. "There's no other explanation! I want to know what caused it, because with that explosive power, I can only imagine what I might be able to do with it, and- "

"Damn, I really thought it would work that time!"

Sam was cut off mid-sentence by another young masculine voice. He, Oliver, and Willow whipped around to find themselves staring at a disappointed second-year boy standing near a decimated cauldron. It wasn't until then that he finally noticed them.

"Oh, when did you guys get here? I didn't see you walk in."

"I'm sorry, did you not notice that explosion that you just caused?" Willow asked, crossing her arms and stepping in front of Oliver. "The one that almost hurt Oliver? We fell through the freaking hole you created in the ceiling!"

The boy glanced at the ceiling, then glanced back at her. "Oh. Sorry about that."

"That is the most insincere apology I've ever heard!" Willow exploded. She marched right up to the boy and got in his face. "You could have seriously injured Oliver! How can you not care about that?"

"Willow, it's okay- "

"No, Oliver, it's not okay! I'm not through with him until he's truly sorry for what he did to you!"

"He's never going to be sorry," Sam said, eyeing the patch on the boy's robes with disgust. "He's a Slytherin."

The boy's nostrils flared. Rising to his full height (which was a few inches taller than Willow), he stared her down, his electric blue eyes seeming to stare straight through her soul. Willow was almost intimidated, but held her ground.

"I'll have you know that I am human and fully capable of apologizing, you bloody thick-headed Gryffindor. I was getting there before you so rudely interrupted. Since you're too blind to recognize what room you're in, I'll explain the situation to you. I was very close to finally finishing my latest super strength potion when something went wrong yet again. My cauldron bubbled over and decided to explode, unfortunately caving the castle in on you. Snape is not going to be happy with me. I hope he lets me use his classroom again." Shaking his head, he stepped around Willow, ignoring her appalled reaction, and stood in front of Oliver. "I'm sorry I almost hurt you. If there's anything you need, I know how to fix simple things."

"Th-Thanks," Oliver stuttered, staring in wonder at the boy's golden blonde hair.

"But- Slytherins are evil!" Sam said, glancing between the boy and Oliver. "He's just faking it to get out of here!"

"No he's not, Sam," Willow said, realizing the truth as she spoke. "He's being sincere. Not all Slytherins are evil, you know."

The boy stepped back from Oliver and gave Willow a quizzical glance. "Are you joking? Of course all Slytherins are evil! Everyone is evil, just varying degrees of evil."

"See? I told you!"

"Sam, silencio la boca," Willow ordered, throwing him a warning look. She turned to the Slytherin boy. "I'm sorry I attacked you like that. I come off as rude, but I'm really just super overprotective of my friends. Oliver can definitely vouch for me." Willow offered her hand for him to shake. "I'm Willow Guerrero. And you are...?"

The boy smiled enthusiastically and shook her hand with vigor. "Cypress. I've seen you in class before, but I bet you haven't noticed me."

"No, I don't think I have."

"Well, that's not problem." Cypress wore a goofy grin. "I prefer to stay under the radar anyway. It helps in certain situations."

"Oh?"

"Come on, you should see what I've done so far. It's pretty awesome, if you ask me."

Cypress turned and walked deeper into the potions classroom. In the back, instead of a wall full of ingredients, a giant storage system filled the space. Jars filled with countless substances were overflowing on their racks. If it weren't for magic, which was keeping the glass jars from falling, the whole thing would have fallen over and shattered. Cypress's obnoxiously messy handwriting was barely legible on their lids. The liquids themselves were all different hues, and every single one of them seemed alive. Potions bubbled and popped, rolled around and sat perfectly still, hissed and chirped. Cypress had obviously spent a lot of time experimenting, and he was too fond of each potion to destroy it when finished. Willow watched as he set his cauldron on the counter, nearly dropped it, knocked over several empty glass bottles before grabbing one, and dumped the contents of his cauldron into it. He scribbled what appeared to be "Cool explosion" on the lid (though Willow might have made it up, as his handwriting was atrocious) and threw it at the storage rack, which magically placed it in its proper section, if there was a method to the madness at all. Sam sulked behind Willow, clearly ashamed but not ready to admit it. Meanwhile, Oliver stared in wonder at this potions prodigy, suddenly interested in one of his least favorite subjects.

"Wow," Willow breathed. "This is amazing. Did Snape give you permission to do all this?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Cypress said. He sat down on a levitating stool and spun around in the air, eventually stopping at a cork board and recording the incident on a magical table. "I got full marks on my end-of-term exam, so Snape finally agreed to give me free reign of his ingredients as long as I stay away from the rare and/or extremely potent ones. I've been pestering him since day one about it. I'm surprised he gave in, as much as he hates most of us, but I am a Slytherin, after all, so that has to count for something."

"Narcissist," Sam muttered.

Willow slapped him. He shot her a pouty glare and crossed his arms. She rolled her eyes, seeing right through his smoke screen. "It must, but I doubt it has anything to do with being Slytherin. You've got a knack for potions, alright. I'm assuming you're good with pyrotechnics, too, then, because of the latest edition?"

"Oh, no, that's just a mess-up on my quest for perfecting my best potion yet," Cypress said, a mischievous light in his eyes. "Filch will never know what hit him when I'm done with the Firecracker Potion."

"You'd be doing us all a favor, lighting up Filch like that," Willow chuckled.

Cypress finally noticed Oliver staring. Oliver's cheeks turned bright red, and he diverted his eyes to the floor, suddenly interested in his shoelace. Cypress smirked, but in a playful way, much unlike Draco.

"Impressed, are you? It's okay, you don't have to be shy around me." Oliver glanced up in interest. He allowed Cypress to make that rare eye contact with him. "Yes, I've seen how shy you are, Oliver. It's alright to be shy, as long as you make sure people understand what you're trying non-verbally tell them. Trust me, it's not fun when people misinterpret my attempts to bash their amateur potion work. No, I'm not complimenting you, I'm trying to offend you, Tracey! Some of the girls in my year, Merlin's beard are they awful...Anyway, you don't have to talk around me, but feel free. I'm not judgmental outside of potions."

Willow raised her eyebrows. Cypress was most definitely not a typical Slytherin. For Oliver to actually remain in the presence of him, taking in his qualities without trying to hide...something was different about this boy.

"You done with your tantrum yet?" Cypress asked in Sam's general direction, preoccupied with cleaning out his cauldron. "No, I didn't forget about you. You're being unfair."

"What? You're the one that- " Sam started.

Willow elbowed him hard in the gut. "Cállate, tonto! Vas a ser la muerte de mí."

"Wow, Spanish, much?" Cypress observed, peering over his shoulder at her darker features and prominent Latina skin tone. "Which side was it, mum or dad? Wait, is that a rude question? I'm really bad at this."

The blood rushed to Willow's cheeks. "You're fine, I don't find it rude. My dad's parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico, then my dad married my mum and moved to Britain. I was born here."

"I can gather that from your perfect British accent. It's beautiful, by the way."

"Thanks."

Cypress levitated his cauldron onto a drying rack. "Alright, I'm done here. Would you care to join me on a walk around the castle? I'm not doing anything in particular today."

"Yes!" Oliver squeaked, immediately regretting his outburst and lowering his head in shame. Cypress sauntered over to him and put an arm around Oliver, who was somehow his same height.

"I have got so much to teach you about being proud of yourself. We can start easy by a simple walk through the halls. Come on, Willow and...whoever that self-pitying Gryffindor sitting in the corner is."

Willow and a disgruntled Sam followed Cypress and Oliver into the damp hallways of the dungeons. Cypress led them past the kitchens, upstairs, past the Great Hall and into a hallway adjacent to the courtyard. He apparently decided to stop there, as he simply paused, found a suitable gap in the stone openings, and sat down. Oliver followed his lead, and Sam sat far away from the both of them, but Willow kept standing. Her legs were extremely restless today.

"Ahhh," Cypress sighed, getting comfy. "I love October. This is the best spot in Hogwarts during the fall. The wind can't blow too hard, and there's a nice view of the moon rise if you stay out late enough. You should try to find me one of these times."

"I will," Oliver promised.

"Now then, where was I? Oh!" Cypress turned to Oliver. "Right. Teaching you how to be the opposite of that sorry excuse of a teenager over there. Step one: Figure out who you are and what you believe in. Good, you already know that. Step two: Show the world who that person inside you is. You're stuck on step two. So, what you're going to want to do is- "

"Hey, Cypress!"

Willow whipped around to see a Slytherin boy- was that Blaise Zabini?- standing down the hallway behind them. He wore a devilish grin on his face that couldn't mean anything good. Cypress stopped mid-sentence, but refused to face him, his face turning stone cold.

"Hey, Cypress! What's the matter? Are you too much of a mudblood to even face me? Are all muggle-borns as cowardly as you? Come on, mudblood, face your superior!"

Willow was about to chase down the idiot when Cypress caught her eye. His aura shifted instantaneously. He stood up, turned to Blaise Zabini, and did something completely unexpected. Cypress rolled his eyes, pure exasperation written all over his face.

"Oh, my bad, the Sorting Hat placed a mudblood like me in Slytherin!" He fluttered his eyelids. "What's the matter, Blaise? Can you not admit the truth we all know? That mudbloods are obviously better than all of you purebloods combined? I'm totally behind you in potions, of course, and you see me every day groveling at your feet for knowledge."

"You should be, mudblood!" Blaise shouted, though there was a flicker of fear in his eyes. "You're worth about as much as the scum on the bottom of my shoe! I should throw you into the Forbidden Forest for talking to me that way!"

"Oh, how cute! Look guys, it's getting angry!" Cypress teased. "Could you hear what it was saying? I could have sworn it said purebloods should be thrown into the Forest for speaking to anyone like that! Woah, it said something right for once! Mudbloods are so much better than blood traitors like this adorable idiot is. I wouldn't give up this power any day! I mean, who would want to give up their birth right to rule over all these beautifully stupid peasants?" Finally acknowledging Blaise's furious presence, Cypress spoke directly to him. "You'll see, Blaise. One day, I'll be your last resort in life, and I will make you pay. I'm proud to be a mudblood if it makes you this worried that I might be better than you at- pretty much everything, now that I come to think about it." Cypress waved at Blaise as if he were royalty. "Good day, peasant! Now go before your filthy presence soils any more of my air."

Blaise stood there, open-mouthed for a moment, then snapped his jaw shut and marched away, his veins popping in fury. Sam and Oliver stared at Cypress as if he really were a king. Cypress lazily smiled, soaking it all in. Willow was the first to manage words.

"You're...you're a muggle-born?"

Cypress laughed. "I hoped you would at least get that out of my speech. In all seriousness, though, yes, I'm one of those muggleborns that the Slytherin house seems to try and hide. Everyone thinks muggleborns don't exist in Slytherin until they meet me."

"That- How did you handle that...so perfectly?" Oliver stammered.

Cypress winked at him. "We're skipping to step three on accident, I'm afraid. Step three: Don't let anyone tell you you're worth less than you are, even if you're forced to fight them."

"But...you didn't fight him. Physically, at least," Sam said. "You told him off with mere words. How do you do that?"

"Practice. Lots of practice. With every one of those bull-headed, pureblooded, maniacal idiots in there."

Sam blinked, then glanced at his feet. "I'm...sorry for the way I treated you earlier, Cypress. I didn't mean it, honest. I just didn't want to see Oliver get hurt. But now, I'm not so sure I want you to leave his side." Sam offered his hand for Cypress to shake. "I'm Samuel Smith, but call me Sam, like the rest of my friends do."

Cypress shook it with that lovable smirk. "I knew you'd eventually come around, Sam."

Willow smiled. She didn't know what her friend count was anymore, but she was about to add one to the list that was worth so much more than a simple tally. Cypress was going to rock everyone's world.


	27. Year 2: Chapter 6

Willow couldn’t sleep the whole night. She laid in bed so long, willing herself to fall asleep, but she didn’t so much as slip in and out of fitful sleep. Her entire body was burning with anticipation of her first quidditch practice. It meant so much to her that Oliver Wood, upon seeing her fly just once, was willing to have her as a reserve player. He put her before all the other kids that didn’t make it at tryouts that fall. She knew she was getting way too excited over barely anything, but nothing she told herself calmed her racing mind. Willow was going to play quidditch for the Gryffindor team, and though she was going to suffer the consequences of hours of long practice and play very little, she was ecstatic. Maybe it was the magic, or maybe it was her looking forward to hanging out more with Harry, Fred, and George. It could be neither of those. No matter what it was, Willow was just excited to be playing on a quidditch team at a magic school. She would never have even imagined the possibility of this two years ago, stuck in her Muggle primary school. How her luck had turned for the better!

The sun finally began to rise over the trees. Willow was down in the common room by that time, her equipment already piled next to her. She enjoyed the comforting warmth of the sun’s rays on her face as they turned the canopy of the Forbidden Forest to a sea of beautiful scarlet. Some of the leaves were already in brilliant shades of warm colors. Willow thought back to her earliest memories of fall, back when her mother and father were together and her home life wasn’t in pieces. They could have magically raked the thousands of leaves in their large backyard, but they preferred to do it as a family by hand. She would bounce up and down excitedly until Carlos handed her favorite rake down, which was bigger than she at the time. They would rake for hours, only to jump into the pile together. Willow held her locket in her hand, holding onto the memories that her mum’s photo brought back with it. Those were the good times. But they were long gone. Now, she had a much different future ahead of her, a fateful path to follow. Eventually, she would have to move on. That didn’t mean she had to yet, though, and she knew she was too stubborn to give in any time soon.

Willow sighed. She really needed to stop getting in so deep with her depressing thoughts. Cebba would yell at her soon if she didn’t get a move on and stop feeling sorry for herself. Willow stuffed her locket into her shirt, shoved aside her melancholy, picked up her things, and made her way to the quidditch locker rooms. Harry caught up with her shortly.

“There you are! I thought you’d gotten a head start on me,” he panted. “I can’t believe Wood invited you on the team! You’re really going to play quidditch with us!”

“Don’t get too excited, it’s not like I’m going to play in the matches,” Willow said. “I’m simply a reserve player.”

“Still, this is pretty exciting!” Harry insisted. “You’re amazing, from what Fred and George told me! You can play every position, something about versil- vertils- oh yeah, versatile! George was bragging that he’d taught you everything, but that’s rubbish. You’ve got natural talent and you worked hard to get here. I'm not sure if they know you're on the team yet, though, because they would have gone absolutely nuts about it. You'll be a nice surprise. Do you know what position you’ll practice at?”

Willow smiled shyly. “Thanks. I’m hoping all of them, honestly. It’s best to keep up my all-around skills for whoever gets hurt before the next game. I wouldn’t want to specialize and end up filling in for a Beater when I’ve trained to be a Seeker, would I?”

"True, true," Harry said.

They reached the locker room, where Fred and Angelina were leaning against each other, half-conscious, George was downright passed out on a bench, Katie and Alicia were putting on their practice robes upside down, and Wood was excitedly drawing something on the board. Harry had told her how Oliver could talk for hours on end before a practice. She hoped dearly that today wouldn't be one of those days. After everyone was finally assembled, wearing their gear haphazardly, Wood began speaking like a rabbit with its tail on fire.

"Okay, so, we've got our most important match of the year coming up, against Slytherin, of course, you all know that- the dirty rotten cheats- anyway, I think my new training program has been working, we've gotten much better over the past week- come on guys, don't doubt yourselves, enough with the long faces- and we can, with a bit of hard work, destroy Slytherin. It's going to be epic, and Lee has promised to throw a big party afterwards when we win. Oh, and I almost forgot!" Wood pulled Willow to the front of the room. Only Harry seemed to perk up at this. Everyone else had fallen back asleep already. "We have our first official reserve player, Willow Guerrero! She's here to make sure we're not short for any practices or games, but you already know how reserves work, I shouldn't need to tell you this, should I? Anyway- " Oliver quickly shoved Willow back onto her spot on the bench- "I don't have much to announce. We're going to have a lighter practice today, since we've been going at it hard this week and all, which means no new things to learn, just improving old stuff. Come on, everyone, hit the pitch!"

Fred and George suddenly perked up. Their brains seemingly caught up to what Wood had said a whole minute before, and the fact that Willow was standing in full practice gear finally registered.

"What? Willow, you're a reserve player? Since when?"

"Blimey, when did this happen?"

"I always knew you'd be on the team!"

"I can hardly believe it!"

Willow's cheeks were flaming red. "Wood asked me yesterday. He just wanted to make sure there was always a sufficient amount of players, that's all. I'm a reserve. Thanks for training me up to this point, guys. I think it made all the difference."

"You're welcome," George said, pretending to take all the credit. "See, Freddy, I told you I'm a good teacher!"

"Sorry, mate, she did this all herself," Fred said, messing up George's hair. "Let's get out there, shall we?"

The Gryffindors took to the field, this time having it all to themselves indefinitely, unlike the last time she'd stepped foot on it. She suppressed the horrible memories that threatened to surface and took off, hoping she was displaying enough confidence for Wood. He took them through a warmup, did a few speed drills, and finally the team broke off into their respective positions, Wood giving them a few drills. Willow waited on the sidelines, wondering if she was supposed to join anyone in particular. Wood approached her before she could question herself.

"You'll switch to practice each position a different day," he explained. "For today, I'd like you to do one-on-one with Harry. With you around, he can practice much more game-like situations. It's simple. I'm going to release the Snitch, and you two and going to pretend it's a game. Do as many rounds as you can get in before I call time. Got it?"

"Got it," Willow said.

Wood released the Snitch, called Harry over, and on the count of three, the chase was on. Willow and Harry took off at breakneck speed in the direction of the Snitch, shoulders nearly touching. She knew her broom was slightly faster, but didn't dare push Harry yet. He needed to win first. As much as it hurt her, being super competitive and all, she pretended to reach the Snitch just after him, thus losing after fifteen minutes of searching and chasing. Harry waited for her to catch up before taking it back to Wood.

"I know you were holding back," he said simply.

"Yeah, I was," Willow admitted guiltily. "But this time I'm not going to. You need to compete with Draco's Nimbus Two Thousand and One. I'm sorry if I annoyed you, but I needed to see just how much faster my broom was."

Harry bristled at the mention of Draco. "How much faster is it?"

"Not a heck of a lot, but it's more than marginally," Willow said. "You're really going to have to find the Snitch and get it before Draco realizes what's going on, or you're doomed."

"Considering the fact that he's only on the team because his dad bought his position, he's not very good," Harry said, acid lacing his tone. "I bet I can beat him, but he might be better than anticipated. He works well under pressure, unfortunately, and he uses cheating tactics when it comes to quidditch, just like the rest of the Slytherin team. Willow, I need you to go as hard as you can with me so I get a better understanding of how fast he can get to me. If he knocks me off my broom, we're going to lose to those douchebags, and it would be all my fault. I can't let that happen."

"Copy that." Willow smirked. "Are you sure you're ready to race me?"

Harry gently bumped into her. "I don't need to race you if I find the Snitch faster."

"Oh, look who's being arrogant now!"

Harry gave the Snitch back to Wood, who immediately released it again. They waited for a good thirty seconds. Then, with a competitive glance at each other, they pushed hard off the ground and dashed after the Snitch, searching everywhere for it. Willow pulled ahead from Harry within seconds, leaving him far behind in her wake. She spent more energy shutting her senses down than actually searching for the Snitch. The adrenaline rush of playing for the quidditch team for the first time mixed with the crisp morning air meant that Willow's powers were going to be a bear to wrestle. Every time her adrenaline or emotions spiked, her powers spiked, too, and it got worse each time it happened. Her ears tried to listen in for the Snitch. Her eyes sharpened and picked up every little detail of the landscape. Her sense of smell even increased in sensitivity. Willow internally shouted at herself for a good ten minutes straight before it stopped.

Twenty minutes passed, then thirty, and still both she and Harry had caught no sign of the Snitch. They continually barreled around the pitch, high above the ground, searching and searching for the tiny golden ball. Willow's powers only resurfaced once, but she quickly diffused them. It was completely wrong to use them. They were an unfair advantage, and therefore they were absolutely not allowed. The last thing she needed was Draco accidentally accusing her of using them on the pitch in front of hundreds of spectators, revealing her powers to everyone. They had to stay away for her own and everyone else's safety.

Suddenly, a golden glint caught her eye. The sun was just beginning to peak out behind the covering of clouds. Willow searched for the source of the glinting and ended up seeing Harry already chasing the Snitch, a good fifty feet below her. She dove after him, catching up slowly but surely. The Golden Snitch was just out of his reach. Harry seemed to pay her no attention when she pulled up next to him. He was laser-focused on the Snitch. Willow knew she would gain on the Snitch faster than him if it kept up its current course. As much as she was excited to win, she desperately screamed at Harry from inside her head to make a move.

And move he did.

Without grabbing her broom or cheating in any way, Harry slowly tilted his broom in front of Willow's, forcing her to slow down. He continued to point his broom slightly diagonally until he was completely in front of Willow, sealing her off. The Snitch hadn't moved a bit in its course. Harry smiled victoriously and snatched the Golden Snitch. Willow clapped proudly and circled around the pitch with him.

"Yes! That is how you play this game!" she cheered. "Who needs cheating when you have ingenious moves?"

Harry tried very hard not to blush, but he was just like Willow when it came to praise. "No one, I guess."

"I'm so proud of you!" she squealed. "You're going to kick Draco's sorry arse!"

Right as they touched down, Wood blew his whistle, calling time. The quidditch balls were returned to the box, and it started to rain. Everyone sprinted into the locker room before they could get wet for what must have been the millionth time that month. It was pouring by the time they were all in, markedly happier than usual.

"Great practice, everyone!" Wood panted. "You're welcome for the break today. Don't come tomorrow expecting this, though! It's enough to take a break for one day, but two is really pushing it! Now change and get on with the rest of your day."

Willow changed, put away her broom, and cracked her back (leaning forward on her broom really did a number on her upper back muscles), then headed back to the common room with Fred and George. She found herself more exhausted than she had ever been and flopped on her favorite couch, the farthest from the fireplace she could get.

"A bit tired, are you?" Fred chuckled. "Is quidditch already kicking your arse?"

"Apparently, being out in the elements is more exhausting than I thought," Willow panted, sprawling out. "Is it just me, or is it hot in here? I thought I sat far away from the fireplace."

"Oh, it's hot now that I'm here," a voice said.

George rolled his eyes. "No, it's because I'm here, Paige, get it right.

Paige jumped over the back of the couch and sat in a squashy armchair, crossing her legs. "I'm pretty sure I'm the hottest here by default, George Weasley. Well, maybe it's Willow, because her hair's the prettiest." Paige had a pouty look on her face. "How does your hair always look good no matter what style it's in? It isn't fair!"

"Hey, don't ask me," Willow said, putting her hands up in surrender. "I don't touch it except to brush it."

"I'll try that, then," Paige said. She turned in her chair so that she was upside down, her legs resting lazily on the back. "So, how was practice? Did Willow do okay? Wait, did she get thrown through a hoop? That should be part of the initiation process."

"Hold on, how did you know about her being on the team?" Fred asked. "She didn't tell anyone! Harry and Wood were the only ones to know."

Paige winked mischievously. "I have my sources."

"Care to tell?"

"Absolutely not."

"Fine, be that way," George said. "When I figure out who it was, you're going to pay for it."

"You're never going to put that much effort into something so useless."

"I will if I- "

"Oh, shut it already, you two," Fred interrupted. "You're bickering again. I'll have to be down a twin if you don't stop sometime soon, and pranks are much less fun when it's just Lee and I."

"You'd never- " George started.

"Fine, I'll talk about something else, but bear in mind, Fred Weasley, you brought this upon yourself," Paige warned. She wore a teasing expression on her face. "I'm getting right into it. You can thank me later for sparing you the pain. I've heard from multiple gossip sources that you've been hanging out quite a lot with a certain chaser, Weasley. Care to elaborate?"

Fred sat up straight. "I am not spending an exorbitant amount of time with Angelina!"

"Ah, so it is Angelina," Paige drawled. "How long have you been...intimate, with her, should I ask?"

"Not long at all, actually. Zero seconds, to be exact."

"Don't make me use Willow to read your mind, Fred Weasley," Paige threatened. "Come on, spill! You know I've been dying to be your wingwoman forever!"

"There's nothing to spill! I do not fancy Angelina!"

George snorted. "Are you sure about that, Freddy? You do talk about her an awful lot. How her hair flows so beautifully when she's chasing down the quaffle, how amazing she was in that fight with the Slytherin chaser the other day, how strong-willed she is compared to all the other girls...I could go on for hours with the amount of things you've said about her."

Fred scoffed "I have not said all of that."

"Give in already, Fred," Willow giggled. "Even I have heard you talking about Angelina in the halls. It's quite poetic, actually. You could be a real charmer if you wanted."

"I wouldn't go that far, Willow," George said. "He still has a long way to go if he ever wants good grammar."

"I can't say I disagree with that statement," Paige said. She turned to George. "Onto my next target, then. Do you have anybody special to talk about in your sleep, George?"

"I do not talk about Angelina in my- !" Fred intervened.

"Shut it!" Willow hissed.

George sighed and sat back in his chair, ignoring his twin. "I don't have time for those things, Paige. Everyone knows I've got better things to do. Besides, I willingly admit I can't take anything seriously, as hard as I try."

"You avoided the question," Willow pointed out.

"Did not."

"Did too!"

"How about I make you a deal?" Paige offered. "I will give you a clue about who I fancy, George, and you have to give me a clue about who you fancy, or I'm using Willow to read your mind. Got it?"

George sat bolt upright. "How is that an offer when you're forcibly going to use Willow on me otherwise?"

"Alright, I'll go first," Paige continued, ignoring his response. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure that the massive group of people gathered on the other side of the room hadn't wandered near, then grinned with an embarrassed tint to her cheeks. "They're in this room."

"Who is he? Ooh, is it that fourth year boy, Travis?"

"Ew, no, he's unattractive as they come," Paige said, disgusted. Her face returned to normal. "Let's have it then, George, give us a clue or I'll force it out of you."

George crossed his arms. "Do I have to?"

Paige rolled her eyes. "Yes, George. Come on, it's good for you to talk about something serious once in a while! You just said that you can't take anything serious, so here's a chance to improve that!"

George sighed. "Fine. She's in this room, as well."

Fred's mouth dropped open. "George! You didn't tell me you fancied someone!"

"I know, but it's never going to happen," George laughed. "That's the best part about it. I have zero worries because of that. It's completely insignificant, wonderfully nonexistent. Like I said, I don't have time for it."

"Geor-ge," Paige groaned. "When are you going to wake up and figure out that anything is possible?"

"Now you sound like a Hufflepuff," George chortled.

"I thought you were a bloody Gryffindor like the rest of us," Fred said. "Or are you one of those poster children?"

"If you're so much of a Gryffindor, Fred Weasley, then you should tell me everything about Angelina!"

"Oh, now you're being ridiculous!"

Fred, George, and Paige, erupted into a small argument. Willow couldn't help but laugh at them. She sincerely hoped that they would start making moves on their crushes soon, because she couldn't wait to be their wingwoman.

October flew by much faster than Willow anticipated. She continued practicing with the quidditch team, which wasn’t going good or bad, and the rain never seemed to stop. Suddenly, one morning at breakfast, Willow was startlingly reminded by Dumbledore’s announcement that the house exchange would begin the following day. She accidentally spilled some milk on her robes and had to clean it up while Colin and Ginny looked on in confusion. The next day, she was going to surprise half the school by staying in the Slytherin Common Room. She stole a glance at Fred and George, who were guffawing about something Lee said. This was going to be a nasty shock for them, but maybe, for the first time since she’d met them, they could open their mind for once. Willow knew full well she was being a hypocrite, being just as stubborn as they were most of the time, but this wasn’t the time to dwell on that. She had more important business to attend to, such as packing her things.

Then, the day finally came. On Saturday evening, Willow hastily double-checked that everything was in order, waited until the coast was clear, resisted the urge to sprint out of the common room, and found Professor McGonagall waiting outside the portrait hole. A small group of Gryffindors were waiting with her.

"Ah, Miss Guerrero, I was wondering if you'd forgotten," McGonagall said coolly. "You happen to be the last one. Now then, the house elves will take your belongings to your new room, and I shall escort you to your common rooms. You will each receive a schedule tomorrow morning detailing your classes for the week. Should you lose it, I'd hope you've befriended a student from another house by now. Let us go."

Willow nervously shuffled into the center of the group. They walked through the halls at a brisk pace and incited excited murmurings from passing students. Willow was terrified that Fred and George might see her. As much as she wanted them to grow up and quit being stubborn, she knew it wasn't realistic. She was in too deep. If they found out about this, she would be hot water with them for a while. She had to keep it under wraps until a good time came about for her to explain her decision to them.

Slowly, house by house, a handful of students were dropped off at Ravenclaw Tower, then the Hufflepuff common room, and finally, they arrived at the Slytherin common room. Willow and Sally were the only ones left. Professors Sprout and Flitwick arrived shortly after them, equally small amounts of students trailing behind them. They all seemed just as on edge as she was. Did they have the same problem with their friends? She hoped that there weren't as many people that hated Slytherins as there seemed to be, but there wasn't much to hope for. The Head Girl and Boy of Slytherin appeared from inside the common room and smiled warmly at the Heads of House.

"We'll take it from here, Professors," the girl said. "Have a good evening."

The professors left, leaving the small group of students all alone. Willow gravitated towards Sue, Sally, and Oliver. They waited until the professors were well out of earshot before giving the password to the giant stone guarding the entrance.

"Mudbloods do not belong in Slytherin!" the boy whispered.

The girl hit him so hard that Willow sensed and instant bruise forming. "Don't sound so excited! For god's sake, you promised to tone it down! Is this what you call your good behaviour?"

"Do you want to find out?"

The Head Girl rolled her eyes and turned to the group of students as the entrance magically crumbled away. "Sorry about him. Davies is an idiot. You can follow me inside."

She strode confidently inside, the Head Boy nursing his arm as he followed. Willow was the first one to step in after her. The common room was the same as it had been since she'd last seen it. There wasn't a huge amount of light, like there was in her own common room, but the light from the porthole to the Black Lake cast a lovely shade of green on the silver walls. The furniture scattered about was perfectly placed so that it was randomly grouped yet still appeared purposeful. She was not nearly Ravenclaw enough to have the willpower to figure out the pattern. Nothing shouted evil or demeaning to her. In fact, it almost appeared welcoming, like it was a secret hideout for someone who'd had enough for one day. The few Slytherins that were present in the common room stared at the incoming students with guarded expressions.

"Welcome to your new home for the next week!" the Head Girl chirped. "Isn't it pretty? At some point, you'll figure out where the upper years hang out and the ickle first and second years blow each other up. I'll show you to your rooms, then."

"Lila, are you seriously into this exchange that much?" Davies snorted.

Lila whipped out her wand and cast a jinx on the Head Boy. His legs instantly began to wobble, increasing in fluidity until Davies fell over, having lost control of his body. Willow giggled when she recognized it as the Jelly-legs Jinx.

"Yes, Davies, and you are not going to ruin all the fun!" Lila retorted. She levitated a small desk onto him, then smiled sweetly at Willow and the rest of the exchange students and continued on to a single door on the far side of the room. It opened to reveal two more doors. Lila chose the left, which opened into two more doors, and after Lila took the right one, three more appeared. Lila opened the middle one to reveal a hallway that had a door on the left labeled "Girls" and a door on the right labeled "Boys". She pointed to each one simultaneously.

"These are the second year dorms," she explained. "If you forget how to get here, come ask me. Most of your roommates should be waiting for you. Alright, everyone else, what years are you?"

Lila left with a few others, shutting the door behind her and leaving Willow, Sally, Sue, and Oliver alone. They all glanced at each other, their nerves prickling in the quiet atmosphere.

“Well, this is it,” Willow said. “It’s too late to back out now. Should we…go meet our roommates?”

“…Yeah, I think so,” Sally said after some time. She put a brave smile on her face. “Come on, guys, this is going to be fun! We’re doing this in the name of house unity, remember? We might as well enjoy it!”

“She’s right,” Sue sighed. “Well, let’s get going then.”

Willow turned to Oliver. “Be brave, okay? Come straight to me if they give you even the slightest bit of trouble. Or Cypress, for that matter. He should be around here somewhere.”

Oliver nodded, brightening at the mention of Cypress. “I will.”

Willow watched him, worry nagging at the back of her mind, as he opened the door and slipped into the boys’ dormitory. She paused, staring after him, then shook her head and lead the way to the girls’ dormitory. Sally and Sue followed, obviously as nervous as she was. Willow put on the best mask of confidence she could. Then, she stopped in front of the door, turned the handle, and pushed it open.

The room wasn’t much different than her Gryffindor dormitory. There were no more than ten four-poster beds, each with a name magically inscribed on them. Above each bed was a porthole that allowed for a small view into the Black Lake. Just like in the common room, green light shimmered against the silver wall, but this gave the room and even homier feel. The house elves had already brought their things and set them on their beds. Willow walked over to hers, reminding herself to thank the house elves later. A scratch on her bedpost caught her eye, and it took a few seconds for her to register her own name, carved in intricate and beautiful calligraphy on the dark wood. Sally and Sue found their names on their beds, too, and stared at them in awe. Willow bit her lip as she remembered all the stereotypical images she’d imagined when she thought of the Slytherin dorms. These weren’t evil lairs, but relaxing, personalized places where you could unwind- alone or with friends.

“It’s better than I could have ever imagined,” Sue breathed. “Look at this detail in the wood! These beds must be hundreds of years old, if not more! It would have taken weeks of consistent hard work to carve these, and polishing them alone, with this much attention to detail…”

“You must be the Ravenclaw girl, aren’t you?” a voice sneered.

Sue nearly jumped out of her skin. Standing in the doorway were two drop-dead gorgeous girls. One of them- Willow assumed it was the girl that spoke- was leaning on the door frame, looking at Sue with an expression of disgust. The other, a good few inches smaller than the other girl, was standing behind her, appearing rather disgruntled.

“Yeah- Yes, I’m the Ravenclaw girl,” Sue managed to say.

“Well, thank God you’re only saying here a week, because it’s going to take everything I’ve got to get your Muggleborn filth out of here,” the tall girl said, flipping her blond hair obnoxiously over her shoulder. “I’ve got better things to do with my life than clean, you know.”

Sue’s face went bright red. Sally instinctively, but unobtrusively, grabbed Willow’s balled-up fists and secured them tightly behind her back. Willow did her best to keep at bay the tidal wave of anger that had her chomping at the bit.

“Excuse me, but I’ll have you know that Sue is the cleanest human being on the plant. I mean, she has a habit of cleaning up other people’s messes before they can even say a word. She’s a very nice person, and I hope you can learn that.”

The girl raised an eyebrow. “Ah, I can tell we’ll get along just nicely, won’t we? Let me guess, you and that other girl are the Gryffindors?”

“Yes,” Sally said evenly. “We were just admiring your dormitory before you rudely made a racist comment about Sue.”

The girl rolled her eyes and wore a bored expression. “I only speak the truth, honey. Now, what was I about to do before you distracted me? Oh yeah! I’ve got to fix my hair before my hot date comes to get me.”

She strolled into the bathroom, leaving them alone with the other Slytherin girl. Willow could sense that she wasn’t as stuck-up as the other girl. She wouldn’t have even needed her powers to know that. The girl warily eyed the three of them, as if internally struggling, then spoke, her voice hesitant.

“I’m Tracey Davis,” she said. “Welcome to Slytherin, I guess. That was Daphne that just went to the bathroom. From what I’ve heard, everything’s the same in each dorm except design, so I don’t think I need to explain everything. I’m going to common room to do homework, so…bye.”

Tracey turned on her heel and left, barely avoiding slamming the door behind her. Daphne came running after her moments later, and the three were alone again. Willow, Sally, and Sue exchanged surprised glances, waiting a long time for each other to speak before Willow piped up.

“Well, that was…better than I thought.”

“Are you serious? She insulted Sue!” Sally exclaimed.

“Actually, I’ve gotten insulted much worse by Daphne,” Sue said. “She can be downright mean, but I think she’s actually just super insecure. It’s not her fault she was brought up by pureblood maniac parents. From what l’ve gathered, the Greengrass family is the most prestigious pureblood family in the wizarding community. That’s a pretty hard thing to live up to. The pressure must be insane.”

Willow raised her eyebrows. “You’ve given that a lot of thought, Sue. You’re a much better person than I am by default at this point.”

Sue shrugged. “It’s nothing, really. I’ve found that the key to being confident in myself is to seriously consider what contributes to making me feel so awful, analyzing why it’s hurting me, and coming up with a way to deflect it or ignore it entirely. It’s a whole system.”

“You could sell it to half the school. You’d be a millionaire,” Sally chuckled. “In all seriousness, though, that’s pretty cool.”

“Thanks.”

“Well, since everyone’s in the common room, should we try and meet a few people out there?” Willow asked.

“Good idea. Let’s go.”

It took until their third attempt at navigating through the sets of doors to find their way book into the common room, but they made it. The sun had gone down too far at this point to naturally light the room, so several pale green lights hung from the ceiling, giving off just enough light to make the room comfortable, but not too bright to make it impossible to study. Willow already missed the warm, roaring fire of the Gryffindor common room. There was a fire place on one wall, but it wasn't the same. There was a metal curtain drawn over it, making it more of a decoration than a heat source. Sue started to shiver. The temperature had already dropped ten degrees since they'd last been in the common room. Sally drew her robes closer to her body, trying her best to remain inconspicuous about it. Willow took off her robes and forcefully put them over the two before they could object. The cold had never bothered her in the first place; she always thought the robes were much too hot for day-to-day activities. Since she was the only one, she kept her mouth shut and suffered in silence. Willow was not about to miss an opportunity to cool off.

"You made it back out! Congrats!" Lila boomed enthusiastically, walking in their direction. "I hope the others have as good of memories as you! Anyway, would you like me to point out the different areas of the common room?"

"If you don't mind," Sue said politely.

Lila covered her heart with her hands. "You are so sweet! Why can't Davies be like you?" She shook her head. "Forget about that. So, as you can see, there's about seven clusters of furniture in here." Willow most definitely could not see that, but went along with it. "It's fairly simple: the first years are closest to the entrance, the second years are behind them, the third years are behind them, all the way up to seventh years, the group closest to us."

Sally furrowed her brow. "What about that group of girls over there?" she asked, pointing to the middle where seven girls of obviously mixed age were gossiping about something. "They don't look like they're the right age."

"Oh! I almost forgot," Lila said. "Those guys are purebloods. They're allowed to kick anyone out of their spots, and if they want to bring their friends with them, the friends each have to face off with another pureblood to win leniency." Lila shrugged as if this were perfectly normal. "It's a beautiful hierarchy, don't you think? I find it nice and simple. I'm a halfblood myself, so I had to face off with one of my best friends. She and I have the best duels. There was this one time where we both ended up in the hospital wing with a bad case of boils, and we couldn't stop laughing the whole time! Davies wasn't happy, but he's never happy, anyway, so who cares?" Lila rolled her eyes. "I'm going off to find Kayla. Let me know if you guys need anything!"

Lila skipped to the dorms and disappeared behind the crazy doors. The three stood in a stunned silence until Willow was able to break it.

"Okay, so, um...Lila's...pretty chatty," she stammered. "At least we know she's there for us. We should probably stick very close to the rules, since we don't want to get hexed and all, and...hang on, is that Oliver?"

Sally, Sue and Willow gaped in shock. It was definitely Oliver. Standing just outside the door to the dorms, Cypress right behind him, was a very handsome-looking Oliver. He was adorned in a fancy suit, sparkling with a bright green, moving Slytherin symbol over his chest area. Oliver's hair was groomed to perfection, the complete opposite of his usual mess, and it was decorated with little green snakes. Even his freckles were brought out perfectly in the green light, appearing as though they had been brushed with similarly colored glitter. His eyes shone proudly as Cypress adjusted his sleeve. Oliver's cheeks were blushing a cute pink, more than typical for the shy boy. Cypress officially put his hands on Oliver's shoulders and presented him to the girls.

"Well, does he look like a dashing Slytherin prince now?" he asked.

"Oh my God, he's adorable!" Sally squealed, her hands flying to her face. "Look at you! You're so cute in green! It brings out your eyes so well! Everything's just perfect, Cypress! You're magic!"

"Duh, we all are, that's why we're here," Cypress said, rolling his eyes playfully.

"I hope you're ready to get out there, Oliver, because you're going to attract some attention," Sue giggled. "Come on, let's sit down somewhere so the ladies can get to him! Cypress, lead the way!"

"I'd prefer it if no girls- " Oliver started.

"Oh, let them have their fun," Cypress interrupted, smirking. "They'll pay for it later."

"Hey! We better not!"

"You should know by now- especially you, Willow, you hang out with Draco way too much for your own good- everything comes with a price when a Slytherin's name is on it," Cypress teased. He took Oliver by the arm. "Shall I escort you to your table, sir?"

Oliver shyly smiled, trying to stop blushing so much, and let Cypress drag him away. Willow pulled out her camera and snapped a few photos of them before Oliver could object. Cypress lead them to a place safely in the middle of what Willow hoped was the second of seven sections. She didn't really have another choice except to trust the resident Slytherin. Cypress extravagantly sighed and flopped down on the couch, pretending to act like a bored rich man. Willow noticed he was dressed similarly to Oliver. In fact, when she glanced around, most of the Slytherin guys dressed in fancy suits while they weren't in their robes. Oliver was by far the best at pulling off the look. He was getting a few jealous stares from the guys, and from the girls, excitable whispering. Of course, Oliver pretended to be oblivious to it, instead preferring to exchange friendly talk with Cypress. The two were getting along better than any new friends Willow had ever seen before. She was excited for him; this was a huge step forward in improving his social anxiety.

"Hey, Mudblood," a girl whispered, though everyone nearby could hear it. "Cypress. Who's your friend, there?"

"Why should I give you his name?" Cypress asked lazily. "Are you interested in him?"

"Maybe," the girl said, her group of friends giggling excitedly nearby. Willow saw that this girl was part of the pureblood group from earlier. She had to bite her tongue so hard to keep from bursting out in laughter. Wait until she finds out he's not her type!

"How about I make you a deal?" Cypress offered. Willow sensed the mischievousness hiding below his surface. "You admit something, anything I tell you to admit, and I'll let you know something about him."

The girl giggled flirtatiously. "Alright, anything! Go ahead!"

Cypress smirked. "Admit you're racist."

The girl's nostrils flared. "How dare you! I'm not racist! I love everyone! Please, come on, just let me know his name, at least! He's the cutest boy to come to this school! Come on, Cypress, you know this is mean!"

"Alright, I'll tell you a few things," Cypress lamented. "Are you ready?"

The girl bounced on her toes excitedly. "Yes, yes, please tell me already! I'm dying to know!"

Cypress sat back, appearing aloof from the girl and everyone else entirely. "He's the most amazing person I know. His eyes are that rare emerald green, he's great at Herbology, and he's proud to be better than you and all of your friends combined because he's a Muggleborn. Hands off, Lacy. This is my Hufflepuff. You would never treat him right anyway."

The girl's mouth dropped open, then she snapped it shut, growled furiously, and stomped away to her friends. They retreated to a corner of the room, whispering darkly. Oliver beamed appreciatively at Cypress. Willow, Sue, and Sally clapped loudly, laughing at the girls' defeat. There was no stopping Cypress when he got on a roll.

"You're so good at being a tease!" Sally exclaimed. "How do you do it? Teach me your ways!"

"A master never reveals their secrets," Cypress said mysteriously. "I only perform for your guys' enjoyment."

"Well, I thoroughly enjoyed it, so thank you for brightening up my evening," Willow laughed. "How do you even know those girls? Have they spoken to you before or something?"

"Not really. I pick up information here or there, and they make it their life's goal to know anything and everything about each student that goes here. Oliver must have been especially interesting to them, being all secretive and whatnot."

"Oh, because Oliver's so mysterious," Sue said sarcastically.

"I've got my own secrets, thank you," Oliver said brightly, stretching out happily on the couch and laying his head on Cypress's lap. "It's just that I prefer to share most of my life with others."

"Good, because it's interesting, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise," Cypress said.

Trust me, you don't even know the beginning of interesting, Willow thought quietly to herself.

The rest of the evening passed in a fun blur. Oliver continued to be his usual adorable self, his persona attracted a clueless girl now and then, Cypress continued to reel them in and piss them off in the end, and Sally, Sue, and Willow thoroughly enjoyed spectating. Cypress and Oliver were getting along really well. Willow had never seen Oliver so excited to stay up with someone, so excited to try something new. He never seemed to care about all the attention he was getting, instead focusing all his attention on Cypress. The Slytherin boy really was something to marvel at. His social skills were adept for someone so introverted. Oliver listened with rapt attention when Cypress told a story, though somewhat self-centered, about his potion expeditions. Cypress was never the typical self-centered boy, though. Unlike Draco, he made remarks that, to someone who didn't know him, would sound extremely arrogant, but it was always in a fun way that seemed to mock arrogance itself. Willow had taken a strong liking to it already. By the end of the evening, they had all laughed themselves hoarse because of Cypress.

Oliver yawned around ten thirty, and Cypress immediately suggested they turn in. Oliver seemed surprised by his compassion at first, then accepted it, letting Cypress lead the way back to the dormitory. Sally and Sue decided to go to bed, too, leaving Willow by herself. She was too restless to sleep. Soon, though, she realized how lonely it was in the common room without them, and decided to head for her dorm, too.

“Psst, Wisp!” a voice hissed.

Willow recognized Draco’s voice. She glanced around, but didn’t see anyone. “What the heck- Where are you?”

“Are you sure you’re not lying about your powers? Find me with them, imbecile!”

Willow bit back a retort and reached out with her senses. She rolled her eyes when she sensed Draco behind a thick curtain. Before she could even come up with something witty to say, he yanked her behind the black curtains with him. Willow ripped her arm out of his grip.

“I can get myself back here, thanks,” she said hotly.

“Yeah, I know, but you were taking too long,” Draco said. “You were drawing attention to me. Did you not see Astoria and Tracey searching the common room?”

Willow peeked around the curtains. Indeed, Tracey and a brown-haired girl she assumed was Astoria were trying their best not to look suspicious as they tiptoed around the common room, every once in a while glancing over their shoulder. They were obviously looking for someone. Willow smirked at Draco.

“You’re considered attractive in Slytherin, are you?”

“Oh, shut up, Wisp,” Draco hissed. “I’m the best-looking second year there is. That doesn’t mean I want them fawning over me, though! They’re downright obsessive! It’s disgusting!”

“And this is coming from who, now?” Willow teased.

Draco pretended not to hear her, opting to focus in on the girls, who were making steady progress towards them. Willow was tempted to formulate an embarrassing plan.

“You know, this might look bad,” she began. “The pretty boy in Slytherin fraternizing with a Gryffindor enemy? Sounds fairly suspicious to me. The gossip would be all over school. You would be the center of attention, just like you want, hm?”

“If you make even the smallest squeak, I’m hexing your voice box out of your throat,” Draco growled.

“Squeak.”

“I hate you.”

“Tell me something I don’t know. And you made an empty threat.”

“If there's one thing you should know about me, Wisp, it's that I don't make empty threats." Draco's eyes flashed. "Great, they’re still coming this way. Follow me, and don’t you dare reveal me on purpose!”

“So I’m allowed to do it on accident?”

“No!”

Draco paused, waiting for the girls to be turned the other way, then darted to a nearby door, dragging Willow along with him. He nearly slammed it behind him until he remembered at the last second to make no sound and gently let the handle click into place. Willow inhaled a lung full of dust and coughed quietly.

“This place is awfully dusty,” she wheezed.

“Yeah, well, it’s a storage closet, what do you expect?” Draco retorted. He pulled out his wand. “Lumos!”

A small ball of light illuminated the room. Draco brushed himself off, then cursed when he stubbed his toe on something. Willow stifled her giggle and walked over to him.

“So pretty boy does curse like a sailor, just in oversized storage closets. This is quite a large area, don’t you think?”

“Shut it, Wisp,” Draco snapped. “You curse much worse than me. Don’t give me that face, you know it! I’ve heard your mouth. I do have to agree with you, though, this storage closet is suspiciously oversized.” He shined his wand on a few more items. Willow’s senses were overwhelmed with dark magic with each item the light fell on, but Draco didn’t seem to get the same feeling. “Huh. There’s a lot of cool stuff in here. It’s kind of weird that I’ve never explored this place before.”

“I’m not sure you want to,” Willow said. “Draco, this stuff doesn’t seem right. We shouldn’t touch anything.”

Draco paused, already midway through attempting to pick something up. “Why?”

“There’s something…dark about this stuff,” Willow explained, trying to keep her voice steady. Her head was buzzing with electrical signals. Something was not right about the room. “I’m not so sure this is the best place to be right now.”

“Wisp, are you still afraid of the dark?” Draco drawled.

“No, you idiot, my head is pounding because my powers are going crazy,” Willow snapped. “That’s not a good sign!”

Draco rolled his eyes. “You’re a pain, you know that?”

“Well, if being a pain means saving you from getting blasted into the Black Lake, then I’ll keep being a pain.” Willow lit up her wand, too. “Let’s just look at this stuff while we’re in here, okay? Just don’t touch anything. The last thing I need is to rush you to Madam Pomfrey and explain that you decided to touch a creepy object against my better judgement.”

“Fine, but I’m holding this against you.”

Draco firmly put his free arm against his side and continued deeper into the closet. Willow followed closely behind, not willing to admit her mistrust of him to heed her words, but too caring to let him get hurt. Several dark, sinister objects were piled along the walls, reminding her of Borgin and Burkes. It wasn't exactly evil that was emanating from the dusty storage closet. It wasn't good, either. Willow couldn't place the exact sense her powers were trying to give her. All she knew for sure was the items in this place were potentially dangerous.

"Wow, look at this," Draco whispered, his eyes glittering. "It's some sort of fancy chair."

Willow's eyes burned with the strength of the light reflecting off the chair. She rubbed them until they cleared and pulled out her wand. The chair was very ornate, being decorated with all types of gold, silver, and bronze. It had to belong to someone high up in society at one time. As Willow more closely examined it, her head went off like a metal detector, except this wasn't a metal detector. This was a major warning.

"Draco, I think we should move," Willow warned. "This isn't a good item to hang around."

"It looks like some dusty old throne to me," Draco said, shrugging. "What's the harm in it? It's not like the gold is going to poison us."

Willow swallowed hard. "Draco, seriously, step back. The chair isn't good."

Draco crossed his arms. "What, do you think it's booby trapped or something? Look, I'm going to sit down in it to prove to you it's fine. Watch me, Wisp, see? It's fine- "

Right as Draco sat in the chair, Willow's sensitive ears heard a click! Panic seized her heart. Reacting upon instincts only, Willow tackled Draco out of the chair just in time for the backrest to slide open. An extremely sharp dagger sliced through the air, inches from Willow's face, and flew into the opposite wall with a hard thwack! The two remained on the floor for several heartbeats afterwards, trembling in fear. Then, when the danger seemed to have passed, they shakily rose to their feet, fear swimming in each other's eyes.

"Okay, I'll listen to you from now on, I promise," Draco said, his voice hoarse.

"Good, I'd hope so after that," Willow said. She carefully made her way to the other side of the room, inevitably knocking a box over on her way, and finally ended up beside the knife. It was embedded deep within the wall, all the way up to its hilt. A chill washed over her as she realized that could have been in Draco's internal organs. She thanked her lucky stars that her powers had been there to save the day for once.

"Hey, Wisp, come check this out," Draco said, picking up the box she'd knocked over. "You broke something."

"Great. It probably should be broken, considering the high chance that it's full of dark magic."

"No, seriously, come here."

Willow made her way back to Draco, this time managing to keep everything intact. He held a glass vase in his hands, staring in wonder at the magically moving black stains on it, which resembled storm clouds during a particularly bad thunderstorm. Willow reached out with her senses, deeply analyzing the object, but found nothing dark about it. She found the wrappings and offered them to Draco.

"This vase is okay," she concluded. "I'm not sure if you want it, but you can safely keep it. You can charm it to look even cooler, if you want. I might even be able to grow something nice in it for you."

Draco shrugged. "Sure. I might be able to sell it, for all I know."

"You're never going to change, are you?" Willow sighed.

"Only if it benefits me in every way possible," Draco replied. "And you're too stubborn to change for anyone."

"Yes, and that includes myself."

Willow floated back to the golden chair, concerned with all the mixed signals she was receiving from it. The chair had already done its damage, so why was it giving her so many bad vibes? She traced her fingers along the compartment that held the knife. It was too shallow to be a Muggle contraption, and the power that knife had was way too much to be non-magical. This chair had to have been created by someone practiced in the dark arts- or even by someone with something to hide. An intricate carving depicting an old man and a gray-haired woman was embedded into the backrest, and in full color. There was something familiar about the man.

"Hey, Draco, does this guy remind you of someone?" Willow asked.

Draco wandered over. His eyebrows shot up and his face went slack. "How can you not recognize this guy? He's the basis of all magical stories! Even Muggles know about him! We have loads of expressions about him! That's the most powerful Slytherin to ever exist- Merlin."

Willow gasped. "The Merlin?"

"Yes! Do you know any other Merlins?" Draco scoffed. "He could blow up an entire country with a snap of his fingers, Wisp. This guy was extremely powerful. His family was dead, his life was a complete mess, and he apparently turned that into fuel to learn magic. He's every Slytherin's idol." Draco peered closer at the relief. "I don't know who that woman beside him is, though. She could be a friend, or a close relative that somehow survived. Either way, I don't think she's important."

"Wow." Willow lit up her wand and turned to stare at the knife again. "If this guy was so great, then what was he trying to hide with this chair? I mean, it's booby trapped with a high-powered knife of all things. This is pretty serious."

"Who knows? Everyone's got something to hide, but some more than others."

Willow shook her head. "And to think, you almost got impaled by Merlin's chair- "

She never got to finish her sentence. Apparently, she had said a keyword, because the knife suddenly tugged itself out of the wall and raced back towards the chair at an even greater speed than before- and Willow was standing directly in her path. She may have had quick reactions, but nothing could have dodged this dagger. Willow barely moved an inch to the side before the knife made impact. It slammed into her stomach, at first feeling like a prick, then a punch to the gut. Draco yelped. They both stared in horror as a red stain made its way across Willow's abdomen. It took quite a few moments for Willow to speak.

"That's unfortunate," she wheezed. "Oh no, shock's wearing off. Here comes the pain." Willow winced as an agonizing burning sensation spread from wound to the rest of her body. "Initiating bodily shut down in three, two, one, and...oh no."

Willow collapsed to the floor, trying not to scream in pain. Every breath brought only more agony. Warm, sticky, scarlet blood slowly seeped out from around the knife, thankfully held in by the knife. Willow reached around her back, feeling around with her hand, only to find that the knife had not completely impaled her. She breathed a sigh of relief and immediately regretted it.

"Wisp, what is it with you and always getting hurt?" Draco groaned. Willow could tell he was just trying to sort through the situation. "You're extremely frustrating, you know that? Why is it that I always have to deal with you bleeding out?"

"Ha, joke's on you, isn't it?" Willow chuckled weakly. She winced as a fresh wave of pure agony spread through her abdomen. She refused to give into the pain. "It looks like you will be taking me to the hospital wing, not the other way around."

"This isn't the time for jokes!" Draco snapped. "Tell me what to do! You know I have zero experience with injuries."

Willow gritted her teeth and sat up, expecting another round of pain, but receiving nothing. In fact, it was beginning to fade. She was still in agony, of course, but...her pain cells were desensitizing themselves. Willow flashed back to the previous year when she had punched Draco in the face. Her hand had started healing almost immediately. And all those other times she'd gotten hurt...she hadn't noticed it, because she was busy dying, but the pain had dulled itself. Her powers were literally dulling her pain and healing her faster. Willow's eyes widened as she slowly realized what she had to do.

"Hey, Draco, don't take this advice for anyone else, but I need you to listen to me," she said. "My powers extend to healing myself at a fast rate. They're strong enough now that I need to test them out. You have to be ready to sprint to the hospital wing if things go downhill, okay? Good. Alright, so for anyone else, you do not pull the knife or sword or whatever out of the wound. That allows fatal bleeding out to occur. You normally want to leave it in. This isn't the case for me tonight. I'm going to pull out the knife, and all I need you to do is keep an eye on me. Don't run unless I tell you to."

"Wisp, don't do this, this is suicide- " Draco started.

"It's not suicide, Draco," Willow said, the steely light of resolution in her eyes. "This is my curse to bear. If I'm ever going to control it, use it to my advantage, I have to stretch it to the limit, which means stretching myself to the limit. I have to take the pain now to become strong enough to bear everyone else's. It's my sole purpose in life."

Draco eyed her for several moments, clearly not okay with this plan. "Fine. But I'm going to Madam Pomfrey the moment you pass out on me."

Willow struggled to get to her feet, but made it without Draco's help. The pain was overwhelming at first, then died down. Willow knew she was going to have to keep an eye on that in the future. Though the pain would be dulled, the injury would still not heal itself fully, and if it was left unchecked to long, she could die unexpectedly. She shook her head. Now was not the time to think about that. She had more important things to attend to. Gripping the hilt of the knife with both hands, Willow yanked it out with all of her might. It came clean out of her stomach. Blood gushed forth, soaking her shirt with a deep red stain. Draco worriedly paced nearby.

"Why do you make me watch this?" he whined.

"I didn't say you had to watch, dummy," Willow retorted. She pressed her shirt closer to the wound, though it was unnecessary at this point. The blood was beginning to clot already. "But if you want to watch, it's pretty cool."

Draco turned around and watched with wide eyes as the knife wound agonizingly began to close, inch by agonizing inch, until there was only half as much bleeding, which was still a lot, but more of a long-term threat. Willow whimpered in pain. Her powers seemed to summarize all the pain into a small amount of time when it sped up the healing process. She could hardly stand it. Her lip was almost bleeding, she bit into it so hard. Willow drew her sleeves over herself to cover up the blood.

"I'll be fine now, you go on," she said to Draco. "I can bandage myself up. I've done it before."

Draco didn't budge. Even when Willow raised her eyebrows in inquiry, he stood, rooted to the spot. She was about to say something rather snarky when he finally asked, "Is it...worth it? I mean, all the pain?"

He might as well have kicked Willow right in the gut. She internally coughed and spluttered, taking several moments to recover from the shock. Then, she realized Draco was actually waiting for an answer. Willow knew exactly what he was asking. Whether it was the pain from the knife wound, or the agony of bringing up the few memories that kept her going, her voice cracked when she answered with a resounding, "Yes." Willow cleared her throat. "What makes it worth it is not the pride of overcoming the pain, but knowing that you've spared someone else the same suffering. That is what makes everything worth it."

Draco stood there for several moments, lost in thought, then absentmindedly said, "I'll see you in the morning," and cautiously exited the broom closet, leaving Willow alone with her bloodstained shirt. She bandaged herself up by the light of her wand, then tiptoed into her dormitory, finding everyone already asleep. They were snoring fairly similarly to the Gryffindor Sisters, but it wasn't the same.

Willow stared out of her porthole for a long time before she went to bed that night. The dark water was a deep hue of green during the midnight hours. A few fish swam by, though Willow hardly noticed them. She was staring at the stars, far above the water, shining on its surface and refracting broken rays of light to the bottom. Willow sighed inwardly, missing the days she had played with someone from her past, running until their legs gave out, playing each other in soccer until the sun went down, holding each other close during severe thunderstorms until they fell asleep, feeling one another's heartbeats against their chests.

It will all be worth it, if only I can be with you again, Willow whispered to the stars.

Even though he couldn't answer, Willow could still hear his voice.

I am always with you.


	28. Year 2: Chapter 7

Willow woke up to Fidget tickling her nose. He perked up when she opened her eyes, making that adorable little purring sound. When Willow smiled, Fidget emitted a small humming sound. Fidget always tended to react happily to Willow's positive emotions. She sat up in bed, letting Fidget crawl in her hair. The bowtruckle sweetly untangled her messed up hair, careful not to pull it, and finally slid down its full length to her pillow. Achelous sleepily opened his eyes on her nightstand, his pink tongue lazily hanging out of his mouth. Willow looked on as Fidget gently batted Achelous with the leaves on top of his head to wake him up. All three of her creatures, including Iris, who was bound to be returning to the Owlery at that hour, had thankfully decided to get along with one another. If she wasn't there to scold them for fighting, it would probably have been a completely different story, but she was happy to see her creatures forming a sort of family.

Willow checked her watch. It was already seven in the morning. She and her roommates had to get going soon if they wanted to get breakfast in before classes. Willow stood up and threw her pillow on Sue, then Sally.

"Come on, guys, wake up!" she whispered. "You're not allowed to miss breakfast."

"Willow, no, just...no," Sally groaned. "I have to deal with your morning obsession over in Gryffindor Tower. Give me a break for at least one morning!"

"I did yesterday, remember?"

"She's right, Sally, she let us sleep in yesterday," Sue chimed in, yawning and sitting up in bed. "You decided to waste half the day and sleep in until noon. It's not our fault that you stay up half the night."

"But night is so much better than morning!" Sally whined. "I mean, who wouldn't want an excuse to drink a boatload of sugar and caffeine at 1am? Then you get to gossip with your friends, dream together while completely loopy...it's awesome."

"Well, you can't do any of that if you don't eat breakfast, so get your butt up," Willow said. "You could have joined us for several competitive rounds of Exploding Snap yesterday if you hadn't slept so long and been too tired to function until dinner."

"Meh, I'm awful at that game anyway."

Willow went to the bathroom and got dressed, allowed Fidget to hop into her pocket, and shoved Sally out of bed to finally get her moving. She and Sue waited an extra five minutes for her before leaving for the Great Hall. A few Slytherins were up, but the majority of people exiting the common room were from the house exchange. Willow found it odd. Did Slytherins always wait until the last second to have breakfast? She would have thought she'd have paid more attention to them.

Cypress and Oliver were groggily trudging through the dungeon halls when Willow, Sally, and Sue caught up with them. They perked up, though it was barely noticeable.

"Hey, guys!" Cypress greeted. "Is it just me, or are you guys more exhausted than usual this morning?"

"I feel like I drank five bottles of butterbeer," Sally agreed. Her eyes widened. "Not that I've ever been drunk before. Nope, never happened. I don't know how many bottles I can drink before I'm completely drunk. How could I if I've never tried it, right?"

"You're an awful liar," Sue giggled.

"Me and every other Gryffindor. Guilty as charged. It was so worth it, though." Sally glanced at Oliver. "How was your first two nights staying in Slytherin? You don't seem any more tired than usual."

"It's been good," Oliver replied.

Cypress rolled his eyes. "Back to clamming up at all times, I see. Don't worry, it's fine."

"Guys, do you smell that?" Willow asked. She inhaled deeply, eyes brightening. "I really hope that is what I think it is. Come on, let's get going! I want to eat as much as I can before class starts!"

Willow's friends had to run to catch up with her. She scaled the stairs, ran into the Entrance Hall, and practically bowled over the Slytherin table. Sally and Cypress were both clutching their sides by the time they sat down.

"Blimey, Willow, don't make me run!" Cypress said. "I can't remember the last time I actually did exercise!"

"Good luck living around Willow, then, because she never stops running," Sally panted. "I learned that the hard way. The only good thing about that run is now I actually get to eat more for breakfast!"

"Oh, don't tell me you've started watching what you eat," Willow said.

Sally threw up her hands in defeat. "Hey, I'm in love with food. It's a love-hate relationship, so I always get enough, but never starve myself. You have full permission to hex me out of existence if I ever starve myself."

"Permission received," Willow said. "You better not force my hand. In the meantime, I'm going to dig into these wonderful blueberry muffins." She took a bite, the fruity flavor combined with the savory muffin batter melting her senses. There was no doubt she would finish all three muffins that were sitting on her platter. "If you don't like these, get out of my life."

"Good thing I like them, then," Cypress said, biting into a muffin. His voice was muffled when he spoke again. "You're cool enough to tolerate."

"Just cool enough to tolerate?" Willow asked, eyebrows raised.

"Eh, I think I'll keep you around, you know, in case you come in handy," Cypress said.

Willow shook her head. She wasn't about to dig deeper into that argument, however lighthearted and fun. She had a schedule to memorize. Willow pulled out the sheet that had appeared on her nightstand the day before. Her first class of the day happened to be Potions, which was with her very own house, Gryffindor. Willow gulped. At least she would get the shock over with sooner rather than later, right? The Gryffindor Sisters were in for a nasty surprise this morning.

The bell rang, signalling the end of breakfast, and the entire Great Hall proceeded to their first class of the morning. Willow noticed that the Slytherins had finally made an appearance. They were mingling among the students, grumpily sticking together in tight groups, acting even more irritable than usual. Only Cypress and Lila seemed to be the exceptions. Willow had never seen them like this before.

"Wisp, are you going to ignore me all day, or are you going to answer me?"

Draco appeared at Willow's side, obviously disgruntled. Crabbe and Goyle roughly shoved Sally and Sue behind them to make room for themselves. The girls scowled deeply at the Slytherin boys. Willow elbowed both of them in the gut and slipped behind them, wand out and pointing between the two buffoons.

"If you want to keep your eyebrows, I suggest you treat my friends with respect," Willow growled. She centered her wand on Draco's face. "That goes for you too, mierdita."

Draco stared at her for a long moment, fighting a glare, before barking, "Crabbe, Goyle, don't touch them ever again."

Crabbe and Goyle blinked stupidly, then shuffled behind the girls. Willow picked up the pace to leave the chubby boys way behind. Sally and Sue didn't complain. Draco tried very hard not to be irritated by this. He fumed silently for several minutes, hardly making the walk to class any less awkward, until they reached the corridor that would take them to Potions. Willow stopped abruptly, letting Sally and Sue go ahead. Cypress nearly ran into them from behind on his way down the stairs. They all quizzically glanced at her.

"Go on, guys, I'll be there in a second," she promised.

Sally, Sue, Oliver, and Cypress warily continued to Snape's classroom, casting worried looks in her direction more than once. Draco pouted, leaning against a wall and glaring at his feet. Willow waited for her friends to get well inside the Potions class before speaking to him.

"What's wrong with everyone, Draco?" she whispered.

"What do you mean?" he said smartly.

Willow sighed. "Alright, fine, be an insufferable git. Don't come crying to me when it gets you nowhere."

Draco stood up straight, nostrils flaring. "I'm not being an insufferable git today, Wisp."

"Have you seen yourself lately? Yes you are."

"I'm actually not being a git for once, Willow!" Draco hissed. "Have you not noticed what's going on? Everyone is acting the same way. In Slytherin, at least. And you call yourself observant." Draco glowered at her. "How did you not notice that the Slytherin table was empty this morning? Everyone was whispering about it in the halls!"

"I've been having a little trouble with my senses lately, Draco," Willow snapped. "I only have two options when they get overwhelming: dull them, or let them run wild. I'll let you guess which route I chose. Not that you cared to ask, anyway."

"How is anyone supposed to notice something that imperceptible?" Draco retorted. "I would have asked- " Draco sighed. "You know what, Wisp? I'm not going to give this one to you. Figure it out on your own." He started towards the classroom, then turned when he realized Willow wasn't following. "Well? Are you going to take the Troll on this assignment or are you going to help me?"

Willow took a deep breath and followed him into the classroom just as the bell rang. Both she and Draco plopped down, slumping in their chairs, facing away from each other. Professor Snape started the lesson promptly. He wrote a long list on the board, then let them loose to get their ingredients and brew the potion. Willow stubbornly waited for a while, and after Draco refused to move as well, angrily stood up and got them herself.

"Thanks for the help, Blonde," she said, dumping the ingredients next to their cauldron. "Are you going to get over your tantrum or are you going to sit there and let me sabotage our Water-Breathing Potion?"

Draco snorted. "You'd never do that."

"And how do you know that?"

"You're too much of a perfectionist to even think about not doing an assignment." When Willow tried to say something, he interrupted her with a shake of his head. "Don't bother. I've seen the way you overreact to anything less than an Outstanding. Your face is priceless." Draco's face darkened. "Of course, you wouldn't know what I think about an Acceptable. You don't pay attention to anyone but yourself."

Willow slammed her knife down on the table. "Really, Draco? You're going to pull the self-pitying thing on me to get me to feel bad for you? Newsflash, it isn't working!"

"I'm not pulling the self-pitying thing on you. I'm telling you the truth, but you can't accept that, either."

Willow seethed with anger. "I can accept the truth, Draco, so why don't you start by telling me what the chip on your shoulder is? In fact, spell out exactly what's wrong with all of Slytherin, because I'm too dumb to figure it out, am I not?"

Draco abruptly stood up, sending his chair flying and attracting the attention of nearby students. "You are too dumb to figure it out, you stupid bloody Gryffindor! You can't see past your nose, you're so bloody thick-headed! Do you want to know what's really wrong with Slytherin? I'll tell you what's wrong with us. This house exchange has brought in a large group of students, most of which don't want anything to do with us in the first place, and they're invading our living space. The one place that's safe from your torment, teasing, and stereotypes. We can dodge your hexes and curses there. There's no other place that won't call us evil or throw us out for fear of an unforgivable curse. We're not evil, Wisp, but no one can seem to figure that out except you. Slytherin has been invaded and we can't do anything about it. We no longer have a safe place to come back to. We're trapped, and somehow you can't see that. It's ridiculous, Wisp. You can see us but not our struggles. How can you call yourself fair like that?"

Willow stood very still, stunned to her core. How could she be so stupid? All the wary stares, the fidgeting and avoiding eye contact, the unfriendliness; it all made sense now. The Slytherin students were scared. There was nowhere for them to go anymore. Willow felt like she'd been kicked in the gut. Draco was right. How could she call herself fair if she didn't empathize with Slytherin, too? She had a sudden desire to march up to every student spreading lies and rumors about Slytherin and give them a piece of her mind. The jaw or cheekbone would do.

"Oh, so now you're suddenly all defensive of us, are you?" Draco spat. "Forget it, Wisp. The damage was done centuries ago, and now it's filtered down to us. There's nothing you can do. Just let it run its course and stay out of it, like you always do. You'll find some other way to get in detention."

Willow silently prepared the ingredients to the Potion, ignoring the fact that Draco wasn't doing anything. Professor Snape passed by several times in the next half hour, never once making a comment about Draco's inactivity. Willow tried really hard not to let on how hurt she was by this self-discovery. She had been thinking she was honest and fair her whole life, but now she realized just how wrong that assumption was. She was not fair until she empathized with every part of Slytherin's problem, not just part of it. There was a big picture that she had somehow been missing. Now that she saw it, in all of its sad, astonishing glory, she wondered how on Earth she could have overlooked it.

"You're doing it wrong," Draco whispered.

Willow paused, about to put in the last ingredient. "What do you mean? Is this not the last step?"

"You were so lost in thought you forgot to stir it, imbecile," Draco said. He stood up, taking the ingredient and stirring rod from her. "Let me do it before we have to start over."

Willow watched in silence as Draco finished brewing the Potion, brow knitting in concentration. Professor Snape gave them an immediate Outstanding mark, appearing to materialize out of nowhere, the moment Draco finished it. Snape prowled away in Neville's direction where, unfortunately, he and Seamus's cauldron appeared on the verge of exploding.

"I'm going to help Crabbe and Goyle," Draco announced quietly. "See you in the common room."

Willow opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it and let him go. He was hurting from letting out everything at once. She could understand that, if nothing else.

"Willow, there you are!"

A pack of girls swarmed in front of Willow. She recognized her Gryffindor Sisters, bubbly and over-concerned as always.

"We were looking for you all last night!"

"We've been wondering where you and Sally had gone off to!"

"Where have you been?"

Willow really tried. She wanted to tell them the truth so bad. But it wouldn't come. Willow opened her mouth to say something, but not a single syllable came out. She had to lie. Willow gulped and hoped no one could hear her stomach dropping. She cleared her throat inaudibly and said, "I couldn't sleep last night. Rough nightmares lately. Sally had them, too, so she came with me."

"Oh, Willow...!"

The Gryffindor Sisters enveloped her in a hug. They cast her apologetic and worried glances simultaneously, seemingly on the verge of tears. Willow wanted to scream with the guilt that was piling up so fast. Her stomach was getting queasy from that one simple lie; how would she get through this week without dying of shame?

"We'll go check on Sally, then," Lavender announced. "See you later, Willow!"

"Wait, Sally doesn't want to talk about it," Willow hurriedly interrupted, hoping the panic didn't show on her face. "She told me so last night. This one isn't something she wants to share with anyone. I'd leave her alone for now."

"Are you sure?" Fay asked. "She seems lonely."

Willow glanced over at Sally, who was absentmindedly staring at the wall while Tracey Davis, her partner for the year, faced away from her, chatting across the aisle with Millicent Bulstrode instead. She bit back her immediate reaction and said, "I'm sure, guys. Go on. Sally really needs some time to...sort out her thoughts."

"As long as you're sure," Mia said quietly. "Bye, Willow. See you in the common room."

"See you in the- common room."

The Gryffindor Sisters marched away, gathering in a corner of the room to probably talk about the boys they were currently fancying. Willow wished she wouldn't have suppressed her senses lately. She could have participated from afar. It was her own fault that she was separated from them, of course, but she missed them more than she thought she ever could, and she was still within the walls of Hogwarts! Willow sighed, slumping in her chair. This was going to be a long week.

An explosion went off on the Gryffindor side of the room. Smoke curled to the ceiling from Seamus's hair, and Neville's cauldron was blackened with soot. Snape angrily marched over to their table to clean up the mess. Willow was zoning so much at that point that she didn't notice Cypress tapping her on the back until he practically knocked her out of her chair.

"Hey! What- oh, hey Cypress, Oliver!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Cypress is working on a new potion! He got an idea from the one we just did!" Oliver exclaimed.

Willow smiled. "Did you figure out how not to cave in the first floor corridor?"

Cypress smacked her with a book and scoffed. "I know exactly how and how not to do that, thanks! The last time was an experimental success! You guys were in the right place at the right time, or you wouldn't have met me, and I don't know how you would be doing without me right now."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Come on, sabihondo. Let's see what you're blowing up today."

Cypress glanced at Oliver. "Did she just call me...what I think she did?"

"Yep."

"You just keep getting better and better, Willow," Cypress chuckled. "Let's go back to my lab, then."

For the rest of Potions, Willow, Oliver, and Cypress experimented with a new ingredient in Cypress's old potion. He came close to obliterating the classroom a couple of times, but Cypress was quick to fix the situations. They ended up completing a successful "rough draft" of the Strength Potion, as Cypress called it. Instead of a black, brown, gray, or another dark color, this potion was bright yellow. Cypress estimated that it would change to a shade of green by the time he got it right. Maybe it would be the color of Oliver's eyes. Oliver seemed to like the idea of a potion matching his eye color. They went to lunch very happy, laughing at every joke Cypress made.

Then, Sally sat down next to Willow with a huff. She pulled out her Potions textbook, crossed out a few steps, scribbled down a few notes, and roughly shoved it back into her bag. Tracey Davis plopped down across from her, equally huffy and pouty. Willow raised an eyebrow.

"Did I miss something?" she whispered to Sally.

"You missed something, alright," Sally growled. "Tracey was insulting Sam right to my face all of Potions. I did all the work- not that it matters, it's her grades that are going down, not mine- and she kept gossiping about Sam with Millicent the whole time!" Sally appeared to mentally take a step back. "Well, Millicent wasn't really committing to it. She was kind of squirmy about it. But Tracey...sometimes I really question how hard I want to fight against believing these stereotypes."

"Keep fighting, Sally," Willow encouraged. "We don't understand what a person's going through every day. You can only try to correct them and leave it alone. Let it go in one ear and out the other. I think I've figured out how to confront them pretty well now." Willow paused. "Do you want me to talk to Tracey?"

"No, let me handle it," Sally said, brightening a bit. "We all know how badly you handle fights. Punching people in the face doesn't make people like you, Willow, it just makes them bruised, bloody, and madder than before. Do you tend to tick everyone off at some point?"

"I have a tendency to anger people, yes," Willow admitted. "I'm not very agreeable, with my radical ideas and all."

"Yeah, because you're totally radical," Sally said. She shook her head. "Come on, let's eat before I get hangry."

Willow and Sally piled rolls onto their plates, teasing each other about eating too much every day. They made it into a competition to eat as many rolls as possible before they blew up. Willow ended up eating eight, and Sally seven. They gripped their stomachs, groaning and in a temporary food coma. Oliver and Cypress each gave them a small bowl of blueberries.

"Okay, I know you love carbs more than anything else in the world, but you have to eat fruit before you die of scurvy, you crazy pirates," Cypress teased.

"But I'm so full..." Sally whined.

"Can't eat another bite..." Willow agreed.

"I'll eat some, then," Oliver said, grabbing a handful and eating one. "They're amazing."

"Fine, I'll eat a few." Willow forced herself to eat a handful of blueberries. "Will this be enough to keep away scurvy, Cypress?"

"Just enough," he replied. "Hey, is that your- "

"Willow Guerrero! What are you doing over here?" Paige half-shouted, half-whispered. She stopped a foot away from her, hands on her hips. "Why would you ditch us for Slytherin, of all- " Paige's voice abruptly cut out, her eyes taking in the mix of second years standing around her. She sounded hurt when she said, "You signed up for the house exchange, didn't you?"

Willow couldn't lie yet again. Paige, of all people, didn't deserve that. They had a policy of honesty now, even when it hurt. This time, her voice came in strong, and she said, "I did, Paige, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Paige took a step back, letting out a strong breath. "Well...this is not going how I thought it was going to."

Willow blinked. "What?"

"Fred and George are going to kill us," she sighed, running a hand through her hair and staring off at the wall, frowning. "They are so going to kill us."

Cypress, Oliver, and Sally were glancing between Paige and Willow, brows knit in confusion. As the older girl paced silently, Willow came a sudden realization. "Wait a second...you signed up too?"

"Took you long enough to realize!" Paige exclaimed, then fearfully glanced at the Gryffindor table, where Fred and George were currently preoccupied. She lowered her voice. "I'm cheating, technically, by sitting with Gryffindor, and I'm also going back and forth from my classes and Slytherin's- Merlin's beard would a time turner be helpful right about now...anyway, yes, I'm staying in Slytherin."

"But...I didn't see you on Saturday night when we first went there."

"Oh Willow, you have so much to learn," Paige chuckled. "Lee had a little Polyjuice Potion left on the Black Market. I do have a reputation to keep up, you know. Also, I was the last one to sign up for the exchange. Right before it was taken down, actually. It's exhausting to keep it a secret. I'm sure you feel the same."

"Ye- Yeah, it is," Willow said, her breath catching in her throat. "How is it so far?"

"Pretty bad, actually," Paige said, throwing a glare in a few older girls' direction. "Lila's the only one that's been nice so far, as I'm sure you've noticed. That girl is impossible to miss- " Paige cleared her throat. "Back on topic. The girls in my year for Slytherin happen to be almost entirely pureblooded, so I catch all kinds of hell from them for being a Muggleborn. It doesn't hurt, and I think that really pisses them off, but hey, I'm known for pissing Slytherins off all the time. They've only attacked me once so far."

"What? Who attacked you? Where are they?" Willow asked.

"Easy there, Willow, don't get kicked out of the house exchange already," Sally said, subconsciously taking Willow's hands and pinning them behind her back. "Paige can pick and choose her own battles."

Willow sat back and scowled across the table at the fourth year Slytherin girls. "Fine. I'll give them another chance. But one step over the line, and I'm hexing them out of existence."

"Don't bother," Cypress sighed. When Paige gave him a quizzical glance, he said, "I'm Cypress, the better Slytherin Willow chose to hang out with. You've heard about me already." Recognition flashed across Paige's face. "Anyway, hexing someone out of existence only removes you from Hogwarts, and Slytherins never forgive someone for attacking them. Trust me, there's been a fight between a Ravenclaw and Slytherin that's been going strong for six years now. It's a constant revenge story. You don't want to get stuck in that, Willow. It sucks."

"Um, guys?" Oliver whimpered. He pointed to the other side of the Great Hall. "Sue's in trouble."

Willow shot to her feet just as the entire Great Hall turned their heads. Two Slytherin boys were thoroughly enjoying their torment of a fellow student. Sue, who was at least a foot shorter than them, was backed up against the wall, tears streaming down her face. The boys held her at wandpoint, laughing in her face and egging each other on. They fired a jinx each at her. Sue crumpled to the ground, sobbing, while the boys taunted her and threw insults at her. "Mudblood!" rang in Willow's ears. Infuriated, she glanced at Sally, who gave a decisive nod, and charged towards the scene.

"Stay down, you filthy Mudblood!" one boy shouted. "How dare you enter our common room!"

"It's called a house exchange, chingadero!"

A few students gasped, but Willow ignored them. She wasn't about to filter her language when she was going to get detention anyway. Willow fired off a few jinxes, only managing to lock one boy's legs together, and ended up casting the full body-binding curse on him. Then, she shoved her wand into her pocket and jumped onto the other boy, punching him in the face. A sickening crack! echoed off the stone walls. The boy screamed and fired a curse at Willow. She dodged it. He fired again. Willow was forced into a somersault to avoid it. The third time, the boy got lucky. Willow tripped and was hit in the leg with a curse. She let out a yelp as a single shallow cut slashed through her skin. Even more aggravated than before, Willow dashed to the boy, slammed him into the wall, and hit him hard in the gut. He grunted in pain and crumpled to the ground, where he received an even harder kick to the ribs. The boy tried to rapid-fire spells in Willow's direction, but his aim was way off and he ended up hitting another student. Willow whipped out her wand and was about to cast another body-binding curse when her arms were suddenly pinned behind her back by a magical force. The other boys' arms were thrown behind him, too. Willow fell on her face and bruise her cheek. Seething, she shot to her feet, only to meet the furious gazes of Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. She gulped and shrank away. McGonagall cast the counter-curse on Sue.

"Miss Li, you may leave," she said evenly. Sue glanced thankfully at Willow, wiping the tears off her cheeks, then made her way to the Slytherin table, covering her face because everyone was staring at her. Mandy, Lisa, and Sam sprinted to her from their respective tables. Professor McGonagall then turned her menacing expression on Willow and the boys. "My office. Now."

"But Professor, Daniel can't- " the boy started.

"I will perform the counter-curse on him, Smith," Professor Snape said. "Go with Professor McGonagall. Now."

Smith lowered his eyes. He glared at Willow for good measure, then followed Professor McGonagall at a brisk pace. The entire walk was in a deafening silence. Willow didn't feel one scrap of remorse for what she did. The boys were torturing Sue. They deserved what they got, even though it meant detention on her part. It was such a statement to torture an exchange student in the middle of the Great Hall. They had obviously had plenty of time to reconsider, but they didn't. The boys were trying to make a statement, and Willow told them exactly what she thought of it. She had made her stance clear. No one should be taunted for their blood status, especially her friends. Everyone knew what was coming when they made the decision to be an arsehole now.

Professor McGonagall unlocked her door, then marched Willow and Smith in. She sat them down directly across from her. Willow waited in silence for Professor Snape and Daniel to arrive, fuming in her chair. When Snape and a now mobile Daniel finally arrived, Professor McGonagall flicked her wand to shut the door, then stared at each student in turn. Willow met her gaze with an even, unwavering, relentless expression. McGonagall seemed to dissect this reaction, then paused before speaking.

"What were you two boys doing to Miss Li?" she asked.

Daniel wore a mask of apology. "We didn't mean to hurt her, Professor, honest. She was just making remarks about our Potions work- "

"As I recall, second years had Potions last hour, not fifth years," McGonagall interrupted. Daniel and Smith shrank beneath her withering gaze. "Do not attempt to lie your way out of the situation. You will receive extra detention for this."

"But Professor, she was really- " Smith started.

"Silence, Smith," Snape snapped.

Smith stared at his shoes, frustration and guilt mixed in his expression. Willow really wanted to feel bad for him, but she couldn't empathize with a racist pureblood-maniac. He was beyond her level of comprehension at the moment. She couldn't spare him any sympathy.

"As for you, Miss Guerrero," Professor McGonagall said, "why did you attack these boys?"

"They were torturing my friend, Professor," Willow said, trying to refrain from demonizing the boys further than she already was. "Sue was not fighting back when I saw them attacking her. I couldn't let them keep hurting her, so I attacked them."

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "And did you attempt to injure Mr. Smith in any way?"

Willow lowered her eyes, seething. "Yes," she admitted through gritted teeth. "I try not to go by the saying 'An eye for an eye', but when it comes to my friends, I struggle not to get even with attackers for hurting them, especially when they aren't fighting back."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "I see. Were you aware that your actions cause Mr. Smith to injure another student?"

Willow almost jumped out of her seat. She'd forgotten about the stray spell. "They're injured? Is it bad? Oh no, I didn't provoke him into nearly killing someone, did I? Who's been hurt?"

"Settle down, Miss Guerrero, it was merely a minor hex," McGonagall reassured her. "He has already been taken care of. Draco Malfoy should be out of the hospital wing within minutes."

Great, I'll never hear the end of this one, Willow thought to herself.

"As it is," Professor McGonagall said, glancing at each of the students again, "you have all broken a sufficient number of school rules to receive maximum detention. Professor Snape, you may take Smith and Daniel from here and decide their punishment. Good day to you all."

Professor Snape nodded curtly, took Smith and Daniel from the room, and shut the door behind them, leaving Willow all alone with Professor McGonagall. She sensed a bit of an internal struggle within McGonagall. It was several agonizing moments of waiting before she gave her the sentence.

"You will be serving three nights of detention, Miss Guerrero, for attempting to injure students in the name of justice. I suggest you control that anger of yours. You will not be let off so easily in the future. Return to the Great Hall, please. You will receive your detention slips tomorrow evening at dinner."

"Thank you, Professor," Willow said, standing up to leave.

"Miss Guerrero," McGonagall said quietly.

Willow turned around. "Yes, Professor?"

"Do remember that the house exchange is only going to succeed with the cooperation of the students," Professor McGonagall said. "And be careful with that bowtruckle of yours. He has a knack for attention. Good day to you, Willow."

Willow's hand flew to her breast pocket, where Fidget was waving a spindly arm at McGonagall. She simply smiled back. Willow paused for a moment, unsure of what to say, knowing full well that she was causing the house exchange to backfire, then thought better of speaking at all and left the office.

On the way back to the Great Hall, Willow gave a stern talking-to to Fidget. He seemed to let it go in one ear and out the other. The little bowtruckle did like lots of attention, now that she thought about it. She wondered if that was because his previous "caretakers" had neglected him. Willow could hardly stand the thought of it. She tickled Fidget, causing him to laugh in that adorable way that made his whole body squirm. Willow thought herself so lucky that she had this little gift in her life. He might be the only reason she wasn't serving extra detention that week. Fidget playfully blew raspberries at her. Willow rolled her eyes, stuffing him back into her pocket as she entered the Great Hall. She automatically went to the Slytherin table, where Sue was still wiping tears off her face, Oliver and Lisa holding either of her hands. Mandy, Sam, and Sally were all standing around her, softly saying encouraging and uplifting things to her. Willow rushed to Sue's side. She could have cared less that every student's eyes were on her.

"Sue, I never got to ask you if you're okay," Willow said breathlessly.

"It's alright, I'm okay now," Sue sniffed. She dried her eyes on her sleeve. "I'm fine."

"What even provoked them?" Willow asked. "I don't understand why anyone would tease you. It makes no sense!"

"They- " Sue's eyes welled with tears. "They were flirting with me in the corridors. I tried to nonverbally tell them to go away, but it escalated quickly. They started saying inappropriate things. I yelled at them to go away, and- and they started shouting slurs at me until they attacked me in here. I couldn't- I just didn't want to fight back. I thought that would let them know I wasn't okay with it. But they- " A single tear traced its way down Sue's cheeks. "They didn't care."

"They never do," a voice whispered.

Everyone turned around to see Padma Patil. She was even more beautiful than the last time Willow had seen her. Padma put her hand on Sue's shoulder, gently holding her.

"Boys can be awful," she said. "They ignore our silent signs and think that we're too weak to fight back. When we shout, they think we're emotionally unstable. There's no convincing those two dirtbags of our humanity. Not all of them are like that, but the few that are ruin everything, don't they?" Sue nodded. "You just have to learn how to defend yourself. One of these days, you're going to see it coming before it happens, and I'll be there to applaud you when you send him running." Sue smiled through her tears, looking up at her. Padma returned her expression. "For now, it's okay for it to hurt. Do you want to take a walk with me?"

Sue nodded. Padma gently took Sue's arm in hers, and they walked from the hall, heads held high, not fearfully looking back at the staring mass of students. When they disappeared from sight, Lisa and Mandy exchanged a glance.

"What...just happened?" Sally asked.

"You got to witness the power of Padma Patil in person," Mandy said. "That girl is the strongest person I've ever met in my life. She's amazing at everything, yet she's still so human. I'll never achieve that level of prowess."

"Don't say that about yourself," Willow chided. "You're amazing too, Mandy. In fact, all of you need to take a lesson in self-pride. You're all so awesome and you don't even know it!"

"Says the one that beats herself up over spilling water on the floor," Sam said.

"That was one time, Sam, one time!"

"Hey, I'm just saying- "

"Sam, shut it," Sally commanded. Sam fell silent. "Willow's right. We need to have a little more confidence in ourselves, guys. Let's make a deal from here on out: every time we catch ourselves thinking negatively about ourselves, you have to find one positive thing about yourself and say it as many times in your head as it takes to sink in. No more self pity! I'm sick of all this depressing crap."

"I'm in," Oliver said.

"Definitely not going to work, but okay," Sam said, shrinking under his twin's glare.

"I'll try..." Lisa said quietly.

"I don't have anything to lose," Mandy said.

"Well, I'm already fabulous and know it, so I can't put myself up any more," Cypress teased.

"I will kick you off your high horse, Cypress!" Willow threatened. She shook her head. "One of these days...I'm in, Sally."

"Good!" Sally expression turned serious. "I'm watching you guys, remember that!"

At the end of the table, outrageous laughter filled the air. A group of Slytherins had gathered around someone, leaning in to hear him, then banging their fists on the table and hooting and hollering. Willow recognized Millicent Bulstrode and Blaise Zabini among the crowd. The majority of the crowd was second years, actually. When she heard a familiar voice, she groaned, knowing it could only mean one thing. Willow left her friends to themselves and pushed her way to the front of the crowd, where Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were seated in the center, appearing very pleased with themselves.

"Madam Pomfrey was seriously worried about me," he drawled. "She said the curse was reversible, thank Merlin, but one more hit with it and I'd have dropped dead! I'm lucky to be alive."

"Are you still hurt, Draco?" Pansy Parkinson gasped.

"No, I'm fine now," he replied lazily. "I have a high pain tolerance. I broke my wrist when I was younger, see, and I never even cried. Smith was crying, though, did you see that? Willow must have broken his jaw. Pity it didn't break her hand as well."

Willow tensed up. She wanted to leave, but so desperately wanted to stay and know what Draco said about her behind her back. Was it bad? Was it admirable? She had to know! Willow drew her hood up a little farther to hide her identity. Draco started telling yet another story, getting very into it from the very beginning. He acted out some of the parts, even standing up on the table and pretending to get hit with a curse, which Willow was certain never happened, judging by his nonchalant reaction, but she kept her mouth shut and listened. Draco seemed to be a master of crowds, drawing gasps and even admiring compliments for his heroic actions (which Willow was also certain never happened). She wanted to confront him, but she couldn't stand the thought of bursting his bubble when he was being so good for once.

"And he was like, 'I'm going to kill you, little boy!' and I was like, 'Yeah right," so I hit him with this spell- like this- " Draco pretended to fire off a spell, taking up a courageous pose- "and the guy was like, 'Aah!' and dropped to the ground."

The crowd applauded. Willow rolled her eyes and clapped along with them.

"Thank you, thank you!" Draco said.

"Ooh, Draco, tell us the other story again!" Millicent insisted.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell it again," Draco relented, as if it were extra effort he was too lazy to do. "Any volunteers to help me demonstrate it? Don't worry, you'll never be able to act like me, but it will be fun anyway."

A group of girls clambered for Draco's attention. He drew out their enthusiasm, pausing a hundred times between picking them, and finally reenacted the story. There were several parts Willow questioned, of course, and she had to roll her eyes at others, but by the end, Draco hadn't said anything against Muggleborns. When the bell rang, Willow was almost sorry to go to class. The Draco Malfoy she saw every day was melting away to reveal the true Draco that she knew was underneath all that propaganda his parents fed him.

And he was beautiful.

"Willow, duck!"

"What- " Willow flipped upside down on her broomstick. "Hey! George, I thought you said that was the last time five rounds ago!" She involuntarily gasped and dove to the right to avoid yet another bludger. "Fred!"

Fred and George only laughed and high-fived each other in response, flying to the other side of the pitch. Willow blew a strand of hair out of her face and stared after them, shaking her head. The twins had been pestering her ever since she'd told them she'd lost a bet with Draco and had to sit at the Slytherin table that week. She didn't mind, of course, but each time they came near she was reminded how thin the ice was that she was walking on. Willow had never been able to lie to them. Now that she had, it was difficult not to make up more every time she saw them, just in case they were necessary, to keep them happy with her, but she would never be able to keep more than one straight. Willow wished she could pluck up the courage to tell them and get it over with sooner rather than later.

"Fred, George! It's time!" Wood shouted.

Fred and George gave him a goofy salute. "Aye aye, captain!"

Wood pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just go spy already! And don't you dare try to pull anything while you're at it! We can't have you blowing your cover this early! Got it?"

Fred and George had already zoomed off, either ignoring or not hearing Wood's pleas. Wood pulled himself together and kept practicing with Angelina, Katie, and Alicia. Their shots were coming along lately. Gryffindor would have an advantage to this next game Chaser-wise. Willow was distracted by the Chasers so much that she didn't even notice the Snitch hovering directly beneath her broom. Harry came zooming underneath her, nearly unseating her. Willow frantically pulled herself back onto her broom and gave Harry an annoyed look.

"What did you knock me off my broom for?" she asked.

"Why were you not paying attention?" Harry countered.

"Touché."

Ten minutes later, practice ended, and Wood released them, wishing them a happy Halloween. It had been a long week for Willow. Each day of the house exchange had dragged by endlessly. Paige and the rest of her friends were bright spots, but Tracey, Daphne, and Millicent were rather arrogant and rude, however subtle they tried to be about it. Sue had refused to go anywhere near the older boys in Slytherin for the entire week. Padma and she sat together when they had classes with Gryffindor to comfort her. Draco was kind of distant, which was expected (though he had become increasingly animated throughout the week as more and more people asked him about getting hit with the stray spell), and Cypress and Oliver were practically glued to each other's sides. Willow thought it was bittersweet that the first week of the house exchange was ending with Halloween; it had been both haunting and fun.

"Are you going to the Halloween feast tonight?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yeah, I am," Willow replied, shaken out of her thoughts. "Are you?"

"No, unfortunately," Harry said. "I agreed to go to Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party. Hermione, Ron, and I will be the only live ones there, but I think it's going to be a cool experience. Like Hermione said, not many living people get to say they've been to one of these."

"Make sure to tell me all about it! I'll save you some pumpkin pie from the feast. I know it's your favorite."

Harry smiled. "Thanks."

Willow and Harry rounded the corner, nearly bumping into a small red-headed figure. She squeaked when she saw Harry, eyes wide, then covered it up with a cough. It sounded very real, though, which worried Willow.

"Hey, Ginny, is your cough back again?" she asked.

"No it's not!" Ginny sniffed.

"Are you sure?" Harry wondered. "I can get Madam Pomfrey for you. She's got loads of that Pepperup Potion left."

Ginny's cheeks flooded with scarlet. "No- No thanks. I'm okay."

"As long as you're sure," Harry said, shrugging. "I'll see you later, Ginny."

Harry walked away. Willow was about to follow him when Ginny tugged on her sleeve. She was smiling, but her eyes were hiding something, something very desperate. The color was fading fast from her cheeks.

"Wait, can I talk to you for a second?" she whispered.

Willow nodded. She glanced at Harry, who had turned back to wait for her, and shouted, "Go on, I'll catch up." When Harry was long gone, she turned back to Ginny, who was alarmingly grey of face.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you sure you're okay?" Willow asked, worriedly giving her a once-over. "You're really pale, Ginny. Normally your cheeks are very pink. What's going on? Did something happen? Don't tell me you weren't doing as Madam Pomfrey says."

"No, no, it's not that, I'm not sick," Ginny said. She swallowed hard. "It...It's something else."

"What else? What happened, Ginny?"

"I- " Ginny paused, the words catching in her throat. "I..." Ginny was internally fighting with herself, so much that Willow's extra senses were waving a red flag. She was about to take her aside and really question her when she finally spoke. "I can't stand being unable to talk to Harry anymore, Willow. It's driving me nuts."

Willow smiled. "Oh, Ginny. You poor thing." She drew her in for a quick hug, then put her hands on the first year's shoulders. "Just remember what I told you before: Become his friend, and everything else will fall into place."

Ginny forced a smile, not relieved any more than she was before. "Thanks, Willow."

"Are you going to be at the feast tonight, Ginny?"

Ginny frowned. "No, I think I might go to bed early. I'm not sick, of course, but I just don't feel good. I didn't sleep as well as I'd like the past few nights." She put on a bright, happy face. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Bright and early," Willow promised.

Ginny skipped away, a little more lethargically than usual. Willow looked after her, wondering whether she should follow her or not, then thought better of it and headed for the common room. She needed to let her friends figure things out on their own at least once a week. After changing, she hung out for a bit, then at quarter to seven, Willow made her way to the Great Hall.

The Halloween decorations were even better than last year. Live bats were there, as always, flying across the ceiling in long strands, and Hagrid was just finishing up the last pumpkin lantern. The room was well-lit in a way that wasn't even close to spooky. Willow noticed Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall arguing over some details with a rather plump, temperamental witch on her way through the Entrance Hall. Maybe that meant the rumors were true about the skeleton troupe, then? Willow hoped they would be extra entertaining. Macabre things had never been appealing to her, but sometimes she would make exceptions.

"Happy Halloween!" Cypress said, clapping Willow on the shoulder.

"Happy Halloween, Cypress!" Willow greeted.

"Is this a gathering of some sort?" Mandy asked, Sue, Lisa, and Oliver trailing behind her. "Don't leave me out of this! It's been lonely with only Lisa to accompany me all week. Not that you're bad company, Lisa, but it's odd when there's only two of us."

Lisa smiled. "I know, Mandy."

"Ooh, Mandy, can you please please please change your hair for the occasion?" Sally begged, walking up with Sam. "I've always wondered what your hair looks like in orange and black!"

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine, but it's back to red the moment the feast is over."

Cypress watched in awe as Mandy's hair shifted from bright red to orange with black little ghosts here and there. It was very decorative, Willow thought, and it fit the occasion very well.

"You're a metamorphagus?" Cypress gasped, dramatically throwing his hand over his heart. "How did I not know this?"

"It's hard to notice that her hair is not a natural shade of red," Sue explained, shrugging. "None of us knew until the train ride this year. Actually, we didn't know a lot of things until the train ride this year."

"The metamorphagus is sitting with me," Cypress announced.

"Her name is Mandy, Cypress," Sam said.

Mandy laughed. "No, don't stop him, I like it. Come on, guys, let's all sit together at the Slytherin table to piss off those idiots that attacked Sue. What were their names? Dave and Smithy? D- "

"Let's not make up inappropriate names, Mandy," Lisa said sternly.

Mandy playfully rolled her eyes and lead the way into the Great Hall with Cypress. The group sat down together at the Slytherin table, earning them some wary looks and a few glares. Cypress was totally immune to it, as were the rest of them, and they proceeded to make funny faces in the odd reflections of themselves on the gold platters. Willow was smiling so much that her face hurt. She was almost sad when the feast finally began. Every food imaginable suddenly appeared on the table, and they didn't hesitate to dig in.

"We are not having a roll-eating contest today," Sally warned Willow through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Agreed," she said, halfway through an entire plate of green bean casserole. "I am eating way too much food for my own good, but do I care what my body thinks? Absolutely not."

"Spoken like a true Gryffindor," Mandy said. She glanced at Lisa's platter. "If you hesitate to eat more than a single serving of everything yet again, I will forcefully shove ten rolls down your throat! Eat more food!"

Lisa's face went red as a tomato. "Okay, fine." She put two rolls and a roast beef sandwich on her platter. "This good?"

Mandy narrowed her eyes at the plate, as if inspecting it, then finally said, "It's a start."

"Guys, look!" Sam exclaimed, pointing at the entrance to the Great Hall. "The rumors were true! Unless I'm dreaming, that's a skeleton troupe, is it not? Look, look!"

Everyone turned at once to look. Sure enough, following Dumbledore and McGonagall was an entire troupe of skeletons, proud and confident-looking. They waved to everyone who glanced their way, seeming to adore the attention. By the time they reached the raised platform where the professors sat, all eyes were on them. Dumbledore tapped his wand on his podium to divert everyone's attention to him.

"Students! As I'm sure you've all heard the rumors, there is no need to explain our guests," he boomed. "Please welcome the Dancing Dead, and enjoy their performance!"

Applause filled the air. Dumbledore waved his wand, the podium vanished, and he and McGonagall returned to their seats. McGonagall whispered something in Dumbledore's ear, and he struggled not to laugh out loud. The Dancing Dead took their places on the platform, which served as their stage, and the room dimmed. A few rays of moonlight were left to filter through the windows above, acting as stage lights. When the room finally fell silent, the performance began.

From nowhere, a dark, eerie organ quietly played. The skeletons slowly began to collapse to the floor, as if in slow motion. Their structures fell apart as they hit the ground. Then, they rose back up again, acting almost like zombies, and made their way in time to the three rows between the students' tables. Suddenly, the music changed to a strict march in another minor key. The skeletons saluted. After that, they marched to the beat, every once in a while stopping dead, turning, staring at the students, then turning back to face the Entrance Hall and marching again. They circled around the tables. Everyone's attention was solely focused on the dancers. They had ensnared their audience.

All of a sudden, the music changed to a sad, anguished tone. The skeletons pretended to act out a battle scene. It was very realistic, with the skeletons crying out in pain and everything. Finally, when the surviving "soldiers" had "buried" their friends and performed funeral rights, there was the most sudden change in tempo and mood Willow had ever experienced. A happy, catchy, fast rhythm filled the Great Hall. The skeletons gave a cry of joy and started dancing with each other. It reminded Willow of her father's stories of Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, which was happening today. The "dead" and the "living" rejoiced together, ending their dance with an amazing finale of some skeletons being thrown into the air, caught, and the entire troupe striking a final pose.

An uproar of applause went up from the students and staff. Fred and George whistled loudly and stood up. The entire Gryffindor table followed suit, then the Hufflepuffs, then the Ravenclaws, and finally the Slytherin table, until the whole Great Hall was giving the troupe a standing ovation. The skeletons organized themselves into a single row and bowed together. The pumpkin lanterns flickered back to life, and the skeletons received their praise most appreciatively their whole way out of the Great Hall. Dumbledore thanked their manager, the plump witch from earlier, asked the students for one more great round of applause for the Dancing Dead, and the troupe left through the Entrance Hall. Dumbledore returned to front of the room.

"Students! At this time, there is an opportunity for you all to take part in a Halloween-themed dance," he announced. "If you are interested, join me up here on the stage. There will be music in just at moment."

Willow and her friends exchanged glances, not even asking the question out loud. They immediately got up as a group, dragged Lisa and Oliver with them, and hit the stage with several other groups of equally excited students. The music started, and the dance was in full swing within seconds. Willow was ready to have a good time after a stressful week.

She found her Gryffindor Sisters among the crowd. They were dancing their fool heads off, having the time of their lives. Willow joined them, making her way to the Patil twins, who smiled politely at her arrival.

"How has the week treated you?" Willow asked. "Have you gotten tired of each other yet?"

"Nope!" they exclaimed in unison.

"This week has been eye-opening," Padma said.

"You have no idea how many things I convinced Padma to do!" Parvati exclaimed. "I thought Mia and Fay were going to drive her out, as many things they schemed up with her involved."

Willow let out a hearty laugh. "I've missed you guys so much."

"We missed you too!" they said together.

Padma's and Parvati's eyes lit up, and the girls started giggling. Willow furrowed her brow. She didn't get time to turn around and see what they were laughing at before she was lifted off her feet, twirled around, and set back on the ground. Paige didn't skip a beat and kept dancing with Willow, giving her an exceptionally happy grin. Willow returned the expression and followed Paige's lead.

“Enjoying yourself, are you?” Paige said.

“There’s a certain answer to this question, isn’t there?”

Paige smirked. “Answer it wrong and you’ll find out.”

Willow rolled her eyes. “Alright. I’m enjoying myself now that you’re here. Happy?”

Paige spun Willow around and dipped her back, then pulled her in close. “Not the exact wording I was picturing, but I’m happy nonetheless.”

“You spent way too much time listening to the other Slytherins in the common room this week,” Willow chuckled.

“Hey, some of their ideas have a bit of merit to them. I’ve got a few new tricks up my sleeve that I might pass along to Fred and George. Or not.” Paige’s eyes flashed. “Speak of the devils, they’re heading this way. Good luck with them.”

Paige gave Willow one final spin, then disappeared into the crowd. Fred whispered something into George’s ear. Willow couldn’t hear it, but whatever was said put an appalled expression on George’s face. Fred smiled mischievously and shoved George into Willow right as they got to her.

“Don’t worry, dear brother, I’ll find Angelina for you eventually!” George said. Fred rolled his eyes and started dancing with Lee, already making up another pranking plan for the next few weeks. George shook his head and turned to face Willow.

“Fred turns into an idiot during Halloween, I swear,” he said.

"That's fine, I completely understand," Willow said. She stepped back, spreading her arms wide. "Care to join me?"

George grinned. "Is that not what I'm doing?"

Willow laughed as George and she began to dance together, simply enjoying each other's company and the music. Lee and Fred eventually joined them. The four of them had a great time, challenging each other to do a fancy dance move, guffawing at each other's failure, and pretending to be professional about the whole thing all the while. They must have danced through four songs straight before they realized any time had passed at all. The four were lost in the moment. They watched Neville, Dean, and Seamus awkwardly dance with each other. Thankfully, the Gryffindor Sisters swooped in to rescue them, teaching them a few basic moves to get them going, then dancing a little more fluidly after that. Dean and Seamus were obviously trying to best each other. It made for a show, the way the two boys constantly did more and more ridiculous moves until they were way beyond their capability. They ultimately tripped over each other, collapsing in a heap of laughter. George made a funny joke about it, and Willow couldn't stop giggling. She reminded herself to spend more time with her fellow Gryffindor second years over the next week.

"...Forest isn't off limits for those who know what they're doing," Fred said to Lee. "We could definitely work something in over the next week. The first years would never go there again! It might prevent them from breaking rules, actually, so we could consider it a help to the professors."

"Oh, shut it," Willow said. "I know darn well that none of your pranks are originally intended to help out the staff."

George beamed. "Hey, it's worth the shot."

"If you're going to do a prank involving the Forbidden Forest, you have to let me organize some of it," Willow insisted. "I mean, I can sense where practically everything is, I spend at least a few nights there every month, and I'm not afraid of it. There's a lot of cool places that would serve your purposes well. Yes, Fred," Willow chortled at his expression, "I've already spent some time staking out good pranking areas."

Fred sighed. "You're never going to allow me to sleep at night, are you?"

"Those are some of my intentions, yeah," Willow teased.

"Let her go, Freddy," George said. "Willow's more capable than you when it comes to the Forbidden Forest."

"I'm not even going to fight you on that one." Fred's expression suddenly brightened. "Oh, Willow, have you seen our latest invention?" he asked. When Willow shook her head, he pulled out a filibuster firework. "I know, I know, it looks exactly like the original, but we've made some- altercations- to it. This firework is actually meant to explode and remain burning in a certain shape for a moderate period of time. It's our new emergency escape cover, sort of like the Muggle smoke bomb." Fred handed it to Willow. "Don't you dare lose it! We only have so many fireworks we can alter."

Willow placed the firework in her pocket. "Thanks! What do you call it?"

"We're still working on a name," George said, "but so far our favorites are 'Prank Escape' or 'Boom and Zoom'."

Willow was about to give a snarky answer, but she never got the chance. Suddenly, a sharp pain, like a heavy blow, struck her in the head. Willow gripped her forehead, feeling like she had a migraine. But this was no migraine. Her vision began to blur, her ears heard something that was definitely not anything like a party, and she lost her balance. Willow stumbled into George.

"She doesn't like those titles much, does she?" Fred laughed.

"Must not- " George began. His expression quickly changed to that of panic. He caught Willow as her body gave out on her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fred, George, and Lee exchange worried glances. Willow lost consciousness again. When she came to, Fred and George had unobtrusively carried her to the Gryffindor table, where she sat down, still wobbly.

Cebba, what's going on? Willow frantically shouted.

I'm so sorry, Willow, Cebba apologized. The helpless tone only put Willow more on edge. I cannot tell you.

Yes you can! What's stopping you?

A power greater than you may ever understand.

Willow frustratedly shut Cebba out of her mind, instead focusing her vision on the dance, trying to keep herself from falling over. Her vision swam in and out. Her ears began to go deaf. All of her senses were shutting down.

"Willow, Willow, hey, can you hear us?" Lee asked.

"Not for much longer," Willow choked out. "Another vision- "

And then she was gone.

The most powerful sense of complete and total asserted control washed over Willow. She was yanked out of the Great Hall and thrown into another corridor. Willow recognized it as the second floor. It was flooded. She realized this was the corridor right outside the girls' bathroom that was out of order, Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, was prowling along the wall, her tail swishing agitatedly. Mrs. Norris jumped onto a torch bracket, just as the most terrifying thing Willow had ever heard in her life spoke in the back of her mind. It scared her so much that she was thrown out of the vision and back into the Great Hall, where the dance had finally ended. Fred, George, and Lee were thoroughly alarmed by this point.

"What just happened? What did you see?" Fred asked hurriedly.

"Second floor girls' bathroom- something bad- " Willow managed to choke out.

The vision swallowed her up again. Mrs. Norris was hissing from atop the torch bracket now, searching the room with her lamp-like eyes. The hair on the back of Willow's neck rose along with the fur on the scruff of Mrs. Norris's neck. Something awful was about to happen. Willow's head felt like a drill was being shoved into it. So many negative electrical signals bounced around that she could hardly think straight. What was going on? What was this thing that was so evil it was physically hurting her, and how was it inside Hogwarts?

Suddenly, a shadow covered the scene, and Mrs. Norris yowled. The sound shattered Willow's eardrums. She covered them, desperately trying to drown out the noise, but instead, a high-pitched, piercing ringing, almost sounding like a scream, filled the air. Willow was thrown back into reality, where she shot to her feet and nearly bowled over Fred while doing it.

"Something's happening!" she yelped, getting Fred and George on their feet. "Quick, follow me! We have to stop it!"

"What's happening? Who do we have to stop?" Lee asked.

"I don't know! Come on, hurry! There's not much time!"

Willow sprinted out of the Great Hall, shoving several students aside. She dodged a group of first years and was tempted to hurdle a second year that had dropped their bag in the middle of the corridor. Fred, George, and Lee hot on her heels, Willow dashed up the marble staircase, took the steps two at a time, and barreled down the last corridor. The ringing had only gotten louder as she approached the bathroom. Willow skidded to a stop a little before the scene, covering her ears and sinking to the floor in agony.

So close...next time, next time...we will have blood next time...so many to kill, so many to rip...

"Please, stop!" Willow screamed.

"Who? Where?" Fred panted, halting beside Willow. "You're worrying us, honestly. What's gotten into you?"

A few students turned the corner and headed in her direction. The ringing fortunately was fading away, and the voice crumpled into nothing but distant rumbles. Willow stood up, wiping the tears off her face. She was about to take a step forward and investigate when Fred and George simultaneously put a hand on her shoulder.

"Guys, we need to- !" Willow complained. She stopped short, her mouth dropping open. Willow let out a squeak of horror.

They were too late.

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware," Lee whispered. He stepped closer to Fred and George. "Guys, I'm not liking this. At all."

"M- Mrs. Norris," Willow stuttered, pointing at the cat.

Mrs. Norris was still on the torch bracket, eyes wider than usual, fur on end- and frozen stiff.


	29. Year 2: Chapter 8

Willow hung onto Fred’s and George’s arms for support. Lee stood behind her, tense and ready to catch her if she fell. Willow felt like her asthma was back again. Her lungs burned with each rapid breath. Her head was pounding with too many senses being activated at once. Her legs felt like they’d been hit with the jelly-leg jinx. She hoped she wasn’t digging her nails into Fred and George, but based on their pained expressions, she didn’t hold out much hope.

“What is Ron doing here?” Lee asked.

Willow blinked, and she realized Harry, Hermione, and Ron were standing next to the cat, eyes flashing like cornered animals as they gazed out at the crowd converging from either hallway. Fred shot Ron a quizzical glance. Ron only returned a fearful expression. Willow found strength in her legs and broke away from Fred and George, nearly collapsing into Hermione.

“Did you see what happened?” she gasped. “Were you guys here when Mrs. Norris was attacked? Please tell me you weren’t!”

“No, we arrived just after,” Hermione whispered. “Harry heard something after the party, we followed it here, and- “

Suddenly, Filch shouted at the crowd to let him through. Hermione shoved Willow back into the crowd, glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was safe, and returned to the problem at hand. Fred, George, and Lee were back upon her.

“What happened, Willow? Do you know?” George asked.

“Was this what your visions was all about?”

“Yes,” Willow said. “Something horrible happened here. I don’t know what it was, but something huge, not human, and very dangerous just passed through. It attacked Mrs. Norris.” She lowered her voice. “I don’t know why it’s driving my senses nuts. My powers never act up this bad. Whatever it is, it must be extraordinarily powerful to make me- “

Willow was cut off as her head swam with more electrical signals. Her vision blurred, then returned. She stumbled a few paces. When Fred tried to support her, she shook her head.

“No, I can’t act so weak when this is meant to make me stronger,” she insisted. “I need to be able to rely on myself to get out of these situations. My own two legs just need to cooperate.”

“Willow, do you realize how dumb that sounds?” Lee chuckled. “We all know you’re strong. You can’t force your body to cooperate with you. All we’re doing is making sure you don’t crack your skull on the bloody floor.”

Willow smiled half-heartedly. “Thanks, Lee. You’re right.”

Suddenly, Filch yelled at Harry and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Willow almost panicked when Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived on the scene, Snape and Lockhart following not far behind. They separated Harry and Filch quickly. Willow’s heartbeat slowed a bit, but she was still on edge. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were told to follow Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall sent everyone else back to their dormitories.

“We know what you’re thinking,” Fred said as Willow tried to break away from them. He surprisingly let her go. When she gave him a quizzical glance, he scoffed and said, “Don’t look at me like that, you know you should go with them!”

“Besides, the staff room might be a good place for a prank when we get tired of our same old professors,” George said, a mischievous light in his eyes. “Stake out some good spots to fire off some fireworks, got it?”

Willow laughed. “How could I refuse?”

Fred shoved her in the direction of the staff room, a big grin on his face. “Go on, don’t lose our chance!”

“Our chance?”

“Just go already!”

Willow shook her head, a smile playing on her lips, and made her way upstream until she caught up with Hermione, who was lagging a little behind. She let out a relieved puff of air and hugged Willow tightly.

“I was hoping you’d follow us!” she said. “I’m worried about what’s going on. Harry was acting kind of funny, and I don’t know what all this is about, but I think there’s a real danger here, unfortunately, especially to Muggleborns like myself. Did you see anything?”

Willow bit her lip. “No, just an unhelpful but frightening vision. All I saw was a giant shadow looming over Mrs. Norris. Nothing more.”

Hermione caught the gleam in her eye. “What else, Willow? What are you hiding?”

“There was this creepy voice,” she admitted. “It didn’t make any sense. I thought it was a ghost, but I can’t hear or sense ghosts, only living creatures. Whatever this thing is that attacked Mrs. Norris, it’s alive.”

Hermione bit her lip. “Willow…Harry heard a voice, too. He kept saying the creature was going to kill someone. Did you hear the same thing?”

“Yes!”

Hermione got cut off when McGonagall sharply told the girls to hurry inside. They ran into Lockhart’s office to find Dumbledore already inspecting Mrs. Norris, Professor Snape pacing slowly in the corner, Lockhart admiring himself in front of a mirror, and Harry and Ron cringing against the wall. Willow ran up to Harry and hugged him tight. He squeezed her back in response.

“You didn’t get hurt, right?” Willow hurriedly asked.

“No, did you?”

“No, thank God.” Willow turned to Ron and hugged him, too, much to his surprise. “You’re okay, then?”

Ron shrugged, his ears pink. “Yeah, I’m fine. What are you doing here?”

Willow quickly caught him up. Harry listened in, too, and he appeared troubled by the fact that Willow could hear the voice, too. He didn’t question her, though, so the topic was skipped over entirely. The professors began speaking to the trio after a little while, and Willow stuck to the edge of the office. Eventually, the trio was dismissed, completely free of punishment, and there was apparently hope for Mrs. Norris.

Suddenly, Willow got the wind knocked out of her. She choked on her own air and wheezed involuntarily. Her vision flickered again, and the voice was there once more, in the back of her mind, drowning out her own thoughts, ringing in her ears until the roaring ocean of horrible, gut-wrenching sounds was all that she could hear. Willow covered her ears, but it did not good. It was inside her head. There was nothing she could do about it. The sound only got louder. Willow was brought to her knees. She screwed up her face in pain. The voice got louder. Willow thought her head was going to explode. Her vision tunneled. When she was on the brink of passing out, the voice came clearer to her than it had ever been before, as if it were speaking directly to her.

I must rip…Must kill…so many Mudbloods to choose from, oh yes…so many little ones ready to die…so much blood ready to be spilled…No, we cannot eat them all at once, no, we must spare a few…But it can’t hurt to try for another one…

The voice faded into the background, a jumble of vowels and consonants once again. Willow slowly uncovered her ears, her mouth open in a silent scream, as the cold, murderous voice moved away, leaving her trembling on the floor. She got up at once, regretted it, and regained her balance using the wall. Willow found all the teachers staring at her. She had piqued their interest by now. Dumbledore watched her with critical, piercing eyes, then stepped towards her.

“What did you hear, just now?” he asked.

“The same thing that Harry did,” Willow choked out. “It’s that chilling voice that gets louder and louder, then moves away.”

“What did it say?”

“The same thing. It- it wants to- “ Willow could barely say it. She grimaced. “It wants to kill all the Muggleborns.”

Dumbledore nodded. “And did it say anything else?”

“No, nothing,” Willow said. She nervously played with her fingers. “But…there was something else, earlier- ”

“Another vision,” Dumbledore said before she could continue. “I noticed your rush out of the Great Hall.” He looked directly into her eyes, as if analyzing her very thoughts. “What did you see? Was it the attacker?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Willow said. She gulped. “I only saw Mrs. Norris. She was hopping onto the torch bracket when something went wrong. She started hissing. Then, a giant shadow- I think it was the thing with the voice- covered her.” Willow’s shoulders sagged. “I didn’t get to see the attacker, only its shadow, which had no shape. It was simply enormous.” A sudden thought occurred to her. “Hang on a second! Earlier this year, I had another vision like this. There was this sort of cave. It had a lot of water in it, and there was a sculpture of some Greek god or something towards the back. There were lots of tunnels in it too. Towards the end of the vision, a giant shadow covered me, and I think it was about to attack me when I left the vision right in time.” Willow fearfully glanced at Dumbledore. “Do you think those two are connected, somehow?”

“Unfortunately, they might be,” he whispered. Dumbledore paused for a moment in thought, considering this new evidence, then turned to McGonagall. After conferring with her for a moment, he glanced back at Willow, seemed to come to a decision, and finally returned to her.

“We need to be able to see these visions to confirm our assumption,” Dumbledore said. “It’s not that we don’t believe you. We simply need more intricate details. My apologies, Miss Guerrero, but we need to go into your mind.”

Willow’s heart stopped. “What?”

“Have a seat, please. This will be quick, then you can go back to your dormitory immediately.”

She gripped the wall, her fingernails beginning to scrape away at the stone. “Please, don’t do this.”

“It will be over in five seconds,” Professor McGonagall reassured her. “Just do as the Headmaster tells you.”

“Please, don’t!” Willow pleaded.

“Seriously, Miss Guerrero. I will extend your detention sentence. Cooperate. We need to know for sure.”

“Stop it!” she said as the teachers advanced a step on her. “Don’t do this!”

“You’ll be fine, Miss Guerrero.”

Vine tendrils wrapped themselves around Willow’s feet and began to climb up the walls. She glanced around in a panic, her heart racing when she realized there were a lot of potted plants in the room. Leaves showered the floor and more stems and branches twisted around the space. The vines tried to wrap around the teachers, but they simply shot a few spells at them. They grew faster and faster as the teachers advanced.

"Miss Guerrero, will you please- " Professor McGonagall slapped away a spiky plant- "Willow, this is not the time to be ornery. This is serious business. Just sit down. It will be over in a moment."

"Don't come near me!" Willow warned, her eyes wild. "I don't want to hurt you!"

Lockhart stared in wonder at the plants rapidly expanding in size around him. Even his portraits were enthralled. "This is extraordinary! How are you doing it, Willow? I've never seen this, in all my travels- it's all very interesting- " He untangled a piece of greenery from around his mouth- "Hah! It has an attitude, too. What sort of spell is this?"

"Silence, Gilderoy," Snape commanded.

Willow's pulse was racing out of control. Her hands shook excessively, sweat dripped down her forehead, and she collapsed a little into the wall. She felt like someone had stuffed a cotton ball into her mouth, it was so dry. Her senses slammed into her like a gale force wind. The Ravenclaw Tower, though several floors and hundreds of meters away, had two crackling fires with groups of students chuckling around them. A few Slytherins were dueling in their common room. Some Hufflepuffs were tickling the pear portrait to enter the kitchen. Gryffindor Tower was buzzing with a game of charades involving nearly every fifth year. Every sound within a mile radius invaded her head, crushing her eardrums. Her vision was defined even more so than normal. The smells of the castle washed over her as maverick wave. Willow could feel herself drowning beneath it, tumbling uncontrollably into the deep, dark depths of the ocean, scrambling for the surface, her muscles burning, just as her last ounce of oxygen leaves in a scream of bubbles...

"Willow, come on now," McGonagall said, setting Willow into a chair. "You're being ridiculous." Her voice was magnified to ten times its normal volume, lingering in her ears and ringing. "Go ahead, Albus."

Willow felt Dumbledore invade her mind. He began poking around, delving further and further to where she kept everything hidden. Memories shot to the surface and threatened to be revealed to him. Willow covered her ears to shut the voices out, screaming and throwing the Headmaster out of her mind. She was breathing heavily now and her heartbeat was anything but regular.

"Please, stop," she croaked, on the verge of tears. "Please."

McGonagall's expression softened. She paused, visibly weighing out something in her mind's eye, then turned to Dumbledore and whispered something to him. He shook his head and his wand remained pointed at Willow.

"We need the information," he explained gently. "Just let me have a quick look, and you're free to go. It only takes a moment. I will not search for anything else. I promise, Willow."

"Wait, please, no!" she cried.

Dumbledore had already cast the spell. He was back in her mind, this time more quickly digging into the deeper part of her mind. Willow panicked and threw up a wall against him. He pushed against it, but not hard enough. Dumbledore was holding back. Willow successfully threw him out again.

"Stop it," she whimpered. "Not again."

Quirrel's black eyes swam in her vision. His laughter rang in her ears. The cold, sinister voice wouldn't leave her alone. Every time Dumbledore spoke, it was Quirrel's voice again in her head, torturing her. The snap of her old wand splintered her senses. As much as she tried to convince herself it wasn't real, there Quirrel was, standing in front of her, breaking her wand and laughing at her misery. A tear dripped off Willow's cheek.

I told you, you're weak, pathetic.

Your friends aren't coming soon enough to save you.

"No," Willow whispered. "No, I'm not weak. I'm not pathetic. My friends don't have to save me."

You'll die in here, all alone, in the dark, where you belong.

"I don't deserve to die in the dark!" Willow shouted at the image. "I don't belong with the scum of the earth! I'm not going to die for nothing! You're wrong! You're always wrong!"

Quirrel laughed at her, then turned around, revealing Voldemort's red, glowing eyes. Fear drove a knife into Willow's heart. Her chest physically hurt. She wheezed and dropped to her knees, feeling weak.

"Willow," McGonagall said. Her voice sounded so far away. "Willow, stand up."

"Stand up," she repeated. "Stand up." She convinced herself this time. "Stand up!"

Willow rose to her feet, using the wall for support. She closed her eyes and focused. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. Quirrel was dead. Voldemort was gone. She was safe, at Hogwarts, with her friends. She wasn't trapped in a dungeon, waiting to die, hoping her friends would remember her, watching helplessly as Snape rescues her...

"Legillime- "

"No!" Willow shouted. Her senses cleared. She realized she was pointing her wand at the teachers. Willow lowered it, her hand still shaking. She had a sudden moment of clarity. Glancing between each of the teachers, she stuttered, "Let- let Professor Snape do it."

Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged a surprised look, then turned to stare at Snape. Though he was hiding it well, Willow's senses had bubbled up around her, and she sensed enormous surprise. Dumbledore lowered his wand and stood up straight.

"Professor Snape, if you would, search Miss Guerrero's mind, please," he ordered.

Snape stood there a moment, then slowly stepped forward, raised his wand, and said, "Legillimens."

Willow tried not the shut him out of her mind. Her heart rate spiked again, and another bead of sweat dripped off her nose, but she remained as calm and collected as possible. Willow offered up the two memories to him and he took them immediately, then retracted the spell as soon as he had seen enough. The vines had grown up around her again. Willow panted softly, looking up at Snape with strained eyes. Professor Snape only stared back for a moment, indecision and interest conflicting, then turned away. Willow dropped her eyes and stared at her shoes, willing the plants to return. Lockhart appreciatively smiled with that winning grin of his that didn't win Willow over at all. She patiently waited in the chair while the Professors conversed, suppressing the memories that kept threatening to surface. At last, they turned to face her.

"Thank you, Miss Guerrero," Professor Dumbledore said courteously. He nodded towards McGonagall. "Professor McGonagall has a favor to ask you before you go."

"You are to come to my office tomorrow evening at eight o'clock," she instructed. "There are a few things we need to discuss."

Willow simply stood there, unresponsive. She felt like a deer caught in headlights. Professor McGonagall wanted her...to talk? She couldn't tell her everything! There simply was no way! She was not about to talk out her feelings to someone. That only made them worse in the past!

"Miss Guerrero, did you hear- "

Willow would never understand why she did it. Before McGonagall could even finish, she bolted from the room, leaving the Professors to stand in a stunned silence. She tore through the corridors, sobbing more than ever before. For once, she ignored the pitying glances she got, ignored the fact that it would be all over the school the next day that Willow Guerrero had been seen expressing emotions. Willow wiped her face and sprinted across the courtyard. She galloped down the hill and into the Forbidden Forest. Willow didn't stop or even find a trail. She ran and ran and ran until she couldn't run anymore. Willow finally collapsed against a tree, unable to hold herself up anymore. She banged her fist against the trunk and sank to the forest floor in a heap.

"Why does this have to happen to me?" she yelled. "Why me? First, you take away my family. Then, you take away my life. Now you're taking my mind, too? What else do I have to give? I hate you! I hate you!"

Cebba appeared in front of her, the sensation hardly noticeable this time. "Willow- "

"I don't want to talk to you right now!" she shouted. "You're the one who did this to me!"

"Willow, I didn't- "

"Get out!" she screamed. "Get out of my life! I never want to talk to you again! All you do is mess with my life until there's nothing left of me! Your only purpose is to hurt me! Get out!"

Cebba disappeared back into Willow's head. Willow hit her head against the tree, but it didn't make her fell any better. She crumpled her hands into balled fists and pummeled the tree, then kicked it as hard as she could, turned into a small dragon and tore up half its roots, and finally collapsed to the forest floor, screaming out everything she had. Then, Willow laid on the ground, completely alone in a world teeming with life, and hiccuped with emotion. She stared at the stars through the canopy.

You were they only one who truly understood. You were the only one who could calm me down. Why did they have to take you away from me? Why you, of all people?

They can never take me away from you. I will always be a part of you.

Willow sniffled. Why do I always cause pain to everyone else?

Because those that truly love you are never afraid of the pain you might bring.

Her tears watered the forest floor. Willow had never been more lonely in her life. There was so much life around her, though. The frogs were singing in their chaotically organized chorus, the cicadas and grasshoppers were chirping long-windily, and every so often, an owl would hoot. Willow could hear the faint bellowing of a beast off in the distance. She wished she could just stay in the Forbidden Forest forever. No more disappointed looks on her friends' faces, no more worrying from her dad, no more pain to others. Just peace and love and knowing that her friends were more safe because of her absence...she could think of nothing better.

But it could never happen. She knew that that would solve nothing. She had to bite the bullet and go back. There was still so much left to fight through. Willow slapped herself. She was being a baby again. There was a reason for her pain, right? She was supposed to be tested in this way. If she couldn't make it through this, how was she supposed to make it through the even harder trials? Willow gritted her teeth and rose to her feet. It was time to grow up a little and deal with these problems. She had run away enough.

"Mrr?" Fidget chirped.

"Oh my God, Fidget!" Willow cried, taking out the little bowtruckle and examining him on the palm of her hand. "I forgot you were in my pocket! Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Fidget playfully saluted her. "Mrr!"

"Oh, Fidget," Willow said, cuddling the bowtruckle against her cheek. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't get angry like that. You shouldn't have to deal with my temper tantrums. That will never happen again, okay? I promise."

Fidget snuggled against her cheek. "Mrr."

A twig snapped nearby. Fidget tensed up, unsheathing his little claws, grumbling agitatedly. Willow sensed a group of creatures. She drew her wand and readied her powers, letting the electricity flow beneath the surface. Nothing was coming between her and her bowtruckle. She'd go down in flames if that was what it took. Willow steadied herself and locked her eyes on the rustling bush. She counted to three, then jumped it. Willow yelped and drew back immediately.

A group of four magical creatures cowered underneath her. Willow recognized each one. First she saw the knarl, a hedgehog-like creature. It glared at her with beady eyes. Then she saw the jarvey, which was muttering under its breath. Finally, she saw the jobberknoll, perched atop the largest, but youngest creature, the baby griffin. They formed a tight defensive circle with the griffin seemingly behind the other three. Willow's mouth dropped open.

"Oh my God," she breathed. "You're a small little family. You guys are traveling together, aren't you?"

The creatures, of course, did not respond. Willow wished the griffin was a little older so she could speak with it, as it was the most intelligent creature present, but the jobberknoll was the next best thing. She unnecessarily cleared her throat and hoped her rusty skills would do.

Are you traveling with these three? she asked.

Travel to protect, the jobberknoll answered. Must take care.

Okay, Willow said. Can you come closer? I won't hurt you. I just want to make sure you're not hurt.

Me, yes. Others, no.

The jobberknoll flapped its wings and landed on the ground in front of Willow. It cautiously approached her. Willow crouched down and held out her hand for the jobberknoll to come to. It took some time, but eventually the jobberknoll touched its beak to her finger. It hopped a pace back after that. Fidget curiously poked his head out of her robe pocket, and the jobberknoll spotted him right away. She scolded it before it could try to eat her bowtruckle. Fidget sensed the tension and blew raspberries at the jobberknoll. It silently twittered back.

“Alright, I should probably find some food for you,” Willow said to herself. “You guys must be starving!”

The jobberknoll flitted to a nearby tree, where a bunch of grubs were hiding under a broken piece of bark. It ruffled its feathers and picked up the smallest bugs, eating them one by one.

“…Or you can do that.” Willow chuckled. She moved onto the knarl. It cowered under her gaze at first, then bristled and took a threatening step forward, as if trying to cover for its fear. Willow sighed.

“You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” She crossed her arms. “I know better than to offer you food. You’re too stubborn to take it.” Willow crouched down. “Will you please let me check you for injuries, though? I know something hurts.”

The knarl bared its teeth and backed up, its thorny covering rising. Willow rolled her eyes and grew a small patch of wild daisies as she turned away. The knarl begrudgingly began eating away behind her back. Willow turned her attention on the jarvey now, which was still muttering the same phrase.

“You have to speak up for me to understand you,” she said.

“You’re a piece of rubbish! You’re a piece of rubbish! You’re a piece of rubbish!”

“I’m seriously wondering who taught you how to say that,” Willow said. “You need a lesson in saying nice things, buddy.”

“You’re a piece of rubbish! You’re a piece of rubbish!”

“I’ll have to ask the Weasleys for some of their gnomes for you. You’ll love that.”

The baby griffin squeaked and squawked for attention. Willow giggled and slowly approached it, still in a crouching position, holding out her hand gently. The knarl bristled and scuttled out from its patch of daisies, taking up a defensive position. Unfortunately for the knarl, the baby griffin was too curious and batted it out of the way, sending it flying into the daisy patch, where it poked its head out and blew a few petals out of its eyes. The baby griffin ran into Willow, and much to its delight, knocked her backwards. Willow laid there and let the griffin search her. It sniffed all over her robe, found Fidget but left him alone, then finally ran backwards and tripped over its own feet. Willow chortled and sat up, holding out her hand for the baby griffin to come to. It was so excited it accidentally nipped her. Willow recoiled her hand as the blood flow was stopped by her powers.

“No, we don’t bite,” she said, waving an accusatory finger at the baby griffin. “Nibbles are okay, but biting is a big no no. Can you try again?”

The baby griffin was uncomprehending of this command and ran at Willow again, bowling her over and rolling to the far side of the clearing with its momentum. Willow got a few cuts from its claws, but they didn’t hurt long. She waited for it to get to its feet before standing up. For the first time, she noticed some fresh scarlet stairs on its hindquarters.

“You’re hurting a bit, aren’t you?” she asked. When the baby griffin didn’t reply, Willow got a bit closer and reached out with her senses. There was some damage to its hind legs and one of its dewclaws. Willow bit her lip. She couldn’t just leave this group of creatures to possibly get infections and die, but she had to get to know them a little better before they would let her touch them, especially the knarl. They belonged in the Forbidden Forest, but they might leave if she left them here, and that wasn’t an option, either. Willow sighed.

“You’re lucky you’re cute, because you’re going to get me into a lot of trouble.” Willow broke off a branch from a nearby tree, wound its leaf stems into a small rope with her powers, and levitated it over the baby griffin’s head. “Come on, you, and make sure your friends follow.”

The baby griffin flapped its wings and squawked, then followed Willow through the forest, every now and then running through a bush and showering leaves all over the trailing knarl and jarvey. They didn’t seem to mind. They might have been used to it at that point. The jobberknoll silently flew overhead, every now and then landing on Willow’s shoulder to survey the scene. So far, it was becoming the friendliest of the four. She might be able to get to work on the jobberknoll before the others if she was lucky.

By the light of the moon, Willow wound her way through the forest, tracing the trampled path she had made in the undergrowth until she found the real path, then followed it to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A far-off werewolf howled at the moon. Though it should have scared her, it didn’t worry Willow. She wasn’t going to have yet another mental breakdown tonight. She’d had enough for one day.

Willow peered up at the castle. There weren’t any visible teachers on the prowl tonight. Good. Willow snuck up the hill and stopped in the corridor that branched off from the courtyard. She listened, but there was no one. Her luck was holding for once. Willow quieted the four creatures the best she could and practically sprinted to the common room. She gave the password and slipped through the portrait hole before the Fat Lady even opened her eyes. Thankfully, there was no one in the common room, but as it was half past one in the morning, she’d been counting on everyone being in bed.

Willow paused in the common room. The jobberknoll flitted about, checking out the couch, then the fireplace, then the large window, and finally perched on Willow’s shoulder. The jarvey and knarl suspiciously stayed by the baby griffin’s side, bristling at the new surroundings. Willow suddenly realized the error in her plan. She swore in Spanish.

“Now I’ve done it.”

Willow kicked over a chair and winced when it landed on the floor with a bang! She fearfully glanced upstairs, hoping no one heard it. No one so much as cracked open their door. Willow put her face in her hands.

“Why am I cursed to never think anything through?” she groaned. Willow glanced at the baby griffin. “Do you know?”

The baby griffin responded by padding over to the other side of the room. Willow let go of its lead and watched it sniff the air. It stopped in front of a door, touched it with its claw, quietly squeaked at her, then sat down, cocking its head. Willow stood up and sauntered over to it.

“When did this door get here?” she whispered to herself. “I don’t remember a door being here…at any party…ever…and there’s been lots of those…” She shrugged. “Then again, I’m oblivious to half the Earth. Let’s see what you found.”

Willow braced herself, then ran at the door and kicked it down only to have it swing forward, fully on its hinges. It was unlocked. Oops. Willow stepped into the room and coughed with the amount of dust that flew up. The griffin simply walked further into the dark room.

“A bit old, don’t you think?” she wheezed. “Lumos!”

The tip of her wand lit up, illuminating the surprisingly large space. It must have had one of those undetectable extension charms on it. Willow reckoned that it was the size of her living room, high ceilings and all. There were a few odd quills, textbooks, and forgotten items scattered about, but other than that, the room appeared empty. Willow kicked the random items into the corner of the room.

“Okay, what was it that drew you into this dusty old broom closet again?” she asked.

The baby griffin purred and chirped excitedly. It jumped up and down near a light switch in the corner of the room. Willow ran over to the griffin and calmed it down before it could do any more damage to its legs.

“Easy, easy, easy!” she cried. “The last thing I need is for you to wake someone up by screaming about your legs. I’m turning the light switch on, see?”

Willow flicked it on, but nothing happened. Figures. There was no light or chandelier in the room, anyway. She didn’t know why she expected something amazing to happen.

Suddenly, the griffin bounced up and down, jumped at the wall- and went through it.

“Wait, what- “ Willow flicked the light switch off. “Come back! Come back, please!”

She tried to put her hand through the wall, but nothing happened. Willow frantically tried to kick through the wall. The stone held strong and nearly broke her toes.

“No, no, no!” Willow flicked the light switch back on. “Hogwarts, do something! You swallowed a freaking griffin! Fix this!”

Just then, the jarvey plunged through the wall, the knarl and jobberknoll directly behind him. Willow stared open-mouthed at the wall.

“What the…”

She placed her hand on the wall, and it sunk straight through. Willow retracted it and flicked the light switch off. When she tried to go through this time, the wall was sealed. Willow flipped the switch again and her hand went through the wall once more.

“That’s totally not strange…perfectly normal thing to discover in your own common room…nothing crazy…at all…” Willow inhaled deeply. “Well, here goes nothing.”

Stepping through the wall, she shut her eyes, bracing for impact. But nothing happened. Willow’s eyes fluttered open, and her jaw hit the floor.  
The new room was a deciduous forest. There was a visible end to it, in the distance, but the ceiling was nowhere in sight. It sprawled out before her, beautiful, natural, and most importantly, big enough to accommodate her new patients. Willow stood on a concrete platform, which was home to storage bins and the opposite side of the wall she’d just walked through. There was a light switch just like the one on the other side. Willow flicked it off to bar entry just in case. The baby griffin excitedly sniffed the new territory. The knarl and jarvey disappeared into the landscape immediately, and the jobberknoll flew into the nearest tree, where it began to gather supplies for a nest. Even Fidget climbed out of her pocket and happily scaled a small tree. Willow blinked in wonder. Where had all this come from? Had it been here before?

Her answer was lying in wait on the nearest storage bin. Willow walked over and picked up the note, reading it over twice before the message sank in.

You’re going to need a hidden space for your collection soon. I hope Fidget appreciates the change.

Anonymous

Willow let the letter slip from her fingers. One of the professors…had given her this entire space? This had been created…for her? Willow teared up a little as the realization that this was really all for her finally hit. She dried her eyes before she could really start crying and walked over to where Fidget was hanging upside down, playing with the leaves.

“You are the biggest little miracle ever!” she said, letting Fidget rub against her knuckles.

The jarvey reappeared a few feet away, carrying a bloody gnome in his jaws. He laid down not far from the baby griffin and ripped into his meal. In between bites, he kept repeating the same rude phrase from earlier. Willow looked away. She was hardly going to question how a gnome was in the middle of the Gryffindor common room. The knarl had reappeared, too, though it stayed much farther away from Willow, carrying a few wild daisies in its mouth. A cascade of leaves showered her. Willow glanced up to see the jobberknoll victoriously digging into a piece of bark covered in wood lice. Fidget clambered up the tree and caught a few before the jobberknoll could notice. Hopefully the two wouldn't get into fights over their favorite food in the future. The baby griffin longingly stared at Willow, its stomach audibly growling. She realized with a start that griffins didn't eat plants.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry, little guy," Willow apologized. "You caught me unprepared. I don't think you can hunt yet, can you?"

The baby griffin whimpered and collapsed to the ground with a weary huff. It raised its fuzzy eaglet head and blinked slowly at her with lonesome eyes. Willow's heart broke in two. The baby griffin was skinny as it was, and if his little family had been feeding him at all, it couldn't have been much. A jarvey could only catch so many rodents in a day. He needed some major TLC, and fast. The only problem was...would he trust her enough?

"Okay, before I can even get anywhere with you guys, I have to name you." The creatures perked up at the sound of her voice. Fidget appeared on her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek for emotional support. She smiled before continuing. "I'm going to do my best, so don't throw a fit unless it's actually that bad, okay?"

Willow looked over the jobberknoll first. His flawless, impeccably blue and speckled feathers stood out the most, but she didn't feel like naming him based on his appearance was right. Every jobberknoll was a pretty blue. His personality so far had been mostly sweet and trusting, so he must be one of the sociable types. He was far from noisy, though, being incapable of sound until the time of his death. Willow shrugged. She couldn't think of much else.

"Can I call you Felicity?" she asked.

The jobberknoll opened its beak to reply, but no sound came out. It appeared as happy as a bird could, so she took that as a yes. Willow moved onto the jarvey, and since it was still tearing into its gnome, she didn't want to spend much time staring at him. She wouldn't figure out much about his personality for a while. Thankfully, she had already thought of something during her walk.

"I'm going to call you V, okay?"

The jarvey looked up. "I'm going to call you V, okay! I'm going to call you V, okay!"

"I'll...take that as a yes..." Willow trailed off. She cleared her throat, turning her attention to the knarl. "Onto you then, you little stinker."

The knarl didn't react. It purposely ignored her and munched on its wild daisies, keeping a close eye on the motionless baby griffin. The knarl had been stubborn and refused any help or offers from her so far. There were quite a few names she could have used for him, but she was feeling positive tonight, and he might brighten up eventually.

"Your name is going to be Patch," Willow said. "I will make sure you brighten up eventually, you grumpy little thing. It's my job to be all depressing."

The knarl groaned quietly, then shuffled even further away from her so that his rear end was facing her. Willow let out a laugh, which made the baby griffin perk up. It cocked its head at her, then, once he realized she still had no food, laid down again. She didn't like how lethargic he was becoming already. He was rapidly slipping away from her. Willow bit her lip. She didn't have time to give him a proper name, she was beginning to realize. She was wasting critical time to rehabilitate him.

"Sorry, little guy, but I'm going to call you Griffin for now," she said. "Griffin the griffin. It might stick, might not, but all that matters right now is getting you some food." Willow stood up. "I'll be right back, okay?"

The baby griffin softly squawked, much weaker than before. It slipped into unconsciousness. Willow hoped dearly it was because of exhaustion and not because of starvation. She hastened to the wall, flipped the switch, walked through it, sealed it behind her, and quietly made her way into the common room, which was still empty. Willow wasn't going to take any chances tonight, though. She transformed into a cat and bounded through the corridors, steadily descending, padding her way through hallways, inconspicuously making her way past Mrs. Norris and Filch, and finally reaching the dungeon level, which was still lit by torchlight. Willow checked her surroundings thoroughly before transforming back into a human. She stopped in front of the kitchens and tickled the pear. It laughed a painstakingly long time, then finally disappeared to form the door, which swung open for her immediately. Willow whispered, "Lumos!" and made her way through the darkness.

The kitchens were very empty at night. Without all the house elves bustling around, it was almost too big of a space. A shiver went down Willow's spine as she glanced at the rows of clean cutlery. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away. There was no time to remember the horrific events of last year's Halloween, nor was there going to be a repeat issue. Willow was solely focused on getting a slab of meat for the poor baby griffin dying upstairs.

Continuing further into the void, she finally found the fridge and opened it, only to jump back in surprise. Unlike the last time she had been here, this refrigerator was full of meat, completely devoid of leafy greens and fruit. The smell was...interesting, to say the least. Willow shook her head. This served her purpose well, anyway.

"Winguardium Leviosa!" she whispered.

A large slab of meat floated out of the fridge. Willow shut it behind her, hoping she could maintain both spells at once, and quickly exited the kitchen. She turned off the light at once. Now came the hard part- getting the meat back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Willow?" a small voice called.

Willow scrambled to hide the meat behind her. "Yeah?"

Oliver was standing in front of the Hufflepuff common room entrance, rubbing his eyes blearily. "What are you doing up at this hour? I thought you were a morning person, not a night owl."

"Sometimes I can't sleep, that's all," Willow said.

"What are you hiding that piece of meat for? It smells kind of funny."

Willow sighed. She stepped away from the meat. "I can never hide anything from you, can I, Oliver? You're too good." She shook her head. "You're never going to believe what happened tonight."

Oliver perked up. "Did something happen to you? Were you attacked?"

"No, unless you count play fighting with a baby griffin an attack," Willow chuckled. A grin spread across her face as Oliver's lit up. "Yes, Oliver, I rescued a baby griffin tonight. And a jarvey. And a knarl. And a jobberknoll. They were all traveling together, you see. I found them in the Forbidden Forest. They're all hurt and malnourished, especially the griffin. I couldn't just leave them there, so I snuck them in the castle, and now I found this wonderful place to take care of them." Fear struck Willow in the stomach. "Ay dios mio! I've got to hurry. There's no time to waste. The baby griffin is already showing signs of collapse. I've got to get this back to him ASAP."

Willow turned to go, and Oliver ran to catch up. "Wait! I'm coming with you."

"What? No, I don't want to get you in trouble, especially- "

"Willow, I'm not passing up an opportunity to meet a baby griffin," Oliver cut in. His face reddened. "I mean, only- only if you think it's okay- I don't want to upset you- "

"Oliver, if I were you, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity either," Willow said. "Come on. You're going to love this."

The piece of meat levitated behind them while they ran through the corridors. Every once in a while, they paused to listen, but surprisingly, no one was out tonight, and Filch had finally gone to sleep. Willow and Oliver reached the Gryffindor common room without trouble. They passed through the portrait tunnel and made it into the common room. There was one problem, though.

"The door's gone!" Willow cried.

She ran to the spot where it had been before. There was only blank wall. Willow felt around the area with her hands, frantically searching for the knob. But it was gone. She almost burst into tears when it suddenly melted into existence. Willow stared at the trace of her hand that was magically drawn into the door. She blinked in surprise.

"There's some serious security measures on this thing," she commented. "Nice. Let's go in."

Willow lead Oliver through the door and through the wall, much to his surprise, and watched as his face lit up at the sight of the beautiful deciduous forest. He put a hand over his heart when his eyes fell on the baby griffin. Willow ran to its side, startling the other creatures, but barely even waking up the baby griffin. She worriedly scanned his injuries. Was there infection working its way through his body already? She really hoped not.

"Come on, Griffin, wake up!" Willow urged, shaking the baby griffin. "You need to get up!"

Griffin lifted his head and sniffed the air. It perked up and rolled over, eyeing the juicy piece of meat Willow had brought, but not getting up. Willow gently rolled him a little farther until he was sitting upright. Oliver intently watched her from behind. She used a severing charm to cut up the meat, Griffin hungrily staring at it. Willow held out a piece of meat.

"Okay, you need to take this gently," she said. "Don't you dare inhale it. You'll make yourself sick. Ready? Here we go."

Willow offered the meat to Griffin. To her surprise, he delicately took the meat and chewed it slowly, almost suspicious of the new food. Once he decided it was fine, however, he swallowed it in a single gulp, greedily eyeing the rest of the meat. He made a move to get up, but fell to his knees. Willow held out a hand to stop him.

"Whoa there, buddy, don't go crazy on me now," she said. "You're not listening to me. Easy. I'm not cleaning up your vomit if you decide to not take my advice."

The griffin squeaked quietly, giving Willow the puppy eyes. She looked away before they could affect her. She had a particular weakness for puppy eyes. Willow cut the meat into even smaller portions, then fed another one to Griffin, who inhaled the meat yet again. He accidentally bit her the next few times in his big hurry to swallow the food. Her hand was almost as bloody as the meat by the time Griffin finally ate the last piece. Willow stood up, nursing her injured hand, and silently watched the baby griffin drift off to sleep again, this time much more stable.

"Aguamenti," Oliver said.

A cool stream of water wrapped around Willow's hand and rinsed it off. Oliver stepped closer, making sure the spell hadn't missed a spot, then flicked the water into the bushes.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Willow replied, rubbing her still bleeding hand. "Griffin's just a baby, that's all. He'll learn not to bite soon. Thanks for cleaning me up, though. I've dealt with enough things today."

Oliver sat down next to the baby griffin, stroking his fuzzy eaglet feathers. "I like his name. It suits him."

Willow smiled. "Gee, I wonder why."

Oliver's brow furrowed. "Hey, can you come take a look at this?"

Willow crouched down, her eyes widening. "Oh, sweet Jesus...That's a lot worse than I thought."

The baby griffin had not one, not two, but four claw marks running down his hide. They were oozing a sort of puss and still bleeding some. Unfortunately, they weren't fresh, given the evidence of the half-opened scabs marking him here and there. There was a lot of dried blood on his lion cub fur. Willow could smell what was most likely an infection of sorts.

"This isn't good," she said. "This isn't good at all. I didn't know...I should have checked..." Willow sighed. "Well, there's nothing I can do about the past. He's here now, and he's conveniently passed out, so I might as well fix him."

Oliver nodded. "What can I do?"

"Help me get some water on him. We need to clean this and drain it, and fast. The longer we do it, the higher chance he wakes up, and we lose our opportunity the moment he opens his eyes."

Oliver summoned some water, as did Willow, and they soaked the baby griffin. Fidget poked his head out of her pocket to watch. V, Patch, and Felicity watched from a distance. Oliver kept the stream of water going while Willow poked and prodded the wound, scraping away the substances oozing out until there was a watery red substance leaking out. She stepped back to let it drain. Oliver swept to gross water away to where an apparent cleaning station with a drain was in the middle of the floor. The smell instantly got better. That was a good sign. Willow hit the wound with another round of fresh water. Then, once the wound was done draining, she wiped off the remaining leakage and finally got to using her powers.

Oliver watched with wide eyes from behind her. Willow's hands glowed a warm yellow-white color. She placed them across the wound, which began glowing yellow-white as well. A few bits of dirt were drawn out. Some new blood circulated around the wound. The cuts healed themselves into near-scabs. Willow's hands stopped glowing, and she removed them.

"I wish I could heal him all the way..." she trailed off. Willow shook her head. "Well, we've done what we can, Oliver. Griffin should be healing up sometime soon. I hope the others will let me tend to them at some point."

Oliver approached the baby griffin and put his hand over its chest. He held it there for a few seconds, then backed away, breathing a sigh of relief. "Me too."

Willow motioned with her hand. "Come on, let's let him rest. It's the best thing we can do right now."

With one last, longing look, Oliver turned away from the baby griffin and followed Willow into the Gryffindor common room. He plopped down on one of the couches in front of the fire.

"Your common room is much colder than Hufflepuff's," he said.

"Duh, we're in a tower made of cold stone. Your common room is half underground, where the heat stays in. We have zero insulation up here." Willow smiled. "Personally, I love it, but the rest of Gryffindor typically complains."

"You are very warm-blooded."

"And cold-hearted," Willow joked.

Oliver threw a pillow on her. "Don't break your promise to Sally. Remember? We're not going to put ourselves down anymore."

"Ugh, fine. I'll try."

"That was very noncommittal."

Willow threw the pillow back at Oliver. "You're right, that was. I will actually try to be positive, though. Being an optimist sounds hard, but being a pessimist is overrated at this point.

"You don't have to be an optimist to put yourself up," Oliver pointed out.

Willow glanced at him. "Did I ever tell you that you're incredibly intuitive?"

"No, but thanks for telling me." Oliver closed his eyes, shifting into a comfier position. "I think I'm too tired to dodge Filch tonight. I'll just...sleep here..." His voice drifted off. "Good night, Willow."

"Good night, Oliver."

Willow fell asleep to the crackling of the fire, the smell of the oak wood lulling her into sweet dreams.


	30. Year 2: Chapter 9

Oliver left early the next morning. By the time Willow woke up, he was already gone, having left a note. Fred and George pestered her to no end about falling asleep on the couch the whole day. She couldn't tell whether it was because they truly were joking around or if it was a cover-up for their worry. She hoped it was the latter.

Willow had definitely remembered McGonagall's command to join her in her office from the night before. She even received a slip of paper to remind her. But Willow Guerrero did not oblige. She was not going to open up to anyone about this. The last time she tried, even with her dad...it didn't go too well. She was determined to keep this inside of her. Thankfully, Professor McGonagall didn't pursue her, but she did notice the closer eye she kept on her.

Harry and Ron were loudly complaining about Hermione's constant presence in the library. Hermione had never been out of the common room as much as this before. Colin Creevy was even more interested in Harry as the days passed, and he kept pestering Ginny about him. Willow gave into both of their pleas for more information about Harry before long. She could face Harry if he found out.

Willow realized after breakfast one morning that she'd completely forgotten about a History of Magic assignment due later that day. She wrote about it between classes (and when Professor Lockhart wasn't looking), but still had a good amount to go by lunch. Willow decided she would survive skipping lunch just this once and went to the library to finish. She got down to business and was making good progress until a certain headache walked in.

"Skipping lunch again, are you?" he sneered.

"I don't think my health is going to suddenly plummet from skipping a single meal. My grades are more important than lunch."

"You need to resort your priorities."

Willow sighed and turned to Draco. "I've got them sorted out perfectly fine, thanks. They don't need rearranging. At least they're morally right, unlike yours, Blonde."

Draco ignored her comment and eyed her assignment. "Are you finished yet?"

"No, I was almost done before you walked in."

"Am I really that distracting to you, Wisp?"

Willow shoved him into the nearest chair. "Take a seat and watch me get an Outstanding, pendejo."

Draco waited patiently for her to finish the last paragraph. When she finally put down her quill, Draco got out his own composition, comparing it to Willow's. He seemed impressed for a while, the frowned.

"Do you always insist on doing this to me?" he asked. "Yours is the exact same length is mine. Figures."

"Hey, look at it from an optimistic standpoint," Willow said. "It means I'm catching up to you, and we're both smart."

"Since when are you an optimist?"

"Since you became an arsehole."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Funny, Wisp, really."

The bell rang. Willow and Draco picked up their stuff and headed to History of Magic. Professor Binns materialized through the wall, as usual, and began a lecture even Willow had to admit was boring. She tried to soak up as much information as possible, but ended up writing notes to keep herself awake. Writing notes was frustrating. She never needed to wrote notes. It was much easier to keep the information fresh in her head than on paper, where she always fell behind because she wrote so slow. The frustration didn't do enough to keep her awake, though. Draco had to throw a quill at her to get her to wake up.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"I had to wake you up at some point. You missed an important part of the lesson."

"Ugh, of course," Willow groaned. "What was it?"

"The history of the Chamber of Secrets."

Willow sat bolt upright, startling another few students awake. "The Chamber of- What? The Chamber of Secrets has nothing to do with what we're learning right now! Why was he discussing the Chamber of Secrets?"

Draco shrugged, putting his feet up on the chair in front of him. "Hermione brought it up. She must have been dying to know. All of the Slytherins have checked out Hogwarts: A History for the week. That wasn't my doing!" he added quickly at Willow's death glared, then smirked. "It would have been pretty funny though. The Mud- " he reworded his sentence upon received yet another withering gaze- "The bloody Gryffindor can remember everything but the Chamber of Secrets. Fitting, really, considering she's a muggleborn. If I were her, I would have skipped over that particular chapter."

Willow quizzically glanced at Draco. "What's the Chamber of Secrets? I know it was what the bloody writing in the wall was all about, but that's pretty much it."

Draco launched into an explanation of the secret chamber Salazar Slytherin had built hundreds of years ago when the school was first founded. Willow listened intently, drawn in by the interesting story. When Draco explained that its purpose was to purge the school of muggleborns, though, panic invaded her mind.

"You mean to tell me that something is out to kill all the muggleborns? And it's loose in the castle?"

"Yeah, probably."

Willow slammed her fist on Draco's desk. "Don't say that so nonchalantly! You know this is a big deal!"

Draco held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, just don't kill me, aright? Jeez, I speak with the wrong tone of voice and you're ready to murder me...Joking, only joking!" he said at the sight of Willow threatening him with her fist. "So...that's pretty much everything. And I'm not answering any questions."

"You answer other peoples' questions after your heroic childhood stories," Willow teased.

Draco rolled his eyes. "That's different, Wisp. It's- " His eyes flashed when he happened to look down. Draco suddenly grabbed her hand. Willow's heart skipped a beat. She tried to pull her hand back, but it wouldn't budge. Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's this?"

"Nothing, I swear, it's nothing- " Willow ripped her hand out of Draco's grasp. "It's nothing."

"You said that twice. There's no way it's nothing."

Willow rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous sometimes, you know?"

"I'm just reminding you how overbearing you are on a daily basis," Draco said, smirking.

"Oh, shut it," Willow said. She inconspicuously drew her hand out of sight. Of course, Draco noticed, and he pulled out his wand, whispering an incantation. The scars from Griffin reappeared in bright pink splotches. Willow sighed.

"Fine, you caught me. I should have known that disillusionment spell wouldn't fool you...I might have done something incredibly stupid last night."

Draco groaned. "Of course you did."

"I may or may not have brought a handful of magical creatures into the Gryffindor common room," Willow said, wincing. "Bad idea. Terrible idea. I'm not sure I was truly thinking at all, actually." She held out her hand. "This was from Griffin. He's only a baby, mind you, so I'm sure he'll learn how to be gentle soon. It's a question of how long he'll behave in order to stay undercover now.

"Griffin as in...an actual griffin?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah, I'm an idiot. Griffin was traveling with a jarvey, a knarl, and a jobberknoll. They were in the Forbidden Forest, all alone and hurt. I don't know what attacked them, but it did quite a number on Griffin. He was much closer to death than I thought last night. The knarl doesn't really like me, but I named him Patches anyway, the jarvey is hyper and won't shut up- his name is V- and the jobberknoll is pretty sweet. I named him Felicity."

Draco whacked her with a book. "You named them? How long are you planning on keeping them around? This has to be the dumbest mistake you've made so far. Does any Gryffindor have the ability to think through consequences before they act?"

"No, not really," Willow admitted. "And I'm planning to release them as soon as they're better, I promise."

"I would bet all the galleons in the world that you won't," Draco retorted.

Willow rolled her eyes. "We'll see about that, smartarse. I care more about their safety and well-being than my own attachment issues with random magical creatures."

"You're still going to keep them forever."

The bell rang. Draco stood up, shooting her a look, then left, having said everything he needed to say. Willow could practically hear his doubtful, sneering voice as he walked away. She shook her head. As long as he didn't interfere with her creatures' rehabilitation, he could pester her as much as he felt was necessary. Willow dropped off her books in the common room, then headed to dinner, feeling a little better than she had the past few days.

"Willow, hey, Willow!" Colin called, running up beside her. "How are you today?"

"Good, thanks," she replied. "How did Potions go this afternoon? I heard you and Ginny talking about it earlier."

"Snape never likes the potions Ginny and I brew," Colin said, his usual peppy spirit dwindling a little. "He always looks over our shoulders and either says we're doing it wrong or takes points from Gryffindor. I don't know why he'd hate Ginny, she's done nothing wrong to him, being as perfect as she is and all- " Colin paused to take a breath. "She's been acting funny lately, don't you think? She keeps saying she hasn't been feeling the best. Do you think she's sick again?"

"No, she's probably just sad about Mrs. Norris," Willow said, though Colin did probe her memory. What had Ginny been trying to tell her before the Halloween Feast? "She must be having a rough time in classes. I've heard they're killing you guys this year."

"Oh, yeah, they're cramming a lot of information in at once this week. It's almost crazy, really, how much depth there is to this magic. I thought it was just a wave of your wand and ta-da! Whatever you wanted to happen would happen. I've gone about this magic stuff all wrong! There's a lot to remember, but I don't mind anymore. It's cool."

They reached the Great Hall. Colin spotted Ginny and dragged Willow over to her side of the table. He began his usual non-stop mealtime chatter about nothing in particular, hopping from topic to topic constantly. Ginny didn't seem to hear him. Willow sensed a lot of dark thoughts clouding her mind. She really wished she could intervene, but to do so, especially in front of Colin, would provoke her into clamming up again. She decided to bide her time and wait for a better opportunity.

"Willow!" Mia gasped, appearing behind her. "We have an emergency! Your assistance is mandatory!"

"What's wrong? Is everyone okay?" Willow asked.

"No!" Lavender wailed, appearing beside Mia, Sally beside her. "Fay is not happy and she won't tell us why!"

Willow cast an apologetic glance at Colin and Ginny before she was dragged out of the Great Hall. Lavender, Sally, and Mia took her to the nearest girls' bathroom, where Parvati was pacing outside. She ran up to the girls.

"Fay has been in there for five minutes now!" Parvati explained. "She needs serious help!"

"I'll fix this," Willow said, marching straight into the bathroom.

It was a pitiful sight. Fay was sitting on a heater next to the stained glass windows in the corner of the bathroom. She had smudged the little bit of makeup she had on all over her eyes, making her seem like even more of a mess. Fay glanced up from her hysterical sobbing when she heard Willow come in.

"What...happened?" Willow asked.

"He hates me! All of his friends hate me, too!" Fay cried.

"Um...which boy is this again?"

"You know which one!" Fay blubbered, more tears spilling down her face. Willow most definitely did not know which one this was, but she kept quiet. "There he was, standing so perfectly in the corridor, the sunlight hitting his hair just perfect...I had to tell him how I've felt. I can't keep it in that long." Fay face contorted into anger. "But I should have never been interested in him! He's a liar! I told him that I liked him, being perfectly honest with him, and he made this awful disgusted face- and- and- he told me I was ugly!" Fay kicked the wall. "He's right! Look at me! I'm a complete mess!" Fay hiccuped with the intensity of her emotions. "I'll never be good enough to have a boyfriend!"

"What- he insulted your beauty?" Willow yelped. She clenched her fists. "Wait here, Fay. I'll be right back."

She walked out of the bathroom. Ignoring her Sisters' multitude of questions, she asked where this boy was. They pointed him out immediately, glaring daggers in his direction. It took a few tries for Willow to find him, but when she finally found him, she grabbed him by the ear, dragged him from the Great Hall, and didn't let go until he was right in front of the girls' bathroom.

"Hey, what the hell, girl?" the boy said.

"Fay!" Willow called. "Come here a moment!"

Fay appeared in the doorframe, her face still a mess of makeup and saltwater. She gasped and started crying even more at the sight of the boy. Willow caught her before she could flee.

"Is this the imbecile?" she asked. Fay nodded, whimpering. Willow glanced at the baffled boy, then whispered, "He had this coming," to Fay. She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What- "

"Hey, douchebag," Willow said, approaching the boy. "You'd better hope this teaches you to mess with a girl ever again."

Willow wound up and kicked the boy straight in the place where the sun doesn't shine. He fell to his knees in pain, eyes wide with shock, mouth open but no sound coming out. Fay giggled while he writhed on the ground. Willow walked over to her and put an arm around her.

"That is what we think of boys who mess with our images," she said. "Don't you ever let any boy, no matter how much you like him, trample on you heart. If he calls you ugly, his soul is ugly. If he calls you worthless, his brain is full of dung. You're perfect and he's not. Don't let him bring you down just because he's jealous of you."

Fay smiled. "Thanks, Willow." She frowned at the boy. "Can I kick him for good measure?"

"Be my guest."

The Gryffindor Sisters cheered as Fay kicked the boy as hard as she could in the same place Willow did. They stood there and held each other excitedly until the boy finally got up and tripped down the hallway to get away from them. Lavender, Mia, and Parvati sent some fun jinxes after him. The whole Great Hall went up in laughter when he fell on his face. The Gryffindor Sisters sat down at the Gryffindor table in a laughing heap. The only thing that could have made the moment better was having Hermione with them.

Hermione eventually did appear that night, but she declined their invitation to hang out. She was busy whispering with Harry and Ron about something in the corner of the common room. Sally decided to start a beauty contest in their dorm, and before Willow could object, she was thrown into the fray. Mia and Lavender took turns applying makeup to and dressing up Sally, Parvati, Willow, and Fay, then did it to themselves. Hermione was forced at that point to become their judge. She was so flustered she didn't even know where to begin.

"Well- um- I don't really do this kind of thing that often, you see- er- well, Parvati is absolutely stunning, with her eye shadow and all, Lavender's hair is perfectly curled- er- Sally's features are brought out very well by the blush- "

"Oh, just say it already!" Fay giggled. "You can't decide! We're all too pretty!"

"Your turn to be beautified, Hermione!" Mia chirped in a sing-song voice.

"Oh, I don't usually get involved with makeup- I'm much too out of touch with it, I'm afraid- " Hermione stammered.

"Don't worry, you're going to be a marvel!" Lavender cut in. "We'll make sure of it!" She raised her eyebrows in a flirtatious way. "You can show a picture of yourself to Lockhart afterwards...!"

Hermione's cheeks went red. "Well- I guess there's no harm in it, really- "

"Excellent! Lavender, if you would help me with this stunning girl?"

Willow, Parvati, Fay, and Sally all watched on as Hermione was transformed into a goddess. Her curly hair was tamed into flowing waves that were much smoother than usual, her eyes were brought out with a touch of eye shadow and mascara, and a little bit of blush applied to her cheeks enhanced her cute disposition. With the right set of robes, Hermione was picture perfect. Willow took individual photos of everyone, including herself to send to her father, and several group photos, from serious to funny poses. It was a perfect way to take her mind off of things. Fay stood up on her bed and cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"If I had a bottle of champagne, this would make more sense, but since I don't, I'm just going to pretend I do," Fay said. "To every boy who thinks we aren't pretty enough, smart enough, or good enough- go to hell!"

"Hear, hear!" the Sisters chorused back.

There was a knock at the door. Willow opened it to find Harry and Ron standing there.

"Hey, have you seen- " Ron's ears turned pink when he saw all the girls dressed up. "Oh, sorry, we'll come back later- "

"No, no, you're fine," Willow insisted. "Hermione's in here. We kind of stole her and turned her into a goddess."

"I see that," Harry said, then turned red. "Not in that way, you know what I mean- "

Willow laughed. "Harry, you're the last person I thought would struggle speaking to girls, but here we are. I need to teach you a thing or two before you make a mess of yourself." She opened the door a little wider. "You should really see Hermione while you can, she's absolutely gorgeous, even more now than she was before."

Hermione's face went as red as the boys' when she saw them. "I'm not that pretty."

"Oh, come off it," Lavender said. "You're not allowed to put yourself down in your divine form! Have you seen yourself in the mirror yet? I know you looked, but have you really soaked in all your beauty?"

"There's not much to soak in..." Hermione trailed off.

"That's it!" Fay announced, clapping her hands together and standing up. "We're showing you off to the entire common room! If we can't make you love yourself, then maybe other people can!" Fay grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her off the bed. "Let's go!"

"Wait a moment, I'm not sure this is really necessary- "

"It's totally necessary!" Parvati insisted. "Come on, Mia, Lavender, Sally, get your butts in gear! Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Hermione was ushered out of the room, giving into her roommates' demands. Ron was swept away in the crowd. He looked back at Harry, but Harry only teasingly threw heart signs in his direction. Naturally, Ron mouthed, "You'll pay for this!" and disappeared from sight. The Gryffindor Sisters kept shushing each other and promising Ron that he was in for a show. They all raised an eyebrow at Willow on their way out, whispering, "Go get that Weasley!" as they ran past. She shook her head, glancing at the ceiling.

"Are they ever going to give up on that?"

"Is that a rhetorical question, or am I supposed to answer?" Harry asked.

"You are such a sassy mierdita, did you know that?" Willow sighed. "Come on, I need to hide somewhere quiet before they catch me and attempt to murder me in front of the twins."

Harry followed her down the stairs and past the bubbling crowd of lively Gryffindors hanging out in the common room. She lead him out of Gryffindor Tower and across the castle until they were at the Owlery. Harry called Hedwig immediately, and Iris found her way to Willow through the beams above. They stood there in silence for a while, enjoying the company of each other and their owls, the sounds of the distant Forbidden Forest a pleasant ambiance. Willow finally spoke when the moon shined through the windows.

"I noticed you left pretty fast after class today," she said. "What happened? Did someone say something?"

Harry bit his lip. "Did you hear anything about the Chamber of Secrets? Mainly about the Heir of Slytherin? I couldn't tell whether you were paying attention or not..."

"Yeah, I think so."

"Well...Ron, Hermione, and I were talking, and we don't know who it is, obviously, but there was something I never told them. I might have told you about it at some point." He swallowed. "Do you remember me telling you anything about the Sorting Hat attempting to place me in Slytherin?"

"That rings a bell," Willow said. "What about it?"

"It just...makes me wonder...What if I'm the Heir of Slytherin? It worries me that there's rumors going around about me being the Heir. I don't think it's true, but what if it is? I don't want to be causing all these attacks. Hermione could get killed!"

"Harry, you're not the Heir of Slytherin," Willow said. "There's no way you could have caused something this serious without knowing it. Hearing something in the walls? That's nothing. It's bad, of course, but I can hear it too, and I'm not the Heir of Slytherin, right? Look," she said, taking Harry's arm. "I could have been placed in Slytherin, too. My mum's entire family has been Slytherin for as far back as they can remember. The Sorting Hat started in with that 'You could be great' crap with me, too. I chose to be Gryffindor. I'd rather win a fight face-to-face than come up with some clever way to get back at someone later. Cunning and ambition aren't my thing, Harry, and they aren't your thing, either. Winning something the right way, following all the rules of the fight, and still beating your opponent- that sounds much more appealing to you than winning at all costs, does it not?" Harry nodded. "See, you're a Gryffindor, through and through, just like me! Quit worrying about this Heir of Slytherin business. It'll get into your head for no reason. Let it go. Be the bloody Gryffindor you are and just run straight on past those idiots who think you're the Heir. You don't need anyone to back you up. You know who you are, and that's all that matters."

Harry smiled. "Did you know you give really good advice, Willow?"

She shrugged, though the smile still lingered on her face. "I've been told that before. So what's your plan to figure this thing out?"

"Well, so far, Hermione is thinking that we can use this Polyjuice Potion thing to transform ourselves into a couple of Slytherins, infiltrate their common room, and figure out whether Draco is the Heir of Slytherin."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "You think it's him? I'm not surprised."

Harry furrowed his brow. "You're not mad that we're accusing him? Even though you're...friends with him?"

"No, not really," Willow sighed. "He's half git, half okay. I wouldn't put it past him if he was the Heir to be doing all of these things. The amount of damage his parents have done on him with this pureblood mania is astounding."

"He's still buying into it on his own..." Harry trailed off quietly, his expression darkening. Willow pretended she didn't hear him.

"So you're staying for the Holidays, then?"

"Yeah, are you?"

Willow paused for a moment. "Well...I was really hoping to see my father, and my grandparents and uncles are possibly coming in, so...I think I'm going home for once. I can stay if you need me."

"No, no, it's fine, we don't want to get you in trouble," Harry said. "Anyway, I hope I never have to spend the Holidays with the Dursleys again."

"I don't blame you. They're awful. Speaking of them, what did- "

Willow was cut off by the sound of pounding feet on the stairs. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan appeared at the top of the stairs, laughing so hard they were nearly crying. They didn't even settle down at the sight of Harry and Willow.

"Hi, guys!" Dean chuckled. "You- You'd never believe- what Seamus did- "

"Percy's never been more furious- Wood loved it- You have to come and see it!" Seamus said in between fits.

Willow raised her eyebrows at Harry. He made a gesture, as if to say, "Might as well," and rose to his feet. They followed the two boys back to Gryffindor Tower. Dean and Seamus kept erupting into laughing fits, teasing each other and making fun of Percy's reaction. Willow caught a whiff of something burning down the corridor from the Fat Lady's portrait. Seamus had definitely done something. If it was related to pyrotechnics, Seamus was the person to go to. They entered the common room to discover half of the wall charred. The fireplace was roaring like a dragon and spitting out flames the size of a small car every so often. Percy Weasley and Oliver Wood were bickering in the corner.

"You made him do it, Wood, I know you did!" Percy yelled.

"Percy, please, I woodn't make him do that," Wood joked. "Get it? Wood?"

"Oh, please, this is not the time for your horrible puns!" Percy growled. He pointed an accusatory finger at Wood's chest. "You did this! Seamus couldn't possibly have performed that spell if you hadn't told him about it?"

Wood spread his arms in a gesture of innocence. "There's no way you can prove I did it, is there?"

"Don't mock me, Wood, I could give you detention for this! You're lucky I'm not taking away house points!"

"Oh, no, not house points!" Wood mocked, pretending to cower in Percy's livid presence. "Don't take away points from your own house, Percy, it will just upset me!"

"Wood! I'm not afraid to give you detention!"

"Liven up, Percy," Wood said, putting an arm around him. "Look around! Everyone's happy for the interruption in their boring, repetitive lives. What's a little fire going to harm? You could easily put it out."

"Fine! I will," Percy said. He raised his wand. "Aguamenti!"

A jet of water doused the flame. It flickered, then went out. The common room collectively groaned. Then, just as everyone turned away, the fire sprung up again, shooting flames at Percy's back. He yelped and quickly doused the flames. Wood burst into wild fits of laughter, slapping his knee and falling into the nearest couch. The rest of the common room followed suit. Percy Weasley had never looked more livid.

"Fine! See what I care when you burn down Gryffindor Tower in you sleep!" he shouted, storming off to his dormitory and slamming the door shut. The fire continued to char the walls and liven up the common room. Most of the students returned to their studying or hanging out with friends. Dean and Seamus high-fived one another.

"Yes! That was your best one yet!" Dean cheered.

"You can thank Wood for that one! It's complicated, but worth it!" Seamus said.

"You're really good at magical fires! You should start your own pyrotechnic line of products when you graduate. You'd make loads of galleons off of that!"

Seamus was suddenly modest. "Well, I'm not sure I'm that good, but thanks, Dean."

Both boys' cheeks were bright red. Willow wondered for a second if they were going to hug each other, but Dean awkwardly cleared his throat, shuffling his feet.

"Well- um- I should be- heading off to study, then," he said.

"Me too," Seamus agreed. There was another pause, then both boys hurriedly said, "Bye," and went their separate ways. Willow glanced back at Harry, who appeared just as confused as she was.

"I don't know what that's all about," he said, shrugging. "Oh well. Let them figure it out. In the mean time- " Harry pulled a textbook out of his bag- "Can you please tell me what the heck is going on in Transfiguration right now?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Harry, am I ever going to get you to pay attention?"

"You can try, but I don't suggest it," Harry chuckled.

Willow opened her Transfiguration textbook. "Come on, blockhead, let's get through this before I acquaint your face with the textbook."

Over the next few days, Hermione confided in Willow about their plan to brew Polyjuice Potion, and Griffin the baby Griffin continued to recover very well. He was eating meat much faster than Willow could steal it, though, and the house elves had begun setting up protective measures against her thievery. She'd gotten whacked in the face by a spatula, narrowly avoided a pair of scissors, and ambushed by magical frosting. It was worth it if it meant Griffin was on the mend.

After the next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, Willow gave Hermione, Harry, and Ron an encouraging thumbs up before she left the class. She'd been inserted into their plans for brewing the Polyjuice Potion. Instead of actually drinking it when the time came, she was to steal the ingredients for it. Hermione fretted for nearly half an hour about her powers defecting and using dark magic, but Willow finally convinced her that she had them under control enough that it wasn't going to happen. She must have still been worried about her, judging by the concerned look she got from Hermione, even though she was stealing the ingredients the next day, but Willow only smiled and mouthed "I'll be fine!" and left.

The next day, the corridors were crowded, especially for a Saturday morning. Several professors were milling about, casting their watchful eyes about the students. Even more than a week after the attack, the staff were still worried about the Chamber of Secrets. Willow bit her lip. Hopefully the odds would tip in her favor and Snape would be out of his office for a while. He wasn't likely to spare her a detention- or three.

When she arrived at Snape's private stores, Willow's heart rate spiked. It was eerily silent. Her powers threatened to surface again, but she refused. She had grown much better at controlling them since their enormous break Halloween night. Soon, however, they would be unruly again, and she'd have to practice more. Willow shook her head. She was getting unfocused already! There wasn't any time to dilly-dally. This was possibly of life-changing importance. Willow rolled up her sleeves and drew her wand.

"Alohamora!"

The door didn't budge. Of course Snape would put some fancy spell on his private stores. Willow put her wand away and glanced at her pocket, where Fidget was peering up at her.

"Hang on, alright?"

Fidget nodded, curling into a little ball and latching onto her robes with his tiny claws. Willow backed up a few paces, got a running start, and slammed her legs into the door as hard as she could. It snapped off its hinges with an agonizingly loud creaking, popping sound and fell to the floor. Willow cringed and listened. No running footsteps, no shouting, no nothing. She hoped her luck would continue to hold. Entering the small room, she found everything on the list Hermione had given her, then hightailed it out of there.

Willow ran straight to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Unsurprisingly, it was abandoned, aside from Myrtle herself, who was sitting next to a large, round, intricately designed window. It obviously hadn't been cleaned in forever, being translucent instead of transparent at that point. Willow carefully placed the ingredients next to the cauldron Hermione had left for her. Myrtle finally quit moaning right as she was leaving.

"Who are you?" she asked, apparently agitated.

Willow stopped in her tracks. She turned around, walking back into view. Myrtle was eyeing her suspiciously from her perch next to the window. "I'm Willow Guerrero. You're Myrtle, right?"

"I suppose you're working for those boys and that girl that come in here and interrupt my misery, aren't you?" she said. "Have you come to make my life even worse, too?"

"Is your life even that bad, Myrtle?" Willow questioned. "I mean, you chose to come back as a ghost. You don't even have to haunt this bathroom. Why are you here?"

Myrtle gaped at her, then suddenly flew at her, angrier than a swarm of bees. "Why am I here? Why am I here? Those students made my life miserable! I had to come back and make sure they regretted it!"

"But...you're still miserable..." Willow pointed out.

"I know!" Myrtle wailed, throwing herself into a toilet and splashing water all over the floor. Willow stepped back just in time to avoid the second wave as Myrtle flew out. "Now I'm stuck here forever!"

"That's kind of your own fault, you know," Willow said.

Myrtle wailed and flew through her. It felt like icy water had been splashed all over her, and a shiver went down her spine. Myrtle glared at her from above the sinks.

"Well, if you want to wallow in self pity, I'll leave you to it, then," Willow said, brushing off her robes and turning to leave. "All I can say is that, from experience, it gets you absolutely nowhere. You don't have to be an optimist to be motivated."

Myrtle simply kept grumbling and moaning under her breath. Willow shook her head. It would take years of a different way of thinking to fix Myrtle. She didn't have time for miserable ghosts. Willow headed back to the common room, which was buzzing with activity. Fred, George, Lee, and Paige were experimenting with Filibuster Fireworks, Wood and Percy were having a debate about quidditch (in which Wood was destroying Percy), Neville, Dean, and Seamus were practicing the newest Charms spell, and a group of older students were struggling to decipher an Ancient Runes text. Willow unobtrusively made her way to the side of the room. She placed her hand on the wall, waited for the door to materialize, and slipped inside. She unlocked the wall and passed through it. Griffin snapped awake in a nearby clearing and clumsily got to his feet. He excitedly sprinted at Willow and bowled her over.

"Whoa, Griffin, hey there, buddy!" she laughed.

"Scree!"

Griffin backed up, as Willow had taught him, and allowed her to get up, then jumped up to put his front paws on her shoulders. She let him brush his beak on her face. Griffin nipped her ear, though gentler than usual. He didn't even draw blood. Willow put him down, and he scampered over to a patch of bushes, where V and Felicity were play-fighting. Patch was nibbling on wild daises (as usual). Felicity spotted Willow and silently chirped, flying onto her shoulder and looking for bugs in her hair. V padded up to Willow and sat down, mumbling something over and over. She didn't want to know what it was. V had a bad habit of using foul language. If he didn't listen to her and clean up his act soon, she would have to put a silencing charm on him to spare her ears. Patch ignored her, being the little butt he was. Griffin once again ran to her, this time skidding to a stop before he could trample her. He sniffed her robe pocket for Fidget. The bowtruckle peaked out, but nothing more. Griffin cocked his head and stared at him.

"Griffin, you be nice to Fidget," Willow said. "How are your wounds healing up, little guy?"

With Griffin's attention momentarily fixed on Fidget, Willow examined his hindquarters, finding that the scratches were now no more than scabs. They looked strong and unbroken. Soon, if Griffin was careful enough, they would turn into light scars. Willow grinned. Maybe there was a chance for him yet.

"Whoa, what is that thing?" a voice said.

Griffin squawked and flapped his wings in fear, rearing up on his hind legs. A chorus of yelling went up near the wall. V backed up behind Willow and started cussing nonstop. She flicked her foot at him to make him quiet. Of course, it only made him mutter instead of shout. Felicity's feathers puffed up on her shoulder and tickled her ear. Fidget unsheathed his claws. Patch pretended the world didn't exist and kept eating daisies.

"Whoa, Griffin, calm yourself!" Willow said, stepping in front of him and raising her arms. Griffin kept squeaking anxiously, but calmed down enough to stand on all fours. Willow shushed him and stroked his beak until he was only breathing heavily. Scared whispers echoed off the wall behind her. Willow whipped around angrily only to find Dean, Seamus, and Neville pressed against the wall in fear.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"What are you doing here?" Seamus retorted.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Seamus? I'm trying to help a few creatures!"

"Um...why is there a forest in the middle of the Gryffindor common room?" Dean asked. "You didn't create this whole thing, did you?"

"Yeah, I created it, being an all-powerful second year with supreme background knowledge," Willow said sarcastically. "Of course I didn't create it! I just- kind of- stumbled across it. These creatures needed attention, so I brought them in here."

"But...why?" Neville inquired shyly. "They seem fine."

"Well, they weren't fine a week or so ago," Willow said, stroking Griffin's neck. "This little guy here? He had some severe claw wounds on his back. The jarvey and the knarl were a little beat up- not that Patch lets me near him, anyway- and Felicity here was malnourished. I don't know how this place just popped up in the middle of our common room, but it did, and I'm going to take advantage of it. They needed my help."

Neville stepped a little closer. Griffin stared at him with wonder in his eyes. He took a few hesitant steps towards Neville, which made the boy freeze in his tracks. Willow walked Griffin closer to Neville.

"It's okay, he's not going to hurt you," she promised. "Come on, Neville, Griffin just wants to meet you. He's super friendly, actually."

Neville tiptoed towards Griffin. Dean and Seamus still cowered in the corner, watching with wide eyes. Griffin took the last few steps toward Neville and sniffed him all over.

"What do I do now?" Neville asked, stock still.

"Pet him, if you want," Willow said. She took his arm. "You have to be very gentle and slow, and don't touch his face. He was pretty sensitive about that with me at first."

Willow let go of him, and Neville delicately stroked Griffin's neck. The baby griffin purred. Neville smiled and pet him a little more, much to Griffin's liking. He finally backed away after a little while.

"I see why you love them now," Neville said. "He's incredible."

Griffin swelled with pride. He flapped his wings and pretended to roar, digging at the air with his front two paws. Neville laughed. Willow offered for Dean and Seamus to pet him, but they hung back.

"No thanks," Dean said quickly. "I can see him fine from here."

"I don't want to scare him," Seamus said.

Willow shrugged. "If you insist..." She guided Griffin back to the nest she had made for him. Felicity, V, and even Patch cuddled up with him, falling asleep fast. They must have had a busy day. Willow returned to the three boys. She lead them back through the wall, this time locking it behind her. She stopped them before they could exit back into the common room.

"You can't tell anybody about this, okay?" Willow told them. "This has to be kept as much of a secret as my powers are. I don't know what kind of trouble I'd get into with the school, but legally, I have no idea what would happen to my creatures. I'll personally drop you from the highest tree in the Forbidden Forest if you tell anyone, and trust me, there's some pretty tall trees. Got it?"

Dean and Seamus nodded vigorously. Neville simply said, "I wouldn't tell anyway."

Willow smiled. "Good. I hope to see you at the quidditch match."

The morning was unfortunately cloudy, ominous, and muggy. What a perfect day for a quidditch match, Willow thought as she headed to the locker rooms. She was still an alternate, as no one was out for the match, but she was still going to warm up with the team and cheer them on.

Harry had appeared very nervous and anxious all of breakfast. Now, as he sat and listened to Wood's pregame speech, he tapped his foot, his eyes darting all around the room. There was a lot of pressure on him to win this game for Gryffindor. Willow wished she could say something to make him feel better, but it was no good. She knew from past experience that nothing, not even the most soothing song, could calm Harry Potter's raging mind when he was nervous. Maybe Cypress would make a potion for anxiety in the future.

While they were warming up, her fellow teammates became increasingly worried as they watched the Slytherin team zoom around twice or three times as fast as them. Their fancy broomsticks would give them the advantage for scoring goals, and it would definitely make it easier for Draco to out-fly Harry in the seeker position. But she had worked with Harry for weeks on her new broomstick. He had come up with at least five different ways to outmaneuver Draco. When it came down to it, Willow was confident Harry would beat Draco out of hard work and skill.

"Hey, Willow!"

She turned around to see her entire friend group holding up a Gryffindor banner, even Oliver, Cypress, and her Ravenclaw friends. Though Cypress got some dirty looks from the Gryffindors surrounding him, he appeared relentlessly positive and happy.

"Tell Harry we said good luck!" Ron, Hermione, and Dean said.

"Tell Katie and Angelina and Alicia that we love them!" the Gryffindor Sisters begged.

"I will guys, don't worry," Willow laughed. "Thanks for supporting us! Try to stay dry!"

Wood called the team in. Willow wished Harry luck- he smiled at the mention of Ron and Hermione and Dean- and the team was up in the air. Gryffindor and Slytherin stared each other down, their glares piercing enough to slash through armour. Madam Hooch blew the whistle, and the game was on.

As expected, the Slytherins were killing the Gryffindors from the very start. They scored three goals in the space of a minute. Wood finally saved one, yelled at the girls to change strategies, and they started to hold off the Slytherins. It was a long and exhausting fight, though. The Slytherins scored another goal within a few minutes. Willow frustratedly sat on the bench. If only one of the chasers had agreed to use her Nimbus Two Thousand and One, they could at least have a chance to score a goal, but they had been stubborn- just like she would have been if she was in their place, now that she thought about it- and refused. Alicia had said it best: "It's better to beat them fair and square as the lesser one. You get more satisfaction out of that."

Suddenly, Willow was distracted by Harry's flying. High above the stadium, Harry was seemingly making a fool of himself, darting this way and that, swirling and twirling, diving and darting. Willow called up her powers and enhanced her eyesight. There was a little black dot riding his tail. It was a bludger, but this one wasn't acting right. Willow realized all the fancy maneuvers were a result of the bludger's continued attacks on Harry. The twins tried to beat it away, but to no success. A short timeout was called. There was a small argument between the players, and when play finally resumed, Harry was flying without Fred and George.

"Wood, I swear to God, if Harry gets hurt, you're going to lose your bodily functions," Willow growled under her breath.

Harry continued his fancy flying, employing moves that he and Willow had worked on, but for a completely different purpose. She watched with bated breath while he narrowly avoided the bludger. He almost looked like a dancer in the sky. Unfortunately, this wasn't a performance she wished to watch. Harry was in serious danger because of someone's idiocy. The rain that started in the meantime wasn't a good omen, either.

Suddenly, Harry paused in midair, staring at Draco. Willow spotted the snitch above his head. The Slytherin section was screaming at Draco, but he didn't pay any attention to them. He was busy laughing at Harry. Willow let out a scream when the bludger slammed into Harry's arm while he wasn't paying attention. He nearly fell off his broom. She gripped her own broom with white knuckles, ready to take off in an instant if necessary. Thankfully, Harry righted himself and sped off, directly at Malfoy. He darted out of the way as Harry claimed the snitch- and victory. The stands went up in a roaring cheer.

Harry, however, slid sideways and careened into the muddy pit below him.

"No!" Willow screamed.

Harry slowly stirred, his arm awkwardly angled underneath him. Willow sprinted to his side while some of the teachers began to run onto the field. He said something to himself and promptly passed out. Willow hoped no one would notice her and slowly moved her hands above his body, assessing for any other injuries. She sighed in relief when she found it was just his arm.

That relief disappeared when Professor Lockhart kneeled at Harry's side.

"You! Don't touch him!" Willow growled.

"Ah, Willow! If it isn't one of my best students," Lockhart said, flashing that annoying smile of his. "I always knew you would make a good quidditch player. It's a shame you're an alternate."

"Quit lying through your perfectly fake teeth and back away," she said.

"I know just the spell to help him," Lockhart continued. He ignored Willow's fuming presence and moved Harry's arm closer to him. "I hope your newest assignment is going well! There's some rumors about your talent with the pen."

"I've heard of your talent for fictional stories as well, Professor," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear. Lockhart didn't react outwardly, but she could sense brooding anger and suspicion beneath the surface. Willow quickly ran off before Lockhart could do any of his "perfect spells" on her. The twins struggled to reign in the bludger that had been attacking Harry.

"Do you need some help with that?" Willow asked.

"No, it's all under control!" Fred cried, temporarily losing his grip on the rogue bludger. He managed to get both hands back on it. "Only a few bruises, that's all! Feisty little bugger- "

The bludger suddenly gave an enormous pull and freed itself from both the twins' grips. Willow heard George cry out in pain. She hardly had time to react. The bludger was headed towards Harry still, and she was directly in its path. Instead of avoiding her, it smashed into her stomach, knocking her off of her feet. Willow made a mad grab and somehow miraculously managed to hang onto it. Fred sprinted to her with the quidditch ball box. She wrestled the bludger into the box, Fred clicked the lock into place, and it was finally done. The bludger fought to get free, but Fred slammed the box shut.

"How's that for your first quidditch match, Willow?" Fred panted.

"Interesting, no doubt, but I'd say it's better than watching from the stands," Willow replied.

Fred let out a hearty laugh. "I daresay you have an addiction to danger. We're never going to stop worrying about you, are we?"

"Nope," George wheezed painfully, appearing beside his twin, rubbing his shoulder. He wore a goofy grin despite the obvious pain he was in. "I think she's destined to give us insomnia."

Willow touched George's shoulder. He winced. "You popped that out of place. I've done that before."

"Oh well. Madam Pomfrey will fix it," George said. He glanced at the rattling box. "That bludger was bloody crazy. I've never seen the likes of it. The bloke that enchanted it must have been really thick to think it would be entertaining. Let's see how he likes it when a mad bludger's after him!"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to get back at him for you," Fred promised. "We've got plenty of new fireworks we can light him up with. Might make for a spectacle."

"Hey, George, hold still a second," Willow said, moving behind him.

"What are- "

George was abruptly cut off. Willow firmly gripped his arm and popped his shoulder back into its socket. George cried out in pain, holding his shoulder, then whipped around at her.

"Merlin's beard Willow, at least give me a warning!" he spluttered.

"It usually works better when you aren't expecting it and tensing up your muscles and all. Sorry, I had to do that before Lockhart could offer his services to anyone else. Look what he's done to Harry!"

Ron and Hermione were shooing Colin away and trying to get Harry upright. His arm was rubbery and shapeless. Lockhart had apparently cast the spell completely wrong. It appeared as though Harry had no bones left in his arm. George shuddered and moved his shoulder around, testing it out a bit. Fred clapped him on the back.

"Hey, at least you have bones left in your arm, George," he said.

"Oh, shut it," George said, whacking his twin with his bad arm. He raised his eyebrows. "Huh. It doesn't even hurt anymore. I guess that means I'm allowed to light some fireworks for the celebration tonight?"

"You better let me in on this!" Willow said.

Fred grinned broadly. "Since when have we left you out of anything?"

"Don't you dare make me start an argument with you!"

George laughed and put an arm around Willow. "Come on, let's get to the common room before Lee starts without us!"

"Do it! Do it! Do it!" the crowd chanted.

Fred and George stood on the table, Lee and Paige directly below them. They clinked their spiked butterbeers- courtesy of Lee and Paige- together. The crowd cheered as they drank bottoms up. Willow lost track of how many butterbeers it had been for the two, but somehow they still remained only slightly tipsy. She had refused to drink any alcohol (unlike her roommates). The last butterbeer had tasted a little different, though, and Lee had personally delivered it to her. Willow had a strong feeling that he had secretly spiked it, what with her strange inclination to join the twins on top of the table and weird sense of security in the crowd. She was a total lightweight.

"Don't give me that look," Lee said when he walked over. "It's for your own good. Lighten up!"

"Lee, you know I don't like to drink alcohol!" Willow said. "I usually embarrass myself!"

"It's not embarrassment if everyone else is doing the same thing! Come on, get out here with us! You shouldn't be sulking in a corner after a win like that!" Lee grabbed her hand and forced her to her feet. "Loosen up! Have some fun!"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Fine, but if I get a hangover tomorrow, or anything goes wrong, anything at all, you're paying for it!"

"Yeah, yeah, you can thank me later when you get ten percent from your charms notes sales. They are through the roof this week. How do you manage to take such good notes?"

"I'll answer that when you decide to tell me how you manage to find them every time I hide them!" Willow playfully retorted.

"Alright, alright, I'll keep an eye on you," Lee promised. "Now get out there!"

Willow joined the twins on the table, who were dancing to a fun, upbeat tune. Soon, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie had joined them, then Wood, and Paige snuck onto the table in Harry's place. The common room cheered and praised them for their win today. Fred and George teased Paige for joining them, but she came up with a surprisingly witty remark. They danced away. The night wore on, and Willow, naturally, was exhausted by midnight. Surprisingly, when she retired to the couch, Fred, George, and Paige joined her. They all appeared rather tired as well.

"What's gotten into you guys? Don't you love nights?" Willow asked.

"Eh, I didn't drink enough butterbeer. The sugar boost does most of the work," Paige said.

"George isn't tired, he just- " Fred began.

" -wanted to take a break for a little bit," George finished, shooting a look at Fred. "Don't you think I didn't know where you were going. Don't you have Angelina to worry about, Freddy?"

"No, she's already gone off to bed."

"And you know that because of how close you're paying attention to her," Paige teased.

"Oh, shut it, you!"

"The truth hurts, doesn't it, Freddy?" George joked. Fred threw a pillow in his face. "Alright, I'll leave you alone. You're so sensitive, Freddy!" Ignoring Fred's appalled face, George asked, "Anyway, how was this party? Suitable for a Gryffindor victory?"

"Definitely," Willow replied. "I'm pretty sure Lee spiked my butterbeer on purpose."

"So that's why you were so abnormally willing to party," Fred said. "A little liquid motivation?"

"It never hurts," George said.

The twins, Paige, and eventually Lee chatted about random school drama and classes for at least an hour. There was so much going on when it came to the older Gryffindors and love triangles. Apparently, Lee had heard there was a single boy that had dated every girl in his year, including Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins. Willow could have sworn that all four of the fourth years were casting looks at certain people within the room, an unusual sparkle in their eyes, especially George and Paige, but it was probably the butterbeer messing with her head. She eventually checked the time and found it was nearly quarter after one. Willow yawned.

"Merlin's beard, wrestling bludgers is exhausting. I'm heading off to bed. Thanks for the party, guys."

"Goodnight, Willow," Paige said, hugging her.

"We'll make sure to give you real butterbeer more often!" the twins promised.

Willow smirked and went off to bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, for some reason still feeling Paige's hug.


	31. Year 2: Chapter 10

Willow kept floating in and out of sleep all night. Something kept bothering her. She knew it wasn't something she'd forgotten. It wasn't something she'd messed up, either. What was it? Had Griffin done something too much for his injury and reopened the scab? No, the scab was almost completely healed, it couldn't be that. Was someone in trouble? She didn't think so, but there was no way to know for sure. The inability to figure it out ate away at her throughout her fitful sleep.

Then, around half past six, Willow snapped awake, her powers going absolutely nuts. Her head was pounding. The last time it had felt like that was around the creepy, cold voice. She gasped when she realized what that meant. The creature had struck again! Where was it going? What had it done? Willow jumped awake and sprinted down the stairs, only to run straight into Professor McGonagall.

"Oh my goodness, Professor, so sorry!" she exclaimed.

"Will- Miss Guerrero, I was just looking for you," McGonagall said. Her eyes appeared bloodshot, and her forehead was creased. That only worried Willow further. "Wake Ginny Weasley, please, and follow me to the hospital wing. There's something you should see."

Willow's heart froze. "What?" she croaked. "Has someone...been attacked?"

McGonagall didn't answer, but the flash of her eyes when Willow said attacked said everything she needed to know. Fighting back tears, Willow sprinted up the stairs, dragged Ginny out of bed, and followed McGonagall through the portrait hole and into the corridors. Ginny yawned and rubbed her eyes, falling behind a bit. She appeared to have stayed up much too late the night before. The dark circles under her eyes were giving her away.

"Willow, why are we up so early? It's a Sunday morning," she asked.

"Something's happened. There was another attack," Willow informed her.

Ginny's eyes snapped awake. Her face drained of all colour. The usually rosy cheeks were ghostly. Willow caught her arm as she seemed to sway. Ginny panted lightly, her eyebrows furrowing together. She appeared stricken.

"Are you...okay?" Willow questioned slowly.

"...Fine," Ginny whispered.

Willow refused to let go of her until they arrived at the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was waiting outside the double doors. She appeared just as ghastly as Professor McGonagall. Both seemed to have suffered a lot over the past night. Willow's heart rate doubled. What was going on? Who had been attacked?

"This may come as a nasty shock," Madam Pomfrey gently told them. "It's okay to react however is necessary."

She pushed open the doors. The sight that greeted them was so frightening that Ginny actually fainted.

Colin Creevy was lying in a hospital bed as though dead. His camera was a melted mess of burnt plastic, lying on the bedside table. The expression on his face was of pure shock. Willow stumbled over to her frozen friend, mouth agape, and sank to her knees, gently touching his petrified face. She covered her mouth with her hand. Colin had just been alive and well at the party last night. He was making the most of every moment, drinking butterbeer, joining in the fun party games, laughing with Ginny and some other first years, and having so much fun. Now, his refreshing energy was gone. Willow dried her eyes with her robe sleeve while Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall placed Ginny in the bed next to Colin, where she slowly came to.

"He was found in the corridors last night," Professor McGonagall explained. "He's been petrified, just like Mrs. Norris."

"Will he...Is he able to be revived?" Ginny mumbled.

"Yes, he will be revived, but it will be a very long time until Professor Sprout is able to do so," Madam Pomfrey said sadly. "In the meantime, he will lie here. I will make sure no harm comes of him."

"Good." Willow took Colin's hand in her own, sniffling. "Why did it have to be you, Colin? How could anyone have something so against Muggleborns that they take the one with the liveliest, bubbliest personality?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'll try to live life to the fullest for you, Colin. If I can't have you to cheer me up, I'll cheer myself up for you. I promise."

Professor McGonagall put her hand on Willow's shoulder. "We should leave Madam Pomfrey to him, then," she suggested. Willow nodded. She took Ginny by the arm and followed her out of the room, casting one last, long look at Colin. Willow wiped her face one last time and followed McGonagall to her office. She and Ginny sat across from the Professor, who gave both of them pieces of chocolate.

"Eat these. They'll make you feel a little better."

Willow numbly nibbled on the corner of the piece of chocolate. It was magically infused with some sort of spell or potion, because a fuzzy buzzing sensation, however faint, warmed her up from the inside and cleared some of the fog out of her brain. Willow glanced at Ginny and found the same effect was had on her.

"You are both excused from classes tomorrow and the day after if you need it to recover," McGonagall said. She empathetically gazed at both girls in turn. "I will let your professors know not to give you too much homework for the next week as well. You can send for me anytime you need me as well." Ginny's eyes flickered, but it was only noticeable for a second. Willow picked up some dark clouds in her mind. There was definitely something wrong with Ginny. She had no doubt now, but how could she confront her? The situation was getting too tricky. "Ginny, you may return to the common room if you would like. Miss Guerrero, please stay a moment."

Ginny happily stood up and clearly forced herself to exit calmly and slowly. Willow's stomach flipped as Professor McGonagall eyed her from behind her spectacles, analyzing every detail she could find. Would she figure out what she was hiding?

"You never came for our meeting as planned, Miss Guerrero." Upon seeing Willow's panicked expression, she added, "It is not worthy of detention, of course, simply an invitation. However- " she paused, looking her straight in the eyes- "it is still an invitation I will wait for you to accept. The offer is still there. If you happen to wish for a meeting, I will be here at eight o'clock every Friday evening. You are welcome to drop by anytime."

Willow's brain activity seemed to hit a wall. What? McGonagall wasn't going to force her to stay and spill out everything? She was just...going to wait for whenever she was ready?

"You may return to your common room, Miss Guerrero. I wish you well in these troubled times."

Willow muttered a quick "Thank you" and left the office in a blur. What had come over Professor McGonagall? First, she had been teaming up with Dumbledore to forcefully help her. Now, she was willing to sit back and wait for her. The sudden shift was almost freaking her out. Did someone talk her out of it? Was McGonagall...actually trying to understand? Was that possible for a professor?

She didn't have time to explore the idea. Hermione and Parvati happened to be walking by in that moment, and as soon as they saw the devastated expression on Willow's face, they rushed to her side.

"What happened? We heard there was another attack!"

"Who was it? What happened to you? Are you okay?"

Willow looked at them through puffy eyes. "I- I'm okay, though I don't know about Ginny. There was another attack. Last night, in the corridors. It was...Colin Creevy."

"Oh my God," Parvati breathed, her expression falling. "Not Colin..."

"Is he petrified too?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, just like Mrs. Norris," Willow said. "He's lying in the hospital wing. I don't really want to talk about it."

"I wouldn't think anyone would like to talk about their good friend being petrified," Parvati said empathetically. She took Willow's hand in her own. "Come on, you need to eat something before you forget about food. You need to keep up your physical strength if your mental strength is to kick in at all."

Hermione and Parvati lead Willow to the Great Hall, where feverish whispering about Colin Creevy had broken out. She was forced to shut her powers down the majority of the way, including all six of her senses, to block it out. Hermione and Parvati tried their best to carry on normal conversation about Astronomy and History of Magic and other tough classes, but they kept shooting Willow worried looks. She barely ate anything. She wasn't hungry enough to eat more than an apple and half a muffin. A sort of depression clouded her mind until a weight was dropped on her back, physically dragging her down and making her hurt everywhere. Everything felt so pointless and desolate. The brightest, happiest person was gone. What was the point of being cheerful anymore?

"Hey, Willow, come here," a voice said.

Vaguely aware that someone was pulling her along, Willow allowed herself to be dragged through the corridors by a small group of people, climbing higher and higher until she reached the top of the Astronomy Tower. She refused to glance down because she knew she'd fall, being so shaky, and she didn't know if she had the energy to use her powers.

"Good, you're not trying to jump," Mandy sighed in relief. "You had me worried for a moment there, Willow."

"What?" Some of the clouds lifted. Mandy, Sam, and Sally were seated around her in the little space offered. They all appeared much more serious than normal. "What do you mean?"

"You were...kind of...sinking to a place where we've been before," Sam explained. "It's a place that's hard to come out of. It...makes you think some awful things. I think you know what we're talking about."

Willow's numbness subsided as she realized she, in fact, knew exactly what they were talking about. She suddenly pulled Sally, Sam, and Mandy closer to her, squeezing them in a tight hug. They returned the gesture. Willow tearfully glanced at each one of them in turn, allowing her powers to pick up the empathy and buried memories emanating from each one of them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you guys so much," she said. Willow wiped her eyes and half-heartedly laughed. "I guess we're all a little broken, aren't we?"

"Unfortunately, some more than others," Mandy sighed. She pulled up her sleeve and whispered an incantation to reveal a tattoo Willow had never seen before. It was the most beautiful tattoo she'd ever laid eyes on. There was a heart in the background, and on top of it was a motorcycle, sporting a flame-design paint job, covered in strings of flowers. An image of Mandy and a bearded, jovial guy in his mid thirties rode on the bike. Just like magical pictures, the tattoo moved, even emitting a faint laughter sound from Mandy and the man. It zoomed from arm to arm until Mandy made it stay on her left forearm.

"Whoa, I didn't know you had a tattoo," Sally whispered. "Who's the guy?"

"That's my dad," Mandy said, a smile playing on her lips. Willow detected happy memories swimming to the surface by the shine in her eyes. "He was a wizard that basically had no use for magic, though he was Hufflepuff here at Hogwarts. I never saw him use magic except to fix a few items throughout the years.

"He and I did everything together, literally. From the time I was three years old, wherever he went, I went. He had the coolest motorcycle that we rode all over the countryside with. We stopped at every decent bar and met lots of cool people. He was the friendliest guy you'd ever meet." Mandy pointed at her tattoo. "My dad and I both got this exact same tattoo at a parlor his friend ran. He promised me that we'd never be apart as long as we had the tattoos." Mandy's eyes clouded and her expression fell. "It wasn't his fault, but he couldn't keep that promise. My mum sued for custody of me on a whim, framed my dad, and ended up throwing him in jail and taking me, along with all Dad's money. They had never gotten married. I met my mum for the very first time when the child services dropped me off on her front porch." A flicker of fiery rage appeared in Mandy's stormy gray eyes. "She never cared about me. Never. She's beaten me and cussed me out and treated me like dirt from the moment I stepped into her living room. I've tried to find my dad, but my mum always finds out when I visit him and has him moved to a new location. I can't wait until I'm powerful enough to use magic when I'm seventeen, because the moment I can, I'm hexing her all the way to Australia. I hope she dies there. For everything that she's put me through, that's less than she deserves."

Willow stared at Mandy in shock. She'd been going through this pain this long and hadn't told anyone? How had she been keeping it all bottled up? How had this not been eating away at her?

"I was diagnosed with severe depression and possibly anxiety when I was ten. My mum thought I was just being lazy and insubordinate, but my school counselor forced her to take me to the doctor. I thought I was in the clear. She wouldn't give me the medicine, though. I've been struggling to deal with it on my own ever since." Mandy looked up from her shoes. She'd curled into a tiny ball, pulling her knees up to her chest while she had talked. "I'm sorry I haven't told you guys. I just didn't want to burden you with it so early on, and I know you guys wouldn't do this, but most people judge me for it."

"You don't have anything to apologize for," Sally reassured her. "Mental health is a real issue that needs to be taken more seriously by others. It's not your fault your brain hates you; don't blame yourself. Trust me, Sam and I would know."

"Yeah, Sarah Brown is taking us to the doctor this Christmas to test us for anxiety or severe PTSD, because she's looked up the symptoms, and we've got quite a few. You have to take care of yourself, Mandy. Just like you take medicine to get rid of the flu, you have to take medicine to help fix your brain. It's a nightmare to try and suffer through it without some outside help."

Mandy sheepishly grinned. "Aw, guys...I don't know what to say. Your support means the world to me."

"Don't say anything. Just let us help you," Willow said, encouragingly beaming at her. "I probably should have gone to the doctor when I was younger, too, when my mum- " She caught herself, forcing down her panicked reaction as she reworded- "when my mum went crazy. I was severely depressed there for a while, and...I probably shouldn't have taken a lot of the actions I did. My dad told me something, though, and without knowing it, he's helped me through a lot."

"What, like, a saying?" Sam asked.

"Sort of. He said, 'You simply can't dwell on the bad forever. At some point, however hard it is, you have to pick yourself up, open up your eyes and look around. It's never really as bad as you think. Count your blessings, every single good thing in your life, and you'll realize there's no reason to be sad when you can celebrate all the rest of the good things that remain in your life.' I've used that to cheer myself up out of a lot of low points. It doesn't seem like it at first, but once you try it, it really works."

"I might use that," Mandy said. "Thanks for the advice, guys."

"Anything for you, Mandy," Sam said. "Now, can we please stop being depressing and have some fun? I'm dying over here! It's a Sunday in the middle of the fall term! Let's do something!"

Sally laughed. "Sam's right. Come on, let's see what Fred and George are doing."

Fred and George were definitely up to no good. They were already jumping out and scaring Ginny to try and cheer her up when they passed by on their way to the common room. Poor Ginny ran in the other direction, straight to Percy, who shouted at the twins. They turned tail and fled at the threat of their mother and joined Mandy, Sally, Sam, and Willow.

"What are you doing to poor Ginny?" Willow demanded.

"We're only trying to scare a little life into her."

"She's not taking it quite like we expected. Maybe we should try it at night?"

"No, you will most definitely not try it at night! That's when you'll scare her the most!" Willow said. "Poor Ginny's grieving about Colin. Leave her alone for now."

"That's the poor bloke that got attacked? The one with the camera?"

"No wonder everyone thinks it's Harry, Colin's been bothering him since day one- "

"Hush up already before someone hears you! The last thing Harry needs right now is more rumors about him circling, especially because of you two," Willow hissed. They ducked into the common room. "And don't switch the topic!"

"There's no need to get cross with us, Willow, really- " George started.

"Yes there is, George Weasley!" she cut in. "Ginny is experiencing the loss of a friend right now! You can't possibly think the way you're cheering her up is going to work! She has to have time to recover before she can even begin to deal with your antics!"

"Well, I didn't think it would hurt her this badly, he can be revived anyway- "

"George, you're digging too far- " Fred tried to cut in.

"I can't believe you right now!" Willow fumed. Fred and George took a step back, but Fred, being the loving brother he was, placed George in front of him as a shield. "Just because you don't have a firm grasp on negative emotions doesn't mean you have to torment poor Ginny while she's experiencing them!"

"Ouch," Fred said.

George appeared hurt. "Willow, really, it was just a joke, you're taking it too seriously- "

"You're not taking it seriously enough!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," George apologized, putting his hands up in defeat. A weird combination of emotions swirled within him that Willow had never sensed before. What was going on with him? Was something wrong? They seemed to intensify as he guiltily looked at her. That wasn't helping her solve the puzzle at all. Why was she causing him extra emotion?

"Good. He's apologized. Are you still planning on attacking me?" Fred asked, cutting through the moment.

"Oh, no, you're fine," Willow said.

"What! Why is he fine, but I'm not?" George said.

"Don't push your luck." Willow caught sight of Lee on the far side of the room. "What on Earth is he doing?"

The twins, Sally, Sam, Mandy, and she all migrated to where Lee was rapidly giving prices for various amulets, talismans, and protective devices. Several students Willow recognized as Muggleborn or Half-blood were buying them one right after the other. The stench of fear was heavy within the small area. Willow crept behind the stand where Lee was advertising his next product.

"Step right up! I've got this cross necklace for two galleons! Two galleons, folks! It's a pretty good deal! Keeps away all sorts of unfriendly beasts and creatures! Two galleons!"

"Lee, why are you selling junk for overly high prices?" Willow hissed from behind him.

"It's not junk, it's protection against the monster within the Chamber," Lee explained. He sold the necklace and got out the next item. "I honestly have no idea if it works, but I'm making a killing. We're going to have the party of a lifetime after the next quidditch match!"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Whatever makes you happy, Lee. I personally don't think selling products you don't trust yourself doesn't make for good business- or good conscience- but whatever works."

"You can always try, but you're never going to get me with that spiel, Willow," Lee laughed.

"One of these days, you'll see. Good luck!"

Lee busied himself with his next customer. Willow returned to Fred and George. Mandy and the Smith twins had already run off to another part of the common room, where they were figuring out how to transfigure the couch into a lounge chair.

"He's really into the black market, isn't he?" Willow asked.

"Hey, it's not illegal until he gets caught," Fred said.

"How on Earth are you guys considered chivalrous? I'm calling B.S. on the Sorting Hat."

"Don't question him! He put us right where we're needed," George said. "In fact- " he pulled out a firework from his pocket- "there's something I need to show you. Follow me!"

George led the way out of the common room. Fred stayed behind. Willow furrowed her eyebrows, but she didn't question it. They weren't always together around her anyway.

George led her through the corridors, around the library, up too many flights of stairs, and to a dead end, where a single door appeared to be falling off its hinges, it was so rusty and old. He knocked on it in a fancy pattern, and it surprisingly swung open, fully functional. He took Willow inside and they climbed up a ladder through an apparently secret hatch in the ceiling. They landed on a platform that reminded her of the Astronomy Tower, the only difference being this platform was much smaller, almost like a lookout. George sat on the railing and tampered with the firework for a moment, then glanced excitedly at Willow.

"Ready for this?"

"I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

George lit the firework and threw it into the air. Willow prepared herself for a massive explosion, but it never happened. Instead, the firework exploded quietly, bursting into a long series of miniature, multicolored fireworks. She noticed that the majority of them were green- her favorite colour. George's eyes lit up just as brightly as the fireworks.

"You were the first witness to my favorite creation so far- the Bantam Bursts. How did you like them?"

"I have to say they're my favorite too. When can I purchase some Bantam Bursts?"

"As soon as you supply us with some more Filibuster Fireworks."

Willow laughed. "Hard pass. I have money, but my dad would murder me for buying you guys more fireworks. He's been notified by your mum not to give you anything that could be used as pranking material and everything."

"Of course she did," George said, shaking his head. "Mum's always running a tight ship."

"You still always manage to slip past her though, don't you? You and Fred are pretty clever like that."

"Yeah, well, how else are we supposed to spend our free time other than quidditch? And don't you dare say studying, we do plenty of that when it's necessary, thanks. The thought of doing more is horrifying."

"No, I wouldn't say studying. I myself can't stand it most of the time. Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of hanging out up here. It's pretty awesome. What is it, anyway?"

"It's a secret hideout that Fred and I discovered in our first year. I probably forgot to show it to you. Anyway, it's the prime place to test out our pranks, because no teacher seems to know about it and the explosions seem like they've happening over the other tower over there," George said, pointing across the courtyard. "It's very peaceful up here. Count yourself lucky, because we only bring special people up here."

"Am I really that special to you, George?" Willow asked, feigning surprise.

"Sure, you could call it that, but if you ask me, you're special, alright."

"As in...?"

"Complete and utter disregard for rules. Ignorance of safety for yourself. Incredibly thick at times."

"Oh, come on, you're describing yourself," Willow joked.

"No, I was only kidding," George chuckled. "You are special though, Willow. Don't forget that."

"Why? Because I'm 'incredibly thick at times'?"

George half-smirked, half-sheepishly smiled. "You can take it that way."

"I'm just too dumb to understand, George!" Willow mocked, pretending to not understand. "You're going to have to spell it out for me!"

Unexpectedly, George didn't actually spell it out for he. Instead, he looked out at the cloudy sky. "It's going to be an awful day today. Hopefully it clears up for quidditch tomorrow."

"Hey, you're ignoring me."

George grinned broadly. "I thought you said I was describing myself? If I'm fairly dumb, how could I possibly spell anything? Jeez, Willow, I think you have short-term memory loss."

"Okay, that's crossed the line!"

"I don't see a line."

"Oh, quit being a smartarse!"

Willow and George pretty much fake-bickered all the way back to the common room. While they were walking, though, she couldn't help but wonder why George had that weird moment where he wouldn't answer her. Had that just been acting? Or was there something really bothering him? She didn't like all this weird stuff happening to him. George was always super peppy and happy. When he wasn't, it was so odd that it was almost wrong. It was another mystery she would have to solve.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Hermione had said they would need a diversion to steal a couple ingredients she forgot. A certain small explosion would be all they'd need.

"Hey, George, I have a favor to ask..."

“Are you absolutely certain this won’t injure anyone?” Hermione asked hurriedly.

“One hundred percent sure,” Willow replied, handing her the firework. “It’s a small explosion, anyway. If anything, it won’t cause serious damage. Fred and George promised me.”

“You said you were positive!”

“Too late now! Here comes Harry! Go, go, go! Give it to him before Snape sees it!”

Hermione rushed off. Willow headed inside the Potions classroom, where Cypress was already hard at work in his little section of the classroom. He was poking and prodding a lump of dark, hardening slime. When Willow sauntered up next to him, he groaned and threw the remaining potion onto his shelf. It shifted into place with a small clink!

“Test number sixty-five of the strength potion- failure. I’ve gone backwards in the past week. I’ll never get strong arms at this rate! How else am I supposed to impress all the Slytherins?”

“Oh, shut it, you’re going to get it one of these times,” Willow reassured him. She smirked. “Got anybody special in mind, Cypress? Any certain someone I should give a hint to?”

Cypress smiled. “No, nobody in particular- yet. Don’t worry, Willow, you’ll get the chance at some point in time.”

“As long as you’re sure…” she trailed off. Willow dropped her voice to a whisper. “If I were you, I’d steer clear of your normal seat. When you see Hermione nod, get up and act like you’re going to get more supplies. Trust me on this one.”

Cypress winked. “You got it. Wouldn’t want to have any mishaps ruining this perfect face.”

“God, Cypress, you’re such a narcissist,” Willow giggled. “It’s a good change, though. None of us have any self-confidence.”

“None of you are nearly as fabulous. Well, you’re pretty great, but not even close to my level. You have to be born this perfect, not made, silly.”

“I’m going to my seat before I start feel good about myself,” Willow said, feigning horror. “Remember what I said!”

Cypress gave her a thumbs-up went back to experimenting with old potions. Willow made her way to her seat, where Draco was absent-mindedly flipping through the Potions textbook. He glanced up as she sat down.

“Man, I was hoping you’d be late. I’ve heard Snape’s been really strict about his detentions lately.”

“Nice to see you too, Blonde,” Willow said.

“How many magical creatures have you smuggled into the castle this week? Three? Five? Seventeen?”

“None, thank you very much,” Willow groaned. “And for your information, I did not smuggle them, that implies that I forced them to come with me for profit. I simply brought them with me for medical treatment. As soon Griffin is showing signs of healthy growth again, I’m releasing all of them back into the Forbidden Forest.”

“You still call them by names? Merlin’s beard, Willow, you’re going to keep them forever.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand, you heartless oaf. Empathy and sympathy seem to be out of your range of capabilities.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Wisp. At least I’m not breaking fifty school rules a day.”

“Since when do you care about rules?”

“When they benefit me,” Draco said, smirking. “They might do me a favor and get you expelled.”

“Oh, believe me, you’d miss me, no matter how hard it is for you to admit it. Who else would you be able to torment on a daily basis and have sass thrown back in your face?”

At that moment, Snape entered the classroom, putting out all the flickering candles and dousing the room in darkness. Their fragrant smoke gave the room a rare pleasant smell. Snape began the lesson promptly. Willow hardly paid attention, though. It wouldn’t be necessary for much longer. For once, she made Draco get the ingredients, as she actually didn’t have a clue what they were doing. He kept flicking Ron and Harry with puffer-fish eyes in annoyance, then received a sharp slap from Willow and promptly started flicking them at her instead. She didn’t care. She'd be able to wash that off later.

At last, Hermione gave the signal. Cypress unobtrusively floated to the other side of the classroom. Willow watched as Harry pulled out a firework, lit it, and threw it into Goyle’s cauldron. She quickly dove under the table just as it exploded, throwing a sort of swelling solution everywhere. The second years screamed as parts of their body swelled out of control. Willow snorted with laughter when she emerged from under the table. Draco’s, Crabbe’s, and Goyle’s faces were expanding to ludicrous proportions. Willow had tears running out of her eyes she was laughing so hard.

“Don’t laugh at me! Do something!” Draco said, his voice skewed by the size of his nose.

“I don’t think I want to. This is too good!” Willow wheezed. She pulled out her camera, avoided Draco’s attempts to dislodge it from her, and snapped a few photos. He fumed silently in his chair after that, waiting for Snape to come around with an antidote. Willow had a feeling she would somehow get blamed for the whole thing. At least Hermione had succeeded in getting the last potion ingredients, judging by her bulging coat as she slipped back into her desk.

She was very right about getting in trouble. Professor Snape cornered her after class and questioned her about the incident. She denied it all, but Snape still gave her a strong warning that next time he would catch her and it would be a week of detention. Of course.

Later that day, Willow was trying to study up on their new Transfiguration lesson, which had been particularly difficult, when she all but gave up and threw the textbook against the wall in frustration. Dean, Seamus, and Neville looked up from their own homework, then ignored the interruption. It wasn't the first time she'd done that. Willow's cheeks reddened. She had borderline anger issues when it came to getting stuck on homework. She'd have to ask Oliver and Sue for advice sooner or later.

In the meantime, Willow slipped into the side room, where Griffin bowled her over in excitement. He had gotten a lot stronger in the last week. Of course, that meant retrieving an ever-growing supply of fresh meat, but she'd gotten good at evading the house elves' traps. Griffin's wound was patched up beyond the possibility of re-injury, which meant...it was almost time to release the creature. The baby griffin must have sensed her sadness, because he affectionately nudged her cheek and calmly allowed her to stroke his beak, an oddity for him. Griffin was always overzealous. Felicity, V, and even Patch wandered over, cuddling her in comforting embraces. V was even quiet for once.

"Draco's right; I'm going to struggle saying goodbye to you guys."

"Say goodbye?" a voice asked.

Griffin squeaked and ran over to the newcomer. Oliver held up his hands in front of him.

"Easy, Griffin! Can you sit? You know how to sit, come on now, sit!"

Griffin crouched his lower half until it barely grazed the ground, waiting for Oliver to release him, his lion tail swishing back and forth. Oliver crossed his arms. Griffin finally got the message and unwillingly sat all the way down.

"Good boy, Griffin! Free!" Oliver said.

Griffin excitedly reared up on his hind legs and gave Oliver a hug. Willow walked over to him, her creatures trailing behind her.

"He's gotten good, hasn't he?" she asked. "I think he can even lay down and roll over now." She shook her head. "Remember when we first brought him here? He was beating us up constantly. Now look at him. He's come so far."

"Yeah, he has." Oliver frowned. "You have to release them back into the wild, don't you?"

"Unfortunately, yeah, I've got to," Willow said. "I have no choice. They don't belong in here, all cooped up with no way to get out on their own. Griffin, especially, needs a big place to roam, and at some point he's got to learn how to hunt for himself. There's only small creatures supplied in here, I've found. They're not nearly enough for this big guy. And who's going to take care of them when we're gone over the summer? I just can't risk abandoning them. Though...it feels like releasing them is the same thing."

"It does, doesn't it?" Oliver said. He stroked Griffin's beak. "I still can't believe he lets us pet him like this. Most Griffins like to defend themselves from a young age. Maybe it's his lack of parenting?"

"I think he believes I'm his mum," Willow said. At the word "mum," Griffin perked up and walked over to her. She sighed, petting his back. "He thinks I'm the one that's supposed to take care of him at this point. Do you think he'll really leave when I release him? I mean, he follows me like a lost puppy."

"To be honest? I think he's going to follow you everywhere, no matter where you decide to leave him."

Willow groaned. "I had a feeling this would happen. Yet I let it happen."

"I think you wanted him to be yours, to be perfectly honest, Willow." Oliver's face went red. "Not that I'm trying to insult you, that's not what I meant to do at all- "

"No, I get it, and you're spot on. I loved Griffin from the very start, and now he's going to pay for my attachment issues with magical creatures. How could I be so stupid? I'm stripping him of his independence every day I raise him here."

Oliver's eyes lit up. "You know, there is another way...This castle is enormous, and there's lots of balconies. You can teach him to fly from one of those. The Forbidden Forest is everything but forbidden for you, too, so you could take him in there anytime to teach him hunting. You've got all the powers necessary; it's whether or not you can sacrifice the sleep."

"I can sleep when I'm dead. But...you make a good point." Willow's chest fluttered. "I could teach him. Griffin could learn all the skills necessary to survive in the wild from the comfort of Hogwarts, and in close proximity to me. Eventually, I'll be able to free him in the Forbidden Forest, though it wouldn't truly be freeing, because he'd always come back to me. Oliver, you're a genius! I wish I could think like a Hufflepuff."

"Thanks." Oliver turned to Griffin. "You hear that, big guy? You get to stay with us forever and ever and ever!"

Griffin happily flapped his wings and covered Oliver in a few enormous eaglet feathers. He sneezed, and it seemed to excite all the creatures, even Fidget, who crawled out of her pocket to watch. Felicity happily circled overhead, then perched on Willow's shoulder. V climbed up her leg and hung off her hip. Griffin chased his tail, which sent more feathers flying, and Patch even sat on her shoe. Oliver laughed at the sight of her.

"You're covered in creatures and feathers," he chuckled. "I'd mistake you for a nature spirit if I was walking through the Forbidden Forest."

"Then you'd hear my smart mouth and turn right around," Willow said. She blew a feather off her robe. "Geez, Griffin must be molting already. Is that normal for a griffin? A baby griffin, for that matter? Or even an eaglet? You know what, nevermind, this is getting too confusing. I can't think that hard and remain mentally stable afterwards."

"You're mentally stable?" Oliver teased.

"Okay, someone's been spending too much time with Cypress," Willow said. "Griffin, attack!"

Griffin liked that command. He playfully jumped on Oliver, who easily braced himself for the fall. They play fought for a few minutes. Oliver, of course, lost, and Griffin victoriously pranced around them in a circle.

"Alright, it's getting late, guys, time for bed," Willow announced. "You too, Griffin. Let's go, get into your nest, get settled."

Oliver watched on as she settled her creatures in for the night. Willow put Felicity in his special nest that she'd made for him in his favourite tree, set V down in his half-burrow, half-crater under the bush, made a comfier place in the wild daisies for Patch, and pulled the cotton and fur tighter around Griffin. The baby griffin yawned and set his head down. Fidget crawled onto Willow's arm and kissed Griffin goodnight, then retreated to the comfier recesses of her robe pocket. She returned to Oliver and they waited for the creatures to fall asleep one by one.

"It's a good thing Griffin's staying around, because Fidget really seems to have bonded with him," Oliver said.

"I didn't even think about that. Good thing."

Patch was finally satisfied that Griffin was deeply sleeping and drifted off as well. Willow and Oliver quietly exited the room and took seats in the common room. The same people were still hanging out, doing homework, and chatting quietly.

"How did you even manage to get in here, Oliver?" Willow whispered.

"I remembered the common room password from last time," he said honestly. "And the door accepted my hand as well."

"Huh. I thought it only allowed mine. Good. Now Griffin and the others won't be trapped if something happens to me."

"That's good. I hadn't seen you in a while, so I decided to stop by. The other Hufflepuff boys were talking about girls, and...I don't really like to do that. Not that it was bad, it was just...not my thing. It got awkward."

"Understandable. I only stay when my Sisters talk about their crushes because I'm usually involved in a plan to set them up and if I don't pay attention, I'm pretty much screwed. They count on me."

"Your common room is still cold," Oliver said, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "There's always a fire, though. Why is that?"

"It's actually pretty warm in here today. You're probably just used to the warmth of your common room, with it being underground and all. It traps heat better that way." Willow paused. "Hey, what's that you're putting on?"

"Oh, Cypress gave it to me. He knows I'm always freezing."

Oliver placed an expensive-looking robe with a fuzzy inside liner over his Hufflepuff robes. He proudly adjusted the Slytherin symbol so that everyone could see the way it was enchanted to move. Willow smiled. When Oliver saw her staring at the robes, he put the hood up and tightened it around him, pretending to be all mysterious. Willow let out a small laugh.

"I'm glad to see you're getting along with Cypress so well. You were worrying me a little there, being all lonely before. Now I can't find you without him half the time."

"He's pretty- good at everything. And he always listens. He's one of those rare cool Slytherins that isn't teasing me for being a Muggleborn all the time. I like him."

"I like him too."

Oliver yawned. "I think I'm going off to bed before it gets too late. Goodnight, Willow."

"Goodnight, Oliver."

Willow went back to the armchair where she had been doing homework before and picked up her textbook from where is lay crumpled next to the wall. It was annoyingly dog-eared on half of the pages. She tried to flatten them out as she worked. People began to head off to bed as time passed until she was the only one left in the room. Willow put another log on the fire. It was well after half past eleven, maybe even midnight at that time. She started drifting off when the fire began to dim. Her pencil drooped out of her hand and she nodded off in the chair.

Later, she was vaguely aware of her body being lifted up and carried upstairs. Willow realized it was Paige. She quietly laid her in bed and placed the covers over her. Instead of leaving right away, though, Paige stood in the doorway for a long time, seemingly unaware that Willow was still awake. She sensed troubled emotions within her. Then, as she left, Paige muttered something under her breath, barely audible.

"How am I ever going to tell her?"

A week later, there was a notice on the bulletin board in the entrance hall. There was a dueling club starting that night. Ron, Harry, and Hermione had already let her know they were going, and after convincing her friends to do it with her, they all gathered in a big group outside of the Great Hall at quarter to eight. Willow had never gathered both her Gryffindor Sisters and out-of-house friends in a single place before, and boy was it a mess. There were so many people meeting each other and introducing themselves at once that Willow couldn't hear herself think. Only the call of Lockhart and Snape for everyone to file in moved them.

Willow watched the demonstration between Lockhart and Snape, secretly hoping Snape would "accidentally" blast Lockhart off the face of the Earth, but no such thing happened. Maybe next time she would get lucky. Lavender happened to be standing right where Lockhart's wand came flying and caught it, swooning with the reality of holding the celebrity's wand. Hermione, Mia, and Fay all pushed and shoved to get a better view of it until Lockhart disappointed them all by retrieving it. The mere sight of him in close range, though, appeared to cause Parvati and Sally heart palpitations.

Professors Lockhart and Snape eventually came around and paired everyone up. At first, it appeared they were assigning friends together- Lavender and Mia, Sally and Sam, Padma and Parvati, Lisa and Sue, Oliver and Cypress, etc- but when Snape got to Mandy and Willow, he nastily grinned and gave them each a Slytherin girl. Mandy was faced with Tracey Davis, and Willow stared down Daphne Greengrass. Hermione and Harry seemed to be stuck in similar situations.

"You again? Ugh, does Snape hate me or something? I shouldn't be paired up with blood traitors," Daphne whined.

"It's okay, Daphne, honestly, it's not like I'm going to infect you with my 'inferior blood' by touching you. You're going to be across the room before you can count to three."

Daphne narrowed her eyes. "We'll see about that, traitor."

Lockhart counted them down, and the duels began. Daphne immediately attacked, firing the full body-bind curse, then the jelly-legs jinx. Willow repelled them with the disarming charm Snape had just demonstrated. Then, Daphne shot a controlled jet of water straight at her face. Willow barely repelled it with the fire incantation. She shouted, "Avis!" and sent a small flock of birds at Daphne. The Slytherin girl panicked and began running around the room, screaming that they were messing up her hair. Willow heard Lockhart yell for them to stop and retracted the flock to her wand.

The aftermath was devastating. Padma was tending to several people with singed hair or robes. Mandy was unburying herself from a pile of God knows what. Oliver and Cypress were untangling themselves from some vines that sprouted from the floor. Sally and Sam were somehow hanging from their ankles in the rafters. It took several older students working together to get them down. At least her Sisters seemed okay for the most part. Everyone gathered closer to the stage, where Lockhart and Snape were debriefing two students for a demonstration on blocking unfriendly spells. Willow groaned when she realized it was Draco and Harry.

They're going to kill each other, she thought.

Well, don't let that happen. Isn't Harry the one that defeated Voldemort?

Willow nearly jumped out of her skin. Cebba hadn't spoken to her in ages. She'd grown so used to having a quiet head that it felt like she was speaking to her for the first time all over again. Ye- Yeah, twice, actually. Harry was speaking with Lockhart, appearing very disgruntled. Why haven't you spoken to me in forever? I know, I shouldn't have yelled at you for all of that stuff Halloween night, but you didn't answer me when I tried to apologize.

I couldn't speak to you. I was too busy healing you.

Willow furrowed her brow as Draco raised his wand at Harry. What do you mean, healing me?

Healing you mentally, of course! How do you think you made it through that night without unhinging? I can only do so many things at once, Willow, and it stretched my abilities as it was. You were really close to the end there.

Oh. Her heart skipped a few beats. So...am I okay now?

Yes, you seem to be of perfect health as of this moment in time. I can't guarantee anything for the future. If you lapse too far, you'll force me to possess you, and believe me, it never goes well.

Okay, so...can you at least tell me when I'm getting too close? Willow asked. I'm not exactly self-aware when I hit rock bottom like that. I could use a fair warning.

I can do that for you. Just be careful, you crazy Gryffindor. You're going to mess up your bloody life if you don't work on this mental thing.

I know, I know, I'm getting to it. A snake exploded from the end of Draco's wand. Willow sensed a shift within Harry, and her powers reached out. Hold on, I'll have to talk to you later. Something's happening.

I'll be waiting. Good luck.

Willow saw Harry move towards the snake in a sort of trance. The snake reared up, about to strike Justin Finch-Fletchley, who was cowering in front of it, frozen with fear. She was aware of Harry shouting at it to leave the Hufflepuff alone. But that is not what truly came out of his mouth. A sort of made-up-sounding language hissed and snarled alongside the English, making for a jumbled up mess in her head. Willow recognized it as snake language when the snake suddenly became docile, flattening against the stage and turning to look at Harry.

Justin, petrified, stared at Harry as though he had made an attempt on his life. He stormed from the hall, confusing the smiling Gryffindor, who obviously had no clue what he had just done. Ron and Hermione quickly took care of the situation by removing Harry and themselves from it and running down the corridor. The entire Great Hall had suddenly shifted in mood so much that Willow's head hurt with all the electrical signals. She buried her powers deep and promised herself she'd work on them the next chance she got.

"Well...that was certainly unexpected..." Lockhart trailed off. He resumed his usual self-assured stature and dazzling smile. "How about we take a break and try disarming each other? Five minutes, then back here, please!"

An enormous crowd of girls swarmed towards Lockhart, begging him to tell about his latest story. The git happily complied and began the probably fake story of his defeat of a creature he'd most likely never met in person before. Willow shook her head. She was tired of Lockhart already, and it wasn't even halfway through term. How was she going to survive him all spring?

"I didn't mean to hit you, Dean, I'm sorry," Seamus said nearby. Willow glanced over at the panicked note in his tone. "Did it burn you badly? Oh, crap, I'm such an idiot, why do I always set things on fire?"

"It's fine, Seamus," Dean said. "Madam Pomfrey will fix it as soon as we're done."

"Are you sure we shouldn't go now? It looks like it burns. Well, of course it burns, I meant hurt- that it hurt you- not burnt- I mean- nevermind, you know what I'm trying to ask."

"I'm all right, Seamus, honestly," Dean chuckled. "You only singed the hair off my arm. It's an improvement, considering you didn't blow up anything this time. It was a fairly small fire. Beside, I don't need dotting on."

Seamus's face went red. "Sorry, I didn't mean to- I know you- Merlin's beard, I can't speak English anymore."

"You could say I cast a Silencing Charm on you."

"Okay, you've been spending too much time with Harry."

"You spend the same amount of time with him as you do me, Seamus!"

"The only difference is you actually pick up on the sass and use it!"

Lockhart announced that it was time to get going again. Willow returned to where Daphne was magically untangling her hair, glaring daggers at her. The brunette appeared to have no intentions of only disarming her. Willow considered the possibility of spending the night in the hospital wing.

"Wands at the ready!" Lockhart called. Daphne whipped out her wand. Willow gulped and slowly leveled hers at Daphne. "Disarm only on three! One...two...three!"

"Bombarda!"

Willow yelped and jumped out of the way as the floor exploded where her feet were seconds earlier. Daphne cast several more of these explosive spells in rapid succession, then frustratedly shouted, "Carpe Retractum!" A strong rope wrapped itself around Willow's ribs and pulled her closer, inch by inch, to where Daphne was furiously waiting to severely injure her. Her heart hammered against her chest. She thought of something, anything, that could save her. Other students watched in horror. Willow had no choice but to attack.

"Cantis!"

Daphne uncontrollably burst into a rendition of an Irish jig. Willow would have burst out laughing if Daphne hadn't still remained in control of her wand and shot flames at her. She hurriedly doused the flames with a bit of water and ran to a safe distance from her. Daphne stopped singing. Suddenly, she shouted, "Defodio!" and a huge jet of green light slammed into Willow's side.

She had never felt more pain at once in her life. Even the Crutiatus Curse couldn't compare. Willow screamed in agony and collapsed as blood pooled on the floor. It felt like someone had ripped out her internal organs with their bare hands. Other students stared in horror at the large chunk of flesh missing at her side. One threw up at the sight of Willow's ribs. Daphne took a few staggering steps backward. Willow, her head fuzzy with pain and rage, decided to help her. She weakly whispered, "Everte Statum," and Daphne flew head over heels and skidded into the opposite wall. Willow's friends appeared at her side, some having to turn away at the sight of her.

"Oh my God, what happened?"

"Someone call Madam Pomfrey immediately!"

"Willow, who did this to you? Who was it?"

She tried to point to the opposite wall, but her arm drooped to the floor. Willow faded in and out of consciousness. Daphne always reappeared in a different part of the crowd that had gathered around her. She bit her nails, played with her hair, twirled her wand around, and paced constantly. Madam Pomfrey arrived at her side, and she was vaguely aware that her healing powers had kicked in by that point. Her sensing powers were all over the place, bubbling up to feel the shock and worry of nearby students, then simmering down until she couldn't even hear anything. Eventually, Willow's eyes snapped open to find herself with no hole in her side and a crowd of curious students surrounding her. Madam Pomfrey helped her stand up.

"How are you feeling, Willow?" she asked. "That could have been serious if you waited a few more minutes."

Willow touched her side. It felt completely normal and pain-free. "Great, actually. Thanks."

"I want you to come to me if you feel anything is wrong, got it?"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey."

"Good. Now, run along, children! I don't want to see any more dueling incidents tonight."

Lockhart and Snape escorted the majority of the students out of the room. The only ones that stayed were Willow's friends and a certain nervous face among the crowd. When she made eye contact with her, though, she turned and fled. Willow gave chase, quickly telling her friends to stay behind.

"Hey! Daphne, wait!" she called.

"No! Stay away from me, you filthy blood traitor!"

"Daphne, please, I need to talk to you!" Willow insisted. "I'm not going to attack you."

Daphne stopped running and turned to face her, tears running down her face. "What is there to talk about? You don't understand. You never will! You'll never understand what it's like to be a real pureblood, you traitor! Just get away from me!"

Willow stood, rooted to the spot, while Daphne sprinted away, hiccuping and wiping her face. Her friends ran up behind her just as Daphne disappeared around the corner.

"What happened?"

"What did she say to you?"

"Was that Daphne Greengrass?"

Willow was silent a moment. Then, her heart sank as she said, "There's something really complicated going on here, and I think it's explaining why a lot of people are hurting."

"What does that mean, Willow?" Cypress asked.

"It means that elitist parents are breaking their children, and I'll be damned if there's nothing I can do about it," she said. "And I think I'm going to need your help."

Willow dragged Cypress down to the dungeons early the next day. He was super groggy and, quite frankly, annoyed at being up before noon. Cypress begrudgingly allowed Willow to do whatever she needed, though, and opened up his potion workshop. Snape was nowhere to be seen, and his classroom was especially dark in the early morning. Willow shuddered in a bone-chilling cold.

"Remind me why we're here again?" Cypress said.

"I need your help making a potion, remember?" Willow reminded him. "You're the only second year I know that would be able to lend a hand in this. I need something that affects the brain..."

"As in exploding, imploding, internal damage...? You've got to be specific here."

"No, you idiot, something affects its functions!" Willow quickly explained her plan to Cypress. He followed along sleepily, then perked up when it started getting scandalous. "You see, I need it to help her!"

"But...you said during the November house exchange, Daphne didn't so much as look at you. And they've postponed the house exchange until the first week term resumes because of the Holidays. We have a long time to finish this, and, I mean, not to sound too self-absorbed, but I'm outstanding at potions. Exactly how long is this plan of yours going to take?"

"Cypress, we all know you're a narcissist, don't try and cover it up," Willow teased. "This could take a day, it could take a few months. We just have to get lucky once."

Cypress sighed. "Alright, but I'm not involved in any way, shape, or form, though if people ask, I get full credit for the potion."

"Got it. Now, let's please get to work."

Cypress began by retrieving some similar potions he'd made in the past, none of which had worked. Together, they retested all of their properties and found some ingredients they could work with. Willow started preparing ingredients one right after the other. Cypress used them just as quickly as she could supply them. Once, he decided to try a completely new combination, and, laughing like a mad scientist, threw the ingredients in, nearly imploding the entire room. Willow was inches away from getting crushed by a section of the ceiling for the second time that year. They didn't try any new combinations after that. All told, they made twenty potions, none of which worked in the expected fashion. The morning produced lots of explosions, ear-shattering booms!, a purple, frothing rash, and acid burning through the floor, but no life-altering potion. Willow frustratedly threw herself into Cypress's spinning chair.

"This is no good! We've used half the ingredients known to man and gotten no closer to our goal," she said.

"Ah, don't give up on me now, Willow! Do you have any idea how many potions I failed before I got the concoction just right for the Anti-Anti-Cheating Spell Potion? One hundred and twenty-one potions! Did I give up? Absolutely not! I spent an equal amount of time brewing that potion that others did studying, so don't worry, it was close to morally right. I made sure I messed a few questions up to make it look like I did it without cheating."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that part," Willow said. "But you do have a point there. We can't give up yet. It's only day one. Like you said, we've got plenty of time left. Maybe we can try again tomorrow?"

"Good plan. I'm starving. I think I'm growing again. Do I look taller to you?"

Willow sized him up as they walked down the halls. "You've always been taller than me, so no, but maybe you are growing again. Not fair. I'm probably going to be stuck at five foot four forever."

"Cheer up. Soccer players don't need to be tall, I hear."

"I guess that's true."

"And I'm very beautiful, so I deserve to keep growing. I have to keep the tall, dark and brooding aesthetic going."

"I knew you were going to say that..."

"Exactly, because you know it's true."

"Just shut up and keep walking before I stunt your growth," Willow laughed.

The Great Hall was full of hushed whispers and anxious glances in the direction of the Gryffindor Table. It was odd compared to the usual lively buzz. Poor Harry was sitting with Hermione and the Weasleys, far away from all the other Gryffindors. Willow said a quick goodbye to Cypress before taking a seat next to Harry, threateningly glaring at anyone who dared to whisper about Harry. Her ears were working perfectly that morning. No one was getting away with gossiping about her best friend.

When the bell rang to signal the next class, Willow found Oliver standing alone next to a suit of armor, apparently looking for someone. His eyes lit up when he saw her and made his way to her against the current of students.

"Herbology's been cancelled today. There's so much snow, I've heard you can't even open the greenhouse doors. Professor Sprout apparently wants to personally fit the Mandrakes with winter clothing, too, so we've got a free period."

"Awesome! I wasn't looking forward for our lesson today, anyway. It sounded rather boring. Where do you want to go?"

"I was hoping you'd come to the Hufflepuff common room with me? Yours is getting much too cold."

Willow smiled. "Lead the way, then."

The Hufflepuff common room was as warm and cozy as ever. There were two blazing fires, a birdsong ambiance was playing from somewhere, some students were baking a fragrant cherry pie, and some soft, lively music was playing on a record player. Second-year Hufflepuffs were roaming around, doing homework, catching up with friends, and simply chatting. A few older years were casting wary glances in her direction, but otherwise, Willow got plenty of friendly waves. She inhaled a deep breath, the aroma of the cherry pie tantalizing her taste buds. Cherry pie was her favorite. Next to Italian food and tacos, of course. Oliver found a couch near the kitchens and laid down on it, the sun from one of the high windows lighting up his face and turning his hair red.

"Hey, your hair does the same thing mine does," Willow commented. She put some of her hair in the light. "See? We both must be partially Italian."

"That explains my love of carbs," Oliver said.

"You may love them, but I'm straight up addicted to them," Willow joked.

"There are worse things to be addicted to."

"You're right about that." Willow closed her eyes and let the sun warm her up. "Your common room feels like it's eternally in summer. It even smells like summer. I love it."

"Your common room constantly feels like winter," Oliver said, grinning. "That means you get to wear sweaters all the time, though, so I guess it makes up for the freezing temperatures."

"You would wear sweaters in the summer if I let you," Willow teased.

"Aw, but they're so comfy!" Oliver whined, flipping upside down and half-hanging off the couch. "And Cypress's winter robes are so fluffy! I love them more than my own robes."

"Well, you wouldn't like mine, then. They're the cheap kind that are paper-thin, but I love that, especially in the summer when I'm dying of heat exhaustion. Plus, Cypress's robes look perfect on you."

Oliver smiled. "He spoils me with all of his fancy clothes. His parents must be rich Muggles."

"Honestly, he spoils himself more than he spoils you," Willow giggled. "Has he told you how expensive the shampoo he uses is? It costs more than all my school supplies, and the bottle is tiny!"

"Maybe he literally washes it in liquid gold?" Oliver said.

"He is pretty blonde, but I wouldn't go that far. I'm still trying to get Fred and George to teach me the hair-altering spells they've learned. Cypress will be a dirty blonde and he's going to like it!"

Oliver laughed. "He might let you. I think you're the only one that can make him do anything."

"Have you seen the way he lets you control him? I'm pretty sure you're the only one keeping him from exploding the dungeons."

"That is how we met him, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Willow said, remembering how angry she had first been. "Look how far we've come since then. Cypress appears tame compared to the mad scientist he was before, doesn't he?" Willow shook her head. "What is it with us and having crazy friends?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's that polar opposite thing?"

"It's something, all right."

Suddenly, a girl burst through the door, yelling about something. She ran around the room in a panic, screaming incoherently. An older girl jumped up and calmed her down, wrapping her in a bear hug, then let the girl go. Her eyes were wild as she glanced around the room. Willow only caught a few words from what she was whispering. "Attack...just now...Harry Potter...."

"Hannah, what's wrong? What happened?" another girl asked.

"It's Justin! Justin Finch-Fletchley! And Nearly-Headless Nick! They've been attacked!" She took a few shallow breaths. "And- and- It was Harry Potter! He was standing right in the hallway where Justin and Nick were found!"

Oliver and Willow exchanged a glance. Harry couldn't possibly have attacked them. It must have been a coincidence, right?

"What are they doing with them?" a boy asked.

"Justin's being taken to the hospital wing. And Harry Potter's being taken to Dumbledore's office right now!"

Willow and Oliver were already out the door before she finished her sentence.


	32. Year 2: Chapter 11

Unfortunately, Willow and Oliver arrived too late.

Harry was already descending from Dumbledore's office by the time they reached him. He appeared thoroughly troubled, but appeared better than Willow had expected. His mind was clouded with a lot of both light and dark thoughts.

"Harry! Wait up!" Willow called.

Harry jumped. "Merlin's beard, Willow, you scared me half to death! What are you doing here?"

"We heard you were at the scene of the attack! What is it with you and awful luck lately? First accidentally speaking Parseltongue, and now this...I'd swear someone's trying to set you up."

"You don't think I did it?" Harry asked. He shook his head. "Sorry, that was a dumb question. I've got a lot on my mind."

"I'd expect you to!" Willow stepped to the side to let Oliver walk in between them. "Harry, this is Oliver. Oliver, Harry. I don't think you two have met before. Oliver's the best Hufflepuff of them all."

"Nice to meet you," Harry said.

Oliver tried to clam up, but Willow shot him a look and gestured towards Harry, and he finally said, "Nice to meet you too."

"Oliver's the friend I've been talking about that looks almost just like you, Harry," Willow explained. "He definitely doesn't have the taste for danger you do, though, and hopefully we can keep it that way."

Harry took in Oliver's similarly coloured hair and eyes. "Huh. You could almost pass as a sibling of mine. It's a good thing you're not, though. You don't need every single student taking aim at you, too."

Oliver sheepishly smiled. "Thanks."

"So, what happened up in Dumbledore's office?" Willow asked, steering the conversation back on track. "Did he give you some sort of punishment? You don't look devastated, so I'm assuming you didn't get expelled."

"No, none at all," Harry said. "Just extra suspicion and a lot of questions."

"Good," Willow sighed. "I would have raised heck if you got punishment. You've never hurt a fly. Anyone with a brain can see that. Unfortunately, half the school has no brain."

"They do say wizards don't have a ounce of logic."

"I'm living proof of that," Willow chuckled. "Don't count that against me, Oliver, it was just a joke! I'm still following Sally's challenge, promise!"

They rounded a corner and entered the Great Hall, where everyone was gathering for lunch. At the sight of Harry, students that were on their feet practically sprinted out of his way, clearing a path to the Gryffindor table. Younger students cowered in fear. Some older students brandished their wands from under their tables, and a good number of people slid down farther on the benches to get away. Willow wanted to scream at them all for being so stupid. Harry had done nothing! They were all acting upon an unfounded fear! She forced it down, though, and with Oliver in tow, she followed Harry to their usual spot at the end of the Gryffindor table. None of their other friends were there yet.

"So, Oliver, I know you're shy, but are you willing to talk?" Harry asked. "I don't get to meet many new people anymore, especially with this new Chamber of Secrets thing."

Oliver paused, momentary fear flickering through his eyes. Then, after glancing at Willow for support, he forced it down and nodded, somehow managing to look Harry right in the eyes.

"I can talk."

Harry smiled gratefully. "Thanks. Um...what do you like to do during the summer?"

"Mostly reading at the library or helping out at the local animal shelter," Oliver replied. "I like to get out as much as possible."

"I've heard you live your grandparents, and they aren't the nicest of people, right?" Oliver nodded. "I know what that's like. My aunt and uncle are the meanest Muggles you'll ever meet, and Dudley- he's the worst sort of Muggle kid. He's always been a sort of bully to me, but it never will compare to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. They're downright foul. I have to clean the house all the time. Thankfully, having magical powers scares them into giving me some space, but before, it was like they thought I was their slave or something."

"That makes me almost thankful to live with my grandparents," Oliver said. "They've never done anything like that to me."

"Did you know nothing about Hogwarts before you got your letter as well?" Harry asked. "My aunt and uncle lied to me and said my parents had died in a car crash, and they completely denied the existence of magic. Somehow I never noticed weird things happening because they would always cover it up."

"Yeah, I'm a Muggleborn," Oliver said. "That's odd, because my parents actually died in a car crash."

Harry's eyes flashed. "I'm sorry if that dug up old memories- I didn't mean to upset you- "

"Oh, no, it was a long time ago, you're fine," Oliver said. "I got over it for the most part. It is an odd coincidence, though."

"Merlin's beard, if I find out you're my long-lost twin, I'm going to have to hex my aunt and uncle," Harry groaned. "I cannot handle any more family drama or secrets."

"Don't worry, I'm definitely not your long-lost twin," Oliver reassured him. "Our voices aren't anything like each other's."

"Is it just me, or are Hufflepuffs extremely intuitive?" Harry said.

"Definitely more intuitive than me. I'm straight up block-headed most of the time," Willow said.

"Oh, I just notice things," Oliver explained, blushing a little. "I learned to pick up small things because I don't like talking to everyone I meet. It still works while I talk to people, I discovered."

"Well, thanks for talking to me," Harry said, sending more colour into Oliver's cheeks. "I needed it."

"See, Oliver? You survived!" Willow laughed. "Look at that! You talked to a new person and didn't die!"

"Harry is nicer than most people," Oliver said.

"I wish everyone thought that..." Harry muttered. He suddenly glanced in the direction of the bulletin board, trying to read the calendar. "What day is it? December...Ninth? Tenth? It's the tenth, right? It doesn't matter! Your birthday's coming up this week, Willow!"

"Merlin's beard, I've forgotten all about it!" Willow gasped. "With everything going on, I just didn't remember it sneaking up on me." Her eyes widened. "Oh crap. I'm going to be a teenager. God help us."

"You'll be fine," Harry assured her. "A single day doesn't make that much of a difference- unless you're battling a mountain troll, that is. Or confronting an evil teacher. Or- "

"Okay, now you've crossed the line," Willow said. "Fidget, attack!"

The tiny bowtruckle leaped out of her pocket and onto Harry's shoulder, pretending to use his tiny claws as weapons. He barely even nicked Harry's ear before he gave up and hung out on his head. They all laughed when Fidget fell and had to cling onto a tuft of Harry's hair for dear life. Harry helped him back onto his head.

"Fidget's still happy as ever, I see."

"Yep, he's my wingman," Willow said. "Don't know what I'd do without him."

"Take care of countless injured creatures and end up adopting them all even though you could get expelled from school for it," Harry teased. He dodged an empty water goblet. "Hey, no need to throw things at me!"

"I know, I know, the truth hurts," Willow said.

"We should plan a party for you," Oliver suggested. "Your thirteenth birthday is pretty special."

"Yeah! I'm sure Fred and George would be happy to plan it," Harry said. "And Lee's made a killing off of the protective device rage. I guess at least someone is benefiting from all of this. Anyway, we should go ask them."

"Ask us what?" Fred and George chorused.

Before she could stop him, Harry turned around and said, "Perfect timing! We need to plan a party."

"You couldn't have picked a better time! We've just finished a new line of fireworks."

"Lee's already ordered a boatload of butterbeer with his sales from the past week. We can use it right away."

"Who's the party for, anyway?"

Willow sighed and raised her hand. There was no getting out of it now. "Me, for my birthday. Harry and Oliver think it's necessary for a thirteenth birthday party."

"Well, we've got to welcome you to the teenager club somehow!"

"What better way than a party?"

"I guess you're right..." Willow trailed off. "Just, don't go overboard, okay? I don't want you guys going broke over me. My birthday isn't that special, after all. It comes every year."

"Don't be a downer! Besides, George here- "

George elbowed Fred sharply in the gut. "- wouldn't mind spending extra money on you. All of Gryffindor is always looking for an excuse to party, so you might as well give it to them. Come on, Harry, Oliver, we've got a surprise to plan!"

"I'm included in this?" Oliver asked, eyes wide.

"Why not? You and Harry had the idea in the first place." Fred and George pulled him to his feet. "Come on, then! We don't have that much time! And you stay here, Willow, we can't have you ruining the surprise!"

"Alright, if you say so. Please don't damage Oliver for me!"

"He'll be fine, don't you worry," Fred promised. "We'll return him in one piece. Off to Gryffindor Tower!"

Oliver cast one last wary glance at Willow, earning him a thumbs up, then he was escorted away, Harry and the twins already going back and forth about the party. As much as she dreaded the embarrassment to come, if this was the way to take everyone's mind off the Chamber of Secrets- especially Harry's- then she could endure it. Besides, maybe she wouldn't really mind a surprise birthday party. It made her feel special to have friends that cared so much.

Over the course of the next few days, the twins, Harry, and Oliver were constantly shushing themselves and giggling around her. They all seemed to be having a blast planning her party. The day after they began, Neville, Sam, Dean, and Seamus could also be spotted with them. Apparently they hired some extra help. How big is this party going to be, Willow wondered?

Whenever Fred and George could, they joked around with Harry by pretending to clear the way for the “Heir of Slytherin” and even warding him off with random objects. Harry confided in her that it was relieving to know at least a few people thought the whole thing was ridiculous. He was also getting along better with Oliver, too, and it seemed like the latter was beginning to talk with the other Gryffindor boys as well. They would always seek each other out in a crowd and get to chatting right away. Willow was glad Oliver had Harry and company to talk to. They were some of the few boys that didn’t talk about girls half the night.

A day before her birthday, Willow’s powers were getting so antsy that vines would literally pop up wherever she stepped. Sue, Lisa, and Mandy followed her footprints in a panic and let her know. Willow quickly rushed them out to the Forbidden Forest with her.

“Merlin’s beard, thanks for letting me know!” she panted. “That could have been catastrophic. Sorry if I made you guys worry, but I had to leave right away, and I don’t trust myself without a few people to talk to at the moment.”

“You’re fine. We’ve never been out here before, anyway,” Mandy said. She glanced up at the canopy. “This place is beautiful! Why is it forbidden?”

“Because there’s loads of lethal magical creatures that are waiting for an easy snack,” Sue said. When Lisa and Mandy shot her panicked looks, she added, “They’re mainly nocturnal, of course, so we’re fine. Besides, Willow has been here at night for hours and never ran into anything, and if it comes to it, I can use taekwando. There’s a few specific moves that would work on animals.”

“As long as you’re sure…” Lisa trailed off.

“Alright, what do you suggest I do?” Willow asked. “I mean, I can do my normal routine, but you guys could probably come up with a workout that would make my powers rest easy for a month, especially our taekwando master here.”

“I’m not a master or anything, but I could try to help you out,” Sue said, her cheeks reddening. “You should start slow, of course, since you haven’t used them in forever.”

Not willingly, anyway, Willow thought. She took Fidget out of her pocket and put him on Sue, who allowed the bowtruckle to bury himself in her pockets. “He might get worked up about me. Just let him do whatever and let me know where he runs off to. Fidget’s a quick little bowtruckle.”

“Got it.” Sue tapped her foot while she thought. “Okay, I’ve got something. See that hill, not too far from here? Fly there and back without slowing down.”

“Oh, and change into several creatures while you’re at it. For our entertainment and your training, of course,” Mandy said.

Willow smiled. The humor was already helping. “Okay, step back. I don’t want to run you guys over.”

Mandy, Lisa, and Sue took several paces back. Willow transformed into a winged horse- something she’d barely accomplished before- and got a running start, then took off into the sky. She stumbled a bit, but for the most part, she smoothly sailed. Her powers were so impatient to be used that they were causing her to actually be good at them. She changed into a falcon, a Peruvian Vipertooth, a vulture, and touched down as a jobberknoll. Willow felt the warm-up in her heavy breathing.

“Wow, I need to make myself a practice schedule,” she panted. “Nevermind that. What next?”

"Hm...well, you can't practice healing...oh! You're got super senses, right?" Sue asked. Willow nodded. "Okay, Lisa, Mandy, come with me. We won't go far, just far enough that you'll have to stretch yourself to find us. Wait five minutes!"

"Hold on, are you sure this is safe?" Lisa questioned.

"Positive. If we need help, I know how to shoot up red sparks," Mandy said. Lisa's eyebrows shot up. "What? I've had to do a search and rescue once...with Padma...nothing you should be concerned about..."

"You lost Padma?!"

"Lisa! Be quiet! We don't want to give Willow a head start," Sue shushed. "Come on, this way!"

Willow turned her back and temporarily blocked out her senses. The bickering was gone, leaving her with silence. It was peaceful, but for once, she missed the sound of several voices. She didn't like being alone now that she had shared the Forest with her friends.

Willow's watch went off. She turned on her powers again. Her ears picked up the crinkling of undergrowth, the snapping of a twig, the creaking of branches, and a chorus of far-off random forest noises. So far, nothing that led her towards her friends. She took a few steps in the direction where they had walked off. Nothing. Willow peered at the ground, enhancing her eyes as she did so. There were the faintest tracks in the soil. Willow triumphantly followed the tracks, but soon her expression dropped, because they all but vanished when a strong gust of wind blew leaves over the path, moving the soil with it. She'd have to rely on her other senses, then.

Willow inhaled a deep breath of air. She'd never really attempted to use her sense of smell, but she quickly realized why. Willow's head went nuts with information overload. She could pick out so many different scents- bird's nest, squirrel fur, starling blood, herbs, oak leaves- that electrical signals pulsed in their own individual heartbeats within her brain. Willow's eyes watered as she tried to pick out a single trail. Now she knew why it was so hard to train a dog to smell a certain scent; she would have a rough time separating it from everything else, too.

The faintest smell of paper and ink lead her deeper into the Forbidden Forest, where the canopy began to open up. More light than usual spilled into this clearing. Willow could tell she was getting close. Sue was smart enough to choose a safe place like this for everyone's safety. Using her ears, she tried to listen for her friends, but came up with nothing. The wind had picked up enough to drown out a lot of the quieter sounds. She tried to look for her friends, but also found nothing. Frustrated, Willow stomped her foot into the ground.

She was glad she did. Willow recoiled from the shock wave it sent back up her leg. She momentarily saw an image in her mind's eye, then it was gone. Willow blinked. What? She stomped her foot again. The same thing happened, this time the wave of energy more clear and powerful than the last. She could piece together the position of the trees immediately around her. Willow gasped when she realized just what was happening.

I have sonar? she yelped. Cebba, why didn't you tell me? This would have been nice to know!

How am I supposed to know what your powers are? They're never the same from person to person! Cebba retorted. Besides, it's not my place to give everything to you. You'll have to learn this on your own eventually.

Thanks. I appreciate all the help.

You're very welcome. I'm glad you already see the merit in struggling during the early stages.

That was sarcasm, Cebba.

Was I not being sarcastic back?

Willow shook her head. Cebba was back to playing games with her. That was good, but she had something more important to focus on in the meantime. Willow got down on her hands and knees. She dug her palms into the soil, then focused on sending her energy outwards. Suddenly, a wave of power coursed through her body and rocketed out of her fingertips. It quickly ricocheted off of the objects around her and bounced back into her system, filling her mind's eye with a detailed image of her surroundings. Willow used the sonar three more times until it finally reached a good distance. She glanced around at the image, and, at long last, made out three human-like shapes moving behind a small patch of trees. Willow dispersed the image and marched right over to her friends. Sue, Mandy, and Lisa applauded her.

"Great work! That was amazing!" Lisa exclaimed.

"We were like, a half-mile away by the time you got to us!" Mandy said.

"How did you find us? What senses did you use?" Sue asked.

"Oh, well, first, I used my hearing, but that didn't get me anywhere," Willow began. "Then I discovered that my sense of smell is way too overpowering, then I tried to see you guys- imagine how well that worked- and something crazy happened. Apparently, I have sonar. That's why I was crouching down and looking like a weirdo."

"Whoa, really?" Mandy said. "As in, bat sonar, whale sonar, getting images out of sound waves, that sort of thing?"

"Yeah, it's kind of creepy how well it works, but hey, I'll take it." Willow looked at her watch. "Wow, it's already been a while out here. How about I fly you guys back to the other clearing so I can get a couple more things in?"

"Has anyone flown on your back before, Willow?" Lisa nervously asked.

"I'm pretty sure, at some point. Well, I'm always careful anyway, and I'm sure you guys have enough magical training to stop a fall. Let's get going before we run out of time."

Willow transformed into a winged horse again. Mandy was the first to hop up, then Sue, and finally, a wavering Lisa. The latter screamed as Willow flapped her wings and pushed off from the ground. Mandy and Sue laughed at her expense. Lisa held onto poor Sue for dear life. Mandy spread her arms out and pretended she was flying with Willow, the wind catching her robes and making it appear so. The redhead was almost sad when they touched down again.

"Aw, man, that was fun," Mandy said. "Come on, Lisa, unhook your fingernails from Willow's back."

Lisa, still shaking from the ordeal, happily let Mandy and Sue get her down. She sat down on a log, trying to steady her breathing. Willow shape-shifted back into a human. She smiled, about to say something, then promptly fell over.

"Whoa!" Willow landed hard on her side, temporarily blacked out, then came to within seconds to find Mandy, Sue, and Lisa standing over her. She jumped to her feet- a mistake, as more black dots danced in front of her eyes- and brushed herself off.

"I'm fine, I swear!" Willow proclaimed. "Just a little tired from all this stuff. This isn't the first time, though it seems to be getting harder instead of easier to use my powers. I think Cebba said that was going to happen, though, so don't worry. If I'm not worried, than you guys- "

"Definitely should be!" Sue interrupted. "We all know you can't seem to worry about yourself!"

"Seriously, I'm fine, I just need to practice more, this is supposed to happen- "

"I'm not sure 'passing out after flying' qualifies as fine, Willow," Mandy said. "You need to take this a little more seriously."

"I am taking this seriously, that's why I'm practicing!"

"I thought it was because you put it off so long your powers literally began escaping you?" Mandy said, raising an eyebrow. Willow tried to speak, but Mandy cut her off. "Look, I know you're this strong, bull-headed Gryffindor, but just like muscles, you have to rest your powers when you've had enough, alright? You're not going to work yourself to death one day only to wake up the next and be a superhero. From what I've gathered, this takes time. You are going to rest. That doesn't mean you're going to quit, though. Sue, Lisa, and I will come up with a daily regimen for you to do, and the only thing you can do from there is slowly progress."

Willow opened her mouth to protest, then shut it, conceding the point. Mandy was one hundred percent correct. There was no fighting it this time. Sighing, Willow resigned herself and put away her powers for the time being.

"Don't worry, you'll get better," Lisa said. "I hope you don't need me to fly with you again anytime soon, but you'll still get better if you skip that part."

Willow chuckled. "Thanks, Lisa. I promise, no more horseback flying."

"Let's get back up to the castle before we get caught, shall we?" Sue proposed.

They all thought that was a good idea. Willow, Mandy, Lisa, and Sue snuck into the corridors, one by one, and caught back up with each other in the Great Hall. They all decided to sit at the Gryffindor table with Harry and the rest of the party planners. Harry appeared to grow happier with each passing day that more and more people were supporting him. He and Oliver were deep in conversation when she and her friends sat on either side of them.

"Discussing the greatest party of all time, are you?" Mandy asked.

Oliver jumped. "No, not at all!"

"Oliver, you're such a terrible liar," Sue giggled. "Not that it needs working on."

"We weren't discussing the party for once, actually," Harry explained. "It was actually about whether or not it's okay for Lee to bring in spiked butterbeer. Nothing's happened yet, but I have a feeling alcohol is still illegal for underage wizards."

"I don't think anyone's ever paid very close attention to wizarding laws, Harry," Willow laughed. "Lee would have been arrested for five different things right now if that was the case. Just don't worry about it. We've never had a problem with alcohol, and as much as there's been in our common room, I'd say there's some sort of system working."

"Yeah, Percy and a few other suck-ups keeping an eye on everyone," Mandy said.

"Hey! You're not talking about Oliver and I, are you?" Lisa exclaimed. "We always make sure you guys stay conscious!"

"Okay, you guys are the exceptions, and maybe Willow, though she always manages to be mysteriously tipsy by the end of every party...Does Lee insist on doing that to you every time?"

"Yes, no matter how much I protest," Willow sighed. "He always goes easy on me, though, so I'm okay."

"I still don't like it," Harry and Oliver said at the same time. They glanced at one another, cheeks burning, and accidentally chorused, "Sorry." Their difference in voice was the only thing keeping Willow from freaking out.

"Whoa, are you sure you guys aren't twins or something? You're already almost identical, and now you're speaking at the same time!" Mandy said. "I'm not sure I can handle another set of twins."

"No, I'm fairly certain I'm an only child," Harry said. "Thank Merlin for that, too, so they don't have to deal with Dudley."

"Who's Dudley?" Lisa asked.

"His evil cousin," Oliver said. "He's awful."

"Oh. I'm sorry you have to deal with an awful family. Lisa and I are lucky," Sue said.

Harry shrugged. "It's getting a lot better now. I just pull out my wand and threaten them, and they act like I'm going to blast them off the face of the Earth with nonsense words."

"Ooh, I should use that on my mum!" Mandy exclaimed. "She'd never force me to do laundry again!"

Harry watched, fascinated, as Mandy's hair seemed to ripple, alternating with pink and orange stripes. She noticed him staring and smiled, turning her hair bright green, then back to its usual red.

"I forgot to mention, I'm a metamorphagus," Mandy said. "Everyone's always so surprised. How can you not tell that my hair is an abnormally bright shade of red?"

"I have no idea; for all I knew, you could have been using magical conditioner that brightened the colour," Harry said.

Mandy shrugged. "Fair point."

As Harry, Mandy, and the rest of the crew dissolved into conversation, Willow felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find an excited George standing there, practically bouncing on his toes.

"You have to come see this! Fred and I have designed the perfect prank for your birthday!"

Willow jumped to her feet and raced after George as he ran through the corridors. "Awesome! Who are we playing it on?"

"Take a wild guess!"

Willow put a hand to her mouth and stifled a laugh. "Oh my God, you didn't!"

"We did! Now hurry up! We've got to show it to you before lunch ends!"

Willow and George arrived in the pranking room. Instead of being in its usual empty state, there was supplies piled everywhere, from fireworks to biting teacups to frog-spawn soap. The twins had expanded their operations. Willow found the chalkboard covered in dust and complicated drawings. George magically erased the board and hovered a piece of chalk on it.

"Getting fancier, I see?" Willow teased.

"Oh, shut it, it's easier this way," George said. "Now, onto the plan: you have to make sure you're positioned perfectly, or the whole thing will come crumbling down."

"Why? Am I really that important to you?"

George snickered. "You could say that, Willow, you could say that," he said jokingly. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, back to the board. So this is the plan..."

A few minutes later, Willow was jumping up and down in excitement. "I can't wait to embarrass him in front of all those students! Merlin's beard, he's going to be the laughing stock of the school for months after this! No one will be able to take him seriously after that. You and Fred are bloody brilliant!"

"So we've been told. And it was mainly me, Fred just made sure we had everything in place."

"Oh, here we go," Willow said. "What else did the great George Weasley do that Fred totally didn't do?"

"Okay, enough sarcasm, it was only a joke."

"Is everything you say a joke, George?" Willow asked.

"No, but pretty close," he said.

"So when you say I'm special or important..."

"Don't make me play a prank at your expense, Willow!" George threatened playfully. "And I promise, it will be embarrassing!" He erased the board just as the bell rang. "And that was not a joke, actually!"

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots already," Willow said sarcastically. "Come on, I'll walk you to your class to make sure you're not skipping out. Don't give me that look! I don't care how much you hate Astronomy, you've got to take it!"

Willow walked George all the way up to the Astronomy Tower, where Fred finally met up with them. He gave George a suggestive wink, which was met with immediate retaliation in the form of a small jinx, which magically pinched Fred on the arm. Fred stuck out his tongue at his twin, which earned him an eye roll. Willow wished she had a twin to tease. Or any sibling, for that matter.

"Our preparations are complete for tomorrow. All you've got to do is be out of the common room from five to six, and we'll be waiting for you right at six o'clock," Fred said. "You have no idea how much Lee decided to spice it up."

"Just make sure he doesn't spike my butterbeer, okay?" Willow said.

"Not even a tiny bit? The smallest amount?" George pleaded. "Not even enough to make you step out of your comfort zone?"

Willow sighed. "Fine, but beyond that, and Lee won't wake up for another week."

"You're the best, Willow."

"Is that another one of your jokes?"

"I'm pretty sure you can tell the difference between a joke and seriousness at this point!"

Willow was about to counter when Professor Sinistra called for the class to convene. Fred saluted her goodbye, and George mouthed, "I'll make sure there's plenty of butterbeer!" Willow rolled her eyes and descended the staircase. She made her way to the Gryffindor common room, where several of her friends were hanging out, and Ginny was speaking with Percy.

"...furious about it. Mum won't go easy on them for chores this summer, promise," Percy said.

"You didn't have to do that, Percy," Ginny said. "Fred and George are just trying to liven me up a bit, that's all. They simply don't know any other way."

"Still, you'd think they'd consider..." Percy trailed off. He shook his head. "They're only concerned with pranking, Ginny. Don't worry about them. Just focus on school and earning house points."

"Thanks, Percy. I'll try."

"Hey, Ginny, wait a second," Percy said before his sister could leave. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Ginny paused a moment, her expression visibly darkening and eyes flashing with pain. "Yes. I'll see you later, Percy."

Willow stared after her as she went to her dormitory to do her homework. Her heart sank as Ginny's eyes filled with frustrated tears. If Percy couldn't even get anything out of her, how was she supposed to do anything?

"Close your eyes, Willow!"

"No using your powers, either!"

"I know, I know, I'm powered down."

Fred and George each guided her by a single arm through the corridor to the Fat Lady's Portrait. She happily swung open when she saw them, fortunately not singing. Willow felt the cool rush of air from the common room brush by. An array of smells that weren't normally present in Gryffindor Tower happily greeted her. Willow heard hushed whispers go up all around her, then complete and total silence. She was about to peek when the entire common room erupted.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILLOW!"

Willow opened her eyes and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. All of her closest friends surrounded her in hugs and congratulations. Other Gryffindors cheered and whooped (mostly because of the party, not for her birthday). The common room had been completely redecorated with beautiful combinations of red, green, and blue. She thought George had been joking about the theme being mainly green, but he wasn't. Her favourite colour was everywhere, from the floor to the ceiling. Bits of red and blue broke it up to form some Christmas-esk designs, but she was surrounded in green. Willow saw a mound of gifts piled neatly in the corner. Lee was directly across the room from it, serving butterbeer as fast as people could take it. There was a giant cake already cut into slices on a table (Ron and Harry were helping themselves), and an enchanted rug was used as a dance floor. Willow could have cried. Was all this really for her?

"Well? Do you like it?" Fred asked giddily.

"I love it!" Willow exclaimed. She hugged Fred, then George. "I can't believe you guys put all this together for me! How on Earth did you manage it?"

"We called in a few favors, spent Lee's money, threatened some pranks on people...you know, the usual."

"Like we said, it was an excuse for everyone to party, so they all were happy to chip in."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Willow cried. "You guys are the best!"

"Hey, what about us?" Seamus asked. "You didn't give all the credit to yourselves, did you, Fred, George?"

"No, we were going to mention you, don't worry," Fred promised. "Come on, George, I think Lee needs our help. He's already flirting with the fifth years."

As Fred and George left, Harry, Ron, Cypress, and Oliver finally appeared. The boys and she had a nice, fun, light-hearted conversation together. They made a game of judging the performances on the dance floor. Of course, the only ones that got good scores were the ones who they didn't know. Everyone else got trash-talked behind their back. Willow was having the time of her life. She never knew how fun it would be to hang out with all of the Gryffindor boys and Oliver and Cypress.

"WILLOW! YOU NEED TO DRINK THIS RIGHT NOW!" Mia demanded, shoving a butterbeer into her hand. "IT'S THE MOST AMAZING THING I'VE EVER TASTED IN MY LIFE!"

"Okay, okay, I will, Mia," Willow chortled, setting the drink down. "Who gave you yours?"

"Lee made sure to personally deliver our butterbeers!" Lavender said, appearing beside Mia. "He said we deserved some special drinks. Why can't everyone understand us like Lee?"

"Ah, that would explain a lot," Dean said quietly. Seamus and Neville burst out laughing.

"Hey, you need to make sure you enjoy yourselves!" Fay slurred, putting an arm around both Mia and Lavender. The Patil twins, Sally, and Hermione appeared behind them. "Trust me, butterbeer is the fastest way to do that! I'm having the time of my life, and I don't even know what I'm doing half the time!"

"Parvati, Padma, Hermione, make sure Fay doesn't drink any more butterbeers," Willow said.

"What about me?" Sally asked.

"Sally, when's the last time you partied without touching alcohol?" Sally opened her mouth to protest, then shut it, her eyes widening in realization. "Yep, that's what I thought. You're fine. Let other people be responsible. Go have fun!"

"Thank you for having birthdays, Willow!" Fay called over her shoulder as the Patil twins and Hermione, thoroughly entertained, guided her and the rest of the second-year girls back to the dance floor. As soon as they were gone, the boys and Willow took one glance at each other, then burst out laughing.

"They are entertaining, aren't they?" Paige said, sitting on the edge of the couch next to Willow. "Don't worry, Lee only gave them small amounts. They won't have a hangover, just a really good time tonight."

"Paige! There you are!" Willow exclaimed, hugging her. "Thanks for monitoring Lee." Her eyes sparkled. "I was wondering where you'd gotten off to! You were in on this too, weren't you?"

"Of course I was! Have you ever known me to miss out on a party? I was the one that got these guys in on it, too."

"It's true, she threatened us with bodily harm if we didn't help," Neville said.

"Paige!"

Paige threw up her hands in a gesture of innocence. "I didn't hurt them, did I? They helped us, I didn't jinx them. It was a very fair trade, if you ask me."

Willow rolled her eyes. "I'm never going to get to you, am I?"

"Nope, but I will continue to get to you until you loosen up." Paige shoved the butterbeer Fay had given her into Willow's hand. "Come on, you've got a lot of partying ahead of you. Don't give me that look! There's barely any in it, just enough to make you exceedingly happy- and willing to dance. I've got your back, go ahead!"

Harry and Oliver appeared very disapproving, but Willow, for once was plenty happy to entertain everyone. She drank the whole butterbeer within five minutes and instantly felt the little, almost imperceptible urge to let loose. Paige smiled, almost knowingly, and dragged her out onto the dance floor. She may or may not have forced the boys to come, too. Oliver, Ron, and Neville instantly attempted to stray towards the edge, but Cypress, Harry, Dean, and Seamus caught them and returned them to the center of action. Paige danced with Willow for at least a half hour before taking a break to show the boys how to actually dance.

"Hey, while I'm teaching these tontos, you should open some of your gifts," Paige suggested. "That pile looks pretty big. It might take you a while. You should open mine first," she added with a wink.

Willow grinned. "I will. Good luck with Ron and Neville, they both have two left feet. And I'm liking the Spanish."

"Thanks. You know what I think about the Spanish." Paige winked. "Good luck unburying my gift."

Willow shook her head. Of course Paige would make her dig for her gift. Dodging some flying projectiles and a few sporadic dancers, Willow made her way to the pile of presents. She had to shift half of it to the side to find Paige's. When she finally retrieved it, Willow carefully undid the wrapping paper and opened the box inside. Her hand flew to her mouth.

Paige knew her far too well. There was a pair of the nicest soccer cleats she had ever seen sitting on her lap. They were a beautiful shade of light green, almost electrical. Willow could already see herself playing soccer in them, sprinting so fast and moving so quick that her feet were simply blurs. She hugged them to her chest. This was the best gift she had ever gotten for her birthday, by far. Willow found a new soccer jersey and a pair of shorts inside, too. A small card fell from in between the folds of the jersey when she moved it.

Willow,

Welcome to the world of teenagers. Doom and gloom. Darkness. Blah blah blah. Yeah, it's not nearly as bad as people tell you it is. It's pretty much just more freedom at the price of responsibility. Oh no, responsibility! It's honestly not that bad. Witches and wizards tend to skip over that responsibility thing anyway.

Sorry if you were expecting a sappy card, but you know me. I don't do that. It's useless.

Happy birthday, and I hope you love your gift. You're going to love what we've planned for tonight- and I might have something special for you if I've got the courage.

Paige

Willow smiled. Leave it to Paige to give her the best birthday gift ever, then write the perfect card to match it. She immediately ditched her robes for the soccer jersey and put on the Gryffindor headband Neville had given her last year. From what she gathered, it matched, though she didn't have a clue how to match clothing. She went with it anyway. She loved the gifts.

Willow continued to open more presents. Lavender and Mia each gave her a special potion for her hair, both of which looked fairly expensive, and Fay gave her a book on love advice written by a wizard. (Fay had made all sorts of changes to it. Willow couldn't have been more proud). Sally and Sam found her a magical bookshelf that defied that laws of all sciences by containing at least fifty books more than its apparent capacity. Hermione, Ron, and Harry had each given her chocolates and desserts of all kinds, mainly because she couldn't choose a favorite, and Dean, Seamus, and Neville had worked together to make a nice art piece of the Forbidden Forest for her. Mandy got her a magical pocket knife, Sue gave her a book on dragons, and Lisa decided to give her a self-defense guide. Padma and Parvati gave her a woven blanket with a traditional Indian elephant design centered on it. Cypress and Oliver's gift was quite possibly the most thoughtful, being an enchanted glass griffin made out of potion bottles. It reminded her of a lava lamp as it changed colour every fifteen seconds.

"Wow, that's a lot of friends," Fred commented.

"Are you sure you're still considered shy, Willow?" George asked.

"I'm absolutely certain," Willow chuckled. "How's Lee doing? Still trying to ask out one of the fifth years?"

"Oh, he's doing wonderfully. He already has a few falling over him. Might be the butterbeer, of course, but it still counts." Fred clapped his hands together. "It's almost time for the prank, Willow. Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!" Willow exclaimed. "Let's do this!"

Fred, George, and Paige led her out of the common room and through the corridors. They checked the time constantly. This operation had to be completely on the dot or it would fail. Willow followed closely behind the fourth years as they set up their stations one by one. Paige was the first to drop off, then Fred, and finally George. Willow continued to her station, giddy with excitement, and settled down for an agonizing wait, struggling to keep quiet so she could hear the signal.

"Everyone ready?" Fred whispered through his name tag. "Remember, we cannot screw this up. Don't mess up! We're a go in three...two...one...Paige, you're on!"

Willow listened through her name tag as Paige quietly knocked in a fancy pattern on McGonagall's door. Moments later, there was an announcement for Professor Lockhart to make his way to the Great Hall. Willow barely managed to contain her snickering. How they had gotten Professor McGonagall in on this, she didn't know, but it was going to be worth it for the look on Lockhart's face.

Fred initiated phase two. He transfigured an armored knight into a hairy beast, then positioned it so that its shadow was lengthened just so. Fred levitated it and left the scene as quickly as he could. George was right behind him, setting up their trap in record time. He spread the potion across it as evenly as he could. Phase three was finished.

"It's all you now, Willow," George whispered.

"Phase four, starting now. Target's footsteps within earshot."

Willow tapped her wand to her name tag to turn it off. Professor Lockhart sleepily made his way through the corridor. Willow could hear him getting closer and closer and closer. In a few moments, he would be there! Willow perfectly positioned her body so that it was hidden behind the shadow of the transfigured knight. Lockhart was almost there...just a few more steps...

"What on Earth am I supposed to be doing at this hour?" he grumbled. "I'll have to have a word with Professor McGonagall about beauty rest. I wouldn't want to disappoint my fans."

Willow seized the chance. Transforming into a small lion, she roared as loud as she possibly could, shattering the near-silence. Lockhart screamed and started running directly towards their trap. Willow quickly took control of the situation. She sent the transfigured knight racing after Lockhart, causing him to yelp and scream louder. He glanced over his should once, twice, three times, each time longer than before, until he wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him. Lockhart crashed into their web with a shriek.

"Re-reducto!" he stuttered, pointing his wand at the knight.

The spell failed, only throwing it into disarray. It clattered to the ground in a mess of metallic, furry parts. Lockhart's mouth dropped open when he saw it return to the knight's regular armor.

"Wha- what?"

Suddenly, he couldn't speak anymore. His lips swelled up to three times their normal size. His nose expanded and drooped with its new weight. His head was now the biggest part of his body- not that it was a change from before. Lockhart tried to call for help, but it was no use. The little bit of Swelling Solution was doing a great job.

"And here, folks, we have Exhibit A, a professor running from a fake monster," Fred said.

"Some Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, isn't he?" George asked.

Fits of laughter erupted from behind Lockhart. As expected, a small crowd of curious students had shown up to tail Lockhart. Willow snapped photo after photo of Lockhart attempting to untangle himself from the web they'd built in the corridor. His head was so big, he couldn't even see what he was doing anymore. The students were crying they were laughing so hard by that point. Professor Snape eventually showed up and returned the situation to normal, though from the acidic glare he shot Professor Lockhart, he appeared as though he would rather get rid of the useless professor altogether. The students were sent back to their beds, but not before Fred and George could make the most of the situation, selling their very own portable spider-web. They capitalized big time.

"That was the most successful prank we've ever done! Everything went according to plan!"

"Wait until Lockhart sees those photos all over the school tomorrow! He'll never recover from it!"

"I can't wait, either!" Willow exclaimed. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to embarrass him for months now. How much did you guys sell of your spider-web thing? It looks like you're empty-handed."

"Every last bit. We might actually have funds to do some more experimenting with it, now."

"Might be richer than Mum and Dad at the moment."

Willow laughed. "Okay, that's a stretch. Come on, let's get back to that party before everyone wonders where we've gone off to. Lee might need some help with the refreshments by now."

The four happily made their way back to the party, where everything was still in full swing. The butterbeer's effects were still in Willow's system, so she jumped right into the fray, dancing with Fred, George, and Lee while Paige recruited Oliver and Lisa to give all the tipsy students large glasses of water. They danced for God knows how long, burning off the butterbeer. Willow was having a dance competition with Mandy and Sue, in which Sue was winning by a long shot, when Paige tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around, Willow noticed that her usually smug, confident expression was gone, replaced by uncertainty. “Come on. I’ve got something to show you.”

Willow said goodbye to her friends and followed Paige. She walked over to the edge of the common room, right next to the window that overlooked the Forbidden Forest. The Thestrals were beginning to settle down for the night already. Paige smiled wistfully, staring out the window, her eyes locked on a faraway place. She eventually pointed to a mountain in the distance.

“See that peak? The one covered in snow?” Paige asked. Willow nodded. “If you wait for the perfect moment, the moon strikes it just right, and…it creates a shadow image.”

Just as she finished her sentence, the moon moved into position, and Willow gasped as the shadows lined up perfectly to create a bright heart. It was crudely shaped, a little rough around the edges, but there it was. Willow grinned. Even nature was full of love.

“I discovered that a few nights ago. It was pretty amazing to watch, really,” Paige explained. “I love the way it doesn’t care how long it takes, and it doesn’t form into a perfect shape…it kind of represents my love life.”

Willow stared at Paige. “You’re struggling with your love life? Care to open up? I don’t have the best advice, but you can always tell me about it.”

There was a momentary flicker of fear in Paige’s eyes. Willow’s heart throbbed for the older girl. Was someone trampling on hers? If they were, she and Fay would have another boy to harass.

"I- I’ve been dealing with it, to say the least. Pretty well, actually.” Paige swallowed. “God, why is this so hard? Opening up is so easy for other people….”

“I get it. Talking about feelings is not my favourite hobby. It’s probably more stressful to let it out than keep it in.”

Paige sighed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t keep you all hung up like this. It’s just…really hard to admit.”

Willow put an arm around Paige for support, feeling her fluttering heartbeat. “However long it takes, I can wait. I have more patience than the average Gryffindor.”

Paige half-heartedly laughed. “You’ve got that right, don’t you?” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay, I think I’m going to say it. You can’t tell anyone, though. Promise me you won’t.”

“Cross my heart and swear to die.”

“Willow, I- I- “

“Hey, Willow!” Fred called. “We’re going to set off some fireworks! Come help us choose which ones!”

“Do you have a preference between relatively dangerous and safe ones? We’ve got a team on standby to put out any fires!”

“Just a minute! And no, dangerous is fine!” Willow called. She turned back to Paige. “You were say- “

Paige was no longer there. She had simply vanished when Willow wasn’t looking. She furrowed her brow. Strange. Paige was never one to literally run away from her feelings. What was going on with her? Who was hurting her? Whoever it was, she was going to make sure they never hurt a girl ever again.

“Willow, we don’t have much time! Filch will be in the corridors any minute now!”

"Jeez, I’m coming!” Willow ran to the opposite side of the common room, where a pile of fireworks with scribbled labels was being sorted through by the twins that tampered with them. “Okay, where’s your special-effects firework? That would be cool to have as a main one and some smaller explosions in the background.”

After picking out all the best ones, Willow, Fred, and George headed up to the secret hideout. They pulled out their wands, one by one, and lit the fireworks, setting off a volley of pretty explosions. Boom after boom echoed into the night and lit up the sky in an array of Christmas colours (mainly green, of course). When the finale finally arrived, they set off an enormous firework that stayed in the sky and spelled out “Merry Christmas!” Fred, George, and Willow high-fived each other.

“Wow, I can’t believe that actually worked!” Fred cried. “I thought for sure they’d go rogue on us!”

“Must be Willow. She’s lucky.” George winked at her. “Your favourite colour is the colour of luck, too.”

“Whatever it is, thank you so, so, so much!” Willow said. “This was so much more than I’d ever dreamed of. You guys couldn’t have made this party any better for me.”

“I’m sure George could make it better,” Fred said, earning him an exasperated look from his twin. “You know it’s true! Don’t deny it, even Ronniekins can see it!”

“See what?” Willow asked.

“Oh, Willow, I can’t believe I thought you were observant,” Fred said, shaking is head. “I hope you notice.”

“Ah, so it’s a secret,” Willow said slowly. She smirked. “That’s alright. I’ll just send Cypress after you. He’s gotten me loads of helpful information since I’ve met him. I bet he could tell me your secret right now.”

“Is that the other Slytherin fellow you’ve been hanging out with? Oliver talks about him a lot.”

“Are you absolutely certain he’s trustworthy?”

“Yes, George, he’s perfectly trustworthy. I could probably stop him from taking over the world at this point- not that he would try yet, anyway.”

“Don’t worry about Cypress, George,” Fred said. “He might help us out in the potions department if we’re lucky. Willow says he’s like a mad scientist for hire.”

“I did not say he’s for hire!”

“That’s always implied, if Lee has taught us anything.”

Willow sighed. “You two are going to be the death of me! You are not going to use Cypress to prank people! No, Fred, you can’t bribe him, either!”

“Aw, how did you know?”

“I always know what you’re thinking, Fred.”

George’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you have mind-reading abilities now, too!”

"No, of course n- Hang on.” Willow raised her eyebrows suggestively. “Do you have something to hide from me, George? Anything you should tell me before I force it out of you?”

“No, we’re open books,” George said. Willow could tell there was some sort of double meaning behind that statement, but she didn’t understand it. “Are you ready to head back yet? It’s getting close to Filch’s pacing time.”

“Did you seriously memorize Filch’s schedule?” Willow questioned as they descended.

“It never hurts to know!”

The three made their way back to the common room. A few people had dropped off at this point, but for the most part, the party was still raging on. Lee was definitely tipsy. He was playfully teasing a group of fifth years as they passed by. Willow went straight for the cake, of which there was plenty left. She found a strawberry and vanilla piece and dug in, Fred and George teasing her about how large the piece was. Paige was still nowhere to be found. She found it odd, but it wasn’t unusual for the fourth year to dart off after she exposed her soft side. Willow would probably do the same thing in her shoes.

“Merlin’s beard, I better go help Lee,” Fred suddenly said. “I think he’s about to make a big mistake. I'll find you two later.”

Fred went to check on Lee, leaving Willow and George alone. She was confused as to why Fred suddenly left his twin so often now. Were they struggling to get along for some reason? It didn't appear so, but then again, the twins seemed to be immune to serious issues. Willow hoped they would work it out soon.

"Hey, I got something for you," George said, tossing her a present. "It's from Fred, too, but only because I used some of his money."

"George, you didn't have to do this!" Willow said, despite her beaming face.

"Well, we didn't have to throw this party, either, but we did it anyway," George countered. "It was all our choice. You got to benefit from it. We're happy if you're happy."

"Aw, don't go getting sappy on me now," Willow teased. She opened up the gift, which promptly incited small, green fireworks to explode without burning her. The wrappings melted away to reveal a gorgeous notebook with a magical quill. Its front cover was decorated with a collage of Gryffindor symbols, moving green forest pictures, and a few animated photos of wild magical creatures. The quill's feather was red and white with beautiful streaks of emerald green in it.

"Oh my God, where- how on Earth did you manage this?" Willow gasped.

"I bought the notebook and quill, but I decorated it myself. The fireworks were an added touch." George smiled. "The quill will write whatever you tell it to, whether that's out loud or mentally. Be warned, though, if you yell at it, it's going to write jokes relevant to your shouting until you feel better. It may or may not also write jokes on you that won't go away until you laugh."

"Your added touch, I'm sure," Willow chuckled. She hugged George tight. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the best gift ever! I've been dying to write lately, and this might actually give me the time. I hand-write so slow."

"I thought it might make you stop complaining about having no time to write."

"Oh, I've never complained that loud about it, be nice to me," Willow said playfully. "Thanks for this, though. It means a lot."

"Don't go getting sappy on me now!"

"Did you just repeat- Of course you did!"

The magical quill sprang into action. It wrote on Willow's arm in a black, permanent-looking ink, "Did you just repeat- Of course you did!" George and Willow burst out laughing, making the ink automatically fade until it was no longer there. Willow already loved the gift almost as much as Paige's. She needed a little more laughter in her life.

Willow and George and eventually Fred sat around, drinking a little more butterbeer, eating more cake at one point, and mostly light-heartedly talking and joking around with each other. The party began to wind down around them. Hermione, Parvati, and Padma escorted their roommates upstairs before they could drink any more butterbeer. The Gryffindor boys, Cypress, and Oliver collapsed on the couch in a laughing heap, teasing each other about how awful their dancing was. Lee was still flirting. Mandy, Lisa, and Sue thanked the twins for the party, bade Willow a happy birthday, and left, Mandy being the only tipsy one. As everyone headed off to bed, Fred, George, and Willow started to clean up, though it was fairly easy with magic. The only ones left in the common room by the time they were done cleaning up was Oliver, Cypress, and Harry. They had all fallen asleep on the couch. Willow went to wake them up, but stopped herself. Oliver had fallen asleep on Cypress's shoulder, all cuddled up in Cypress's fancy winter robes. They both appeared to be smiling in their sleep. She decided to simply wake up Harry instead and leave the other two for morning.

"What time is it?" Harry whispered groggily. "I didn't drink any butterbeer, I swear."

"I have no idea, but everyone else has gone off to bed," Willow said. "Do you want to fall asleep here?"

"Sure..." Harry trailed off, falling back asleep almost instantly. Willow shook her head. If he couldn't stay up, at least the couch was comfy. She would wake him up in the morning, too.

After bidding goodnight to Fred and George, Willow went to bed, thinking over the party. So much good had happened to her in one night, she didn't know where to put all the happiness. She had so many more friends that truly cared about her than she'd ever thought was possible. How did she get so lucky? Willow placed Fidget on the her nightstand, wondering if she had been wrong to think magical creatures were the truest friends she could have. She didn't wonder much longer. She knew.

Her friends were the best thing to ever happen to her.


	33. Year 2: Chapter 12

The next day, Willow woke up the boys. Oliver realized he had fallen asleep on Cypress's shoulder and quickly sat up straight, almost acting embarrassed. Cypress, as was to be expected, woke up and teased Oliver for it. Harry simply groaned and fell off the couch. Willow tried not to laugh as he got up, but with his glasses askew and his hair a complete mess, it was hard not to. She and Oliver returned Cypress to the Slytherin common room, then set off to print out the photographs of the prank.

"Are you sure this isn't a bit overkill?" Oliver asked. "He is a narcissist, but he might lose his fans for this."

"Trust me, Oliver, he won't be losing any fans," Willow reassured him, gathering up all the printed photos. "If anything, they'll come flocking to him to reassure him of their loyalty. Thanks for thinking about him, though. I need a Hufflepuff's consciousness of other people's feelings."

Oliver sheepishly smiled. "You're welcome."

They started in the Great Hall since nobody was there yet, covering every square inch of the bulletin board. Then, they moved into the main corridors, stringing them together and hanging them from the ceiling in a lovely array. Oliver stuck a few to the walls while Willow transformed into a sparrow to reach the higher places. They quietly snuck into the library to place a few on the bookshelves, then went to Lockhart's classroom and posted as many as they possibly could to his door. Willow and Oliver shared a high-five and returned to the Great Hall just in time for breakfast- and to see everyone laughing and pointing at the photos. Only a handful of girls, which Willow assumed were his fanatics, appeared sad and rather down when they caught sight of them. Harry loved the shift in attention.

"What are you going to call them? There has to be a name for this series of photos," he said.

"How about 'The Gallery of Lockhart's Demise'?" Ron suggested. "'Fall of the False'? 'Photos of a Phony'?"

"Hmm, maybe that's a bit harsh, but I like where you're going with it," Willow said. "I just can't wait to see Lockhart's reaction."

She got her wish. Lockhart entered the Great Hall, slack-jawed and defeated-looking. He pulled down his hat as much as possible to hide his face. A lot of people snickered and pointed. Fred, George, and Paige celebrated with Willow. She noticed Paige was back to her usual self. Hopefully she had sorted out that little blip in her love life.

After breakfast was finished, there was a mad rush of girls to comfort Lockhart, which made him feel a little better. Fred and George booed off to the side where Lockhart couldn't hear them. Willow headed back to the common room, Oliver in tow, and slipped into the secret room. They found Griffin awake and rearing to go.

"Hey, easy there, boy!" Willow said. "Can you sit for me? Sit!" Griffin sat. "Lay down!" He laid down. "Roar!" Griffin jumped to his feet and screeched. "Good boy!"

Willow gave him a half pound of bacon she had "rescued" from being thrown away at breakfast. Griffin squeaked excitedly and dove on the bacon, obediently leaving a single piece for V, who took it and ate it within three bits. Both animals had developed a taste for bacon, especially chewy and fatty bacon. Willow was happy to make sure none went to waste at breakfast anymore. Felicity and Patch were just eating their own breakfasts of wood lice and daises, respectively. Fidget jumped out of Willow's robes and ran up to Felicity. The jobberknoll flapped his wings and pushed some wood lice to Fidget. They happily shared their favourite breakfast.

"They're all getting along really well, aren't they?" Oliver observed.

"They are. I'm glad for it, too, because I really didn't want to deal with fighting creatures," Willow said. "That reminds me- you're staying here for the Holidays, right?"

Oliver nodded. "Why?"

"Do you think you could take care of these guys for me while I'm gone?" Willow asked. "I know it's a lot, especially Griffin, because he's a downright handful, but I don't want them to get neglected."

"Yes!" Oliver said excitedly. "I was hoping I could take care of Griffin."

"You were?"

"Yeah!" Oliver's eyes sparkled. "Griffin's just a big baby. I love taking care of him now that he knows not to bite. I'll be able to bring him loads of Christmas treats. We'll have lots of fun!"

"I had no idea you liked magical creatures this much, Oliver," Willow said.

"I didn't either, until I met Griffin." The baby griffin nudged Oliver's arm, and he began to stroke his back. "Don't worry about these guys, Willow. I promise I'll take very good care of them."

"As long as you're sure..." Willow shook her head. "Who am I kidding? You're the most responsible human being I've met, and that includes my abuela. She's a very responsible woman. I trust you to take very good care of these guys."

"Thank you, Willow!" Oliver exclaimed.

Over the next few days, Willow played with her creatures, but mainly let Oliver practice taking care of them. He did a perfect job. He might have even been more punctual about their mealtimes than she was. In addition, Willow and Cypress worked hard on the potion, and they were finally getting somewhere with it. The potion was no longer exploding and actually becoming more of a liquid than a jello-like solid. By the time the train left Hogsmede Station, Willow was satisfied they could finish it by the next house exchange.

The Hogwarts Express finally pulled into King's Cross Station after a long journey. Willow bade her friends Happy Holidays, then dragged her trunk onto the platform, searching for a certain familiar face. When she finally found him, she dropped her trunk and sprinted towards him.

“Dad!” Willow exclaimed, jumping into his arms. “I missed you so much! I didn’t think it was humanly possible to miss someone that much!”

“I missed you too, Sweetheart,” Carlos said, holding Willow tight. He finally set her down. “Vamos, Abuela and Abuelo are waiting in the parking lot.”

Willow practically sprinted out of King’s Cross Station. She found her grandparents waiting for her outside their car. Willow happily laughed and hugged them both with all of her might. She couldn’t remember the last time she was so happy to see her family.

“It’s been far too long, nieta,” Abuela said.

“I agree,” Abuelo said. “Let’s get back to the mansion.”

They caught up the whole car ride home, chatting about little occurrences that had happened while she was at Hogwarts. Apparently, Perrito had grown more energetic, and her uncles visited Japan for a research project on a Zouwu. It unfortunately had evaded them, but they got some good information on its tracks and food sources. Her grandparents had done a history project with the top historians in London, and Carlos had become Newt Scamander’s right hand guy. Willow missed the familiar chats she used to have as a child.

“We’re here!” Carlos announced, pulling into the long, gravel driveway. It went on for a few hundred feet before they arrived at the garage. The family mansion had Muggle-repelling charms all around it because Carlos liked to be completely surrounded by nature. Willow couldn’t agree more with his taste. Though they were secluded, the Guerreros loved being friendly to passerby Muggles.

Willow stepped out of the car. She inhaled a deep breath of fresh air, her worry melting away as the familiar scents of pine, evergreen, oak, and maple greeted her. A sense of peace washed over her, so complete that it made her shiver. She wished she could spend more time at home now that the memories of her mother’s accident were fading into the background. It was such a wonderful place, though she wished it was smaller and modest. She could play soccer any time she wanted, talk to her grandparents about the latest Muggle invention, bake something new with her uncle, garden at the crack of dawn with her dad…it was home. As much as Hogwarts would always be her home, the mansion would always be a strong homing beacon.

“Perrito!” Willow exclaimed as she ran through the door. The little chihuahua jumped into her arms, wriggling and licking her ears. “Yes, yes, I know, I missed you too!”

“There’s my favourite sobrina!” Tío Cisco said, his brother appearing next to him. “Give your favourite uncle a hug!”

Willow ran up and hugged both him and Tío Leonel. “You’re both my favourite! How was your trip?”

“Quite productive, besides the Zouwu escaping every effort to temporarily sedate it. Newt would be proud of us. We have a rough estimate of its numbers, and they’re fairly stable, thank Merlin. Its food source and natural habitat are stable, too. Now all we’ve got to do is actually study its structure when we get a chance to sedate it.”

“That’s awesome! What was it like being in Japan?”

“It was an adventure, to be honest. Every other day we were in a new place, and the only person we had as a translator wasn’t born in the area we visited. I think I’ve had enough seafood to satisfy an entire generation.”

Willow wrinkled her nose. “Yuck. Seafood never settles well with me. Was any of it good?”

“Every single meal. In fact- “ Tío Cisco pulled out a book- “we managed to procure this ancient recipe book. There’s loads of seafood, of course, but most of the dishes can have meat substituted in. I particularly want to try the ancient version of cream stew.”

“What are we waiting for? It’s getting close to dinnertime anyway!”

The entire family pitched in, even Perrito, to make dinner. Willow kept a constant stream of scraps for him. The mansion soon filled with the delicious smell of sautéed onions, steamed vegetables, grilled chicken, and creamy soup. Willow took it upon herself to make buttered toast for everyone. It was mainly because she wanted it for herself, since Abuela had made her special homemade bread, but she forced herself to give everyone else at least a tiny bit of it. They sat down and had a wonderful meal.

“Wow, that is the best dinner I’ve had in a long time,” Carlos commented. “I better save that recipe.”

“Good thing we made you a copy,” Tío Cisco said. “There’s plenty more for you to try, too, but I doubt your cooking will ever reach our level.”

“Oh, be nice to him, Cisco,” Tío Leonel chided. “He’s still learning how to boil water properly.”

Carlos rolled his eyes. “Joke all you want, Leonel, but you know I always make the best enchiladas and rice. Willow can attest to that.”

“I could eat that all day,” Willow agreed. “They can’t serve enough of it at Hogwarts.”

“How has your year been going so far?” Abuelo asked. “Has that Malfoy kid been giving you any trouble?”

“I’d like to think that I’m giving him trouble,” Willow said. "We haven't talked in a while because he was getting really elitist there for a moment. Although we've made up- sort of- we still keep it to small-talk-bickering. I hate it when he uses the muggleborn slur." Willow sighed. "If I could only steal him away from his parents for a summer, fix the way he thinks...he's a really good kid on the inside, despite what anyone says. His stupid dad is really the arsehole."

"I see you haven't lost your sharp tongue," Abuela said, raising an eyebrow.

Willow smiled. "Nope. It's gotten better with experience, I'd say."

"Unapologetic about it, too," Tío Cisco remarked. He nodded appreciatively. "She takes after her uncles. I seem to remember a certain brother of mine being quick to dole out some harsh remarks back at Ilvermorny."

"I did not!" Tío Leonel exclaimed. He paused. "Well, only to the bullies, but that's it, I swear!"

"The past is the past, boys," Abuelo said. "As long as Willow doesn't get too witty, we're okay."

"Don't worry, I've got about as much wit as I've got cooking skills." While her family laughed, Fidget climbed out of her pocket and sat on her shoulder. "This little guy can attest to it. He's seen me try to cook before. I think Madam Pomfrey was surprised to see me for something as non-serious as a burn from boiling water."

Her family had lost interest in her words. They were all staring at her bowtruckle, who was cowering under their suddenly interested faces. Willow let him crawl onto her hand and held him close to her chest.

"Sorry, I don't think I introduced you to my newest addition to the family," she apologized. "This is Fidget, my bowtruckle. I found him in Knockturn Alley. He's clung to me ever since I rescued him, so he's become part of the family now. Don't expect him to open up to you anytime soon, though, he's quite shy, and he has a preference for dark-haired females. Redheads and guys freak him out at first."

"He's you pet?" Tío Cisco exclaimed. "Willow, do you have any idea how much trouble you could get into for keeping him?"

"That's a serious violation of magical creature laws!" Tío Leonel added.

Willow shrugged. "Yeah, but I don't really see a reason to return him to the wild because I don't know where his family is and he'd never let me leave him anywhere. Not to mention it would break my heart. I'd never be the same if I let go of Fidget." The bowtruckle made a purring noise and crawled back onto her shoulder, edging up against her cheek in a sort of hug. "See? He's my right-hand guy. Fidget can't be without me, I can't be without Fidget."

"I've never seen a bowtruckle this attached to a human before, aside from Newt, of course," Abuelo remarked. "What have you been feeding him? Has anyone spotted him?"

"I've been feeding him wood lice, his favourite. Only a select few people know about him, including Professor McGonagall, but they all love him and would never turn me in. Fidget gets along with people pretty well once he takes to them."

"So you carry him around in your pocket all day?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah, except when I use my powers," Willow said. "He got super nauseous and sickly when I accidentally transformed with him still in there. I felt so bad for the little guy! Thankfully, lots of wood lice seemed to heal him up, and I've never forgotten to safely place him elsewhere since."

Abuela's eyes flashed. "How have your powers been going lately?"

"Oh, they're...going." Willow bit her lip. "I had an accidental blowup with them around Halloween, but it wasn't life-altering or anything. I'd rather not talk about it. They're getting more restless and harder to use as they days pass, though it's not worrying me, because Cebba warned me about that happening. Also, I discovered I have some sort of sonar. There's lots of room to discover and grow."

"Who's this Cebba?" Tío Cisco inquired reproachfully.

"Oh, the lady inside my head," Willow replied. She cleared her throat. "Sorry, that sounded completely mental. There's a woman inside my head who's been helping me all along. Her name is Cebba. I can show her to you if you want."

"Yes, please!" her family chorused hurriedly.

Willow stood up, brushing herself off. She took a calming breath and concentrated on Cebba. Come on, I need you to appear, please, and try to be nice to my family. They're nothing but supportive.

Fine, but you owe me for this.

What could I possibly- 

Willow gasped as the pulling sensation shook her body. The usual shiver went down her spine, and suddenly the ghostly form of Cebba was standing in front of her, appearing calm and wizened as usual. She smiled at Willow's slack-jawed family. Willow, however, had words for her.

"Excuse me, a little warning would be nice next time!" she said.

Cebba spread her hands in innocence. "Sorry, the best time to do it is when you're not all tensed up."

"Wha- She speaks? Out loud? In our world?" Tío Leonel yelped. "So she's not a ghost, but she's not alive, either, and she pretty much lives inside of you. What on Earth is she?"

"You know I can speak to you, right?" Cebba said. "And for your information, I'm most certainly dead, a very long time dead. I'm just here to help your niece, or however you say that in Spanish."

"Sobrina," Abuela said, critically narrowing her eyes at Cebba. "What have you done to my granddaughter?"

"I have not touched your granddaughter, thank you very much," Cebba said. "I've simply been helping keep her sane these past few years. She would have had several mental breakdowns by now if it was not for me."

"What are you doing in her head?"

"I already told you, I'm helping her. I provide lots of information about her powers as it becomes necessary."

"Wouldn't it be most necessary to tell her everything at once?" Abuela questioned, stepping closer to the ghostly woman. "She's probably going nuts waiting for you to tell her what's really going on!"

"If I told her what was really going on, she would go insane!" Cebba retorted. "Willow is only thirteen years old. She is not mentally, emotionally, or physically ready for me to dump everything on her."

The two women were toe-to-toe at this point, faces red and fuming. Willow tried to speak, but her words were drowned out by the shouting match, almost a squeak compared to their loud voices.

"She is the most mature thirteen-year-old on this good green Earth!" Abuela shouted. "I think she's plenty ready for whatever you throw at her! She already faced You-Know-Who, for God's sake!"

"And how well did that go for her? She nearly died!"

"That was a whole year ago! She's had a long time to progress since then!"

"A year is not enough compared to the tasks she will face in the near future!"

Carlos instinctively took a few steps towards his daughter. Abuelo awkwardly shuffled from foot to foot, then decided to escape into the kitchen and pretend to do dishes. Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel helplessly glanced at each other, coming up with no solutions. Willow had almost had enough of their yelling by that point.

"My granddaughter is so much stronger than all those other second years!" Abuela yelled. "She's faced countless dangers and come out without dying!"

"The only reason she didn't die was because her powers kicked in! Even those barely saved her! Willow is much too careless and inexperienced to handle what is to come!"

"She'll get experience as she goes!" Abuela crossed her arms. "I'm sure you could give her plenty of tips from your ages-old experience, but no, you have to keep her in the dark! How long can this go on, Cebba? She needs to know!"

Cebba suddenly withdrew, a pained expression in her eyes. "If I told you all what she might face, you would never let her see the light of day again. This is dangerous. I'm sorry, but this is not something I can share in advance. You can't prevent the future, and as hard as you would try, it would still come." Her eyes watered. "I've tried telling people the beginnings of their fate before, and it's madness. It eats away at them, sucks out your soul, leaves them a shell of their former self. They try to escape their fate, but it only brings it on faster." Cebba turned to both Willow and her grandmother. "There is unimaginable danger in your granddaughter's future. I'm sorry. I wish with all my heart that I could tell you about it, but only I should bear the pain of knowing the inevitable."

Willow's heart broke. This poor woman had only been trying to help her all along. There were so many reasons behind her actions and words; she had just been too blind to see them in the moment. "Cebba...I'm sorry I pestered you about that before. I won't do it again."

Cebba nodded. "Good. I promise, Willow, when it comes time, you will learn of what you have to do. I promise."

Abuela swallowed. "I guess I was wrong about you, Cebba. I'm sorry I argued with you like that. But I just have one question." Cebba nodded, and an odd gleam entered Abuela's eyes. "What do you mean by 'danger' in her future? Do you mean...death?"

"No, not certain death, no," Cebba said. "Everyone dies at some point, but Willow's destiny is not to die young."

Abuela breathed a sigh of relief. "Wonderful. You had me very worried there for a second."

Tío Cisco stepped forward. "If I may ask, what have you been telling Willow about her powers lately? I'm sure she was going to tell us soon, but I'd rather hear it from her a second time."

"I'm glad you asked." Cebba addressed Willow's entire family. "You have a very powerful and talented young witch here. Her powers will continue to grow more powerful as she progresses through school, of course, but they will soon become unruly and hard to control. Eventually, she'll have to hone in on a certain section of her powers to specialize in, or she'll be stuck with uncontrollable, unpredictable, and weak powers for the rest of her life. She's doing well at keeping up with the discoveries until it's time for specialization."

Carlos nodded. "These aren't hurting her in any way, are they?"

"Only if you count her crash-landings when she gets distracted by Thestrals," Cebba said.

"Oh, I do not crash-land because of the Thestrals!" Willow retorted. "They're magnificent, and some of the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen, especially when they're silhouetted in the sunrise, but that's beside the point!"

Tío Leonel smiled. "You just gave yourself away, sobrina."

"Ugh, I'm never going to catch a break from you guys, am I?" Willow groaned.

Cebba's form flickered, causing her to stumble. Abuela rushed to her side, only to find that she passed through her like a ghost. Cebba smiled sadly. "Do not be disappointed. I don't have a real, physical form since I'm dead. I had my chance when I was alive, and quite frankly I'm happy to be free of those old knees." Abuela laughed, but the smile was wiped off her face when Cebba flickered again. "I've got to return to Willow now, I'm afraid. I hope to speak with you again at some point. You seem like a nice family."

"Thanks," Tío Cisco said. "I wish I could say the same of Carlos."

"Oh, shut it, you!"

Cebba chuckled. "I miss teasing my brother. Goodbye, for now."

With a dousing sensation and a cold chill rocketing down her spine, Cebba returned to Willow, leaving her family in a stunned silence. It was an odd silence that had not been in the Guerrero mansion in a long time. Willow thought it might stretch on forever until Abuelo cautiously stepped back into the dining room, speaking quietly as he did so.

"So...Cebba had a strong personality, don't you think?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's pretty headstrong, just like me," Willow replied. "She's got a sharp tongue. I think that's where I've gotten the habit from. Can't kick it now that I've started."

"So that's where you got it from," Tío Leonel teased. "I bet she can't teach you Spanish curses like we can, though."

"Leonel! Don't you dare!" Abuela rebuked.

"Just teasing, Mom, don't worry." Leonel's expression fell as he turned to Willow. "I don't like all of this dark omen-y stuff. What does she mean by that? Are you going to be okay?"

Willow thought back to all that had happened to her since the powers came into her life. She'd passed out and nearly died a lot more than usual. It had brought equal amounts of good and bad into her life. Haunting memories balanced out the fun trials with shape-shifting. Panic attacks measured up against overly happy moments. Willow's heart sank.

"The truth is, I don't know."

A few days later, Willow was hanging out in her room, feeding Achelous some scraps from dinner, when Iris swooped in, dropping a letter on her lap. Fidget woke up from his nap and lazily stretched out on her nightstand, where Willow had created a miniature tree in a pot for him to sleep in. She tore it open only to have it speak to her.

"WILLOW! Sarah Brown wants your family to come over for Christmas Eve dinner! Please, please, please say yes and bring them over! She says she might have met your dad at the Ministry and would love to meet you! Planning on having you there!

"By the way, this was totally Sam, not Sally!

"He's a liar, Willow, don't listen to him! Go to the old mansion and find the misplaced brick! It's a portkey that will take you right to Sarah Brown's house! Can't wait to see you there!!!"

Willow chuckled to herself. Leave it to Sally and Sam to send her a crazy invitation. She was definitely planning on being there. As soon as her family gathered around the table for breakfast, she told them about the invitation, and they happily accepted. Willow wrote back a relatively calm letter compared to their hyped-up one.

On Christmas Eve, the Guerreros Apparated to the Smiths' old property, where they found the misplaced brick after a few tries and suddenly landed on Sarah Brown's lawn. Willow smoothed down her fancy robes that she convinced her grandmother to let her wear in place of a dress and continued to their front doorstep. The house was much smaller than their old run-down mansion, but it was a million times more appealing. It was a perfect balance of rustic and modern. There were wooden accents in the exterior walls, which were designed like a log cabin. The large windows had light brown shutters that complimented the wood very well. Willow could see the interior was lit well by natural light. She automatically loved Sarah Brown already. Her taste was excellent. The roof of the house was sloped in a way that spilled the little bit of melted snow water into a ground-level system that delivered it to a rain garden in the side yard. A single brick chimney sprouted from the middle of the house and puffed out bits of smoke now and then. It was the perfect definition of quaint in Willow’s mind.

“Mum, they’re here!” Sally called into the house, exploding out the front door. Sam was on her heels.

“Sally, Sam!” Willow exclaimed, barely avoiding getting bowled over in their excited hug. “I’m so glad I got to see you guys! Your house is beautiful!”

“Thanks! Sarah likes the natural setting. We couldn’t agree more,” Sam said. “And the rain garden freezes enough to ice skate on! We might be able to do that later.” Sam lead her to the front door. “I’m starving! Hopefully dinner’s ready.”

Willow’s family followed behind her as they entered the house. A small staircase was directly in front of them. The front room opened up on their right, a hallway leading to bedrooms on their left. Sally added a log to the small fireplace, which all the furniture was set around. A few chairs and a couch arched around it. They strongly reminded Willow of the Hufflepuff common room’s furniture and setup. After they took their shoes off, the Guerreros continued into the dining area and adjacent kitchen. This too reminded Willow of the Hufflepuff common room’s side kitchen. The table could seat an extra family if necessary, and it was decorated comfortably and modestly. The delicious scent of roast beef and dinner rolls melted over Willow.

“Ah, there they are!” a woman said, bent over the oven. “Dinner will be ready as soon as the meat cools off!”

Sarah Brown was quite stunning. She was one of those naturally pretty brunettes that always looked good no matter how many styles she tried. Her hair appeared windswept and lightened from the sun, though it was beginning to darken because of the winter months. Her face was covered with freckles that gave her a cute aesthetic. Willow noticed she had decorated her apron with Hufflepuff symbols and stickers from all sorts of Muggle zoos.

“Thank you, Miss Brown,” Abuela said.

“Oh, there’s no need to be formal, just call me Sarah,” she insisted. There seemed to be a constant pleasant smile on her face that brightened up the room. “You can take a seat, if you’d like.”

Sally and Sam sat directly across from Willow, buzzing excitedly about some new potion they’d bought. Apparently, it made them temporarily able to see invisible ink. Willow found it rather interesting. After a few minutes, Sarah placed platters and pots full of tempting food on the table.

“Do you mind if we say grace?” she asked.

“No, not at all,” Carlos said.

Sarah, Sally, and Sam said a quick grace, then commenced the feast. Willow and Sally had learned from their previous competition not to eat as many rolls as possible until the end of the meal. They dug into mounds of roast beef, green been casserole, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, and many other sources of massive amounts of carbohydrates. The table was only quiet for a short period of time, then there was pleasant chatter, easily facilitated between the two families. Willow was happy her family was getting along well with Sarah.  
After dinner, they talked for a little while longer, and finally ate dessert, which included warm cherry pie and vanilla ice cream, Willow’s favourite. The twins took her outside for ice skating after they were finished.

“Have you ever fallen through the ice?” Willow asked.

“Oh, never without someone purposely throwing me in,” Sam said. “Sally loves to play that practical joke.”

“Hey, you pay me back for it every time! That water is freezing cold!” Sally said.

“So relatively unsafe as long as you two are going at each other,” Willow teased. She shrugged, smiling. “Seems good enough for me.”

The three skidded out on the ice, falling several times before they managed to stay on their feet. Sally and Sam tried many times to push each other through the ice, but Willow would always have a tree reach out and slap them for it. They retaliated by managing to throw her in the ice with their combined efforts.

“Hey! Oh my God, this is freezing!” Willow yelped. “I feel bad for fish who have to live in this during the winter!”

"Well, we don't have fish, so quit wasting time and get out of there before you get frostbite, you goof," Sally giggled. "And don't break more ice while you're at it!"

Willow went to throw up her hands in exasperation, but ended up using them to stay above the water. She used her powers to fly out and landed in the sideyard. Sam and Sally ran over, snorting with laughter.

"What is it with twins and trouble-making?" Willow panted.

"It's so much fun!" Sally exclaimed. "That's why almost three pairs of us are in Gryffindor, Willow! We're insane. Also, I think we have absolutely zero self-control. Is that another Gryffindor trait?"

"What do you think?"

"That's self-explanatory," Sam said. "Come on, there's this really cool weeping willow in the backyard. I seem to remember it was your favourite tree, Willow."

Impressed that Sam had actually remembered something, Willow followed the twins to their backyard, where the most magnificent tree she'd ever seen sprouted from the ground. It was even bigger than the Whomping Willow back at Hogwarts. The branches swayed gently in the winter wind, rather full-looking for the frigid time of year. In the summer, its leaves would most definitely cover an enormous space all the way to the ground. They passed between its branches and found themselves under a beautiful canopy. Even the wind was blocked down here. Willow was a little envious. Why couldn't she have a tree this cool in her backyard? It didn't last long, though, because she couldn't stay jealous at anyone. The Smith twins deserved something this beautiful in their lives after all they'd gone through.

"We pray under this tree sometimes," Sally admitted. "It's a nice place to go and clear our heads anytime memories of our mother grow too strong."

"I personally come here to pray for her forgiveness, at times," Sam said. "She did some horrible things, but she used to be so good. I hope some day she can go back to normal."

"Me too." Willow pulled out her locket, feeling its ice-cold touch. "My mum was the same way. People can break so easily when it comes to hurting the ones they love. I wish my mum's family had died when they got the chance, before...the accident. But it's not my place to decide when people are to be judged. I don't want to send someone to hell when they could have had a chance to redeem themselves beforehand- unless it's Voldemort, of course. I'd kill him first chance I get. My mum would need a ton of redemption, though, so it's hard to say what will happen to her."

"I hope both our mums turn around at some point," Sally said.

A comfortable silence settled over them. The wind gently swished the branches of the willow, whistling an almost coherent melody. Willow wished she knew for sure whether either of their mothers would come around, but there was no telling if they would. The only thing they could do is take the hits and hope the women find redirection.

"Aw, great, we're being sentimental again," Sam said, cutting through the atmosphere. "Time for me to leave."

"Sam, you ruined the ambiance!" Sally whined. She groaned. "Fine, let's go inside. I heard Sarah whispering about some possible gifts earlier today. Maybe we'll get a present or two!"

"What does Sarah do for a job?" Willow asked as they walked inside.

"Oh, she does a lot for the magical creature-designated lands. Her job is to maintain a close eye on their movements and the Muggle or wizarding activities going on nearby. She's had to jump in and confuse Muggles several times. You should see the Nimbus Two-Thousand they gave her. It's customized."

"Wow! That's awesome!"

"Yeah, until there's a storm that soaks her to the bone!"

The evening continued with happy chatter and getting to know the Smiths better. As projected, they ended up receiving gifts from Sarah. Sally and Sam each got a fancy magical note-taking organizer, and Willow got a reusable exam planner. She was so thankful for that one! Exams the year before didn't go very well. Hopefully Hermione could help her use it to stay organized. Willow's dad gave Sarah a gift for the whole family- a paid pass for free drinks at the Leaky Cauldron for a year. Sarah was almost speechless, but Sally and Sam were already begging for entire kegs of butterbeer. She couldn't decide whether to scold them or laugh, though from the sparkling in her kind hazel eyes, she was just as happy as they were about it.

The sky was dark outside and the stars were clearly visible for once. Sally and Sam showed Willow their secret roof access from the attic. While the adults were talking about the state of the Peruvian Vipertooth population, the twins and Willow snuck through a skylight and found themselves stargazing. They laid out on the sturdy roof, snow comfortably cushioning their backs, the cool air blocked from their skin by their winter coats. Willow pulled out her map.

"That one's Orion the Hunter, and that one's actually the Big Dipper, not the little one," Willow said, pointing out each constellation. "Wow, I really don't know my constellations. I haven't been paying much attention in Astronomy because of this thing. Oops."

"Are you sure we can't use it as a cheat sheet?" Sam pleaded. "Just for one test?"

"No, Sam, you need to get a good education of the stars. What if you get lost at night and the only way to apparate your way home is by following the constellations?"

"That sounds like too much work."

"I have a feeling the Sorting Hat barely needed to touch your head before he sorted you," Sally giggled.

"Oh, be nice to me," Sam said, gently slapping her. "I'm not a go-getter like most people, okay? If I'm interested, I'll do it, but if I'm not, an A mark will do."

"I wish I could say the same, but I'm terrified of getting anything less than an E," Willow said. "I think I messed up with this high standard thing in Muggle school. They're hard to keep up with while doing quidditch and dealing with unruly world-altering powers."

"Well, if you can manage all that, you can do anything," Sally said.

"True, true." Willow tapped the corner of her map, expanding it a little further, then tapped the screen, which changed to depict nearly all of her friends. Sally and Sam made funny faces and laughed at how ridiculous they looked.

"Wow, that's a lot of friends that trust you," Sam said. He noticed a woman in the bottom corner. Brow furrowing, he glanced between Willow and her, then suddenly came to a realization. "Hang on...is that- "

"My mum, yeah," Willow said, heart sinking. "She's still on here. I don't know why she would still trust me this much. She doesn't show it at all. The last time I saw her was when she attempted to kidnap and possibly murder my dad and I. And I must trust her, too, but I don't! It doesn't make any sense. Every time I do some soul searching, I come to the same conclusion that the map is wrong about her. I only have this deep of a connection with my old mum, and she's gone."

"Maybe not," Sally suggested. When Willow shot her a quizzical glance, she sat up. "Think about it. You said your mum sometime shows her old self, right?" Willow nodded. "What if that's the part still hanging on? The map can't lie to you, from the way Cebba- well, you- made it sound. What if your mum really is still in there, just waiting for someone to free her?"

"My head is going to explode," Willow groaned. "I don't want to have to rescue my mum from herself, too."

"Um, Sally?" Sam squeaked. "There's a problem."

Sally stared at him. "What do you mean? Is the roof caving in? Did you fart?"

"No, it's worse. It just got a whole lot worse." Sam pointed to the screen, his hand trembling. "She's out."

Willow and Sally gasped at the same exact time. The Smith twins instinctively clung to each other, getting as close as humanly possible. Willow tapped the scene to enlarge it, then frustratedly punched it, cracking the screen and chucking it across the yard. That wasn't going to solve the problem, though. It reappeared in her pocket seconds later, completely fixed. Willow growled and opened it back up. The scene still had the same two people in it. Willow's mum was talking with someone all too familiar. Sam started crying into Sally's shoulder.

Their mum had escaped.

"No, this can't be happening," Willow whispered. "How- where- She was on her way to Azkaban not too long ago! They said she was in prison! If your mum isn't there, then- " Willow gasped. "Someone's been put there in her place!"

"Oh my God, an innocent person is being tortured because of her!" Sally cried. "We've got to stop her!"

"No, don't take me near her!" Sam sobbed. "I don't want to be near her again! She- She's going to beat me!"

"Sam? Sam, listen to me," Willow said, taking him by the shoulders. Tear stains ran down his cheeks. "Sam, she's not going to touch you. She'd have to murder me a thousand times over to get to you. Your mother will never lay a finger on you again. Not while I'm still breathing. Got it?"

Sam nodded. "Y-Yes."

"We've got to tell Sarah!" Sally exclaimed. "She knows some Aurors that would be able to take care of this!"

"Good, go tell her, quickly." Sally jumped down and sprinted out of sight. Willow took Sam by the arm and lead him back through the attic. She found him some tissues and a washcloth for his face. He blew his nose and washed the saltwater off his face, barely returning it to a pinkish colour versus livid red.

"T-thanks," he said. Sam sniffled. "I just- I can't believe she did this. After all these months, you'd think she would have time to regret what she did, but...she just hurt someone else without a second though." Another tear made its way down his cheek. "I don't think my mum is coming back anytime soon. She's too far gone to be forgiven at this point."

"Then don't forgive her," Willow said. "Make sure she gets what she deserves, then let it go. It's not good to dwell on sadness or anger. Believe me, I've tried, and it sucks. Remember those weird days where I was a mess to deal with? When I was complete butt?" Sam nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "That would be you if you decided to hang onto it. Just let the adults take care of this, and she'll be in Azkaban before you know it- for real this time. Don't worry about her."

Sam wiped his eyes. "I'll try not to. It's just hard to forget her."

"I wish I could say that gets easier, too, but it doesn't."

Sam wiped his face again, taking a deep breath. "Okay, do I look good enough to go downstairs?"

"Yeah, you're good."

Willow and Sam walked down the stairs, where Sally was helping inform Sarah as she wrote a letter to the Ministry of Magic. Her family was either sitting deep in thought or pacing around. Abuelo and Abuela were absentmindedly fingering their wands, dark expressions on their face. Willow hoped it was menacing thoughts towards their daughter-in-law. Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel were on their feet, walking past each other as they paced back and forth across the sitting room, fingers tapping their chins. Carlos leaped up from the couch when he saw Willow.

"Where's the map that you saw her with?" he asked.

"It's here," Willow said. She took it out of her pocket and opened up to the screen with her friends and family. Everyone except Sally and Sarah gathered around to see it. Willow tapped on the corner where her mum was, and there was the Smith twins' mum, laughing over a glass of wine with Grace. The sight of her own mother boiled up fury within Willow, but she shoved it down. Grace was not important right now. It was the other awful mother they were after. Sam instantly turned away before he could get emotional again.

"I've sent an urgent owl to the Ministry. They should receive it any minute now," Sarah said, walking over. She cupped her hands over her mouth at the sight of the twins' mum. "Oh my God. She really has put someone else in Azkaban!" Sarah shook her head, hazel eyes shifting to a darker shade with fury. "I can't believe her! When she was at school, she was such a lovely woman. What happened to her?"

"She became a nightmare," Sally growled. "I'll never forgive her for being so selfish. She deserves to rot in Azkaban for all of eternity. Hopefully that's what she gets in a few hours."

The Guerreros departed shortly after a return letter was sent confirming the Aurors' arrival at Willow's mum's mansion. Sally and Sam thanked Willow profusely for helping stop their mum, but it didn't do any good for her state of well-being. She'd basically ruined the Smiths' Christmas. Was she determined to destroy everyone's life around her?

"...with Grace. She shouldn't have been there. They haven't had contact in years. Something's changed, and I don't like it."

"Sarah was telling me earlier that she thought Grace was becoming more active within the community, cornering some Ministry workers in the most peculiar departments. She's on the move, but for what?"

"Recruitment, I expect. There must be a plan to revive You-Know-Who among the underground Death Eaters."

"But how? You don't think these attacks at Hogwarts are a result of it, do you?"

"No one knows anything for certain, Leonel."

Willow caught the tail end of her dad's conversation with his brothers. What did they mean by her mother recruiting? She wasn't trying to assemble dark forces, was she?


	34. Year 2: Chapter 13

Willow walked into the hospital wing a day before term started. For once, it wasn't because she had done yet another incredibly stupid thing. She had heard from Harry and Ron that Hermione messed up the Polyjuice Potion over the Holidays and decided to pay her a visit. The sun was high in the sky and provided some much-needed light into the rather dark room. It smelled as fragrant as a sterile room could be, and it wasn't too busy. Madam Pomfrey was busy tending to a sixth year that had somehow broken his leg when she arrived. Since Hermione was still asleep, Willow ducked behind a curtain before Madam Pomfrey could see her and sat down.

Colin was still petrified in his futile position. His eyes were wide with fear. Willow quietly kicked the side of the bed. Was she missing something? She felt like answers were staring her right in the face. The Smith twins' mum escaping, her own mum recruiting, the attacks on specifically Muggleborns by some monster...it all had to be connected somehow. But she couldn't figure it out. Willow cursed her stupid Gryffindor brain for being so short-sighted. Why could she never see the big picture? She was failing because of it; failing to protect Ginny, failing to protect Colin, failing to protect all of her friends. Half of her friends were Muggleborn! How was she supposed to keep them safe with this monster on the loose? She had all the powers necessary for the task, but she couldn't use them if she didn't know what she was doing! Willow had never been more frustrated in her life.

"...Transfiguration unit. It's rather hard," Parvati said. "We're turning animals into water goblets, then quills, then back to water goblets, then back to animals!"

Willow peeked out from behind the curtains. Parvati had snuck in while she was having her pity party. Hermione was awake now, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, quite literally. At least the yellow in her eyes was fading to a light shade of brown.

"Thanks for the heads up, Parvati."

"Hey guys!" Willow said, appearing from behind the curtain. Both girls jumped. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. How was your break, Parvati? I saw that you had a few new headpieces."

"Oh, it was great!" Parvati said. "My dad got me some beautiful feathers that I can put in my hair. They're enchanted to change colour according to my mood. I love them!"

"How was your break, Willow?" Hermione asked. "You didn't respond to my owl."

Willow's heart jumped, but she expertly hid it. "Sorry, Iris was busy. She's become the family owl aside from being my pet. There were tons of messages from Newt and Tina that my dad and his brothers sent back and forth. It might have gotten lost." She hid the shudder that went down her spine at the memory of the Smiths' mother. "My break was great. We had a snowball fight in the backyard. Perrito got buried underneath my fort. I had to dig him out with my hands."

"That's awesome!" Parvati said. "Did you get anything nice for Christmas?"

"Yes, and thank you again for the elephant blanket you got me for my birthday. It came in handy when I accidentally left my window open. I was too lazy to get up and fix it." Willow paused in thought. "My dad did get me a really cool bed for my puffskein, but other than that, it was probably my birthday presents that were the best this year, especially George's and Paige's."

Hermione and Parvati giggled at the mention of George and Paige. Willow furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What are you laughing about?"

"How can you not see it, Willow?" Hermione sighed. "It's so blatantly obvious!"

"You must be partially blind not to see the way they've been acting," Parvati chortled.

"What do you mean, 'the way they've been acting'? Are they acting funny? They aren't sick, as far as I know. " Willow's eyes widened. "You don't think they've been targeted by that group of underground potion brewers, do you? I've heard they once caused Lee to burp out everything he said for a week!"

Parvati and Hermione could barely hold their snickering in. "Oh, Willow, this is too good to stop now."

Willow was frustrated at this point. "Come on, guys, this isn't funny. What are you talking about? George and Paige could be in serious trouble and you're wasting precious time!"

"No one's in the slightest bit of trouble, Willow," Hermione said. "You'll figure out what's going on soon. In the meantime, I'd watch out for Draco this next house exchange. He's been acting really...weird. Personally, I think he's disappointed that his parents didn't get him as many gifts as last year."

Willow rolled her eyes to play along, but caught the glint of true warning in Hermione's eye. "Thanks for stating the obvious."

"It's time for another dose of your medicine, Hermione," Madam Pomfrey announced, bustling over with a foul-smelling bottle of brownish liquid. Willow's enhanced sense of smell didn't make it any better. Madam Pomfrey shooed Parvati and her away. "Come on, get a move on, you two! Bloody Gryffindors and your unwillingness to heal properly..."

Parvati and Willow exchanged an exasperated look, then left the hospital wing, heading to the Great Hall for a little breakfast. There was a mound of perfectly prepared scrambled eggs the size of cauldron. Complimentary bacon made its way onto Willow's plate as well, and some into her secret food pouch. Griffin and V deserved lots of treats for her being absent over the Holidays. She tried and failed to abstain from eating jelly toast as well. Willow felt completely guilty about it, but at the same time, she wasn't sure she cared at all.

When breakfast ended, she automatically headed towards the Gryffindor common room, then stopped on her heel and turned around, remembering that her stuff was already in the Slytherin common room. The house exchange would begin tomorrow already. Willow headed down to the dungeons and waited for a Slytherin to show up. Fortunately, a familiar, friendly face rounded the corner and smiled at her.

"Willow! It's been too long," Lila greeted. "The password changed again, though I'm glad about it. The previous one wasn't exactly what I'd call friendly and welcoming. Well, not that this one is any sort of warm and fuzzy phrase, but at least it's not a curse word." She turned to the massive boulder. "Muggleborns beware!"

Willow sighed. She seriously doubted the Slytherin password would be free of prejudices anytime soon. The Slytherin common room had its usual green glow to it. A lot less natural light pierced the Black Lake during this time of year, so the overhead lanterns were almost the only source of brightness in the room. Willow was at least thankful for the colder temperature. She hoped Oliver was adjusting well to it.

She didn't have to hope much longer. Willow spotted Oliver laying on the couch, head on Cypress's lap while the Slytherin boy did some last-minute homework. He chewed the end of his quill pensively, then seemed to come to a conclusion, scribbling something down that was barely legible but nevertheless correct. Willow sat on the edge of a chair across from him.

"Whoever taught you how to write needs to be fired," she said.

"Oh, she was, literally," Cypress said, smirking playfully. He continued to scribble down sentences. "I arranged a prank the day I made it known to the board she wasn't teaching us anything. There were some accidental fiery touches that my magic decided to add. That had to be the best year of Muggle school."

"Your magic added it?" Willow asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cypress grinned. "We'll never know the full truth, will we?"

"Hmm...are you sure you're spelling the events correctly?" Willow questioned, pointing out places on his essay with her wand. "This one says 'Convection' instead of 'Convention' and the names of the people are not what I remember from the last lesson."

Cypress glanced at her quizzically. "You can read my handwriting?"

Willow shrugged. "It's not that bad. I've seen much, much worse when my English teacher from Muggle school had me help proofread others' assignments. I was frequently bored."

"You really are a witch. No one can read my handwriting."

"You didn't suspect me of magical capabilities before? Ouch, I'm hurt."

"I suppose I better make it up to you, then," Cypress dramatically sighed. "Whatever shall I do? Oh, I know!" He drew out a bag of chips Willow recognized as Doritos. "I should give you some of my life force."

"These are you life force?" Willow scoffed. "Cypress, you've got to step up your game. Fritos are the only way to go."

"Any chips are the way to go as long as they taste good," Oliver said, taking the bag for himself and opening it. "Wow, I haven't had these in months! Are you sure you can't smuggle more in, Cypress?"

"It might cost you," Cypress warned playfully. "Let's see, what should the price be?"

"Hugs? Pies? A lot of blankets?" Oliver suggested.

Cypress ginned. "Alright, fine, I'll go easy on you. Just two of my favourite dessert."

"Two red velvet rolls coming your way as soon as I can get Hannah to help me," Oliver promised. "I get half of one, though! You know those are my favourite, too!"

"Fine, one and a half red velvet rolls. You're making me go soft, Oliver."

"No, you're making me tougher," Oliver said. "I actually talk to Hannah on a regular basis now. Your tips are very useful. Do you know what a life coach is? You could be one of those."

"But...world domination!" Cypress whined. "Taking over the metropolis! Being powerful!"

"Speaking of powerful, how has the potion been coming along, Cypress?" Willow inquired, ignoring his previous comment. "I heard you recruited Oliver to help you. Is it ready to go, or would it blow my head off?"

"It wouldn't blow your head off, but it will blow you away," Cypress said, smirking. "It's ready. I can't wait to see the change that comes over Daphne when she takes it."

"That's awesome!" Willow exclaimed. "She's going to be such a different person!"

"She's going to be all, 'Oh my God, racism is stupid, I need a better life!' and we'll be standing on the other side of the room like, 'Yeah, we could have told you that a year ago,'" Cypress said, acting with a dramatic flair and pretending to flip his imaginary long hair.

"Merlin's beard, Cypress, why do you have to act so gay?" a passing third year sneered.

"Because I am, you dimwit, how many times do I have to tell you?" Cypress replied, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I could swear you and Molly have no brain left."

The other girl huffed and walked away, clearly pouting. Oliver appeared slack-jawed. Willow was very, very confused. What just happened? Why was Oliver so surprised? What had Cypress even called himself?

"What's gay?" Willow asked.

"Me, obviously," Cypress chortled. "How on Earth did you not know that? I'm very out front about it."

"No, all joking aside, I don't know what gay is," Willow said. "Is it an adjective? I've heard it used before, but it hurts some people and makes others laugh. Is it one of those weird English words with a double meaning?"

"Sort of, yeah," Cypress said. "In Old English- and for some reason, a little bit of Modern English- gay meant happy or jolly. In more modern terms, gay refers to somebody who likes the same gender as themselves. I'm gay because I like boys instead of girls. Some people are super anti-gay because of religion and whatever. It's kind of annoying. At least I haven't experienced a hate crime yet."

"Hold on, girls can like girls and boys can like boys?" Willow asked, dumbfounded. "Has this been a thing? How long has that been a thing? Merlin's beard, how sheltered am I?"

"Very sheltered, apparently. This has pretty much been happening since the beginning of time. It's not your fault they haven't included it in the history textbooks."

"Oh. I guess I never considered it as a possibility before." Willow sat back, taking in this information. "How does one become gay? Is it like, a natural thing, a choice, or...what?"

"Some people say it's a choice, but honestly, I don't think anyone wants to struggle finding someone who doesn't hate them for liking their same gender. There's lots of people that have died in hate crimes in the past. It's unfortunate that anyone would think a person would choose to have a rocky, difficult love life."

"Yeah, why would anyone think that?" Willow asked. She shook her head. "People are weird."

"There's a couple other things other than gay out there, too. Some people like both girls and boys. That's bisexual. I find that that group of people are accepted even less than homosexuals." Cypress threw up his hands in defeat. "I gave up trying to figure out what went so wrong that straights started hated on gays a long time ago. Now, I just deal with the hate as it comes. It's pretty hard to get to me when I already know I'm more fabulous than most people here."

"Well, if anyone gives you any sort of trouble, let me know," Willow said. "There's enough to worry about already. People don't need to make anyone's life harder with extra unreasonable hate."

"Thank you!" Cypress said. "Hear that, everyone? This one gets it! Why can't the rest of you idiots catch up? Oh wait, because you're too busy waiting for me to take over the world. Never mind."

"Are you seriously bent on taking over the world?" Willow chuckled.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Cypress scoffed. "It's the only goal worthy of my amazing looks and abilities. Not to mention I could plaster my face everywhere and find someone just as pretty without anyone getting in the way."

"That...actually sounds nice. I'll handle your administrative stuff as long as you promise not to destroy the world."

"Weeeeell, I can't make any promises there. I've gotta do what I gotta do to take over. Don't look at me like that! You'll make me feel guilty! Don't worry, I'd let you handle cleaning up the mess! You're good at restoring things to their former glory."

"Cypress, that is not what I was going to say!" Willow laughed.

"It's okay, I'll make sure he doesn't hurt anybody," Oliver promised. He had eaten half the bag of Doritos and escaped to the floor, wrapped in two blankets. "He might even take over whoever makes Doritos and give me a lifetime supply."

"I'll do whatever makes you happy," Cypress sighed. "Just don't make me feel bad about taking over the world!"

"That depends on how you conduct yourself."

"Sigh. Fine. Now give me a few of those Doritos before you eat the whole bag!"

The rest of the morning passed in a pleasant bliss. Sue and Sally joined them for a round of exploding snap, which seemed to bother some nearby fourth years, but they ignored them. Cypress surprised them all with yet another bag of Doritos to share. Oliver ate the most by far. As morning passed into afternoon, the five of them broke off to their dorms to get a few things done for school, mainly Potions (Snape had rudely given them excessive amounts of homework over the Holidays, none of which any of them had bothered to start). Willow was about to suggest they convene in the library to work on it together when a certain blonde threw her into the wall.

"Start talking, Wisp," he growled.

"Draco, what the hell?" Willow snapped, throwing his arm off of her. "What am I supposed to talk about?"

"You're obviously planning something, now what was it?" Draco's gray eyes were stormy and alight with fury. "Does it have something to do with what happened over the Holidays? Crabbe and Goyle were acting funny on Christmas, then they show up later claiming they have no memory of that, and even they aren't that stupid. What are you doing?"

"Draco, would I really be good enough to hide something from you? I'm a bloody Gryffindor, for crying out loud! I could never keep something like that hidden from you. And why would I be hiding something? The only things I'm hiding are known to you already!"

Draco stared her down. "Why do I have a feeling you're lying to me?"

"Okay, do you want to know what my back-stabbing plan is?" Willow said, her voice heavily laced with sarcasm. "I'm going to make people happy because I don't like seeing people sad. I don't want anyone to live in a bad situation if I can help it. So despicable, am I right?"

"Enough with the sarcasm! You and Cypress have been making a potion, and I deserve to know why!"

"Oh, you deserve to know why, do you?" Willow scoffed, taken aback. "What gives you the right to say something like that? You've stabbed me in the back God-knows-how many times, been openly racist to my friends, and done nothing but bring me down and force me to reveal my private thoughts. What gives you the right to know what I'm doing?"

Draco winced, but kept a poker face. "You're planning to do something to the Slytherins, and I can't allow that."

Willow felt like she was stabbed in the gut. Had nothing changed? Even with spending the Holidays away from his parents, was he still the same elitist she'd met in Diagon Alley a whole year ago? She did her best to swallow the pain. "I see how it is. You care about the Slytherin house, but not the only person that's willing to call you a friend out of pure choice, not fear." Willow laughed dryly. "Fine. I'll leave you alone to brood in silence and pout about the world not giving you everything you've ever wanted, just like you always do."

She started to walk away. Draco tried to grab her shoulder. "Wisp, wait, that's not- "

Willow whipped around, violently throwing his hand away. "Actions speak louder than words, Draco."

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He frustratedly whirled around and stomped off to his dormitory, slamming the door behind him. Willow fought the urge to punch through that idiot's door. She'd done nothing but try to help him ever since she'd met him, and this was how he repaid her, acting like he was entitled to her friendship. No sir, that was not how it worked with her! If someone wanted Willow Guerrero's friendship, they had to earn it. Draco was not even trying! Willow kicked the floor, almost putting a dent in it. Why wouldn't he let her help him? Why did he have to be so hell-bent on being the way he was? All he had to do was try!

"Willow, are you okay?" Sally asked, peeking out from behind their dormitory door. "I heard a loud bang. I assumed it was you."

"Yeah, I'm fine, just trying to break my toe," Willow said.

"You didn't succeed, did you?"

"No, and even if I did, I'm not sure I'd care at this point." Willow glared daggers at the space Draco had just left. "That arse deserves quite a lot of things right now, and one of them is definitely not my friendship."

Sally frowned, understanding what she meant. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Absolutely not. Thanks, though." Willow turned away from the boys' dormitory before she could change her mind and charge straight through that door. "Do you care if I come in and work on the homework with you guys? Maybe I can get angry enough at Snape that I'll forget all about breaking Blonde's stupid face."

"Please do. The homework, I mean- it's really hard, I'm not going to lie, Snape's a real menace this year- but it would be good if you didn't accidentally end the entire House Exchange based on giving one Slytherin what he deserves."

Sally, Willow, and Sue tackled the Potions homework together. There were at least fifteen new ingredients to learn about, and on top of that, the Potions were at a higher level of difficulty than they were used to. Willow had to refer between One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and two other textbooks at once for multiple questions. Two hours only saw them halfway through the assignment. Willow took a break and splayed out in her bed, staring at the fish swimming by her window. The green light from the lake was only making her sleepier. Struggling to get up again, she and Sally made a pact with Sue that they would actually learn the material at some point in the near future as long as she would let them do barely enough work to get by for the rest of the assignment. The process went much quicker after that, and it was nearly dinnertime when they finally finished. Willow victoriously snapped her textbooks shut and threw them on her dresser.

"That was the hardest assignment I've ever done, and now it's finished," she panted. "My brain is mush."

"My eyes hurt from staring at academic stuff for too long. I need to look at something pretty," Sally said.

"Some of the textbook pages in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi were pleasing, weren't they?" Sue said. "The one about that magical mushroom-like ingredient was interestingly drawn."

"Only you would find that nice to look at, Sue, only you," Sally said. "And maybe some other Ravenclaws. But not me. What I really need is food. Are you guys okay to head to dinner now?"

"Absolutely," Sue said.

"I'm okay for now," Willow replied. "I think I'm going to take a nap instead. My stupid nightmares came back."

"Well, join us when you're ready," Sally said. "I'll save you some rolls if you sleep through it. Come on, Sue, I don't want to be late!"

"Can you be late to dinner?"

"This is not the time for philosophical questions!" Sally rebuked, already halfway out the door. "All I know is I need food right now or I'm going to die a slow, painful death. Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Willow laid down as Sue quietly shut the door behind her. The emerald light dancing on the ceiling reminded Willow of the Northern Lights, something she'd always hoped to see with her dad before she turned seventeen. A lump formed in her throat as she thought of the person she'd dreamed that up with. He was long gone now, and even if she got the chance, she wasn't sure she'd want to see the Lights without him. It wouldn't be the same. She wouldn't be completing the dream as it was meant to be completed.

Willow frustratedly threw her pillow across the room. Why was he the one that had to be taken? She knew she'd asked the question a million times before, but there was never a satisfying answer. There never would be. This sort of thing never made sense, no matter how much anyone questioned it, and as hard as she tried, she could never stop forgiving. Willow thought it sounded horrible, but she wished she could stop forgiving, just stop forgiving a single person. She would always forgive people, though, even for the worst of crimes, and this was pretty much the worst it could get. It was something that was always inside her, and Carlos had taught her to use it well. People deserved forgiveness for most things, but this was so unforgivable, Willow wanted to be angry at her. Maybe she could find some sort of solace that way.

Why can't I make sense of anything? Willow thought miserably.

"Ready, Cypress?"

"Willow, when am I not ready? Ouch! Hey, there was no need to slap me!"

"Sorry, nerves!" Willow took a deep breath. "Okay, you have the potion vial, right? And don't you dare make a pun."

"Yes, I'm one hundred percent ready to go. The results are already tested and approved. Daphne Greengrass with be under the effects for the next week. Now, where am I meeting you afterwards?"

"At the end of the table, silly." Willow drew in a sharp breath. "Oh no, here she comes! Go, go, go!"

Cypress sprang into action, suavely picking up a random conversation with Daphne, who was just walking into the Great Hall with her friends. Willow patiently walked to the end of the table and sat down, waiting for Sally, Sue, and Oliver to join her. Why were they taking so long? She tapped her foot and checked her watch, realizing that only thirty seconds had passed. Oops. Cypress promptly sat down across from her, victoriously fist-bumping Willow.

"She never suspected a thing. Look, she's even drinking it now," Cypress proclaimed, pointing across the table to where Daphne was chugging her pumpkin juice. "I can't wait until the effects kick in! This is my first human experiment that isn't involving me. I should have done this a long time ago. It's much safer."

"For you, anyway," Willow said, flicking a piece of bacon at him.

Sue, Sally, and Oliver showed up in a tight group, fearfully glancing around. Willow furrowed her brow. Something was up. The trio moved slowly and cautiously through the Great Hall. They broke ranks only when they got to the end of the table and sat down, Oliver literally shaking. Cypress realized something was wrong. He took Oliver's hands in his own and shushed him, tipping his head up to meet his eyes.

"Hey, hey, what happened?" he asked gently.

"C-Crabbe and Goyle," Oliver stuttered, his eyes watery. "Th-They attacked us."

"What? Where? How badly do I need to injure them?" Willow said.

"Draco cornered us in the common room. He knew you were up to something," Sally explained, appearing more pissed than scared. "When we wouldn't tell him- because we don't know, actually- he told Crabbe and Goyle to make us tell him. The idiots got confused and thought he meant 'beat us up' because they came in throwing punches. Draco was furious with them for it, but he couldn't stop them. He's off having another temper tantrum now. Sue somehow used some taekwando moves to get us out of there."

"Don't ask me how, I have no idea how it worked," Sue said. She was beginning to settle down now. A steady fire was burning in her eyes. "They only got a true hit on Oliver. He should be okay, though, it's just a bruise."

"Just a bruise!" Cypress scoffed. "I can see his shoulder from here. That's a little more serious than you make it sound." He pulled Oliver close, who was fighting back tears and incoherently whimpering. Willow had never seen Cypress more ticked off. "It's okay, Oliver. I'll get them for you later."

Just then, a welcome distraction lit up the Slytherin table. Daphne was walking all over the table, kicking over plates and goblets, and stuffing an entire roll into her mouth. She was redoing her makeup as she went along, putting on dark eyeshadow in place of the natural shade. Daphne transformed before their eyes into a complete and utter rebel, unable to contemplate her actions. Willow and Cypress exchanged knowing grins. The potion was definitely working as expected.

"Who the hell decided that green and silver should be Slytherin colours?" Daphne scoffed. "It should be green and black. And that snake is so vague. Why can't it be something super dangerous, like a black mamba or a boa constrictor?"

"Uh, Daphne? Are you okay?" Tracey Davis asked carefully.

"No, Tracey, I'm never okay," Daphne snapped dramatically. "Everything sucks! Why do we have rules here, anyway? What could be possibly do that's so bad it affects our education? I'm not going to blow up the school. That's dumb." She glanced around, her eyes glassed over with a different, fiery light than their usual sheen. "Why can't we teach ourselves from the textbooks? I mean, I just need to know enough to get back at Travis for being a jerk, and I'll be on my way. I could easily fend for myself. But no, I'm stuck here, learning extra crap that won't affect my life ten years from now." Daphne got down from the table. "Might as well make the most of it. I'll be in my room, finding something better to wear than these sweaty robes."

Daphne strode out of the Hall, showing off her hips as she did so. Tracey and Pansy looked worriedly at each other, then ran after Daphne, calling for her to wait. Willow and Cypress high-fived, laughing as they did so.

"Oh my God, she's never going to think the same way again," Willow said.

"She definitely won't be hating on my blood status for the next week. Might even get her disowned from that awful family of hers. Good. She needs to get away from them."

"What do you mean?" Sally asked. She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "You did something! Was it bad?"

"You gave her a potion, didn't you?" Sue said, unsure of whether she was mad or proud. "You and Cypress have been working on a potion all this time. How long does it last?"

"A week," Cypress replied proudly. "My longest-lasting personality changer yet!"

"So...you turned her into a rebel? Sweet!" Sally said. "I personally can't wait to meet her again. She sounds so cool now. I hope she can experiment with that dark makeup and give me some tips, because Mia and Lavender are dying to try the dark look."

"You Gryffindor girls and you makeup," Cypress sighed, shaking his head. "I'll get used to it eventually. Let's go to class and see what Professor Lockhart thinks of Daphne, shall we?"

They headed off to class. Professor Lockhart avoided any sort of contact with Willow from the moment she walked through the door. He was afraid she might threaten him with another embarrassing photo or prank. Willow was, for once, okay with the extra power. Lockhart didn't deserve to have as many fans as he did with the fake mask he wore every day. He quietly waited at the top of his office stairs for everyone to arrive. When the bell rang, he began his story, using Harry (as usual) for props. The class calmed down and most of the girls settled in for an hour of obsessing over Lockhart. Hermione and the rest of her Gryffindor Sisters were already googly-eyed.

Suddenly, the classroom door burst open. A big cloud of fog obscured the doorway, then Daphne Greengrass stepped through it, only she didn't look anything like Daphne Greengrass. Her smoky eyeshadow was enhanced with black eyeliner all around her eyes. She had dyed her hair black and let it naturally tumble down her shoulders. There was a black choker collar around her neck and a revealing black top to match it, decked out with Slytherin symbols. Her skirt was so short it almost got covered by her top. Lockhart stopped mid-spell and stared along with the rest of the class. Was this really Daphne Greengrass?

She apparently was, because her friends filed in after her, faces covered by their hoods in shame. Daphne threw someone out of their desk and sat down, putting her legs up in front of her. Lockhart cleared his throat for attention, and with great difficulty, returned to his story, not even bothering to mention the fact that Daphne was exceedingly late. The class could barely return their attention to him.

For the rest of the week, Daphne and Draco seemed to follow a pattern. Daphne would show up late to classes, be dressed in extremely rebellious clothing, and refuse to do any of the homework. She got a detention in each class except Lockhart's and Snape's, none of which she showed up for. Draco would glare at Willow from across the room, confront her at some point throughout the day, and storm off, moodier than she'd ever seen him before. When the potion's effects finally wore off, Daphne suddenly realized what had gone on the past week and spent an entire Sunday crying and yelling in the bathroom. The only thing that didn't make Willow feel bad about it was the fact that she hadn't made one comment against Muggleborns. They were succeeding in separating her from her parents' dumb ideology.

The weeks passed in a chaotic mess of too much homework and stressed-out friends. Willow regularly practiced using her powers as an outlet. Griffin, Felicity, V, and Patch were all healthy and content. By the end of January, at the next house exchange, she'd managed to help Griffin fly a total of ten meters at the most. He was getting stronger and better at everything with each passing week. Daphne "mysteriously" became rebellious the entire week of the house exchange yet again, and the professors were offering extra credit for anyone who had information on who was doing it. Willow and Cypress joked with Oliver about being wanted criminals in their free time.

Then, two weeks after Hermione was released from the hospital wing, Willow's least favourite holiday came rushing in: Valentine's Day. She never liked all the sappy love letters and declarations. She just liked the chocolate and candy that came with it. Willow had the same reaction as Harry when they walked into the Great Hall. It was hideous. Willow's least favourite colour, hot pink, was everywhere, and people were proclaiming their "love" for each other wherever she turned. It was just gross, Willow thought. Couldn't people be less public about it?

"Hey, Willow!" Ginny whispered. "Pst, Willow! Come here real quick!"

Willow ducked behind a suit of armor to find Ginny tapping her foot and biting her lip. It was strange, considering how confident and healthy she'd seemed after break. It was like someone had taken the bad memories out of her head, she was so happy lately. Ginny practiced quidditch and soccer with Willow for fun all the time. What was making her so nervous now?

"What's wrong? Is everything alright?" Willow hurriedly asked.

"Oh, yeah, I just- I need your advice!" Ginny imploringly looked into her eyes. "You know Harry better than me, Willow. I've been trying to get closer to him, but every time I try, I panic, and- oh, Willow, what should I do? I want to send him a singing valentine today, since it's the perfect opportunity to tell him anonymously, but...will he like it?"

Willow tipped her head to one side, staring at the ceiling for a moment. "Well, he does get embarrassed pretty easily, so my first instinct is no, but at the same time, he's pretty hardy when it comes to crowds. I guess it all depends on whether you think he'll know it's you or not."

"He won't, it's not obvious. I don't allude to my name or anything."

"You've already composed a poem?" Willow assumed, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, I did it a few weeks ago," Ginny admitted, cheeks burning red. "I can't help it, Willow! There's something about him that makes me so happy, so warm and fuzzy on the inside! You know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah, sort of." Willow shrugged. "If I were you, I'd go for it, but don't expect him to take it one way or another. It's always a surprise with Harry."

"Thanks, Willow!" Ginny squealed. She drew a note card out of her pocket. "I'm going to find one of those singing dwarves right now! I'll see you later! Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Good luck," Willow said inaudibly.

Ginny ran off. After staring after her for a second, Willow headed off to her next class. All throughout the day some unfortunate students received singing valentines from the grumpy dwarfs. Willow, Harry, and Ron had a grand time laughing at their fellow Gryffindors whenever they got one. During Transfiguration, Lavender, Mia, and Fay got at least two a piece, which seemed to flatter the girls. Surprisingly, both Dean and Seamus got one during the same class, which caused them both to blush furiously and ask to be excused. Willow, Harry, and Ron looked at each other, bewildered, then let it go. Neville got a well-composed, eight-line poem that came with a chocolate from some anonymous girl. Willow could already tell from the handwriting that it was definitely not from one of the Gryffindor girls. It was far too neat for that, and it didn't resemble Hermione's at all.

"Who do you suppose sent that one?" Ron asked when Sam tried to hide under his seat after receiving a particularly mushy-gushy love song. "They must be ridiculously sappy."

"My best guess is someone trying to play a prank on him," Willow said. "It sounds like something Cypress or Sally would do. Or it could be some poor lovesick girl that needs to find a different art form. Either way, I'm just glad it's not me."

"Oh Willow, I think your happiness is about to be short-lived," Harry teased. Willow turned around only to regret ever looking behind her. Harry and Ron chortled expectantly.

"Are you Willow Guerrero?"

"I've got two valentines for you, Miss."

"You've got a few admirers that would like to say something."

At least seven extra-grumpy dwarfs stood next to Willow's desk. Some of them were holding two or three letters instead of one. Willow felt bad for the dwarfs, but worse still for herself. How many people secretly admired her? Was this a joke, meant to embarrass her? She wished the valentines weren't anonymous so she could get back at whoever was putting her through this.

The first dwarf started in. It wasn't bad, actually, but still embarrassing. The entire class turned to look at her, including Professor McGonagall, who was more annoyed at the dwarfs than sorry for her. Willow sighed and let go of her hood, which she'd subconsciously been trying to put up. If someone was playing a prank on her, the least she could do was take it in stride. The next two dwarfs delivered their songs, which were downright awful, then the next two, which were obviously pranks, though well-crafted. Unfortunately, the sixth dwarf had three songs for her, all of which seemed genuine but were some of the worst pieces of poetry she'd ever heard. The last one was particularly horrible. Harry and Ron tried really hard, but they could not hide their snickering. She kicked both of them from under her desk. That didn't stop them, nor did it the rest of the class. It wasn't until the final dwarf began to sing the next valentine that the class quieted down.

"Running through the corridors  
Running through an open door  
Sneaking out of the dorm at night  
Just to see a funny sight

I tried to deny it, but I soon could see  
You’re the only one for me  
So I hope you will have me in due time  
And I can’t wait for you to be mine"

Willow blinked in a stunned silence. That was...one of the most well-crafted songs she'd ever heard. It was light-hearted and playful but had a genuine message. Harry and Ron raised their eyebrows when she made eye contact with them. Willow shrugged. She had absolutely no idea who would have written such a poem. Someone obviously liked her, but who could it be? The dwarf sung the final valentine before she had a chance to contemplate.

"Valentine’s Day is here again  
And I’m writing with a rhyme scheme for this poem  
No mushy-gush and lovey-dove for you awaits  
I know you don’t like it, and it’s something I hate

So here is my confession I’ve been trying to say  
I tried to tell you the other day  
Though this is really cheesy, and possibly awful singing  
When I see you, I hear wedding bells ringing"

Anther one? This one was genuine, too! But it was much different. This one had a more brooding, angsty side to it. The person obviously didn't like to write too sappy of poems. She could understand that. The way that the person described her struggle to tell her was so real, so familiar, that Willow felt like the answer was right in front of her. It was killing her, being unable to place what was setting off the signals. She didn't have time to think it over, though, as the dwarfs handed Willow the poems and Professor McGonagall shooed them out of the room as fast as she could and resumed the lesson.

Later that night, Willow couldn't help but wonder who could have sent the poems. It had been bothering her so much all day that she couldn't bring herself to eat dinner. This was a serious matter! Someone was trying to reach out and open up to her! To do that took a lot of bravery and courage, and to not at least get a follow-up conversation...how was that fair to them? Willow searched and searched and searched her mind, but came up with nothing. She sighed frustratedly and flopped backwards onto her bed. Who the heck were these people? Were they someone she knew? Were they secret admirers too shy to greet her in person? She certainly didn't know of anyone who fancied her. Ugh, why is this so difficult?

Suddenly, her Gryffindor Sisters burst into her room. Willow sat bolt upright.

"We've got something to do, and you are detrimental to the plan!"

"The whole thing will collapse without you!"

"Hang on, hang on, what's going on?" Willow asked. "Is someone in trouble?"

"No, Mia's in love, and we're going to help her!" Fay announced excitedly. She took her by the arm. "Come on, there's no time to lose! Let's give Mia the best Valentine's Day ever!"

“Willow, are you in position?”

“I’m right next to you, Lavender.”

“Shush! Just answer the question! This is a serious operation!”

Willow sighed. “Yes, Lavend- Gryffindor Sister One, I’m in position. Can I just call you GryffSis One? The other name’s a mouthful.”

“Ooh, I like that!” Lavender gasped, simultaneously cupping her hand over Willow’s mouth. Willow coughed and spluttered in surprise. “GryffSis Three, I just said you’ve got to be quiet! Oh, that does have a nice ring to it- shush, here he comes!”

Willow rolled her eyes as a second year boy walked around the corner. His face was buried in a book, but Willow could still recognize him as Terry Boot. He was one of the cutest Ravenclaws in their year, according to Mia, who had a huge crush on him (the same thing she’d said about the last guy, who she promptly didn’t like after two weeks). Willow waited until he was five meters away before stepping out of her hiding place, Lavender close behind.

“Are you Terry Boot?” she asked.

The boy stopped short, looking up from his book, a friendly smile on his face. “Yeah. I think you’re Willow Guerrero, aren’t you?”

“That’s me! I was hoping you would visit the library with me really quick. There’s a super cool Muggle book I found on the shelves called Lord of the Rings. I think it’s an epic-type story with a lot of adventure and battles. It doesn’t look like it belongs to anyone, and there’s no mark on the inside cover that brands it as a Hogwarts book. Do you want it?”

“Sure!” Terry glanced sideways at Lavender. “Who’s that?”

“Excuse me, I’m- !” she started angrily.

“Lavender Brown, a fellow second year Gryffindor,” Willow interrupted, elbowing her in the gut. “She’s just following me around. She doesn’t have anything better to do.”

Terry didn’t catch the glare Lavender shot her, but Willow did. She would make it up to her later. “Okay, let’s head to the library, then! This book sounds good!”

Willow, Lavender, and Terry walked to the library. Madam Pince eyed them suspiciously as they entered. Willow pulled Terry over to a far bookshelf while Lavender disappeared as planned. She found Lord of the Rings right where she had left it and handed it to Terry.

“Here it is! I hope you enjoy it!” Willow said, smiling.

Terry excitedly examined the back cover. “Wow, this sounds amazing! I’ll be set for the next two weeks, at least! Thanks, Willow!”

“No problem!”

Just as they expected, Terry began to leave the library. Willow settled herself at a desk and pretended to do some homework. She kept watch out of the corner of her eye. As planned, Mia entered the library just as Terry was exiting. She appeared flustered and surprised.

“Oh, Terry! Hi!” Mia squeaked. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

“Mia? I didn’t expect to see you here, either. Do you come to the library to study often?”

“Uh, yeah!” Willow face palmed. That was a white lie. “I come here all the time to, you know, do homework, study extra, um, academic stuff.”

Terry politely smiled at Mia. “I do too. There’s a lot of extra resources here that I find myself needing when I do homework. Snape has been loading us up, hasn’t he?”

“Yeah! I was hoping I wasn’t the only one that noticed!”

Willow squealed internally as Mia and Terry ascended into a conversation about Potions, thankfully Mia’s best subject. The two kept eye contact and talked like they’d been friends for longer than two seconds. Mia, as usual, blushed a lot, especially when Terry encouraged her to take pride in how good her brews always turned out. Lavender and the rest of the Gryffindor Sisters appeared behind her as she peeked from around the corner of a bookshelf. They all exchanged excited glances and muffled giggles. Eventually, Terry said he had to go. Mia quickly asked him, cheeks ablaze, if he would help her with some Charms homework tomorrow. Terry happily agreed to it. Willow could even detect a little pinkish tint to his face. He waved goodbye and headed off to his common room, already opening Lord of the Rings and reading the first page. Mia stared after him for a while, then, doing a sort of happy jig, turned and ran into Lavender’s open arms.

“Aahhh! I actually did it!” Mia squealed. “I did it! And I get to see him tomorrow! Oh, Merlin, I was so nervous, but he started talking and I just followed along, and- wow, I feel like we’re already becoming friends!”

“You were so great!” Willow laughed, hugging Mia. “I told you it was easy as striking up a conversation! You’re flying right through the first few steps with ease!”

“Thanks! I never even realized how cute Terry was! Did you know he has some faded freckles? And that his hair is highlighted from the sun on the ends? And that his eyes are a dreamy sky blue?” Mia panted, fanning her face. “I’m dying! He’s so cute I might pass out the next time I see him! But I won’t do that, I’ll make sure we get our homework done, and we’ll work plenty of conversation into that- oh, I’m just so excited! Do you think he fancies me, too?”

“Isn’t it blatantly obvious? He’s already falling head-over-heels for you!” Fay exclaimed. “I wish I could say the same thing about that hot Hufflepuff boy- I think his name is Jamie- but when I tried to make a move on him, he shied away! Ugh, I’m never going to find the right guy.”

“Cheer up, Fay, you’ve got a lot of years ahead of you!” Parvati said. “Besides, you should be sweeping him off his feet, not the other way around. That’s how you know he’s the right one.”

“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I am so ready to crash in the dorm,” Sally said, yawning. “Running across the castle took a lot out of me!”

“Yeah, it is getting late,” Willow said. “We should head back.”

“And talk about those two valentines you got today?” Lavender questioned, raising her eyebrows suggestively. “They sounded pretty devoted! I think we should try to figure out who they are- or, you can, because we can all point out the obvious candidates.”

“What? Tell me, tell me!” Willow begged, heart racing. “I’m so clueless! At least give me a hint, please?”

“Oh my God, Willow! Do you seriously not know who they are after weeks of obvious moves towards you?” Sally gasped. “You really are completely clueless!”

“I know, which is why you need to tell meeeee!” Willow said.

The Gryffindor Sisters laughed. “We don’t want to spoil it! The surprise will be too good!”

“We want to see how this unfolds! They’re so close to telling you, we can hardly wait to watch!”

“You’re so mean to me!” Willow whined. “Fine, I’ll let you torture me, but if I were you, I’d watch out for a prank or two! You deserve it!”

The Gryffindor Sisters giggled. Why would that make them giggle? She used an everyday threat. Willow sighed. Of course, she was given all these phenomenal powers and a fairly smart brain, but when it came to figuring out emotions, she had zero capabilities. Maybe one day Oliver and Cypress could tutor her in the subject.

“Come on, Mia, let’s get you to bed so you’re at your best tomorrow!” Lavender chirped, linking arms with Mia. “To the dorm!”

The Gryffindor Sisters took turns removing their makeup from the day (all except Willow, of course), and Hermione finally showed up, Transfiguration homework in hand and an exhausted droopiness dragging her whole body down. She literally crawled into bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, Transfiguration homework falling out of her hand. Willow smiled and picked it up for her. Leave it to Hermione to spend Valentine's Day getting a perfect understanding of the latest Transfiguration lesson.

While the rest of the Gryffindor Sisters chatted quietly until they dropped off one by one, Willow thought about the singing valentines she'd received earlier that day. She knew she didn't quite fancy anyone, as far as she knew, so she generated no possibilities from there. The evening passed into night, and night into midnight. Her roommates were snoring around her, and she was still awake with her searching thoughts. Willow finally slammed her face into her pillow and groaned around one in the morning. She gave up. There was no way she was going to figure it out in a day. Maybe if she gathered some more clues over the coming days, it would piece itself together. But she wasn't sure she wanted to spend that much free time looking for someone that might fancy someone else by next next. Willow sighed. As much as it was killing her to not figure it out, she had to stop before this took over her life. Willow finally fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming about Paige punching singing dwarfs in the face.


	35. Year 2: Chapter 14

Daphne Greengrass mysteriously became rebellious during the March house exchange once again, but as always, the attackers were never caught. The price on Willow's and Cypress's heads was growing so much that they joked about Professor Snape hiring some Slytherins as bounty hunters. With the exorbitant amount of extra credit being offered, they were surprised students hadn't tried to figure it out already. Willow didn't mind all of that going on in the background; as long as their plan was working, they were going to keep at it. Daphne was progressively using the Muggleborn slur less and less, and Cypress was noticing how she winced every time one of her friends talked bad about Muggleborns or wished the monster from the Chamber would strike soon. She was finally forming her own opinion.

The rest of that house exchange was fairly uneventful. Willow had to admit she spent more time in the Gryffindor common room than the Slytherin one, though it was mainly in the secret room with Griffin, V, Felicity, and Patch. Griffin could now detect small mammals, but he was a bit too uncoordinated to approach them silently. It was progress, at least. Oliver and Griffin bonded so much over the Holidays that the baby griffin was almost as close with him as he was to Willow. They often taught him more advanced tricks to find an excuse to give him treats- and belly rubs. Griffin ate up the attention. He was turning out to be quite the sociable magical creature.

Harry confided in her at one point that he had found a diary in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and that it had revealed to him that Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets. Willow, like him, couldn't believe it. They tried to come up with some other explanation, but all they could agree on was Hagrid was framed for something, and what evidence did they have to back that up? All Willow knew was that this Riddle character didn't sit well with her. He sounded like a shady suck-up that had a terrible childhood and took it out on everyone else. She knew better than most that a terrible childhood didn't mean you had to use that as an excuse be a jerk. So did Mandy, the Smith twins, Oliver, and Harry.

During Easter Holidays, Willow received a welcome distraction. The second years were to sign up for their classes next year, and there were so many to choose from that she hardly knew where to begin. Willow ended up joining the Gryffindor boys in their dorm to discuss their options. Dean Thomas was poking at the subjects list with his eyes closed when she walked in.

"You don't have any clue what these are either?" Willow chuckled.

Dean flopped backwards on his bed, groaning. "Absolutely no clue. What the heck are Ancient Runes, anyway?"

"I think it's some sort of language inscribed on stones that we can use magic with? That's my best guess. My dad forgot to tell me about all of this stuff over the Holidays."

"I wish he would have at least told you something, because none of us know what any of these classes are," Sam sighed. "It's ironic, really. You and I both have magical parents, and we know next to nothing."

"It is a shame, isn't it?" Willow said, pulling out her locket. The metal was cold as ice again. "Oh well. What's life without a little adventure? Picking classes at random might be the best choice." Willow noticed a particular subject. "On second thought, I'm definitely doing Care of Magical Creatures, and the other one I'll pick at random."

"Of course you would do that one," Seamus said, laying next to Dean. "You could probably teach the class. You've got the collection of creatures and everything."

"Just don't tell that to Hagrid yet!" Willow said. "He'd be over the moon about meeting a baby griffin. I'm saving him as a surprise for when he's all trained up and ready to fly on his own."

"You're training Griffin?" Neville asked. "How are you managing that?"

"With great difficulty, and lots of bacon pieces."

"So that's where all the bacon has been going," Sam concluded. "I've been sacrificing leftovers to a magical creature?"

"Sam, trust me, you eat enough bacon to feed the entire country, you don't need any more," Dean chortled. "Besides, I don't want that thing deciding I'm his next meal. It's an honorable sacrifice."

"Griffin would never do such a thing!" Neville exclaimed. "He's too sweet. He only likes to eat small things so far."

"Since when are you an expert on magical creatures?" Seamus asked.

"I'm not," Neville admitted, blushing slightly. "I've just been helping Willow and Oliver with Griffin when both of them are too busy. He's a very nice baby griffin. They've trained him really well, and he doesn't freak out over sudden noises any more. I think you'd like him. That reminds me- " Neville glanced at his subjects list- "I should sign up for Care of Magical Creatures. My gran warned me that I'm too clumsy for it, but I think I could manage, don't you guys?"

Sam shrugged. "You do what you feel is best. Willow's a complete klutz, but you don't see that stopping her anytime soon."

"Hey! I'm working on that!"

Neville smiled. "That makes my decision a lot easier." He marked down Care of Magical Creatures, then sighed, his face falling. "One subject down, a whole other one to go."

"Does anyone know what Arithmancy is?" Seamus questioned.

"No, but we should all sign up for the same class, just in case it's awful and we need to entertain each other," Dean suggested. Willow shot him a look. "Or share notes while paying very good attention! Both options are a good idea!"

"Maybe one of us should randomly point to a subject, and that's the one we'll all put down," Sam said.

"I don't see a better option. I'll do it," Seamus volunteered. He closed his eyes, then randomly pointed at the paper. Everyone crowded around to see "Divination" underneath the tip of his wand.

"Divination?" Neville repeated. "I think my aunt said something about that class, but I'm not sure I remember it correctly."

"Well, it's a class, and that's all we need," Seamus said, shrugging. He scribbled it down on his paper. "As long as it's not some really difficult class that I'm going to fail the first day, I'm okay with it."

"You should set your standards higher, Seamus," Dean chided. "You're much better at school than you give yourself credit for."

"Tell that to Professor Snape."

Dean laughed. "He doesn't count. We all know he's hated you from the moment you and Neville blew up your cauldron during our first year. Wasn't that one of our first classes, too?"

"It just added fuel to the fire." Seamus grinned. "Pun intended."

"Well, if you two ever finish fawning over each other, you can find me in the common room," Sam teased as he stood up, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Come on, Willow, let's go rescue Sally before she puts down Ancient Runes."

Willow giggled as she was dragged out of the room, Dean and Seamus blushing terribly. Sam found Sally in the common room and was able to stop her from signing up for Arithmancy before it was too late. He made sure they were signed up for the same classes, then exited the common room, taking Willow with him. She didn't bother asking where they were going. Sam always went to the same place: the Hufflepuff common room. Oliver and he had become close friends over the past two years, which meant Sam knew the knocking pattern to his common room, just like Willow did. They were met with the aroma of sweet fruit baking into a delectable pastry as they walked in. Oliver was sitting on the nearest couch, the Ravenclaw girls and Cypress already surrounding him.

"I suggest trying Arithmancy since you're so smart, Oliver," Lisa suggested. "I've signed up for that one already."

"Ooh, and Ancient Runes! I've read a little bit about them, and they're absolutely fascinating!" Sue exclaimed. "I heard the professor is nice, too, so you won't have to worry about another Snape breathing down your neck."

"I don't know what any of it is, but Divination sounds like the opposite of logic, so I crossed that one off right away," Mandy said.

"You should definitely sign up for Care of Magical Creatures. You'll automatically get an Outstanding mark," Cypress said.

"Whoa, guys, don't overwhelm him!" Sam yelped. "One at a time!"

Oliver gratefully looked up at him. "Hi Sam! Hi Willow! I think I know what classes I want to sign up for, but there's something so cool about each one! What did you guys sign up for?"

"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination," Willow replied. "You do whatever you want, though."

"Well, I'm definitely doing Care of Magical Creatures, but I don't know what else to pick. I'm not exactly smart, but I could do well in Arithmancy, Ancient Runes doesn't sound like my thing, and Divination...what even is that?" Oliver sighed. "Can I just randomly point to one of the classes?"

"No!" Cypress and the Ravenclaw girls chorused.

"Yeah," Sam and Willow said together.

Oliver glanced between the two groups. "Um...that was a very conflicting answer."

"You know what, you do what you want," Cypress said, putting an arm around Oliver. "It's your future, anyway. If you can see yourself working with magical numbers, do Arithmancy. If you think it's interesting enough, do Ancient Runes. It's whatever you want."

Oliver tapped his quill on his paper. “Hm…I think I’ll go with Divination. It sounds interesting enough.” He scribbled the subject down. “There, it’s done. That was so much harder than it should have been.”

"But- but Ancient Runes! Arithmancy! Interesting lessons full of wonder and getting out of your comfort zone!" Sue protested.

"Aw, let him do what he wants, Sue," Lisa said. "We already know Oliver's as smart as it gets. He doesn't need to take high-level classes to prove it to us." Her stomach rumbled. "I wish we could take cooking classes, though. I'd sign up in an instant."

"Speaking of food," Sam said, pointing at the cuckoo clock, “Let’s go eat too much of it to celebrate!”

The group made their way to the Great Hall, where Willow’s favourite roast beef sandwiches were being served. She threw two on her plate and a mountain of corn. They all ended up sitting at the Ravenclaw table with the Sue, Lisa, and Mandy. Padma showed up and regarded them politely as always.

“How are you doing with choosing your classes?” she asked. “I’ve heard everyone is struggling. I think we’re all in the same boat with not knowing anything about the actual subjects.” 

“We’ve pretty much figured ours out,” Mandy said. “Sam and Willow randomly chose theirs, but the rest of us actually tried to make an educated choice.”

“Hey! I at least chose one class with my own brain- not that there’s much there,” Willow admitted.

“What did we say about putting ourselves down?” Sam reminded her.

Willow groaned. “Ugh, fine, I take back that last part.”

Padma laughed. “It’s good to take pride in yourself. Personally, I don’t get stellar marks, so Arithmancy isn’t an option yet. Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures sounded interesting, so hopefully I’ll get to take care of some adorable creature with you next year!”

"That would be awesome!" Willow suddenly caught sight of Ginny staring at her. The second year turned away before she could make eye contact. Willow sensed some distress building up within the redhead. Her face fell as she wondered if Ginny was heading back to her old self again. "I'll be right back, guys. Don't you dare eat my sandwich!"

"No promises!"

Willow rolled her eyes. She could always count on Sam to eat her leftovers. Making her way to the Gryffindor table, Willow sat down next to Ginny, who jumped so violently that some silverware clattered onto the floor.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you!" Willow exclaimed. "Are you okay? You seem off today."

"I'm fine, just jumpy," Ginny said.

"Are you sure? You're not acting like yourself. Is it Harry again?"

"No," she said much too quickly. Willow tried to hold back her powers, but her concern for Ginny made them reach out to her. She was obviously anxious and fidgety about something. It had to do with Harry, she could gather that much, but it wasn't like her usual feelings towards Harry. This was something entirely different. What had changed?

"I'm fine, Willow, seriously," Ginny insisted, taking a small bite of her sandwich. "If anything, it's just piles of homework stressing me out."

"I could talk about stress all day. Wood is extending our practices and refusing to give us even Sundays off for training. With all this extra crap Snape is giving us, I'm not sure how I'm managing to sleep."

"It's a good thing you're not the type to stress out about things, then," Ginny said. "How do you do that?"

Willow shrugged. "I just don't worry about it. I do things as I get them, try really hard not to procrastinate, end up procrastinating, simply stop complaining, buckle down, and get it done, and whatever happens from there happens. It's sort of a don't think, just do philosophy. I probably get it from soccer."

"I wish I had the ability to stop procrastinating," Ginny sighed. "Maybe I wouldn't spend every Thursday night cramming for a test that way."

"You'll figure it out someday. It's not something you can really teach." Willow put an arm around Ginny, being sure to make eye contact. "You know you can tell me anything, right? No matter what it is, I'll help you through it."

Ginny forced a smile. "I know. Don't worry about me, Willow. I'm fine. You need to worry about yourself."

"As long as you're sure..." Willow stood up. "I'm going to make sure Sam didn't eat my sandwich. Pester George and Paige for me, will you? They've been acting odd lately."

Ginny giggled. "Not for much longer...!"

Willow didn't know whether she was supposed to hear that or not, but not knowing what to make of it, she decided that food was more important and went back to eat her roast beef sandwich.

Later that day, Willow found herself sprinting through the corridors, robe flying like a cape behind her. She'd almost forgotten about the time change for quidditch practice. It was a whole hour earlier. Willow dashed into the locker rooms just in time to find her broom and rush out onto the pitch. Wood was ridiculously hard on them today. They did lap after lap of the pitch, scrimmaged more than was really necessary, sectioned off to work on their individual positions, and did an agility activity that involved the twins hitting bludgers at players in close quarters. Willow purposely went last. She took a bludger off the cheekbone once, twice off her hip, and accidentally caught one as it attempted to plow through her ribs. George tried to make Wood stop the drill for her, but Wood insisted that she needed to get quicker. Willow agreed with him. George was downright furious about it, though, and it took Wood shouting at him about losing the game to Hufflepuff to make him begrudgingly keep going. Willow got better as she went on, only getting nicked on the shoulder and wrist over the next two rounds. Practice finally came to a close with five final laps of the pitch. Willow painfully changed into her regular robes, the rest of the locker room groaning in pain or exhaustion. She was about to leave when she heard whispering on the other side of a broom closet.

"...shouldn't have made her do that! First Harry, now Willow! He's being reckless, Freddy!"

"You're only saying that because- "

"Don't you dare say it! You know I don't want to! And this isn't about that, it's about Wood getting our players injured!"

"George, quit lying to yourself! You fancy her, and there's no way around it! Quit trying to ignore it! You obviously want to do something about it, considering that poem I had to help you write."

"Freddy, if you're trying to make me feel better, it's not working! I don't want to fancy anyone! It's never going to work out, and I don't want to hurt anyone. I'd rather live a more light-hearted life without all the sappy love songs."

"George, when are you going to pluck up the courage and just tell her already? You'll never know how she feels until you do it!"

George audibly sighed. "Freddy, I'm not doing that. I'd rather stick to pranking."

"That's the beauty part! You can keep doing that with her! She's always up for an adventure, she said so herself! Sure, you're not as smart as her, and she's not a master of pranking, but it still might work for you!"

"And what if it doesn't? That's going to be so awkward!"

"Have you even met her? She doesn't let anything stand in the way of friendship. I'll bet you could tell her right now and she wouldn't change her mind about hanging around you."

There was a pause of silence, then George finally spoke. "I'll make you a deal. You tell Angelina by the end of the year, and I'll tell- "

Willow didn't get to hear the rest of their conversation. At that very moment, Angelina accidentally tripped over her broom and fell into her locker, the door slamming behind her. Willow rushed over to bust her out. The twins appeared from behind the broom closet as she pulled Angelina to her feet, struggling under the muscular girl's weight. They all sat her down on the bench.

"I'm okay, I'm fine, just really tired," Angelina laughed. "Sorry about that, guys."

"Are you sure you're fine? You're not normally a klutz," Fred joked.

She lightly punched his arm. "I'm not a klutz, Fred Weasley. You just hit me one too many times with those bludgers."

"Well, you should have moved out of the way!"

Angelina rolled her eyes. "Are you going to stand her and tease me all day, or are you going to make sure I don't trip over my own 'klutzy' feet on my way back to the common room?"

Fred gladly took the invitation. George raised his eyebrows suggestively as his brother left the locker room, earning him a glare. Willow giggled when George left, motioning for her to be quiet and showing her the stink pellet in his hand. An explosion followed. She waited until the yelling in the corridors had stopped before she and Harry ventured out. Willow quickly filled him in on the conversation between the twins. To her surprise, Harry burst out laughing.

"What? What's so funny?"

"It's just- you're so- wow, Willow, even I can see it, and I'm the most unobservant person that ever lived!" Harry guffawed.

"What can you see? What am I missing?"

"I know you must be tired of hearing this, but it won't be long now, you'll see," Harry said, putting an arm around Willow to hold himself up because he was laughing so hard. "For an observant person, you're very short-sighted."

Willow wished she knew what he meant.

The quidditch match against Hufflepuff mercifully arrived one beautiful Saturday, ending the streak of exhausting back-to-back-breaking practices. Willow would be stuck on the bench for this game again, but she didn’t mind, as the rest of the team had been working their tails off and deserved to showcase their talent. They were going to win without a doubt.

Harry, as usual, hardly ate anything for breakfast. Wood kept trying to pile more eggs onto Harry’s plate, but it wasn’t until Willow threatened to force feed him that he ate a few bites. Oliver decided to sit with Harry in the hopes of calming his nerves, which surprisingly seemed to be working. He even made Harry laugh out loud at one point. Willow was so proud of Oliver. He was able to put all his anxiety of interacting with people behind him just so Harry wouldn’t be nervous. She hoped she could figure out how to be that selfless some day.

While the rest of the Gryffindor team broke off to do their pregame superstitious rituals and such, Harry stayed at the table, absentmindedly levitating his glass of pumpkin juice. Oliver was guilted into sitting with the Hufflepuffs and dragged away by Ernie, who gave them a playful “I’m watching you” symbol. Leave it to Ernie to be nice to the opposing team, Willow thought. Her happy mood evaporated in the space of a half second when she noticed Harry’s paranoid staring down the length of the table.

“Harry, what’s wrong?” she asked.

Harry’s elbow slammed on the table. “Ouch! Oh, uh, nothing,” he clumsily lied. “Just- pregame nerves, that’s all.”

“Harry, I’ve seen you before God-knows-how-many matches, and you’re always a bit rattled, but never jumpy,” Willow said. Harry bit his lower lip and avoided her eyes. “I will find out what’s going on, so you might as well be out with it. We don’t hide anything from each other, remember?”

Harry sighed. He cast a wary look over his shoulder, then glanced back at Willow, still fidgeting with his fingers. “Someone broke into our dormitory last night and stole the diary. I can’t figure out who it is, but I’m worried. What if that diary is dangerous? More importantly, what if someone else finds out about Hagrid? I don’t want people spreading that story about him until we know more about it.”

Willow exhaled. “Well, I’m not going to try and make the situation something it’s not. I can see why you’re worried. Hagrid is a dear friend to all of us. To see him trying to fight off all those accusations, especially with some bigoted wizards out there…I can’t even imagine going through something that terrible. Do you have any sort of clue that might help figure out the identity of thief?”

“No. The only thing we know for sure is that it was a Gryffindor, because the only non-Gryffindors that know our password are your friends, and they can’t possibly know about the diary since you haven’t told them.”

Willow stared off to the side, forehead creasing. “Well, I hate to say this, but there’s been quite a few of our friends that have been acting extremely weird lately. It could be someone we least suspect.”

Harry shook his head. “I don’t even want to think about betrayal right now. Not before the biggest match of the year. It had to be someone else.”

“Merlin's beard, you’re right. Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up.” Willow shrugged. “Well, there’s nothing more we can do if we don’t have any evidence. I guess we’ll have to figure it out some other time. For now, what do you think of me dyeing my hair?”

Harry nearly spit out his pumpkin juice. “Dyeing your- what? I was not prepared for that subject change.” The corner of Harry’s mouth twitched upward. “Don’t take that the wrong way. I think it would be cool. What were you thinking?”

“Probably some bold green that matches my eyes. I wouldn’t dye all my hair, just a few strips of it.”

Harry gazed at her hair. “Yeah, I could see that. It would look really cool! What would your dad say, though?”

“My dad can’t say anything if I do it before I go home,” Willow said, grinning mischievously.

“You’re sounding far too much like Fred and George. Have you been spending all your free time with them? I’ve heard they’re really succeeding with this firework venture.”

“Oh yeah, did you see those little fireworks at my birthday, the Bantam Bursts? Those are my favourite! I love them almost as much as I love magical creatures!”

“That’s saying a lot. Just wait until- “ Harry’s eyes widened. He clapped a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. “Sorry, I’m not supposed to tell you. It’s a surprise.”

“What? Tellmetellmetellme!” Willow begged.

“No, no, don’t guilt trap me!” Harry said. “I was sworn to secrecy by the twins! Even if I tried to tell you, I’ve been charmed to cough and shout out random numbers! It’s no use!”

Willow rolled her eyes. “That’s the crappiest lie I’ve heard in my life. I should hire Cypress to give you some lessons- "

"No, I'm serious! It's a complicated charm only the- " Harry burst into a fit of coughing. He began to shout out random numbers. Willow raised an eyebrow, but Harry couldn't stop for a good five extra numbers. "See what I mean? I almost gave away who they are, and that's what happens! I literally can't tell you!"

"Must be pretty important, then...do you think you could give me a clue?"

"Please don't make me. I don't want to draw more attention to myself this morning."

Willow sighed. "Fine, but when I find out who did this, you're never going to hear the end of it!" She floated a piece of toast over to him. "Eat this. It will boost your confidence." Harry shot her a look. "What? It's not like I'm trying to poison you or anything. You know Cypress wouldn't let me get into his potions without his permission, either."

"But he is known for messing with people, too," Harry pointed out, though there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You two are wanted criminals now. Who knows what other antics you're going to try?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Harry, you're basically my brother at this point. You're the last person I'd use as a test subject."

"Aren't brothers and sisters supposed to do crazy things to get on each other's nerves, though?"

"You're skewing my point. I was trying to be sincere and emotionally attuned for once," Willow said dramatically.

"That's a first."

Harry received a playful punch to the shoulder. "You're awful, you know that?" Willow glanced at her watch. "Aw, crap, I've got to go meet Lavender and Mia in the common room for some special favor. I'll see you out on the quidditch pitch! And I swear to God, if you don't eat every last bite on you plate right now- "

"- there will be hell to pay, yeah, I know," Harry said, purposely taking a small bite. He grinned at Willow's frustrated reaction. "I'll see you at the game, Willow!"

Giving Harry the "I'm watching you!" gesture, Willow got up from the table and made her way to the common room. A few groups of students passed by, happily chatting about the upcoming match. It was astounding how light and happy the mood had become in the castle over the last few weeks. With the attacks at an all-time low, students were beginning to believe they would make it to the end of the year in one piece. Even Griffin seemed to sense it. He'd been increasingly energetic and willing to learn over his last few flying and hunting lessons. It was a nice change from his usual stubborn, out-of-control self. He was beginning to mature beautifully.

Willow's ears nearly exploded when she entered the common room. Lavender and Mia were immediately upon her, begging her for autographs from the Chasers and to somehow create a photo album of the girls. Willow gently reminded them that they were all in the common room on a daily basis and they could get it any time, but for some reason, they thought she had "celebrity status" with them and could get it without a mental breakdown, in the words of Lavender Brown. She vaguely promised them to at least put a good word in. Lavender and Mia squealed something about being the best friends of "famous people" and ran out of the common room, donning full Gryffindor gear for the match. Willow blinked and stood for a moment, then decided against trying to process what just happened and went upstairs to grab her quidditch robes.

The corridors were even more full of students by the time she exited the Portrait hole. A group of Ravenclaws were discussing quidditch tactics at a level only Wood would understand. Willow's brain struggled to comprehend all the fancy terms they used. She was definitely a straightforward quidditch player: play the position, kick butt, and take a win home for Gryffindor. Advanced tactics discussions never seemed to work for her in soccer, so she assumed they definitely wouldn't work in quidditch. She'd play wherever Wood told her to when the time came and that was that. Willow continued through the halls, mind drifting off to memories of the last few practices. She hoped she would eventually get a chance to play in her third or fourth year. Wood was giving her a lot of compliments about her abilities at Beater and Seeker.

Willow suddenly stopped in her tracks. A cold, sinister voice she hadn’t heard in months slithered through her eardrums, sending shivers down her spine like ice splintering within her backbone. She covered her ears with her hands, but it didn’t help at all.

So long…lying in wait…so long since I have been free…blood…I smell blood…I SMELL BLOOD!

Willow fell to her knees. Her head pounded like a jackhammer. The beat of her heart was magnified in her ears. Thundering mavericks of sound hurled themselves at Willow in rapid succession, tunneling her vision and drowning her beneath the mountain of pain. She flashed back to Halloween. Willow forced herself to take deep, calming breaths, on the verge of hyperventilation. She couldn’t have another breakdown. The pain was just so much, though. Willow could hardly stand against the assault. She collapsed onto the cold, hard floor, her body shaking with silent sobs. Why did that voice have such an affect on her? What even was it?

Then, just as soon as it had come, the voice vanished. It didn’t even fade into the background. Somehow, it simply disappeared. Willow opened her eyes to find herself in a fetal position, hands clamped tightly over her ears. She stood up despite the dizzy spell it cause her. Willow frantically cast around for the voice. Where had it gone? The beast could be attacking someone right now, and she might be the only one able to do something about it!

Willow sprinted forward. She called upon her powers more than she ever had before, channeling her adrenaline into her abilities. It was a risk, using all that unstable energy, but she didn’t have time to worry about collateral damage at the moment. Someone was in trouble! She rounded a corner, picking up the faintest sounds of movement. Willow darted to the right. She narrowly avoided crashing into a suit of armor. There was another sound to her left, then her right, then her left again. It was like the beast was moving directly below her in a straight line. Was it moving through the walls, she wondered? Willow almost slapped herself. Now was not a great time to be curious! She needed to focus! Willow gritted her teeth and pushed onwards. She was so dead-set on following the voice that she ran directly into Ron and Harry.

“Willow, where have you been? The match is starting soo- “ Ron began.

“Harry, did you hear it too?” Willow panted. “The voice? Just now?”

“Yes, and I’m guessing you did, too,” Harry replied. “Hermione just ran off to the library saying she remembered something.”

“She what?!”

“Yeah, she always runs off to the library, don’t you know that?” Ron said.

“Yes, of course, how silly of me!” Willow chuckled, shaking her head and forcing a smile. “I’ll be along soon. Tell Wood I’m sorry, but I got caught up and had something to take care of. Good luck today!”

“…Thanks?” Harry squeaked suspiciously.

Willow didn’t care that he was suspicious. She took off again, trying to remember the most direct route to the library. Willow remember the star map and pulled it out as she ran, accidentally clipping a Hufflepuff’s shoulder as she passed by. She hastily apologized and tapped the corner of the map. It expanded into a small size that fit in the palm of her hand, then changed screens when she tapped it again, zooming in on Hermione. She was flipping through a thick encyclopedia in the library. Willow’s pulse quickened. Hermione appeared panicked, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds, a mirror gripped tightly in her hand. What was that mirror for? It couldn’t be anything good, Willow was sure, and she increased her pace. Hermione could become trapped between the bookshelves by some monstrous beast any second now!  
As she neared the library, a group of students were innocently chatting and making their way towards it. Willow’s mind couldn’t piece together a solid course of action with all the adrenaline rushing around. Without thinking, she grew vines all around the students, completely blocking the corridor. They shouted after her as Willow sprinted away, vaguely remembering to put her hand on her wand to make it look like a spell. She had more pressing issues to attend to!

Willow’s head began to pound as she neared the library. The voice was getting closer and closer. It was like someone was adjusting a speaker towards her position in a large auditorium. Willow’s throat seized up and made it difficult to breathe when she realized the beast was approaching the library just as fast as she was from another direction. She was going to meet it head on! Though her instincts were telling her to turn around and run for her life, Willow gritted her teeth and thought about Hermione, frozen and lifeless as Colin, all due to her cowardice. She couldn’t let another friend become petrified, she just couldn’t! Willow ran faster than she ever thought possible, chest burning like a sweltering fire that clawed at her throat and until it was raspy with torment. She rounded another corner, and there Hermione was, peeping out of the library door with Penelope. Willow tried to scream at them to stop.

“Hermione! Watch out!”

Hermione made the fatal mistake of making eye contact with her. She tried to say, “What?” but was interrupted by a huge BANG! and the deafening sound of something heavy tumbling out of the brick walls. Hermione screamed, “CLOSE YOUR EYES, NOW!”

Willow didn’t need to be told twice. Her eyes were sealed shut just as the voice invaded her head again. The creature was closer than it had ever been before, and the affect it had on her head was ten times worse. Willow’s skull throbbed like someone was beating it with a hammer. Boom, boom, boom, all over her forehead, the top of her head, the back, the sides. Even her eardrums were being pounded on by an aggressive drummer, throbbing to the beat of a fast-paced song. Willow involuntarily cried out as the voice clearly broke through her conscious thoughts.

I SMELL BLOOD! KILL, KILL, KILL! SO HUNGRY, SO LONG…NEW BLOOD! BLOOD! FRESH BLOOD!

Willow thrashed against the ground, the pain overcoming her like a suffocating blanket. She couldn’t stand it much longer! The voice brought memories back from Halloween quicker than she could reject them. They rushed in, teasing her and torturing her. Dumbledore’s face mutated into a horrendous dark wizard. McGonagall became a demon, pinning her with a mere glare from her arresting yellow eyes. Willow felt her back against the wall again, sweat dripping down her brow, her heart skipping beats like a syncopated song. She wanted to scream so badly. This wasn’t right! Dumbledore was an eccentric old headmaster only trying to do what is best for the safety of his students! McGonagall was willing to meet with her and talk things out, for Merlin’s sake! Neither of them would ever hurt her! No matter how much she shouted these things into her mind, she still writhed on the floor, overcome by the pain of the past, thrust on her by the present. Willow almost begged the creature to petrify her just to put her out of her misery.

Suddenly, a scream of terror cut through the din. The memories vanished in the blink of an eye. Some of the pain dulled enough for her to focus. Willow peeked one eye open to see Penelope staring in horror at something in the corridor around the corner. Hermione yelled at her to close her eyes, and she somehow managed to do so, though both girls were trembling. Willow realized something awful was about to happen. The electrical signals were for some reason flashing altogether in her mind this time, a single humming beat of warning. Willow shakily rose to her feet. She couldn’t let her friend go down in flames like this! They didn’t deserve to die so young! Willow unsteadily marched towards them, barely moving in a straight line. She had to save them!

Then, Hermione and Penelope made a fatal mistake. They opened their eyes. Willow tried to yell at them to stop, but her voice was too hoarse. She helplessly watched in horror as Hermione and Penelope froze in place, eyes glassing over, then clattered to the ground. Willow tried to run to them, but fell short, losing her balance. Vertigo twisted her surroundings until she was convinced she was on a boat in the middle of an ocean storm. Willow fell to one side. Tears blurred her vision as she gazed at Hermione, eyes full of now glass-encased fear for others to look upon. She was petrified. Willow collapsed to the stone floor. Hermione was just starting to build really good relationships with the other Gryffindor Sisters! Why did she have to be taken, too?

All of a sudden, Willow saw a flash of bright orange. She shot to her feet, then regretted it, arm flying to the wall to support herself. Willow drew her wand and held it out at the place where she saw the attacker.

“Show yourself!” she demanded.

“Only in dreams will you find me,” a deep voice said menacingly.

Willow’s heart stopped. That voice was so familiar…had she heard it from somewhere?

She didn’t get time to ponder it. With a shout and a flash of bright light, Willow was blasted off her feet and thrown into the far wall, blacking out before she hit the ground.

Willow sat bolt upright, clutching her side where the spell had hit. There was visible bruising when she lifted her shirt to examine it. So it couldn’t have been a dream. Willow sighed, tipping her head back against the wall, only to wince in pain. She wished the surreal events of the past few minutes had been all in her head, but they obviously weren’t. Willow’s puffing breaths turned to mist in the chilly air. She shivered slightly and drew her robes over her body a little tighter. The castle wasn’t this cold when she blacked out.

Willow was suddenly aware that she was no longer in a Hogwarts corridor. She sharply drew in a breath as she recognized her surroundings from earlier in the year. It was the same dark, cave-like place that she’d visited during Herbology when she'd passed out. Willow’s heart skipped a beat as she recalled the close encounter she’d had with a beast. Was that the same beast that had just attacked Hermione? The aura of the place was sinister enough for it to be plausible, but she couldn’t know for sure. All she knew was that she couldn’t move and didn’t want to stay here. Willow closed her eyes and tried to reconnect with her passed-out body, but her consciousness wouldn’t budge. A trickle of icy water dripped down the wall and sent a literal shiver down her spine. She was stuck here until her powers were done showing her something.

Willow caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Something enormous and scaly was emerging from the pool of water beneath the god-like statue head. Willow caught a flash of emerald green before she remembered what Hermione had shouted and closed her eyes. There was something menacing and powerful about this beast, so much so that apparently an average witch or wizard couldn’t look at it. Willow’s head buzzed with a single warning signal from her powers. She wanted to yell at Cebba for bringing her here, but it wouldn’t do any good. Cebba couldn’t control what her powers decided to show her any more than she could control the weather. She just had to shut up and deal with it.

Willow sent out some sound waves. They came back quicker each time. Her heartbeat hammered in her ears. The creature was moving closer, and she couldn’t get out of the way! Willow kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She used sonar again, finding that it was moving even faster. Willow barely held herself together as the presence brought a purely evil aura with it. How was she supposed to stand up to something seemingly born to destroy lives? The little bit of light was blocked out, and everything grew dark around her. Willow heard something hissing at her. She fought the urge to scream as it got so close she could feel the coldness of its skin suck the little bit of warmth left out of the atmosphere. It hissed again, almost like it was tasting her courage. Willow involuntarily whimpered, causing a bodiless voice to laugh somewhere deep within the cavern.

“What do we have here? A brave little Gryffindor, trying to save her friends?” he said mockingly. “Such a pity that children like you can be so easily conned into thinking that protecting the ones you love is the only noble path.”

Willow tried to retort, but her mouth was sealed shut. The man laughed. “How fun is it to have your sharp tongue all tied up, Willow?" Her pulse quickened. How did he know her name? "Yes, I know a lot about you. You’ve caused me quite some trouble already. How have you liked my little game? It’s gotten you into quite the fix, hasn’t it?”

Willow’s blood boiled. So this was the guy sending the monster all over the castle, torturing her while he was at it! She struggled to move, to say something, anything, but she couldn’t move a muscle.

“You are quite the special second year. So much power, so many talents…It’s a shame you’re so bent on defending your friends. You could easily follow in so many greats’ footsteps, take your own path to power and glory in life. None of your friends would have to die if you took control." Willow struggled against her invisible bonds. What idiot was this guy, trying to tempt her with ideas that were complete lies? "Oh, a smart Gryffindor? That's a first. Looks like it will take much more than mere words to persuade you..." Willow heard a blade scrape against is scabbard. Did he have a knife? She really hoped she didn't wake up with more injuries again. The man sighed, almost bored. “No matter. You’ll be taken down soon. It’s only a matter of time until your friends discover the truth and abandon you, leaving you all alone in the world…I can’t wait for you to be my little puppet, Willow.”

With a maniacal cackle from the man, the creature hissed louder than ever before and smothered her, her silent scream buried beneath a cold-blooded murderer.

Willow’s eyes fluttered open once again. She thought for a moment, panic squeezing her heart, that she was back in that cave, but when she felt around she realized she was just in a dark room. Willow accidentally knocked over a mop with a clang! that sent a jolt through her body. She paused to take a few deep, calming breaths. If she was going to face her friends again, she had to be composed enough to speak, at least. Once her breathing returned to normal, Willow shakily stood up and kicked open the door.

Her toe didn’t thank her for it, but the door’s lock broke and it swung open, letting light flood into the space. Willow paused for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the torch light. Based on the darkness that was beginning to seep through the corridors, she guessed it was late afternoon. She’d been out for a few hours. Willow brushed the dust off her robes only to wince. There was a rug burn all across the right side of her stomach from the spell, and quite a few bruises and sore spots seemed to continue all along her back. Willow vaguely recalled hitting a wall super hard. Her head hurt the worst, but she didn’t have a serious injury. Willow suddenly remembered Hermione and Penelope and set off at a brisk pace to the library, wondering if they were still there.

She got rerouted a couple times before she figured out where in the castle she was, but she finally made it to the library. The whole area was blocked off by a magical barrier that read, “Danger: Keep Away from Area” and threatened trespassers with a month’s worth of detention. Willow frustratedly kicked a wall, instantly regretting it when her toe exploded into pain for the second time in ten minutes. Hermione and Penelope were truly petrified. She yelled into the empty air, panting hard as she listened to it echo off the walls. Why did everyone that managed to get close to her have to be ripped away and suffer? She wished she could trade places with Hermione and Penelope. It should have been her that got petrified. It was her job to protect her friends, and now she’d failed. Willow marched off to the hospital wing, hoping that she’d find some closure in seeing that they were safely in Madam Pomfrey’s hands.

She somehow made it to the hospital wing without so much as a creature stirring. Willow found it kind of odd, considering the castle was almost always alive with hundreds of witches and wizards and magical creatures. She was about to open the doors and slip inside the hospital wing when they creaked open to meet her. Willow stumbled backwards as Percy Weasley strode out, face crestfallen. His eyebrows shot up at the sight of her.

“Willow? What are you doing here?” he demanded. “I could report you for this easily! It’s not safe to be in the corridors right now! Where is your escort?”

“Escort? What escort?” Willow asked. “Percy, I’m sorry, I didn’t know the rules had changed, I’ve been- out.”

“You’re lucky you’re a Gryffindor and I’m not in the mood to take away house points,” Percy said. “Come on, I’ll take you back to the common room. Professor McGonagall has given me special one-time permission to see Penelope.”

Willow was about to ask why she would do that, then thought better of it. She did her best to suppress her anger, reminding herself that she’d hate herself even more later if she acted out, and followed Percy back to the common room. Willow was hit with a fall of nerves and fear as she entered. The students were all pacing around the common room, some appearing on the verge of breaking down in tears. Willow immediately ran to the corner of the common room, where the Gryffindor boys were clustered tightly together. Harry and Ron jumped up when they saw her.

“There you are! Where have you been? We were worried it got you too!” Harry exclaimed.

“Have you seen Hermione? Is she looking any better?” Ron asked.

“It’s a long story, but to answer Ron’s question, no, I only saw her right before- “ Willow choked on her words. “right before she was petrified.” She noticed some older students edging closer to them. “Can I join the secret whispering going on over here? I don’t trust anyone else to not spread rumors about me.”

“Definitely,” Harry said.

Willow sat on the couch, directly in the center of the Gryffindor boys. She quickly filled them in on everything she’d seen and heard. After a moment’s hesitation, she even relented to tell them about the dream. Neville’s face was drained of half of its colour by the time she finished. Dean and Seamus were clutching each other’s hand for support. Sam, Ron, and Harry were the only ones that kept it together enough to think critically about the situation.

“So…what do you think this means?” Sam wondered. “A creepy guy coming to you in a dream and threatening you? Sounds pretty scary to me.”

“Do you think it’s him? The Heir of Slytherin?” Harry asked.

“I’d put my money on him, that’s for sure,” Willow said. “He seemed to know exactly what he was doing. The beast responded to him and everything. I didn’t get to see him, but his voice is hard to forget. It was…unique, in a dark way. I wouldn’t listen to it if I had the choice.”

“Do you think he knows about your powers?” Ron inquired.

"I don’t know. He knew my name and that I’m not an ordinary witch, but that could mean anything. He didn’t outright say anything about them. I’m hoping he stays in the dark about that, because if he gets a hold of me like he says he will…this could go downhill quick.”

“So…what should we do?” Sam said. “We’re not allowed to leave any room without a teacher escort. How are we going to investigate?”

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. Willow made eye contact with him, and Harry nodded. “I’ll find a way,” he said. “In the meantime, we should all be careful. It wouldn’t do any good for us to go and get ourselves petrified.”

Out of the blue, a chorus of whooping and cheering nearly ruptured Willow’s eardrums. Sam instinctively covered her ears. Willow gratefully put her hands over his to block out as much noise as possible. When the din finally lowered to a reasonable level, she uncovered her ears and rubbed them, trying to reduce the ringing. Willow noticed a crowd in the middle of the common room. She ignored the pain in her ears and bravely stepped closer, hoping that they wouldn’t explode again.

“We need to put a stop to this!” Lee rallied. “Everyone knows it’s them, but the teachers can’t do anything about it! Only we can put an end to it!”

“Sorry to interrupt, Lee, but do you have to break my eardrums?” Willow said, having to shout to be heard.

“I hope the whole school can hear us! The Slytherins are hiding the Heir, and we’ve got to stop them before it’s too late!”

Willow blinked. She wondered if someone had kicked her in the stomach, it clenched so hard. “I’m sorry, but I don’t follow. What do you mean, the Slytherins are hiding the Heir?”

“We all know Harry would never hurt Hermione, and it’s definitely not a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, because they’ve all been attacked,” George explained. “What does that leave? Which house hasn’t been touched?”

“Slytherin,” Willow whispered, finally making the connection. She suddenly felt light-headed.

“Exactly!” Fred said. “Don’t you see? We’ve got to take action before the school closes for good!”

“What do you mean? The school can’t close, can it?” Willow asked, her voice pitched.

“Professor McGonagall came in and told us they will if the culprit isn’t caught soon,” George explained. “Everyone’s future is at stake here. We have to do something!”

The crowd started yelling in agreement. Calls for taking down Slytherin, destroying their common room, sabotaging their house points, and other horrendous things were shouted out. Willow tried to block it out, but it didn’t happen. Her powers wouldn’t cooperate enough to shut down. All the pain and suffering the monster had brought her, all the frustration of Hermione’s being petrified left her with, all the anger she’d buried deep down for others’ sake spilled over. She stamped her foot down and bellowed, “ENOUGH!”

A series of cracks opened in the floor around her, large enough to be visible, but not enough to send them tumbling down to the floor below. Fred, George, and Lee were yanked to the ground by roots that sprouted from the cracks. The room instantly fell silent. Willow didn’t even have to fight down the little bit of panic fluttering in her stomach. She was far too angry. All eyes turned to her. The twins and Lee stumbled to their feet and stared at her open-mouthed. Willow stood up straight and stoically looked into the crowd.

“Just because Slytherin hasn’t been attacked doesn’t mean they’re hiding the Heir. I’ve been there for several house exchanges now, and there’s never been even the slightest hint towards that possibility. I bet the Heir is a Slytherin, but that’s only because the Heir has to be a descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself. The other students probably don’t have a clue.”

“And how would you know that? It seems like you’re awfully sure!” someone called out.

“Yeah, how do we know we can trust you? You’re friends with half the Slytherins!”

“I am friends with exactly two, thank you very much,” Willow retorted icily. “I’m sorry you’re too close-minded to see this, but not every Slytherin is the evil dark magic master you think they are! Have you even truly met a Slytherin before?”

“Yeah, and he tried to kill my older sister!” a girl shouted.

The crowd angrily started ranting about things, true and uncertain, that the Slytherins had done. Willow held her ground and shut down her senses as they surrounded her, yelling that she was a traitor and not a true Gryffindor. She brushed the comments off the best she could. Her face remained indifferent, though she struggled not to yell straight back. The twins and Lee were able to part the crowd to get to her.

“Willow, what are you doing? You’re going to get yourself killed!” Lee hissed. “You’re lucky no one suspected anything from that crack in the floor!”

“I’m standing up against this crap you’re putting into everyone’s minds,” Willow growled. “I won’t let anyone perpetuate the stereotype against Slytherins! Has it ever occurred to any of you that they might become dark because literally everyone turns their back on Slytherins except other Slytherins? We are the problem, not them!”

More accusations came pouring in from the older students. Willow saw a few brandish their wands. Fred and George took up defensive positions around her.

“Willow, are you asking to get hexed?” George yelped as he forced a fifth year to stand down. “You’re not helping your case!”

“I’m trying to tell the truth, but no one will listen to me!”

“Willow, thee’s a time and a place for these kinds of bold statements, and this is definitely not one of them!”

“Oh, so that’s what this is to you, some cute little attempt to defend the Slytherins?” Willow scoffed. Her nails dug into her palms. “I see how it is. It’s so much clearer now.”

“Willow, come on, that’s not what I’m saying- “

“Yes it is!” she interrupted. “You know exactly what you were trying to say! You’ve never given Slytherin a chance, never! Do you really think I’m that stupid? Is that how little you think of me?”

“No, you opinion matters even more than Fred’s, it’s just- “

“It’s just what, George? Just a little problem? Just something that’s going to blow over eventually? That’s were I stop you. I won’t stand for this anymore.”

“Willow, even you have to admit it’s pretty suspicious, considering the circumstances- “

“If you think it’s suspicious Slytherin hasn’t been attacked yet, how isn’t it even more suspicious that I didn’t show up to the quidditch match, huh?” Willow pointed out, crossing her arms. “I didn’t return to the common room until a few minutes ago. Explain to me how that’s any less suspicious.”

George stared at her, appalled. “Willow, I- that’s not- “

“You’re biased, that’s the problem. You’ll never see Slytherins as anything but dirty, foul, loathsome evil wizards until you get rid of that bias. You haven’t even tried! Why won’t you take a step back and look at it from a different perspective?”

“Because their parents are Death Eaters, Willow! Their families are horrible! They’re only one step away from being Death Eaters themselves!”

Willow’s mouth dropped open. Her body froze, and her heart stopped. “George…”

George suddenly realized his mistake. His eyes widened, and though she didn’t mean to, Willow saw more emotion mixed around in them than she’d ever thought could be present within the Weasley twins. “I didn’t mean- I forgot about your mum’s family- you know I didn’t- “

“You did. You meant it,” Willow said quietly. Her voice cracked as her blood boiled. “I can’t believe I thought you were capable of change. You’ll always be as narrow-minded as the rest of the world.” Willow was nearly shouting and shaking now. “I thought you were different! You’ll always be biased against Slytherins, because you’ll never suck it up and admit you’re wrong! I’m done with people like you!” Willow shoved George away from her. “I can’t take it anymore! Either come find me when you’ve come to terms with yourself, or don’t even look my way again.”

Willow made for the portrait hole. George tried to put a hand on her shoulder.

“Wait- I didn’t mean to- “

“You didn’t mean to say I’m turning out just like my mum? That I’m a horrible person? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” Willow snapped, whipping around and throwing George's hand off of her. “The words that slip out in the heat of the moment are the closest they’re ever going to get to the truth. I see what you think of me now. I’m sad to say I feel the same way about myself, but that’s not the problem. The problem is you.” Willow glared at a devastated George. “It’s all fun and games until reality strikes. Come find me when you’ve figured it out.”

Willow stormed out of the common room amid Fred and Lee’s cries for her to come back. She didn’t care anymore. She’d taken enough of the anti-Slytherin crap lately. It would only drive further rifts between everyone and solve absolutely nothing. Willow couldn’t have cared less about all the noise she made while angrily kicking all the suits of armor over on her march through the corridors. She knew George didn’t mean to hurt her so deeply with that comment about the Death Eaters, but it really struck a chord. There were a lot of good children from bad families, somewhat including her, and they didn’t deserve to have their parents’ terrible legacy damaging their potential to do good in the future. If only she could whack all three boys with a broomstick to open up their minds!

Willow couldn’t stop thinking about how hurt George had looked after she shouted at him. She shouldn’t have been so cruel with her wording. Willow’s stomach tightened. He obviously didn’t mean to personally offend her or attack her in any way; he was trying to defend her from the crowd, and when she didn’t cooperate, he got caught up in the heat of the moment. Willow smacked the wall with her hand. Why did she always have to react so rudely to opposition? She didn’t think anything through! All she did was yell straight back and carelessly toy with people’s feelings. Willow wondered if she was all wrong about the real problem: was it really her? Was she the one causing the rift between everyone? She was constantly floating from house to house, picking up new ideas and accidentally being too vocal about her own. What if she was actually driving a wedge between all of the houses because of her challenging ideas and stubborn personality? Willow’s head spun. Was it plausible?

“Willow, you’re going to get caught! What the hell were you thinking?” Fred suddenly whispered, rounding a corner behind her.

“Merlin’s beard, Fred you scared me!” Willow gasped. “What are you doing out?”

“Coming after you before you get in trouble, of course! Come on, let’s get back to the common room before Filch gives us a month of detention!”

“Fred, I appreciate it, but I can’t,” Willow said. “George is going to be pissed, and I’ll probably screw things up further. You saw how riled up the common room was.”

“It’s a lot calmer now. Lee somehow found the right words to take down the idea,” Fred promised. “And don’t worry about George. I’ve already given him a good slap upside the head. He’s learning to let me do the talking.”

“Well, I deserve a good slap upside the head, too,” Willow said, sinking to the floor against one of the walls, staring at the droplets of water sliding down the window opposite her. “I probably embarrassed him pretty badly. He didn’t deserve that. I said too many things that I’m starting to regret.”

“Well, you’re going to regret getting stuck in detention for the rest of the year, too, so you might want to come back to the common room,” Fred said.

“I…I can’t. I’m afraid I’ll get into the same argument. I don’t want to run away from my problems anymore, but this is a big screw-up.” Willow noticed a trail of red on Fred’s hand. “What’s that?”

“Oh, just some aftereffects of a charm that went haywire.”

“I'm calling BS.” Willow stood up and snatched Fred’s hand, finding some strange markings running from the back of it, all the way around his wrist, and a little ways onto his palm. They were glowing slightly. “What the heck is this?”

“It looks like fireworks, doesn’t it?”

“Fred, this is serious! What if- “ Willow was struck with a realization. “Oh no. I did this, didn’t I?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Fred said, shrugging. “It could well be that new charm George and I tried today with Professor Flitwick. The aftereffects are kind of fun- “

“Fred! Don’t make things up! I need to know for sure!” Willow fretted. “If I truly did hurt you guys, then I need to know! My powers are supposed to have a dark side that’s going to fight like hell to be dominant, and it hasn’t shown itself yet, but I need to control it when it does! I don’t want to hurt anybody!”

Fred rolled his eyes. “Always being so serious, honestly! So what that you accidentally got George and I? It doesn’t hurt that bad, and it’s actually kind of cool- “

“So it was my powers! Damn it!” Willow pulled her hands out of her robe pockets, staring at them. They seemed to hum with a power that was more sinister than usual, more wild and uncontrollable. “I’m becoming more dangerous by the second. I- I should stay away from you guys- “

“Willow, if you do that again, I swear to Merlin, you will get pranked every single day until you’re permanently blushing with embarrassment,” Fred threatened, a goofy grin on his face. “Don’t you dare make me start right now. I’ve always got fireworks at hand.”

Willow’s face lifted in a ghost of a smile. “Alright, fine, I’ll try not to be difficult.” Her smile faded. “I’ve really messed things up this time, though. How is George ever supposed to forgive me? There were some strong words- “

“Willow, you’ve got it backwards,” Fred interrupted. “George needs to apologize to you for starting the whole thing in the first place. In fact, both of us do, and Lee probably should, too. We were way out of line.”

“Is Fred Weasley apologizing? Someone get this on camera,” Willow joked.

Fred lightly punched her in the arm. “If you do that, you’re really going to regret it. George and I have some fairly destructive plans lined up for the future, any of which we could accidentally set on you.”

“Yeah, and somehow it would still brighten up my day,” Willow said. She felt like a bit of the weight was lifting from her shoulders. “Thanks for coming and finding me, Fred. I needed this. And I accept your apology. Sorry for, uh, hurting your hand. I’m really trying to get that under control.”

“It’s not a big deal.” Fred stood up. “Now, are you done having a pity party, or are you going to sit here until Filch finds you?”

Willow rolled her eyes. “I’m always moping around, to you.”

Fred lead her back to the common room. The Fat Lady was rather disgruntled about having to let students back in without the proper escort, but she begrudgingly swung open. When they appeared from the portrait tunnel, the students nearby backed away and whispered among themselves, narrowing their eyes at Willow. She simply stared straight ahead, face only breaking once when she winced at the sight of the crack in the floor, vines still sprouting out of it. Those were probably what got the twins and Lee, she realized. Willow saw more people staring and quickly neutralized her expression once again. She followed Fred to the very edge of the common room, where George was sitting in a windowsill. He jumped to his feet he saw Willow.

“You’re back! Thank Merlin, I thought you’d gone and gotten yourself permanent detention!” he exclaimed.

“No, I’m a little smarter than that,” Willow said.

Fred unobtrusively backed away to leave them alone. There was an awkward moment where none of them spoke. Finally, George broke the silence.

“Willow…I’m sorry about what I said. There’s no excuse for it. I messed up. Big time.”

Willow nodded. “Yeah, you did. Go on.”

George sighed. “I promise I’ll at least try to be neutral about Slytherins in the future. You’re right. There’s…no proof that they’re bad.”

“Wow, that sounds almost as painful as that time you got smoked by the rogue bludger,” Willow said, eyebrows raised. “I’m almost tempted to drag this out longer.”

“Please, for the love of God, don’t do that to me,” George chuckled. “I can hardly speak English anymore.”

“Alright, fine, I forgive you,” Willow said. “Just don’t ever do something that stupid again, or I’m turning Griffin loose on you. He’s very good at the attack command.”

“Why would you teach a baby griffin to attack people? Are you building an army without me?”

Willow playfully smirked. “Maybe.”

She sat in the windowsill, and George joined her. The Forbidden Forest was more beautiful than she’d ever seen it before. Under the light of a full moon, the forest glowed silver, frost glittering on the branches of tall trees. The mountain tops in the distance were blanketed with snow. Willow always wondered how it was that snow could make everything brighter at night. The mountains were beacons of sparkling moonlight, calling to her from their far-off positions. Willow could easily imagine herself flying to them for a quiet night. No more fighting off evil spirits, no more powers malfunctioning, just the cool wind in her hair and the moonlight washing over her face, exfoliating all the worries away…Maybe one day. The stars shimmering on the Black Lake caught her eye.

“Have you ever seen the constellations more beautiful and clear?” she said.

“I haven’t paid much attention in Astronomy, really, but they are brighter than usual tonight. What’s the name of that one? Orion?”

“No, that’s the Little Dipper, pendejo,” Willow giggled. George pretended to be absurdly offended. She tried not to laugh and pointed to the correct constellations. “That’s Orion, way out there. How have you passed Astronomy so far?”

“We haven’t,” George said, a mischievous smile on his face. “Professor Sinistra has gone easy on Freddy and I. She’s taken a liking to our pranks and provides us with- well, you could call it a cheat sheet, but I like to call it a small bit of help. It’s not exactly all the answers, just enough to probe our memories- “

“So a cheat sheet,” Willow said, the corner of her mouth turning upwards. She lightly punched George in the arm. “I’m not going to judge. I won’t lie about using my map every once in a while.”

"You're a cheat too! Wow, the world really is ending!"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Says the one who's seen me break a million rules on a daily basis."

"Rules are meant to be broken!"

"Is cheating not a rule?" Willow pointed out, one eyebrow raised. She struggled to keep her composure as George realized she'd outsmarted him for once. "Trust me, the rules only exist to keep us mildly under control. I'm not mild."

"We know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Willow teased.

"Don't make me spell it out," George groaned. "I've already said enough dumb things tonight. There's no room for another."

"Alright, fine, but you won't get off so easy next time!" An idea popped into Willow's head. "Hey, do you remember me talking to you about that new charm the second years learned? I think there's a way you can manipulate it for your fireworks."

"Really? How?"

Willow and George descended into a scheme for creating a more powerful version of the Bantam Bursts. They even got out a few of the fireworks themselves and began enchanting them, each one getting closer to what they wanted, but never actually getting there. Willow ended up creating an array of bright green ones for future use. George, to no one's surprise, charmed the fireworks to spell out "Weasley" and "Gryffindor" in various shades of red and orange. He accidentally fired one off in the common room. Willow couldn't stop laughing at his shocked expression for a good five minutes straight. Eventually, Percy Weasley stormed out of his dormitory and put a silencing charm on the two of them, which resulted in a wave of mockingbirds chasing him back into his dormitory and copying Willow's laugh. George and Willow high-fived.

"If that's not the way I'm supposed to use magic, then I don't know why it even exists," George said.

"Honestly, I think its true purpose is for fun, and protection kind of got thrown in there when some douche used dark magic. I forgot to make a backup copy of my brain from my first year of History of Magic."

"Who actually remembers any of that except for Hermione?"

"I kind of do for a week, then it's pretty much gone until exam week, then I forget it." Willow shrugged. "I've got it as long as I need it, right? History isn't like math; it doesn't build on itself. You can learn events independent from each other."

"Whoa, that was too much intelligence in a single sentence. I don't understand."

Willow threw a book at him. "Get knowledged, then."

"Really? That's the best you can do? Get knowledged? Wow, you really do need pranks to speak for you."

Willow scoffed, pretending to be hurt. "It's not my fault that my speaking abilities are zero! I can speak much better in Spanish, but that's only because no one understands what I'm saying."

"Then speak in Spanish. I'll catch up."

"That's a bold statement from someone who can't remember where the most well-known constellation is."

George rolled his eyes. "You know I just don't pay attention in that class."

Willow crossed her arms. "Fine. Pero necisitas prestar más atención y obtendrá mejores notas. Yo sé que puedes hacerlo. Todo lo que se necesita es un poco de trabajo duro y dedicación."

"Uh...no hablo inglés?"

Willow laughed. "Aprendió tan mucho, al menos. You learned that much, at least."

Fred suddenly appeared behind them, grinning mischievously. He was carrying something in his pocket. George and Willow turned to look at him as he said, "I'm just gonna...leave this here..."

Fred set off a Bantam Burst, which glowed bright red and formed the shape of a heart. Willow rolled her eyes at the G+W written within it in a fancy cursive scrawl. George sent a jinx after his brother that Fred easily blocked, chortling and shooting George a thumbs-up as he sprinted all the way to his dormitory. George groaned and slumped against the window sill.

"Sorry about Fred. He's pestering me to death lately."

"My friends are, too! They all know something I don't, but they won't tell me a word about it! I want to know so bad!" Willow sighed. "Maybe I'll never figure it out. I am pretty dull."

"No, you're not dull, I'm sure the answer's right in front of you."

Willow shook her head. "I'm sure it is. That's how it always is. I run circles around the answer, trying to figure out every last detail, and it always ends up being the simplest answer. How do I always overcomplicate everything?"

George stared at her as if half-lost in thought, almost appearing sad. "I don't know, Willow, I don't know."


	36. Year 2: Chapter 15

Willow snapped awake in the middle of the night. Her watch read 1:23a.m. Something had woken her up. She nearly jumped out of her skin as her eyes adjusted to the dark and she made out a figure standing over her.

“Harry! What the hell are you- !“

“Shh, keep your voice down!” Harry hissed. Willow realized his eyes were frantic and swirling with an unreadable emotion. “Ron and I just got back from Hagrid’s. We’ve got loads to tell you!”

Deciding it must be important to wake her up at this hour, Willow tiptoed out of the room and noiselessly shut the door behind her. Harry lead her to the common room, where Ron was pacing, every once in a while muttering something to himself and running a hand through his hair. Ron accidentally bumped into a couch when they arrived.

“Bloody he- oh, good you found her!” Ron sat down on the couch and rubbed his foot. “You’re the second smartest person we know. We figured you might know something about all this.”

“I wouldn’t agree with the ‘smart’ part, but I can try,” Willow said. “Don’t tell Sally I said that! What happened?”

Harry explained what they had seen at Hagrid’s hut, including Lucius’s snide remarks about the situation Muggleborns were in. The predicament meant nothing to him, of course. Willow did her best to suppress her rage. Harry told her about the spider thing, which piqued her interest, then Dumbledore’s parting words, which she found even more peculiar than his usually odd statements.

“Well, the spider thing could be a lead. You should definitely follow up on it,” Willow suggested. “About what Dumbledore said, though…do you have any idea what that means? Maybe something he told you recently?”

“No, the last time I talked to him, I saw his pet phoenix burst into flame and not die. Have you ever met a phoenix? They literally burn to ash then become little chicks again- !"

“Harry, I agree, Fawkes is amazing- I’ve been dying to meet him myself- but that’s not furthering our case,” Willow said lamentingly. She tapped her finger to her chin. “Spiders…trails of spiders…I’ve heard of something from my uncles about a man following a trail of spiders and never being seen again, but that doesn’t help us. Maybe you should look it up in the library?”

“Yeah, and end up petrified like Hermione for it?” Ron snorted. “No thanks.”

“You’re terrified of spiders, aren’t you?” Willow said flatly.

Ron’s ears went pink. “What- no, only a little- " Ron was suddenly defensive. "If you didn't know, Fred and George turned my stuffed animal into a bloody spider once, that’s all. I can…tolerate them.”

“Good, because I have no idea where this might lead you. There might be lots of spiders, a few, or none. It all depends what happens when you follow them into the forest."

Ron shuddered. "I really hope I don't have to see any big ones..."

Harry's eyes suddenly widened. "Can you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Willow asked, straining her ears. Her senses finally woke up and she heard it loud and clear, too. The sound was far away, but so loud and mournful that it audibly bounced off the castle walls. Willow gasped. "Oh my God, that's Fang! I forgot about him! He's all alone in Hagrid's hut now!"

"Oh, yeah, Hagrid said he needed someone to feed Fang while he was gone," Ron remembered.

"Guys, if anyone asks where I'm at, make up something plausible that won't get me in trouble!"

"Uh...sure?" Harry said.

Willow sprinted out of the common room and transformed into a black cat. There were a lot of staff pacing around, worriedly casting their eyes around for intruders or dark magic. They weren't, however, looking for a simple cat. Willow easily padded past them in plain sight and didn't so much as earn a glance in her direction. She still tried to keep to the shadows. Professor McGonagall knew about her bad habits. If she came along, she was done for.

Willow reached the courtyard without a problem. She bounded through the tall, dewy grass to Hagrid's hut. Fang's howling got louder and louder as she neared. He scratched at the door and whined every minute or so, then returned to howling. Willow reached the front door and transformed back into herself. She threw a glance over her shoulder, then quietly slipped inside. Fang instantly ceased his lamenting and panted happily, jumping all over Willow and licking her to death, whining in appreciation. She gave him lots of hugs and belly rubs.

"I know, I know, it's real scary without Hagrid, isn't it?" Willow crooned. Fang whined and laid on her feet, allowing her to scratch his ears. "The big bad forest isn't going to get you, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you, big guy."

Fang stood up and wandered over to his food bowl, which only yielded crumbs. Willow found his pile of meat scraps in a makeshift cupboard and threw them into the bowl, much to Fang's delight. He gobbled them up and begged for a little more. Willow replenished his water afterwards. When she picked up the bowl, though, she revealed something hidden underneath. She picked it up and found herself holding a damp, messy paper. Willow unraveled it and set it on the table.

Willow,

The Ministry's probably gonna sack me any day now. I need ya to take care 'o me vegetables and Daisy. I've hidden her a ways into the Forest. She's straight down the path. You know how ter take care of her and Fang.

Hagrid

Willow set down the note and called Fang over to her. She buried her face in the scruff of his neck. Hagrid was really gone. How would Hogwarts be the same? Sure, she could take care of whatever beast Daisy was, but Hagrid always did it better. Fang whined softly. Willow stroked his head, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Yeah, I know, buddy, Hogwarts is going downhill quick."

Fang's tail thumped on the floor, then went still. He licked her ear. Willow sighed and wiped off the drool, giving Fang another tight hug. Eventually, she dried her eyes and reread the note, trying to convince herself that everything would sort itself out soon if she kept blundering forward. Completely blind...in the dark about pretty much everything...unable to reach out or be left alone at the same time...

Willow shook her head. This wasn't the time to be depressed. There was work to do, creatures to take care of, gamekeeper duties to attend to. Willow found a checklist with a single muddy paw print on it in the corner of Hagrid's hut. She noted all the tasks on the back of her hand, hoping to find time for them later, then remembered the creature Hagrid asked her to take care of. Daisy must be a real secret for Hagrid not to have even accidentally mentioned her before. Straight down the path...so much for knowing what I'm getting into, Willow thought. Fastening her robes tightly around her and keeping her hand on her wand, Willow snuck out of Hagrid's hut with Fang and sprinted into the cover of the Forbidden Forest.

The path wasn't familiar for long. Soon, it thinned and was no longer covered in bits of worn gravel. Fang walked slowly behind Willow with his tail in between his legs. He was afraid of his own shadow, so she didn’t take it as a sign of any danger. The path grew more overgrown and narrow as she got deeper and deeper into the forest. Fang tried to turn around and run several times, but reluctantly came when Willow whistled for him to come back. The stars were beginning to dim and the sky was graying in the east. Fang panted as the path took a sharp left turn and became almost untraceable up the base of a mountain. Leave it to Hagrid to send me up a windy, difficult mountain path, Willow thought to herself, shaking her head good-naturedly. She climbed up the mountainside with ease. Fang simply parked his butt near a shrub where the path stayed flat. He barked once after Willow, but gave up and laid down instead, tongue lolling out to the side. Hagrid wouldn’t have any complaints about Fang not being exercised, at least.

Willow continued up the mountainside. The grass was soaking her socks with early morning dew, and the clouds were lower that morning, creating a thick fog around her. Willow’s senses jumped into action to supply her with readings on her surroundings. The temperature was dropping slightly, but the altitude wasn’t very high. A creature snorted nearby. Sending out a few sound waves, she figured that she was reaching a plateau on the side of the mountain, and the creature must be just ahead. Willow climbed up the last few steep meters and found herself on a level piece of mountainside. If the fog would have hurried up and cleared off, she probably would have had a beautiful view. Willow sighed. Her luck really was terrible. She was about to turn and continue down the path when an earth-shattering bellow sounded behind her and something slammed into her back. Willow frantically turned over and held up her hands to defend herself only to be pinned down by a heavy leg.

“Hey, what- !”

Willow’s air was cut off. Fang barked and growled far below, the sound echoing off the mountainside, but he wouldn’t be able to reach her in time. Willow tried to remove the heavy leg. The creature only huffed and pressed down harder. She called up her powers for a last-ditch effort, and with the hardest, most intense concentration she’d ever managed, Willow transformed into a hawk and launched herself away, taking flight and scouting out her opponent. She misjudged how tired she was from nearly three hours of sleep and trekking through the Forest, though, and ended up falling back onto the plateau as herself again. Willow shot to her feet. She could see better through the fog now. She tried to listen, but the adrenaline coursing through her body was scrambling her brain. For better or worse, she didn’t have to listen long, because the creature burst through the fog and skidded to a stop less than ten meters away from her, grunting and snuffling in agitation. Willow pulled out her hand defensively.

“Whoa, hey, what did I ever do to- ?” She paused mid sentence, recognizing the creature. “What the- Hagrid!”

Hagrid had somehow managed to befriend, of all creatures, a graphorn. This one wasn’t anything like the one at the London Zoo, however. It was young, strong, and bull-headed. Its grey scales were fortified and unbroken. The spines along its back and armored tail looked like they could skewer her easily, and its sharp beak and horns appeared to serve a similar purpose. Its black eyes glittered defensively. Willow wondered if this was how most people felt around all magical creatures. Swallowing her fear, she put away her wand and spread her hands.

“Look, I’m not going to hurt you, you’re not going to hurt me, okay?” she said. “Let’s just calm down. I’m a friend of Hagrid’s. Friend.”

At “Hagrid,” the creature blinked and let down its guard for a millisecond. It didn’t seem to understand “friend,” but at least she was getting somewhere.

“Yeah, that’s right, Hagrid,” Willow repeated. She thought back to the note Hagrid had left. “Your name is Daisy, right? Daisy girl?”

The graphorn took a step towards her, though it relaxed a few of its leg muscles. Its eyes appeared less guarded. Willow took a deep breath and held up her hands. “I don’t have anything, see? My wand is away. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

The graphorn shuffled closer, sniffing the air. It sneezed, sending a wave of reeking breath towards her, but otherwise didn’t attack her. Willow stayed where she was and allowed the graphorn to get nearer. Daisy’s eyes suddenly lit up. She took a few lumbering bounds towards Willow, and before Willow could do anything, she was snuffling around in her robe pocket, munching on something that caused her to smack her lips. Daisy snorted excitedly when she found another something in her other pocket. Willow laughed when she finally figured out what it was.

“Oh, so you’re the one that eats so many of those treacle tarts Hagrid makes,” she concluded. “I was wondering where that giant batch went, if not in Hagrid’s stomach. Thanks for not eating me instead.”

Daisy ignored her comments, simply finishing the treacle tarts in a contented silence. When there were no more left, she made a sort of whining noise and glanced at Willow, almost pleadingly. Willow turned her pockets inside-out to show her there weren’t any more.

“Sorry, Daisy, I don’t have any more treats.” She noticed a small stain towards the rear of the graphorn’s back. “Hey, what’s this? Don’t tell me you got into trouble.”

Daisy groaned and laid out on the stone, though still making sure to keep her rear out of range. Willow rolled her eyes. Of course she was trying to be difficult. Graphorns were almost more stubborn than she was. Willow transformed into a smaller version of Daisy, padding up to the bigger graphorn to investigate the stain. Daisy growled but didn’t act aggressive like before. Willow peered closely at the red smear and discovered a little wound, obviously inflicted by sharp horns. It wasn't anything serious, but any cut could turn deadly if infected, she reminded herself. Steeling herself for confrontation, Willow shape-shifted back to a human and put her hands on the graphorn’s hide before she could even blink.

Daisy immediately tried to whack her with her tail. Willow ducked and kept her now glowing hands attached to the side of the graphorn. Daisy bucked and kicked out at her and ran in circles, but to no avail, as Willow ended up on her back, legs firmly glued to either flank. Her magic was working quickly. The cut closed up, dirt drained away, and a scab began to form. Daisy still whined and grunted and even rolled over at one point. Willow finally was satisfied with her work and jumped off right before she could be smashed beneath a massive amount of armored hide.

Daisy shot to her feet and paused, as if realizing for the first time that her back didn’t hurt anymore. She whipped her head around to see, apparently startled, and like a dog chasing its tail, ran around and around in circles in an attempt to touch the scrape with her nose. She never got it, of course. Willow giggled from afar while Daisy fell over from dizziness. 

“Are you confuzzled, girl? What happened? Did I make your back feel better?”

Daisy looked at her from her upside-down position. Willow guffawed at the sight of her crazy eyes, wild with the confusion of what was going on around her. They were almost playful, in an odd, backwards sort of way. Slowly walking up to her, Willow tapped Daisy on the beak, enticing her to flip over and tense her muscles. She looked very dog-like, her now warm eyes filling with a lofty happiness, armored tail moving slightly back and forth, muscles tensed to pounce and play-fight. An idea popped into Willow’s head. She broke a branch off a scraggly tree nearby and waved it in front of Daisy.

“Do you like the stick? You want the stick?” Daisy followed the branch’s every movement, eyes locked on the target. “Yeah? You want the stick? Go get it!”

Willow threw the stick across the plateau. Daisy sprinted after it, so intent upon the stick that she hardly bothered to stop herself from tripping and skidding on large pebbles. Willow laughed as she went tumbling head-over-heels a few feet away from the stick. The graphorn jumped to her feet and clumsily grabbed the stick in her beak, then lumbered back to Willow. She asked for her to drop it, but Daisy wouldn't budge. Willow guessed she wanted to play tug of war. She sorely underestimated Daisy's strength, unfortunately, and five seconds later, Willow slammed into the mountainside, shoulder nearly out of socket. Daisy patiently waited while Willow stumbled back towards her.

"You...are a very...strong girl," she slurred. Willow rubbed shoulder and rolled it backwards. "Thanks for not breaking every bone in my body. Wood would throw a fit."

Daisy made a sound in between crooning and growling, spitting out the stick at Willow's feet. Of course she dropped it now, after Willow knocked a few screws loose on the mountain. She picked up the stick and threw it as far as she could. Daisy brought it back, but this time she didn't beg for tug-of-war. Willow lost track of how many times she threw the stick for Daisy. She finally stopped when the graphorn was panting hard and rolled onto her back, refusing to move another step. Daisy vaguely kicked her back legs and groaned.

"Yeah, I know, you should take a nice nap for me now," Willow said. She glanced at the blazing east sky. "I better get going. If I'm not back in the common room by the time everyone goes to breakfast, someone's bound to kill me, probably Sally or Fred. Or both."

Willow made to leave, but Daisy let out a sorrowful, low note. She froze and slowly turned around. Daisy was gazing at her pleadingly, still rolled over on her side. Willow wondered if she was absolutely mental. She shook her head. There was no doubt at this point- she was already mental by approaching a graphorn, let alone playing with one. Willow ran back to Daisy and started rubbing all over her belly. The graphorn purred and groaned in delight, her back leg kicking like a happy dog's. Willow discovered that the underbelly skin of a graphorn is much less tough than the skin covering the rest of its body. It was more sensitive to touch. She figured out Daisy's best tickle spots, earning her an ear-splitting screech of delight from the graphorn. Willow wondered how the scene would look to someone out of context. Probably along the lines of a crazy dream gone wrong, she decided. Daisy finally had enough and stood back up, shaking herself. Willow laughed as the graphorn licked her cheek with a rough tongue. It almost tickled, like Daisy was getting back at her.

"Alright, okay, I know- ahh! Daisy!" Willow squealed. "That's enough! Ahh, no! No, no, no! Don't torture me like this! I am not supposed to have tickle spots! Ahh, Daisy!"

The graphorn finally stopped, leaving Willow's cheeks soaking wet. She didn't really care. There was always a way to wash it off. Willow stood up and adjusted her robes, brushing off the dust. Daisy seemed to sense she was leaving and sat down, ears dropping, acting as if she was pouting. Willow patted her head.

"It's okay, Daisy, I'll be back, I promise."

The graphorn snorted, then curled up into a ball, closing her eyes. Willow waited until she heard snoring to leave. Tiptoeing down the steep path- and tumbling down several feet, being the klutz she was- she returned to ground level, where Fang was anxiously awaiting her. He barked and whined and wriggled with delight. Willow calmed him down with lots of pets, then turned back towards Hogwarts, walking at a brisk pace back the way she came. The sky was getting to be a bright shade of blue by this time. Willow bit her lip. She was definitely going to be late to breakfast...unless she flew. Fang wasn't going to like it, though.

He'll be fine, doofus.

Willow sighed. Cebba, I'm not going to upset my favourite dog, not when Hagrid just went to Azkaban a few hours ago.

Seriously? You're thinking more about the dog than how your friends will react?

Willow shrugged. Animals are more sensitive than humans, right? Fred can back off.

Yeah, and how did that work last time? Or the time before that? Or the time before that? Willow could almost see the smug look on Cebba's face. She wondered if she possessed the ability to physically slap a ghost. You can't do that, dimwit.

Hey, you're not supposed to read my mind, remember? We talked about this!

And I chose to ignore it. I'm in your head all day, every day. What do you expect?

Willow rolled her eyes. When you've actually got something useful to say, come back. Until then, please stop insulting me.

Okay- you're going to change the course of history in a few short years. That's my useful tidbit of doom for the day. It was a pleasure bickering with you, Willow.

Willow sighed. Leave it to Cebba to drop heavy information on her like it was nothing, then disappear. She wasn't going to worry about world-altering abilities for the moment, though. Willow enjoyed her alone time in the early morning air of the Forbidden Forest. Whatever happened in a few years was going to happen whether she prepared every second for it or not. She'd figure it out when the time came. For now, she was happy to mess around with her friends and occasionally hang out with wildlife with her powers.

Willow returned Fang to Hagrid's hut. He initially cried and pawed at the door, tugging on Willow's heartstrings, then finally went and laid down for a nap. She hoped he didn't do that every time she left, because she wouldn't last long. Willow transformed into a cat again and bounded through the tall grass. She made her way through the courtyard and a couple corridors, then made sure no one was around and reappeared as herself. She trotted to the Great Hall in record time to find the last few stragglers trickling in under the watchful eyes of at least six teachers. Willow inconspicuously made her way to the Gryffindor table, where a few people made a not-so-stealthy disturbance.

"Where on Earth have you been?" Sally exclaimed. "We've been worried sick!"

"I asked at least ten boys if they'd seen you!" Mia fumed. "Do you know how hard that was?"

"Ten bo- why would you ask...?" Willow shook her head. "Never mind. I'm sorry, I had some business to take of now that Hagrid- now that he was...taken away."

"Hagrid's gone?" Parvati gasped. "Why would the Ministry do that? He wasn't doing anything wrong!"

"Ask the petty arseholes in the Wizengamot," Willow muttered.

Lavender crossed her arms. "Well, I think that's awfully suspicious! What has Hagrid done that would require the Ministry to step in? Nothing! I say we start a petition to get him back!"

"It won't do any good, Lavender," Willow said tightly. "They're not letting him out of Azkaban until the culprit is caught."

"Not Azkaban?" Fay whispered. "They guard that place with dementors! Do you know what they do? They force you to relive your worst memories over and over again, and if a prisoner tries to escape, they suck out their soul!"

Mia paled. "They...suck out your soul? There aren't any...around here...are there?"

"No, and there won't be any time soon." Lavender banged her fist on the table, rattling the silverware. "I say we catch the culprit! If the Ministry is waiting for someone, we'll bring the idiot to them!"

"Lavender, how are we expecting to figure out who it is when Dumbledore couldn't even do it?" Fay said.

"I- I don't know, but we've got to do something!"

Willow's stomach had dropped out. She suddenly felt very lightheaded and dizzy. Gripping the table with white knuckles, Willow tried very hard not to be violently sick. Azkaban forced people to relive their worst memories over and over again. Hagrid was stuck there. Hagrid. He was becoming mentally scared with each passing second, unable to escape it or relieve the pain, and it was all because of some old men with self-proclaimed power and negative agendas. Hagrid, the sweetest, kindest, most overprotective person on the planet. And he wasn't the only one that had been wrongly put in Azkaban- the Smith twins' mother had done the same thing to some poor soul. Willow didn't even know the damage that could be inflicted. If she would have known...no wonder that man was still in intensive rehab at St. Mungo's.

Willow couldn't even look at food anymore without feeling queasy. She excused herself to the bathroom, which was mercifully empty. She turned on the sink and splashed her face with water. Willow gazed into the mirror, wondering what kind of witch was staring back. What person was she that she had accepted her total failure to protect her friends and family as part of life? What kind of person was she becoming? One that gave up on all of her life goals? One that abandoned all of her endeavors when they failed? One that...allowed one of the only adults that cared about her- without being obliged to by blood ties- to be sent to a prison that tortured you from the inside out? A lump worked its way into Willow's throat. She shook her head and rubbed her temples, trying very hard not to cry. Willow drew in uneven and choked-up breaths. She sat on the windowsill, holding her head in her hands.

You're not a failure, you're not a failure, you're not a failure, she repeated over and over. You're not a failure. You can't be so hard on yourself about everything. You're not a failure, you're not a failure.

But no matter how many times she told herself those few simple lines, Willow could not convince herself of it.

The house exchange snuck up on everyone without warning, and before she knew it, Willow was back in the Slytherin common room, dealing with increasingly suspicious glances and muttering. Every Slytherin (except for Cypress, of course) was paranoid about other houses trying something. Willow felt like she was the only one that understood their frustration. If only she could break through those stupid stereotypes, this wouldn't be happening, but as it was, she didn't have much time to plan out a grand scheme to prove everyone wrong. Willow was having enough problems dealing with a moody Draco. Harry had warned her about his souring mood lately, but nothing could have prepared her for the amount of absolute angst that hit her like a brick wall.

"Damn you, Goyle, that's the sixth time today you've asked that question!" Draco snapped one late morning. "Merlin's beard, how stupid are you? And Crabbe, do you have to be that dumbfounded about everything I say?"

"Malfoy, I really don't know much, it's all very interesting when I learn something new- "

"You want something interesting to learn? You don't have a brain!"

"Whoa, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Sally noted, sidling up next to Willow, who was watching the show from two couches away. "How much do you want to bet he'll hex them? Two sickles? Five?"

"I'd bet you, but it's already happened," Willow said, pointing to where Crabbe was squealing and trying to put out a fire on his robes. "He's downright ridiculous now. Should I...talk to him?"

"If you do, make sure you wear fireproof clothing," Sally snickered. "Oh, wow, he's throwing things now. Jesus, he's got a good aim. Are you sure he shouldn't be playing Chaser?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Angelina would kick his arse before he could blink." A potion bottle smashed inches from Crabbe's face. "Alright, I better conduct damage control. Cover me, I'm going in! Tell my father I died bravely, would you?"

Sally laughed. "I will."

Willow marched up to Draco and cast the full-body bind curse on him. His entire body froze mid-throw, eyes turning wild with fury and confusion. Willow simply plucked the potion bottle out of his hand and levitated the rest to the opposite side of the room. She then performed the counter-curse and waited patiently while Draco fell on his face, groaned in pain, and slowly rose to his feet. He glared at her, but didn't charge or attempt to attack her.

"What do you want, Wisp? I don't have all day."

"Jeez, Blonde needs some anger management therapy," Willow said. "What kind of potion were you throwing? It looked pretty cool, but not deadly enough."

"What- I didn't intend to harm anyone!"

"Yeah, because chucking mysterious vials of magical liquid at your two closest friends several times in a row totally doesn't sound like a premeditated attack," Willow drawled sarcastically. "What's your deal here lately? You're even moodier than Paige at seven in the morning, and that's saying something."

"Why should I tell you? You're the one that can't control herself."

"Oh, so now you're attacking me because you can't come up with a good enough lie, are you?" Willow crossed her arms. "Give it up, Draco. No one wants to hear your ranting and raving about Goyle breathing wrong."

"When- I did not say that!"

"You did too, at exactly 7:23 pm yesterday evening. It was dumbest, funniest thing I'd heard all week."

Draco crossed his arms as well. "Oh yeah? Prove it."

"I could, but it would be even more embarrassing than the Lockhart prank." Willow let her arms down. "Come on, Draco, seriously, I can tell something's wrong. If you need a reason, then it's because I'm the only person that actually gives a damn. You going to pass that up?"

Draco looked like he was about to give an angry retort, then paused, glaring at her instead. "No, but I'm not saying a word," he said through gritted teeth.

"Okay, I guess I'll just read your mind then."

Draco's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "No- I'll tell you everything- You wouldn't dare- How long have you- ?"

Willow guffawed, keeling over because of the force of her laughter. "Oh my God, your face! You should have seen it! I would have thought you'd just seen the ghost of your past or something! Oh, that was priceless!"

Draco punched her in the shoulder, though not nearly as hard as he could have. "Hey! Why would you do that to me?"

"I'm sorry, I can't resist having the upper hand every once in a while. How the turn tables!"

"Don't you mean 'how the tables turn'?"

"Nah, it goes along with the expression." Willow wiped her eyes. "Okay, in all seriousness, I will figure out what's going on with you, one way or another, so you might as well spill now."

Draco jabbed a finger at her. "Fine, but you can't tell anyone, or I'm tying you to a tree in the Forbidden Forest and leaving you there."

"I'll probably survive, but whatever, I'll take it to my grave, cross my heart and swear to die, blah blah blah."

"This is serious, Wisp!" Draco hissed. He glanced around, making sure no one was within earshot. His expression became suddenly dark. "My dad is doing something terrible, but I have no idea what it is. He's in on this Chamber of Secrets thing. I don't know how, so don't pepper me with questions like you always do, but just know that he's behind it. Originally, he was only getting rid of Dumbledore- good riddance, I say- but now, he isn't stopping. I can't do anything about it, and now they might close the school. Does he care at all about my future?"

"So...you don't care about Dumbledore, the staff, or the students, but you care about your education. Weird." Willow shook her head. "We'll work on that. For now, do you have anything I can go off of?"

"What? I'm not helping you stop my dad, Wisp."

"Draco, someone could die- "

"But no one has, have they?" he pointed out. "It's perfectly safe here. The school's only closing- "

"Because literally every non-pureblooded witch and wizard is at risk!" Willow retorted. "You may not realize it, but just because a Muggleborn hasn't died doesn't mean one won't the next time. And who's to say this monster won't begin to target purebloods when there aren't any more Muggleborns and halfbloods left?"

Draco's eyes flashed. "You don't think it would actually do that, would it?"

"One thing's for sure, and it's that the monster has to be stopped or killed before someone dies. If one of my friends crosses paths with it...I couldn't live with myself. I'm either defeating it or going to die trying. So, you have five seconds to give me anything you might know before I tear this school brick by brick until I get to the Chamber. What's it going to be?"

"Merlin's beard, you bloody Gryffindors drive me mad!" Draco whined. "Alright, fine, you win, I'll tell you! My dad hid something within a girl's schoolbag this year. I don't know who or what, but it's what's causing all of this. Make of that what you will."

Willow tapped her chin. What kind of clue was a school item? It could be anything! A book, a quill, some ink...what harm did all those pose to the school, and how in the heck could they cause the Chamber to open? Willow paced back and forth while Draco sat down and examined an apple. She gave up after a few minutes and flopped on the couch next to him. He shoved her to the end of the couch so he could stretch out as far as he wanted.

"Personal space, Wisp," he said, taking a bite of the apple.

"I'm pretty sure I'm the one that calls the shots in that arena, but I don't care right now. I've got nothing on that lead. Maybe something will pop up over the next few days?"

"I wouldn't count on it."

"Your pessimism is encouraging. Such a heartfelt ideal."

"Save your sarcasm for someone who cares," Draco shot back.

Willow rolled her eyes. "'It's better to have loved and lost than to never have lived at all,' Draco. Sure, optimism is a piece of work, but just because I'm wrong some of the time doesn't mean it doesn't feel even better when I'm right."

"I'd rather be either pleasantly surprised or right all the time, thanks."

"Spoken like a true Slytherin."

"Bloody Gryffindor."

"Backstabbing Slytherin."

"Stupid Gryffindor."

"Sly Slytherin."

"Dumb Gryffindor."

"Sulking Slyth- You're basically saying the same word every time, aren't you?"

Draco smirked. "They all describe you perfectly, do they not?"

Willow gently kicked him. "At least I know I have a better vocabulary than you."

"At least I know I'm never wrong."

Willow was about to make a huge comeback when someone lifted her clear off the couch. She yelped but didn't fight back when she recognized who had caught her. Of course Paige would make that kind of entrance. Draco narrowed his eyes at the older girl, and Paige glowered back. Willow sighed exasperatedly and turned Paige's head away.

"I'll see you later, Draco. Don't kill Crabbe and Goyle while I'm gone, will you?"

"Yeah, no promises."

Willow shook her head and allowed Paige to carry her past the entrance boulder. She was set on her feet before Sally, Sue, Cypress, and Oliver. Sue's eyebrows shot up.

"When we asked you to go get her, we didn't think you'd literally pick her up and carry her over here, but whatever works."

Paige shrugged. "She couldn't resist that way, could she?"

"No, and it saves time. I like that idea," Sally said. "Maybe I should use that tactic on Sam..."

"...Or maybe not?" Oliver suggested. "That's technically kidnapping against someone's will?"

"Not if they don't press charges. Just make sure what you're taking them to do is worth their time," Cypress said. "Trust me, this is worth all the time in the world. Ernie's gossip group meets around this time, and I need the details on everyone."

"Oh, so that's where we're going," Willow said.

"Paige! You didn't tell her we were going to the Hufflepuff common room?" Sue asked.

Paige shrugged. "Willow goes anywhere as long as she doesn't have somewhere to be. It's part of being adventurous."

Willow nodded. "She knows me well, Sue. Let's go, shall we?"

They all headed off towards the Hufflepuff common room. Before they left, Paige tried to set off a dungbomb and throw it back into the Slytherin common room, but Willow stopped her before the damage could be done. The exchange students made their way to the Hufflepuff common room. Oliver knocked with a fancy pattern, mercifully did not mess up and get them sprayed with vinegar, and held the door open for them. They found Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbot, and a few other Hufflepuff second years gathered in the corner of the room, discussing something in hushed whispers. Oliver stood by and patiently waited, but Cypress spared them by dramatically clearing his throat. When the group turned around exasperatedly, he spread his hands in an innocent gesture, saying “What? Would you rather me let my melodious voice fall into ruin?” Ernie rolled his eyes, but jumped at the sight of Willow.

“Oh! Willow! How- er- nice to see you- uh- here!” he exclaimed much too awkwardly.

Willow smirked. “Talking about me behind my back, were you?” At the Hufflepuffs’ horrified stares, Willow quickly added, “Don’t worry, I don’t think less of you. I’d talk about me behind my back too, with all the stupid stuff I do. What’s the latest gossip on me?”

“Oh, just some unproven rumors,” Hannah said. “Some people are getting it in their heads that you’re Harry’s second-in-command and you petrified Hermione and Penelope. I don’t believe it, but Ernie had questions.”

“What? No, I don’t have anythi- “ Ernie began.

“Come on, you know you want to,” Paige interrupted, raising her eyebrows. “She’s an intriguing kind of mysterious, don’t you think? Don’t you want to know what she’s up to?”

“Paige, don't start yet another rumor!” Sally rebuked.

“Nah, I can handle anything Hogwarts decides to throw at me,” Willow said. She sat down and propped herself up on her elbows, facing Ernie. “So, you going to ask?”

Paige winked at Sally as if to say, “I told you so!” Ernie glanced from Willow to Hannah to Paige, slightly grimaced, as if holding something in, then nearly exploded with questions.

“Is it true that you can do advanced magic? Are you really second to Hermione in our year? Did you create a secret room in the Gryffindor common room? Do you go into the Forbidden Forest every night?”

Oliver shuffled from foot to foot. “Um…Ernie…that’s a lot of weird questions…”

Ernie’s face reddened. “Oh, um…sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, you’re fine!” Willow insisted. “I appreciate the concern, Oliver- great job speaking up, by the way, you’re getting exponentially braver- but I’m up for all the questions.” Oliver's face brightened in a mixture of pride and embarrassment. Willow paused for a moment to gather her responses. “Sort of, I’m pretty sure Draco would kill me if I did better than him, God no, and not every night, just pretty much once a week.”

Ernie’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Every week?”

“What do you mean by ‘sort of’ being able to do advanced magic?” Hannah questioned.

Willow choked on her own air. Oops. She’d walked right into that one. “Oh- uh, about that- “

“She’s good enough to be moved up a year in all of her classes except for Potions,” Paige interrupted, winking at Willow and smirking. “So technically, yes, she is able to do some advanced magic, especially those spells her grandma taught her- sorry, Abuela- she’s just too modest to say so.”

The Hufflepuffs’ jaws dropped to the floor. “No way!”

Willow mouthed THANK YOU to Paige. The Hufflepuffs chattered among themselves for a second, then Ernie suddenly gasped and loudly said, “Did you know that Jessica can also do advanced magic, but it’s dark magic?”

“Jessica Higgins? God, I’ve been trying to ask her about it since I heard about her last term!” Cypress said.

“I heard she cursed a fifth year girl in Ravenclaw to have a nosebleed that lasted an entire month!” Hannah added.

Before they knew it, the Hufflepuffs had sucked them into a giant group gossip session. Willow stayed silent and simply listened, trying to remind herself that it was all talk, but some things were far too blatant to ignore, like a seventh year couple that had allegedly gotten married in secret already. Oliver surprisingly added some observations of his own after a while. Cypress was always right behind him with confirming evidence, and the conversations almost became theirs to guide. Willow found herself smiling so much that the muscles around her mouth hurt. It was awesome to see how much more confident Oliver had become, especially when Cypress was by his side to support him. The duo were nearly unstoppable when together. Oliver made sure Cypress didn’t destroy the Potions classroom, and Cypress made sure Oliver didn’t avoid every social confrontation possible. It was almost meant to be, in Willow’s opinion.

The clock ticked by, and sooner than they anticipated, lunch came around. Willow and the other exchange students said their goodbyes and made their way to the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. Draco was being loudmouthed again, per usual, so Willow scooted as far down the bench as she possible could, her friends following suit. Sally and Cypress glared daggers at Draco as he made increasingly bold statements about the Muggleborn and Dumbledore situation. Willow fancied herself punching him straight in the mouth.

“I know what you’re thinking, but for once, I’m going to suggest you don’t do it,” Paige whispered.

Willow sighed. “He does deserve it, though. He’s being a whiny little bi- “

“Still, remember what McGonagall told you earlier this year? The house exchange depends on the cooperation and mutual respect between students.” Paige grimaced. “It pains me to say this, but for once, I suggest you save your anger for some one-on-one time with him.”

“But he’s being a douche now!” Willow whined. She crossed her arms and slouched. “You’re right, though. I’ll restrain myself.”

“Good. I can’t wait to see the bruise you give him.”

Willow smirked. “Don’t worry, I’ll make you proud.”

“What was it Ernie was talking about earlier, that secret room? I’ve heard some rumors about a loud screeching sound coming from the walls in the common room.”

Willow’s heart skipped a beat. “Well- uh, you see- that’s a difficult thing to explain. It might be better if I showed you what it was. Meet me in the Gryffindor common room after everyone else has gone to bed.”

“You can count on it,” Paige said, winking.

Willow found Paige waiting in the common room long after everyone had gone to bed. The fourth year flashed a rare full smile.

"For a second there I thought you'd chickened out. I'm glad I wasn't disappointed."

"Have you ever known me to chicken out? Wait, don't answer that, it's rhetorical!" Paige rolled her eyes while Willow placed her hand on the wall. The door materialized and unlocked, to Paige's mild amazement. "Come on, you're going to love Griffin, and V might make your day."

Willow and Paige slipped inside the dark room, then Willow flicked the switch, and they passed through the wall without trouble. All four creatures perked up at the sight of them. Paige's jaw nearly hit the floor. Willow smirked as the older girl tried to hide her awe, secretly over the moon about impressing her. Why was that? She didn't get time to wonder, as Griffin bounded up to them and instantly sniffed Paige all over, suddenly becoming very interested in her robe pockets.

"Whoa, he is pretty friendly, isn't he?" she remarked. Paige gently patted Griffin on the head, which he took surprisingly well. "I think he's even more beautiful than you described."

"Words could never do him justice. Isn't that right, handsome?" Willow cooed. Griffin looked up and flapped his wings, cocking his head in curiosity. Willow rubbed his chest. Griffin purred and shivered, falling onto his side in a state of bliss. "Is that your favourite word? Huh? Yes, you're a good boy, aren't you? Who gets all the bacon? You do, yeah!"

Paige laughed as Griffin's leg instinctively twitched like a dog's. Willow's chest got that fluttery feeling again. What was that? Griffin slapped her with his wings to get her attention once again, and Willow happily rubbed his belly.

"So are we going to give him a flying lesson, or what?" Paige asked.

Griffin shot to his feet at "flying," throwing Willow onto the floor. She sneezed as a few feathers flew under her nose. Paige helped her to her feet while Griffin paced around excitedly, making gurgling and purring sounds. Willow whistled for Felicity. A blur of blue and white landed on her shoulder, to the amusement of Fidget. V and Patch appeared from the undergrowth as well. Willow suppressed a giggle as V wrapped himself around her forearm, tickling as he did so. Patch being Patch, he stubbornly climbed onto Griffin's back and wedged himself in between the baby griffin's wings. Paige snorted at Willow's appearance.

"Merlin, you look like some nature spirit that just stepped out of the woods," she said.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Nah, it's almost as exotic as your Spanish voice," Paige said, smirking. "I like it."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Alright, let's go before you convince me to start cussing in Spanish. Filch is on the other side of the castle at this time of night. Griffin, quiet time!"

The girls silently made their way out of the castle and into the Forbidden Forest, where the night was alive with all sorts of creatures. Willow struggled to stop her powers from reaching out at all the sounds flooding her senses. There were herds of centaurs galloping in the distance, a deep-bellowing creature near a stream, and a group of unicorns danced down the nearest mountainside. Paige didn't seem to be afraid of the Forest. Willow wondered how terrified she would be without her powers. She was normally scared of the dark, something that went all the way back to- No, we're not dredging up sad memories right now. Wait until tomorrow to be depressed.

Griffin excitedly bounced around a familiar clearing. Willow inhaled a refreshing breath of clean air. The wiggentrees all around them glowed even more silvery-white in the moonlight, casting beautiful, almost translucent shadows of themselves onto their roots. Felicity gently landed in the nearest tree, picking off some bugs from the branches. V and Patch immediately burrowed beneath the bed of roots in search of some midnight snacks. Fidget was already asleep in Willow's robe pocket. Paige threw a stay branch to Griffin, who played fetch with it. Willow watched them for a while before interrupting.

"Okay, you ready for a flight, Griffin?" she asked. Griffin squeaked in delight, running in a few tight circles as he did so. "I thought you might like that. Come this way, Paige."

Willow led Paige and Griffin to the edge of the clearing, where a perfect climbing tree swayed gently in the night breeze. She climbed straight to the top, the other two following close behind, wincing every time Griffin broke a branch. Willow stood up as best she could with zero balance. Griffin followed her every movement.

"You ready, buddy?" Griffin squawked and flapped his wings. "I thought so." Willow carefully placed Fidget in Paige's robe pocket. "Keep this little guy safe, will you? He's awful tired today."

Fidget made a dramatic sighing noise and cuddled up against Paige. She gave Willow a thumbs-up. "We're all set here, I think."

Willow turned back to Griffin. "Get ready, boy! We're off in three...two...one...go!"

Willow transformed into a griffin and pushed off from the tree, the wind catching in her wings just enough to let her glide to the ground. Griffin did his best, but halfway down he brought in his wings too far and veered sideways, tumbling to the ground. Willow changed back and helped him back onto his feet. Griffin flapped his wings agitatedly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know it's frustrating, but you're getting there!" she encouraged. "Last time you could barely glide at all! Now look at you, making it halfway!"

Willow and Griffin climbed back to the top of the tree and took off three more times, improving Griffin's technique with each attempt. He made it three quarters of the way to the ground by the third try. Griffin was disgruntled about falling out of the sky so many times, but Willow gave him lots of pats and extra petting to try and communicate how well he was doing. To everyone's surprise, Griffin started trying to fly on his own after they climbed up the tree again, leaving Willow at the top of the tree. She didn't object. In fact, she'd been hoping he would start trying on his own sometime soon. Paige pretended to shove her out of the tree when she arrived at the top once again. Willow yelped and fell a few branches down. She blew a stray hair out of her face, looking up at Paige, who was smirking.

"Oops, sorry, didn't see you there," Paige teased mockingly.

"Oh, sorry, didn't realized gravity effected you." Willow commanded the tree to drop Paige, and she gasped as she fell a few branches below her. "Aw, did the tree hurt you? Do you need me to fix the boo-boo?"

"Shut up," Paige chortled. "You're going to hurt Fidget, by the way."

"Man, using an innocent creature as leverage! She keeps getting dirtier and dirtier!"

"Says the one that has unfair powers and uses them on a daily basis."

"Okay, I'm not going to lie, I tried not to use them during Herbology, but it's so hard not to! I mean, Professor Sprout could always use an extra hand, and the Outstanding in her class makes my Potions mark look better."

"Yeah, yeah, save it for the judge."

Willow and Paige pulled themselves back up to the top of the tree as Griffin fell head-first into the ground again. The clouds had finally cleared for once, revealing an array of stars unlike anything they'd ever seen. Constellations posed like ancient warriors in the sky. Bright stars laid out a sort of map, begging to be followed. There wasn't a single patch of dark blue left unlit. Willow could only remember one other time she saw the stars like that. Her face fell a little, but she kept thinking of happier things to try and fix it. How could she be sad when she had an opportunity to enjoy such a beautiful moment?

"Hey, grumpy butt, quit frowning," Paige said. "I should be enough to make you smile."

"That's the most self-centered thing I've heard you say all day," Willow chuckled.

"Hey, sometimes the truth hurts, and sometimes, it helps," Paige pointed out, spreading her hands in a gesture of innocence. "In all seriousness, though, what's making you sad? Do I need to punch someone in the face?"

"No, it's just- family crap."

"Ah. Relatable. I'm assuming you don't want to talk about it, so I have no other choice than to make you happy, don't I?" Paige pointed to a few constellations. "That one's Cowboy Ranchero, that one's Princess Airhead, and that one's Greek Dude That Slayed Some Monster That I Can't Remember the Name Of. Did I pass my Astronomy exam?"

"Absolutely not, but I like your way better," Willow laughed. "It makes it much more interesting."

"I don't think you can get any more interesting than making up your own names for random star shapes while a baby griffin crash-lands behind you every five seconds."

"Are you forgetting something?" Willow questioned, eyebrows raised.

Paige pretended to pause in thought. "Hmm, well, I'm pretty sure there's nothing else interesting about this moment. Glowing trees? Meh. Illegal pets? Nothing new. Crazy, world-altering powers inside a mentally unstable second year? Happens every generation."

Willow lightly punched her in the arm. "You're terrible."

"At Astronomy? Well spotted."

"No, you- Merlin, you're determined to outwit me, aren't you?"

Paige smirked. "Maybe, maybe not. I'm still deciding whether or not your abilities are up to par."

"Okay, now you're asking for it!"

Willow made the tree branches tickle Paige. She instantly melted into a giggling mess, begging Willow to stop because her sides hurt from laughing so hard. It turned out that Paige was especially ticklish. Willow finally relented, but not before she'd had a good laugh herself. Paige instantly wrapped Willow in a playful headlock, tasing her sides with her free hand. Willow squealed and begged for mercy, which she only got after she promised to stay up the whole night with Paige, something that she knew wasn't likely. They sat and stared at the stars for several moments after that, letting their heartbeats settle. Willow remained in Paige's arms without realizing it. She noticed after a minute how striking Paige's eyes were in the light of the moon. They seemed to glow with an almost holy silver-white. Her entire face was highlighted by the soft moonbeams hitting her chocolate skin tone. Willow wondered why that fluttery feeling was back in her chest as she caught herself staring. What did that mean? Was there something wrong with her?

"Hey, a shooting star!" Paige exclaimed, pointing at a beam of white light arching perfectly across the sky.

"Oh my God, it's like every cheesy movie ever," Willow giggled. "That's how they end almost every night scene."

"Still, that's pretty special to see it in real life," Paige said, eyes sparkling. Seriously, what was with that fluttering in Willow's chest? "We should make a wish. You go first."

"Hmm...I wish for my powers to cooperate."

"Mine's a secret."

"What? Not fair!"

"Hey, all's fair in love and war! And don't you dare over-analyze that statement! I'm not smart enough for a comeback!"

"Aw, you're smarter than me, just in a million different ways!" Willow said. "Don't put yourself down! That's my job, and Sally's ready to kill me for it. You're far too amazing to be mean to yourself."

A pinkish tint coloured Paige's cheeks, though only for a moment. "I guess I can try to be nice- to myself, that is."

Willow rolled her eyes. "You should be nice to everyone, but it's a start. You've got to love yourself before you can love other people."

"I don't know about that..." Paige murmured. Willow wondered what she meant, but as it didn't seem like Paige meant for her to hear that, she kept her mouth shut before she could say something awkward.

The two let a comfortable silence fall over them. Paige's eyes were so captivating in that moment, so full of life and light. Willow had never seen dark brown eyes reflecting her own so perfectly. And that fluttery feeling was back again! What was that? Willow forgot all about it in milliseconds as Paige’s wavy hair drifted in a gust of wind. She’d always wanted her hair to be as perfectly wavy as Paige’s, but it looked better on the older girl, she decided. She was wild and free, but soft and tame when she chose to be. They both were, when it came down to it. Willow was just a little more willing to let her guard down. Paige was dropping her defenses for once. Whether it was the purely happy aura, her glowing copper skin, or the beautiful laughter still remaining in Willow’s ears, she knew that Paige was opening up. The best part was, neither of them seemed to care. It was nice to be carefree together.

“You look good in moonlight. I think you should figure out a way to glow like that more often,” Paige said.

“You’re an angel in it compared to me,” Willow said.

“You know what? I’m not going to contest that one.” Paige smirked as Willow rolled her eyes. All of a sudden, the fourth year's eyes brightened ever further. “Hey, I have an idea. What if we each got a magical tattoo? You’ve been saying you wanted a tiny one eventually. I could get the moon, you would get the sun. That would be really cool.”

“How haven’t I thought of that before? I love it! You’re a night owl, I’m a morning person. You love moonlight, I love sunlight. It’s perfect opposites.”

“I know a tattoo artist in London. She’s pretty much the nicest person on Earth. She started begging me to get a tattoo years ago. She’ll be super excited to finally give me one, especially one that corresponds with another person. Lynn is a Muggle, but we’d have the ability to enchant the tattoos to move afterwards.”

“Did I ever tell you that you’ve got the best ideas?” Willow said.

“No, but you could start right now.”

Willow rolled her eyes. “You’re very conceited, you know that?”

“I always get away with it, don’t I?” Paige countered.

Willow smirked playfully. “Yeah, well, one of these times, it’s going to come back to bite you. I’ve got a prank planned out and everything.”

“Don’t tell me Fred and George have put you up to that.”

“No, they’re just supporting it. Fred made the difference very clear,” Willow giggled. “It will only be embarrassing until the end of time.”

“Only,” Paige said. She tried not to laugh as Willow suddenly yawned. “Aw, is little Willow tired? Is it past your bedtime? Can you not handle an all-nighter?”

“No, that’s your job, mine is to make your morning miserable,” Willow sleepily murmured.

“I’m looking forward to it. Counting on it, actually. Sleep well.”

Willow felt sleep pull her under a blanket of warmth, wondering why Paige’s eyes glowed with so much conflict swimming in between the moonlight as she drifted off.

During Potions the next day, Willow followed through on her promise to Paige and gave Draco a beautifully timed kick to the shin for sucking up to Snape. It was one of her best hits yet, she thought. Draco tried to retaliate, but noticed Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Gryffindor boys prepared to jump on him at the slightest movement and thought better of it. Willow one, Draco zero, she thought gleefully. Of course, it was all tied up when Draco purposely spilled an unfinished bit of their potion onto Willow’s hand and burned away a few layers of her skin. She held back a scream and glared daggers at Draco for the rest of the class, periodically wiping the blood on his arm to get back at him. It seemed to do the trick. He packed up his stuff faster than normal, anyway.

Herbology was easy as ever. It was mainly because Willow couldn’t be bothered to do any real work and used her powers to prune the Shrivelfigs in seconds, but she did actually try it on her own once and succeeded anyway. She wasn’t about to put more effort into the task than was demanded from it. Neville and Oliver tried really hard not to give into letting Willow do their work, but after easily dumping three loads of dead stalks each onto the compost pile, they sat back and ended up falling asleep while Willow lazily pruned the Shrivelfigs with a flick of her hand. Professor Sprout was busy enough with helping other students that she didn’t notice. Willow made herself useful by making sure Oliver and Neville didn’t fall off their stools while sleeping.

The hour mercifully ended and they were escorted to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Lockhart swept into the room frighteningly happy and jubilant. Willow dug her nails into her palms to stop herself from slapping that fake smile right off his fake face. Was he really stupid enough to believe the danger had passed? The monster was still lurking! Hagrid definitely wasn’t the culprit, no matter what the Ministry thought. He was simply incapable of hurting students. He baked Harry a homemade 11th birthday cake, for Merlin’s sake! Lockhart rambled on and on, though, digging himself into an increasingly deep pit of dislike. Willow wanted so badly to brush off the comments he made about knowing all along Hagrid was the one attacking students, but something about his know-it-all tone got to her. Draco gave her a dirty look.

“You’re going to get yourself expelled,” he hissed.

“I don’t really care at this point, Draco, I really don’t,” Willow growled. “No one’s allowed to talk that way about someone as innocent as Hagrid, especially not this fake git.”

Lockhart let out a hearty laugh across the classroom. “Oh, Lavender, don’t you understand? Hagrid’s been plotting the demise of this school since he was very young…Yes, I’ve had my suspicions, but I can’t act legally on a hunch, now…”

Willow’s knuckles were white, she was clenching them so hard. “That self-righteous git! He’s acting like the hero when he didn’t do anything!”

“Go ahead, hit somebody else for no reason today, will you?” Draco mumbled.

Willow slammed her fist on the desk. “You know what, Draco? I will!”

Draco’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “What? No, Willow, don’t do- !”

It was too late. Willow brushed off his attempts to stop her and stood up suddenly, drawing the attention of the entire class. She walked up to the front of the classroom. Lockhart turned to her with a false smile and unrealistically white teeth.

“Was there something more you wanted to know? I know some about Hagrid’s capture- “

“What were you saying about him earlier?” Willow said, trying not to let her voice shake with rage. “Something about ‘knowing all along’?”

“Oh, yes, I suspected him from the moment the attacks began! I confronted him about it once, you see, and he nearly attacked me! All I wanted was a simple conversation! Ah, this is why you can’t trust the innocent wizards in this world! It’s merely a facade to hide the darkness beneath.”

“You know, I’d say the same thing about you, but-“ Willow wound up and punched Lockhart hard on the cheekbone. She shook out her fist as he yelped and fell backwards. "Your ugly inside is now on the surface, too.”

The class erupted into chaos. Girls were screaming, some guys were cheering, and Harry and Ron were laughing in their seats. Lockhart’s cheekbone was already purpling as fast as Willow’s fist. Lavender appeared to be on the verge of crying, as did Mia and Fay. Draco furiously glared at Willow. She ignored his burning gaze. Lockhart stood up, thoroughly disgruntled, but hid his anger with a grin.

“Well, that was certainly- a show of strength,” he chuckled. “I’ve taken much worse, though!” He shot Willow a fearful and enraged look, but quickly covered it up for the rest of the class. “Someone must have slipped a potion into your pumpkin juice this morning! Do you need me to send you to Madam Pomfrey? She'll find the antidote in no time!”

“No, but I’d love to send you there,” Willow muttered through gritted teeth.

“What was that?”

Willow shot a spell at Lockhart. He was blasted backwards by the force of it, crashing into the wall and sinking to the floor. “Does that answer your question, you smarmy git?”

If the disorganization before hadn’t been enough, real pandemonium ensued after that. The majority of the students ran out of the classroom screaming for McGonagall. Students trampled each other to get out. A few Gryffindor Sisters remained in their seats in a shocked silence, then sprinted after the other students. Harry and Ron shot to their feet, however, and raced for Willow, trying to grab her. She evaded their attempts, however, and fired more spells at Lockhart, adrenaline clouding her mind. All she wanted was to see Lockhart as physically hurt as she was mentally. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Lockhart was a fake and a git and a leech to society! She couldn’t stand him any longer! Lockhart fled to his office, nearly tripping on the stairs, then locked the door behind him. Willow screamed and ran after him.

“Fight back, you coward! Run right into your office like the pansy you are!”

“Willow!” Harry shouted. “Stop it! Your powers- they’re going to hurt someone!”

“What?” Willow glanced down to see that sizzling footprints traced her steps from across the room. Ron yelped when he accidentally stepped on one. A desk collapsed in a burning heap. Willow’s heart stopped. “Did I…did I do that?”

Ron nodded slowly, eyes wide. “Yeah, but…how? I thought you could only do natural magic?”

“She can do anything relating to magical creatures. I’m guessing this was from a dragon’s arsenal of weapons,” Harry concluded. He tried to touch Willow, but recoiled quickly. “Your skin is boiling hot, too. It’s your Dark magic, isn’t it?”

Willow looked down at her hands, heartbeat escalating to an unsafe level. They were glowing a bright red, like hot coals from a fire, emanating with a menacing sort of heat. Willow’s chest rose and fell at a faster rate than normal. She frantically looked at Harry and Ron in turn, noticing the burns forming on their hands. Hyperventilating now, she saw the blasts in the wall where she had fired off spells. She could have done serious damage! She hurt her friends! Willow backed away from Harry, jumping when she bumped up against the railing.

“Stay back,” Willow warned, her voice cracking. “Please, I don’t want to hurt you. I’ve already burnt you enough.”

“No, Willow, it’s fine,” Harry said soothingly. “You just have to calm down. That will make it stop, I’m sure of it.”

“But- no, I can’t- this isn’t- “ Willow frustratedly stomped her foot. “I’m never going to get these under control! They pop up when I least expect, then take advantage of my negative emotions! When am I going to fix it?”

“Willow, you have to start by settling down- “

“Harry, how can I settle down when I did- when I did- “ Willow exasperatedly gestured to the room- “all of this!” She ran a hand through her hair, nearly burning herself in the process. “I can’t keep myself under control, I’m getting more emotional by the second…how am I supposed to keep these Dark powers from getting out?”

“I don’t know, but if you don’t want to start by serving a serious detention sentence, we might want to- er- leave?” Ron suggested.

“Yeah, we better go before McGonagall catches us,” Harry agreed. “The last thing we need is her finding us at the scene of the crime again.”

Willow swallowed hard, trying her best to draw in deep breaths. “She won’t be here for another minute. Guys, I feel terrible,” she said, glancing at each of their burns. “You could have been hurt pretty bad.”

Harry shrugged. “It’s not nearly as bad as regrowing bones in my arm.”

Willow sighed. “Still, I really messed up. I’m trying to get better with these powers, honestly, it’s just…Cebba was right. The Dark powers are fighting like hell to be predominant. Can you guys- can you kick me or shout at me or something whenever I get angry? I feel like that’s the root cause of all of this. If I calm down early enough or leave the situation, maybe I’ll be okay.”

“I’ll take that over being burnt any day,” Ron said.

“Ron!” Harry shouted.

“No, he’s right, I understand what he’s saying. I would rather stop the damage before it happens, too,” Willow said. She heard pounding footsteps growing too close for comfort. “Guys, we’ve got t-minus three minutes until McGonagall arrives at the most. Do you want me to heal you real quick?”

“Does that mean I get super-powered hands?” Ron asked.

Willow rolled her eyes. “No, Ron, just untoasted ones. Come here real fast, all of you.” Hands glowing with a soft yellow gleam instead of livid red, she drew the majority of the heat out of the pair's arms and hands. Ron watched in a stunned silence. “There, now I feel a little better about you guys. Now run, quick, before McGonagall catches you guys!”

“What about you?” Harry questioned.

“I’ll figure something out! Just go, she’s almost in the corridor!”

Harry and Ron sprinted out the door. Willow waited to make sure they safely got out, then simply walked up to the bottom of Lockhart’s stairs to his office, sat down, and waited. Her heart physically hurt. Willow felt devoid of emotion, like she had already shouted everything out. Professor McGonagall burst into the classroom a minute later, flabbergasted at all the damage. She caught sight of Willow and stared at her defeated position. Willow slowly looked up.

“Professor…I’m…I’m so sorry," she choked out.

McGonagall’s fiery eyes were unreadable.


	37. Year 2: Chapter 16

Willow did earn herself one of the longest detention sentences she’d ever heard of- one week. It was rather odd, though. Instead of writing lines or doing grunt work for Filch, McGonagall gave her the task of keeping watch at night with the prefects and teachers. Madam Pomfrey threw a fit about it, asking McGonagall if she was trying to get Willow killed, being reckless as she was with danger, but McGonagall insisted that it would keep her busy. It was an incredible turn of events. She wasn’t expelled! Professor McGonagall surprised her when she least expected it. Maybe it was out of sympathy for the emotional state Willow was in after Hagrid's sack, but she suspected it had more to do with personal hatred for Lockhart than anything.

Willow was given the west wing to patrol in a not-so-group effort with a Hufflepuff prefect and Professor Flitwick. It was the morning shift, but even with the preparatory nap she'd taken that afternoon and little bit of sleep she'd gotten, she was exhausted by four in the morning. Willow found herself falling asleep on her feet. She was forced to transform back and forth between a cat, a dog, and herself to stay awake, but even that wasn't doing much. Willow would be about as much help when presented with the monster as bringing a knife to a gunfight. She wished McGonagall had just given her a thousand lines to write instead; this was torture, and she had to endure it for an entire week.

Thankfully, by five, the sky began to lighten in the east, and Willow automatically felt energy rush into her veins. She didn't trip up the stairs anymore and actually managed to recognize where she was walking. Fidget yawned and slowly shook off sleepiness in her pocket. He entertained himself by swinging from a strand of Willow's hair, humming a high-pitched tune that sounded suspiciously like her favourite song. Had Fidget been paying that close of attention to her? She decided not to go mental and let him be.

By seven, the Gryffindors were beginning to flood the west wing on their way to the Great Hall. Willow received some friendly hello's and good morning's, but whenever a Gryffindor Sister passed by, they looked at her sorrowfully, then turned away and stormed off, apparently angry that she'd ruined their chances with Lockhart. Neville, Dean, and Seamus simply gave her a wider berth than usual, Sam being the only one brave enough to act as if nothing had happened. Harry and Ron didn't even show up. She wondered what that was all about, but didn't get time to ponder it.

Something had caught her eye. One of the knights in the Gryffindor Tower's hallway, which was usually standing tall and proud, was bent over and missing a few chunks of armor. Willow suspiciously stepped closer to inspect it, but heard something sizzling. She recognized it as gunpowder and instinctively jumped backwards. It was just in time, too, as the suit of armor suddenly flew into the air and exploded into a million separate sections of breastplates, gauntlets, and helmet. Each piece showered down as a new colour- bright pink. Willow realized only two very shameless pranksters would have timed this so perfectly and made it a blast from the past at the same time.

"Sorry to rain on your parade, but you looked awfully bored tramping around the castle this morning," Fred said dramatically, appearing from seemingly nowhere.

"We had to give you something to do," George added.

"Ha, ha, very clever, but you've forgotten that I know you guys far too well and have prepared for such an occasion," Willow countered. She pointed her wand at the mess. "Reparo!"

The armor reassembled itself in seconds, but the discolouration remained. Willow considered fixing that as well. In the end, she decided that if Professor McGonagall wanted her to guard the castle, she couldn't expect her to fix everything, too. Filch had to keep himself busy somehow to take his mind off of Mrs. Norris.

"Can you believe how much trouble you've got into since the first day of last term?" George asked.

"Unfortunately, I can, knowing the kind of company I keep," Willow responded smartly.

Fred's hand flew to his chest in mock hurt. "You might as well have shot me! Do you really think that lowly of my genius?"

"I'm pretty sure it's my genius, Freddy," George corrected light-heartedly.

"Yeah, only if we get in trouble," Fred snickered.

"Freddy! You promised to alternate!"

"You seriously have to alternate who takes the blame each time?" Willow chortled. "That's pretty sad. I mean, it's one thing to pull pranks all the time, but to get caught that often? You guys need to step up your game."

"You're the one that blatantly threw a punch at a teacher in the middle of class!" Fred exclaimed.

"And it's not like it's that hard to figure out who does all the pranks. We've practically patented them. Have you heard about-"

"Wow, word gets around fast," Willow whistled. "So you've already heard about my little- well, big- breakdown yesterday? Let me guess: everyone's slightly altered the story so much that it makes me sound like I took Lockhart's face off."

"Well? Did you?" Fred pointed out.

"Hey, why didn't you- "

Willow rolled her eyes. "No, I just gave him a beautiful bruise that Madam Pomfrey could unfortunately heal within seconds. Regrettably, I didn't do anything that would last."

"Is it 'ignore your twin' day?" George said.

Willow and Fred turned around and chorused, "Yes."

George threw up his hands in exasperation. "It's official, I've been replaced! Leave me to wallow in self-pity for the rest of my life!"

"Yeah, like you're capable of reaching my level of being depressing and irritable," Willow snorted. "I doubt you'd even be able to frown and sit in negative thought for more than sixty seconds."

"Oh yeah? Watch me!"

They reached the Great Hall. George made it a point to sit quietly and stare off into space, forcing himself not to smile. Fred bet Willow a sickle that he'd fail. She started her watch, and it was all of twenty seconds before George broke into a grin and started laughing so hard he was wheezing, trying to say something about a Ravenclaw girl's dumbfounded face. He noticed the exchange of the sickle and pouted.

"Fred, you're supposed to have my back!" he whined.

"Not when I have an opportunity to win bets, I'm not!"

Willow shrugged. "He's got a point. When you know who you're betting on, use it."

"Wait...you thought I might actually do it?" George asked.

Willow nearly choked on her pumpkin juice. She doubled over with laughter. “Oh, Merlin, no! Have you ever not been smiling a second in your life? I had zero hope for you. The only chance I had was if someone knocked you out."

Fred burst out laughing again while George's face slightly fell. He perked right back up, though. "Yeah, you're right, I can't take life seriously."

"It's nice to see you facing the truth every once in a while. How do you do it?"

"As if you don't get down with doom and gloom every single day. Don't look at me like that! You know you're horrible about being pessimistic one minute, then optimistic the next!"

"Yep. I'm as bipolar as they come- especially when it comes to food. Pass me the whole pile of roles, will you? I hardly ate anything yesterday. Tengo mucho hambre!"

"What does that mean?" George asked.

"I'm going to kill you in your sleep," Willow said, voice laced with sarcasm. She smiled. "What did you think it means? I'm dying of hunger over here! Surrender the rolls or your life!"

"You and your bloody bread...Mum would love you. She tries to get us to eat more of her homemade bread all the time."

"Would she really love yet another reckless Gryffindor blowing up random objects for their own entertainment, though?"

"On second thought, you better visit when she has the most patience," Fred said.

Willow smirked. "There it is."

She went to use her spoon to scoop some blueberries onto her plate and dropped it. The clattering startled everyone around her. Willow winced and retracted her hand, which was throbbing from the movement. It still felt super stiff and heavy. She glanced down to see that it was swollen and purple around the knuckles. George took her hand in his and examined it.

"Wow, did you do a number on Lockhart's face, or did it do a number on you?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "His cheekbone was the same colour as my fist, duh. There’s no other way for it to go down."

"Obviously, there is," Fred said. He watched as the swelling tried to heal fast, then stopped. "What's the matter with your powers here? Are they not working, or are you dying?"

"Whoever said I was melodramatic needs to meet you two," Willow said, shaking her head. "It must be the extreme heat from yesterday's- well, let's just say I may have accidentally super-heated my entire body and burnt some stuff. The dragon is strong within me. My hand probably swelled up super bad after the initial impact with all that added heat, and it's been trying to heal since."

"That's too much thinking. I couldn't do it," George said.

"We'll get there...eventually."

"Is that supposed to be an insult to my intelligence?"

"It depends on what you make it out to be. For all you know, I'm complimenting you."

"Yeah right. Willow Guerrero, handing out compliments like chocolates on Valentine's Day."

"Ugh, don't get me started on Valentine's Day. That was a complete mess. And I absolutely hate giving out chocolates to people. I'd rather buy them cheap the day afterwards and hoard them for myself."

"Speaking of Valentine's Day..." Fred trailed off.

George suddenly realized he was still holding Willow's hand. He dropped it, blushing slightly. "Sorry about that. I don't know how that transition made any sense, Freddy, but thanks for nothing."

Fred shot George a look, but George shook his head. Willow wasn't following the conversation. It must be one of those silent conversations only twins are capable of having, she decided. The bell rang to signal the end of breakfast, but before they could even get up, two letters were dropped in front of each of the twins. A familiar photo of a hot pink suit of armor and a condescending letter from Filch detailing a detention sentence were given to both. Fred and George high-fived each other.

"Looks like we might see you around the castle tonight, Willow."

"We've got cleaning duty again. Every suit of armor, trophy case, and relic in the west wing gets to be scrubbed down tonight."

"Sounds terrible," Willow chuckled. "I'll see you at ungodly hours of the morning."

The twins ran off to harass Lee and Paige; in other words, beg them for notes so they wouldn't fail their History of Magic test. Willow collected Oliver and made her way to Charms. Sally, Sue, and Cypress showed up shortly after, and just before the bell rang, Draco and his goons stumbled in, appearing very disgruntled about waking up before midday. They sat in their usual seats, which were right in front of Willow, and her out-of-house friends went towards the back of the classroom. Oliver commenced his usual pep-talk to wake up Cypress while Professor Flitwick began the lesson. Willow found herself drifting off every now and then, but her quill seemed to keep up enough to take pretty good notes. Lee would still be able to sell them- not that it was her first priority. As long as he was spending the money on Fred and George's pranks and parties, she didn't care how many copies of her notes he sold.

"Hey! Wisp! How did detention treat you last night?" Draco asked, smirking. "I heard all about your blow-up with Lockhart. Wasn't that quite literal? It's a shame you didn't blast him all the way to Venus."

"Ha, ha, I'm so entertained," Willow said. "Detention was perfectly boring, thanks. I regularly try to be an insomniac."

"Yeah, right. You're lucky you didn't get expelled. If Snape was Headmaster, you would already be pulling into King's Cross Station as we speak! My father thinks you're an idiot now. He was holding out hope you might turn out alright, but after that, there's no way he'd ever be able to change your mind about Hagrid and other oafs."

Willow whipped out her wand and held it to Draco's throat. "Say something that stupid again, and you'll see how stubborn I am about where I stand on this issue."

Draco glared at her, though there was a satisfying sparkle of fear in his eyes. "Fine, I'll shut up. Merlin's beard, Wisp, what's the matter with you?"

"Oh, only the small facts that the most caring person on Earth is currently being tortured while serving a false sentence, one of my best friends is petrified in the hospital wing, nearly every one of my friends is in danger, and you're being a complete arse to everyone."

Draco snorted. "And that's my problem how?"

"Because your father is the one causing all of this, and you haven't done a thing about it!"

Draco's eyes narrowed to slits. "You really think I could do anything against him? Sure, I might make a little bit of progress, but what happens when he finds out, Wisp? Have you ever thought of that?"

"Getting disowned is a small price to pay for saving hundreds of lives, Draco. Oh wait, I forgot, you don't care about anyone but you!"

Draco crossed his arms and slumped in his chair. "And they thought I was insensitive..." he muttered.

"Did you have something to say to my face, or are you too much of a coward to do it?" Willow growled. When Draco was about to say something, she interrupted him. "Save it. You know I can hear you well enough. Next time, don't miss your chance to say it like you mean it."

Draco turned away and scribbled furiously on his notes. The quill tip nearly broke he was pressing so hard, and ink was bleeding through some of the pages. Willow couldn't have cared less. If he was going to be such an arse, he could bring about his own destruction. At least she could say she tried to point it out to him. Flitwick had them practice a few charms on their partners about halfway through the class. Willow and Oliver managed to easily make each other speak in Swahili on their third tries, but Draco only caused Crabbe and Goyle to scream out operas and other embarrassing tunes. Professor Flitwick had to swoop in and undo the damage before they could be permanently singing "Phantom of the Opera" at the top of their lungs.

"Having trouble there, Draco?" Willow teased.

"You're next, dimwit," he hissed.

Willow wanted to say it was more likely he'd be doing cartwheels all the way to History of Magic, but she kept her mouth shut. She didn't want any more people to get stuck singing because she was firing Draco up. Seriously, there wasn't much talent in the singing arena in her year. The bell mercifully rang a few minutes later. They made their way to History of Magic in a tight-knit group following Professor Flitwick. When the Gryffindors arrived, Harry and Ron looked dreadful. They were falling asleep on their feet. The other Gryffindor boys were naturally tired, but not nearly as decimated as Harry and Ron. As to be expected, the Gryffindor Sisters wouldn't so much as look in Willow's direction. She hoped they would get over the petty fight soon. It was starting to grate on her nerves.

Draco purposely sat as far away from Willow as possible. She was honestly about to do the same. Harry and Ron sat to her right, and the rest of the Gryffindor boys and her exchange friends filled in the seats around her. They exchanged news from Charms and Transfiguration while they waited for Professor Binns. The unfortunate news that exams were not cancelled shocked everyone but Sue, who had been studying since last month for them. Seamus said something about taking one of Cypress's potions to make himself "sick" so he he had extra time to study. Cypress was perfectly fine with it as long as no one forced him to study. Oliver reluctantly agreed. Willow knew he would definitely study a lot around Cypress until he gave in. While Sally commenced her usual bickering and teasing of Sam to get his energy levels up before the boring subject, Willow sharply prodded Harry and Ron in the sides to wake them up.

"Bloody hell, you don't have to literally make it a rude awakening," Ron grumbled. His eyes snapped open. "Are there more of them?"

"More of what?" Willow asked.

Harry yawned. "Spiders. Ridiculously large, hairy spiders. The biggest ones could talk to us."

Willow blinked. "Was this a dream or you actually following the spider dirt road?"

Ron trembled in his seat, eyes wide. "Giant spiders everywhere- they could talk- spiders shouldn't be able to talk- I don't want to talk to a big bloody spider- Hagrid and his bloody beasts- "

"Whoa, whoa, are you sure you're okay to pay attention today, Ron?" Willow questioned.

Ron nodded stiffly, but he was still obviously reeling from horrible memories. Willow snapped her fingers loudly in front of his face. Ron jumped and looked from side to side, then relaxed, crossing his arms.

"I'm bloody fine, thanks for asking," he said.

Willow glanced at Harry, who shrugged unhelpfully. "If he says so, he's fine. It's not like he really pays attention anyway."

Willow frowned. "That's not a good thing, Harry."

"Neither is almost getting eaten by giant spiders, but something good actually came out of that nightmare," Harry said, lowering his voice to a whisper. Willow leaned closer. "We found out that when these attacks happened fifty years ago, a girl died in a bathroom. Who do we know that haunts a bathroom today?"

Willow gasped. "Moaning Myrtle! Harry, you're a genius!"

"Only if we're right about this," Harry said, slightly embarrassed.

Willow ruffled his hair. "We'll find half a brain in there someday, don't you worry."

Harry rolled his eyes and fixed his hair. Professor Binns finally floated through the chalkboard, and his monotonous voice began class. Willow took extra good notes so Hermione could study from them once she was unpetrified. Harry and Ron fell asleep again within five minutes. Willow smiled and levitated a stack of books under each of their heads. Cypress did everything but take notes: staring out the window, staring at Oliver, reading through One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, staring some more at Oliver when he fell asleep, and making faces at Professor Binns to see if he would notice. He didn't.

For once, Professor Binns ended his lecture early, and they had ten minutes of free time until lunch. Willow immediately got out her homework and began answering questions as fast as she could. Cypress cast a bored glance over her shoulder.

"Why would you do homework during class? Procrastination is the only way to get it done," he said.

"Spoken like a true master of procrastination," Willow chuckled, still writing away. "I've never been one to procrastinate in the first place, but I've actually got a lot to do tonight...and tomorrow...and the next week. I need every second I can get."

"You sound like you need insomnia. I'm pretty sure I could figure out a potion for that in two hours."

Willow laughed. "Unless you've got a powdered Hodag horn, I don't know if anything could induce insomnia long enough."

"As a matter of fact, I do have one of those," Cypress said, smirking.

"Let me guess: it's not technically yours, but if it's in Snape's private office, it's technically fair game, too."

"You said it, not me."

The bell rang, ending their conversation. Professor Binns wordlessly floated out of the classroom, not even bothering to check if everyone was behind him, and lead them to the Great Hall. Willow was reunited with a very unhappy Paige. She vaguely glared at a section of the Slytherin table, then pulled out a book and melted into it. Willow knew better than to ask what was wrong. Whenever Lee did that, it usually ended with him getting hexed, jinxed, cursed, or all of the above.

Willow spent the majority of her lunch getting homework done. Her exchange friends were unusually quiet and subdued. They eventually joined her with textbooks, note pages, and tests galore. Exams had surprised everybody with the state Hogwarts was currently in. As far as Willow knew, Hogwarts was one of those schools that enjoyed cancelling exams as much as possible. Teachers didn't like grading them, students didn't like taking them, and Filch certainly didn't want students sticking around by repeating years. Cancelling exams was a win-win, if you asked Willow. Cypress asked them why they would study so hard for something they should all know. Sue responded with an oral essay on how studying improved scores, reinforced learning standards, and correlated directly with future work ethic. Cypress almost seemed impressed.

Willow realized when the bell rang again that she hadn't even eaten anything. She grabbed an apple and flew to her next class, which was fortunately Transfiguration, one of her better classes. Professor McGonagall reminded them firsthand of exams. Anyone that hadn't already heard was thoroughly disappointed, but when offered the alternative Troll mark, they quickly changed their attitudes. Willow succeeded easily in the transformation of the day with Oliver and did it a few more times just to prove it to McGonagall, then buried herself in studying and more homework. Oliver helped her out with a few of the more textbook questions from Herbology and she in turn taught him a few Astronomy points. They'd nearly formed a study session with Sue and Sally by the end of Transfiguration.

"Hey, you know what we should do?" Sue suggested. "You guys should come to the Ravenclaw common room tonight with anyone that wants to study a little extra. We might actually make some headway with this mountain of homework."

"That sounds like literal Heaven right now," Willow sighed. "You'll find me there."

"Count me in, too," Sally added. "I would never get anything done otherwise. Sam will be forced to come as well."

"I can probably be there," Oliver said. "Cypress? Are you going?"

Cypress scoffed. "I don't need to study. I'm plenty smart the way I am. Learning definitions out of a book isn't going to prepare me for world domination. Potions should be the only exam I have to take."

"Well, it doesn't work that way, but I guess you'll do fine," Willow said, smiling to herself.

The rest of the day was a blur. She took a short nap in the Slytherin common room, which turned out to be a mistake, as Cypress stole her camera and took several embarrassing photos of her. It was a good thing she was a peaceful sleeper. Soon after that, Willow sprinted out to Hagrid's hut, fed Fang, let him tramp along beside her while she took care of some gamekeeper duties, nearly got herself poisoned by a strange venomous plant in Greenhouse Three, and returned a sleepy Fang home. Then, she stealthily snuck into the secret room in the Gryffindor common room, got tackled by Griffin, refreshed his memory of the training they'd done so far, argued with V, and checked to make sure Patch and Felicity were healthy, too. Finally, already exhausted and wishing she'd taken a longer nap, Willow made her way to the Ravenclaw common room, gave an unflattering answer to the bronze eagle, and pushed through the door, finding her Ravenclaw friends and Oliver already sprawled out with a million textbooks and notes on the floor.

"There you are! We thought you'd fallen off the face of the Earth!" Lisa exclaimed.

"Did you? I have a bet going with her," Mandy said eagerly.

"No, but I wish I could," Willow sighed, collapsing to the floor beside her. "I've been up for seventeen straight hours if I don't count the hour-long nap I took after class today."

"Are you sure you're okay to study, then?" Oliver asked, worry etched into his face. "You could get sleep deprived, and then you could get sick, and you don't need to be getting sick."

Willow smiled tiredly. "It's okay, Oliver. I won't get sick. I'll make sure I get at least six hours."

"Is that enough?"

"Well...no, but it's the bare minimum, and it's all I've got time for at the moment. Thanks for caring about my well-being, though, unlike some people," Willow said, pointedly staring at Mandy, though the corner of her mouth was pulled slightly upwards. Mandy winked and grinned. Willow rolled her eyes, glancing over the textbooks. "What do we have here? The world's worst assortment of subjects ever to exist?"

"You could say that again," Lisa said, biting her lip when she noticed the extensive Astronomy notes. "I feel like I haven't even heard of half this stuff before. What are we going to do?"

"I say we create a cheat sheet," Mandy suggested.

"We can't cheat on an exam, Mandy!" Sue gasped. "We'll get expelled!"

"Not a real cheat sheet, I'm not stupid enough to do something that obvious. I'm talking about a simplified list of the main topics in each subject. If we pretend it's a cheat sheet, we'd end up keeping it as short and concise as possible, just enough to jog our memories. We could study off of that, and whenever we don't remember something, we mark it down and study it a little more, then check off the list as we go," Mandy explained. She crossed her arms and smirked. "How's that for a smart idea?"

"It's brilliant! I always knew you were!" Lisa exclaimed.

"I agree! Why didn't you just call it a study guide, though?" Sue asked.

Mandy shrugged. "It's much more fun to watch your reactions. Your faces are priceless."

"I think we should go with your idea," Willow suggested, already finding a sheet of parchment for each subject. "What if we each took a subject and broke it down? We'll get through it much quicker that way."

"Astronomy, Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, and History of Magic...we're short a person," Oliver concluded.

"Not anymore," Mandy said, pointing at the entrance of the common room. Sally and Sam appeared behind a prefect, obviously agitated about having to answer a riddle. "Smiths! You've got History of Magic!"

Sam pretended to leave, but Sally yanked him back. "Oh no, you're helping me with this one, Sam."

Sam begrudgingly complied. Papers and textbooks and notes and random items flew everywhere as they gathered what they needed for each subject. Willow was assigned Potions. She already had problems with writing far too much on everything she did, but with Potions being the most in-depth subject they'd studied so far, she was doomed. Mandy was eventually hired to slap her every time she wrote in flowery details or made it too story-like. "Just the facts, Willow!" Mandy exclaimed at one point. "You're writing a study guide, not a novel!" Willow finally figured out how to make it more like a list with bullet points underneath by the time her left forearm was bright red. A little unorthodox, of course, but it worked. After half an hour, the group convened with their separate study guides. Willow thanked her lucky stars that they all had good handwriting.

"Alright! Now what?" Sally asked.

"Now we go over what's written and discuss the topics, asking and answering questions, shouting out mnemonic devices, memory tricks or rhymes, filling in missing information, and anything else we need," Sue said.

"How is she so smart? Why am I not that smart?" Sam said.

"You were born with a...er...differently-functioning brain?" Sally tried.

"Yeah, we all know you're trying to be nice, Sally," Mandy said. She slapped Sam on the shoulder. "And that's for breaking our rule of not hating on ourselves. You're smart, Sam, we've just got to figure out how to apply that to books instead of football teams."

"But- but- why else would I exist if not to love Manchester United and memorize every single stat?" Sam spluttered.

Willow patted him on the back. "I understand, but even those guys have to memorize the definition of velocity and viscosity at some point." Her friends glanced at her quizzically. "It's a Muggle science thing. Now are we going to study before I fall over dead?"

The hours went by in an exhausting blur. They went subject by subject, unit by unit, note by note, until everyone had all the information at least presented to their brain. Willow had to give full lectures on some History of Magic units. Mandy was again hired to keep her on track, slapping her every time she got off topic and related it to unnecessary Muggle history. Oliver and Lisa happened to love the flowery details that she put in and convinced Mandy to back off on those ("If you can remember small details, the actual big ideas should be easy, Mandy!"). By the time the clock struck midnight, Willow's voice was practically nonexistent, Sam was asleep, and the rest were dead tired but full of knowledge from the year. They decided to meet every night for the next week- with shorter time spans, of course- until exams took place on June 1. Willow hoped she would make it through.

Sally teamed up with her to drag Sam back to the common room. He barely woke up enough to walk back. Willow wondered if Sam would move faster if she turned into a porcupine and chased him through the halls. She decided she was becoming delusional and probably shouldn't use her powers in her state. They finally made it back to the common room around quarter after, and trudging up the spiral stairs, they made it to their dormitories, where everyone else was asleep. Sally went to the bathroom to shower, but Willow simply collapsed in bed, passing out before her head even hit the pillow.

The next four days were like hitting a repeat button for Willow. Her day started out with getting up at one in the morning, sluggishly walking about the west wing, eating hardly anything at breakfast and lunch, pinching herself to stay awake during classes, doing homework before, during, and after classes, studying during meal times, taking a short nap, sprinting outside to do gamekeeper duties, taking care of Griffin and company, and giving lectures to her friends about History of Magic, then hardly sleeping a wink before she had to do it all over again. At least the first night she had Fred and George to keep her awake, but McGonagall caught them trying to get in trouble for the sole purpose of entertaining Willow during her sentence and confined them to the Gryffindor common room from the hours of 7pm-7am. Willow wished she would have let them get on with it, because she sure could have used their help the other nights.

Three days before exams, she was so tired after yet another eventful morning of patrolling the west wing that she fell asleep at breakfast. A loud chorus of cheering jolted her awake. Willow blearily glanced around, wondering what all the commotion was about. She got her answer when Parvati teared up and said, "We're finally getting Hermione back!" Apparently, the Mandrakes were being harvested today and the petrified students would be revived. Willow was so happy that she actually felt her energy levels rise above negative five. Colin, Hermione, Penelope, Justin...they were all coming back!

Suddenly, a small redhead brushed by. Willow saw Ginny's crimson cheeks and glanced in the direction where she had come from. She realized Harry and Ron were staring after her, confusion etched onto their faces. Willow's stomach jolted. Had Ginny finally told Harry in person? She shot to her feet, nearly tripping herself on the bench, and streaked after Ginny, who was quickly attempting to leave the Great Hall. Ginny paused when she heard pounding footsteps coming after her. Her face lit up in recognition.

"Willow! It feels like I haven't talked to you in ages!" she exclaimed, hugging her. A frown worked its way onto her face. "You look like you didn't sleep at all last night! What happened?"

"Oh, I...uh...I may or may not have attacked Professor Lockhart for dissing Hagrid," Willow admitted, wincing. "Professor McGonagall was kind enough not to expel me, but she wasn't about to lighten up on my punishment. I've got three days left of morning corridor patrols."

Ginny's eyes widened. Was that...guilt in her expression? "Willow, I'm- I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you had to do that."

"That's no matter. I brought this upon myself," Willow said, waving away her concern. She took Ginny's hands in her own, eyes alight with excitement. "What matters the most right now is what just happened with Harry and Ron. Did you finally tell him? How did he react? I have to know!"

Ginny's hands slightly trembled in her own. "Oh- no, I didn't tell him. I was trying to say something...but it didn't work. I was too scared."

"Aw, that's okay! You'll get brave and do it eventually! Look at it this way: if you were this close to it now, how much easier will it be in a week's time? Maybe even a little longer?" Willow hugged Ginny. "You've got this! You're so much braver and stronger than I'll ever be."

Ginny's face lit up with a ghost of a smile. "Thanks. I hope I can prove that to be true."

"Did you hear that Colin's coming back today? I can't wait to catch him up on everything that's happened since he was petrified! How long ago was that? It was several months ago, at least..."

Ginny paled slightly. Was she sick or something? "Yeah! I can't wait to say hi to him again! We've all missed him."

Willow felt Ginny's forehead. "Are you okay? You're more pale than usual. Do you need me to ask Madam Pomfrey to whip up one of her famous Pepperup Potions?"

Ginny shook her head, though much more stiffly than usual. "I'm fine. If anything, you need to see Madam Pomfrey about sleeping through a morning class tomorrow. You're going to catch something awful with zero sleep!"

Willow shrugged. "Hey, it will all be over in three days. I'll manage until then."

Ginny gulped. "Yeah, three days...I hope you do well on your exams if I don't see you before then, Willow!"

"The same for you, you smart little cookie," Willow said, ruffling Ginny's hair.

Ginny smiled thinly, then ran off to the bathroom. What was up with her? She looked more sick than ever. Something about the way that she said "three days" was putting Willow off. Something was obviously wrong, but what? Willow shook her head. Ginny was a big girl. She could handle herself. Willow meant it when she said Ginny was the strongest girl she knew. If there was anything standing in her way, she'd blow right through it like it was nothing. Willow was probably loopy from lack of sleep, too. She might be seeing the changes over Ginny as worse than they actually are. Willow's stomach growled, so she sauntered back into the Great Hall, grabbing a piece of toast to eat while she went over another unit in Potions. When the bell rang, she formed up with the rest of the exchange students, traveling to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Throughout the beginning of class, Willow was just awake enough to pay attention. Lockhart cast many a wary glance in her direction. Whenever he said something about Hagrid, Willow would shoot a glare at him, and the colour would drain from his face. He began to retract some of what he said about Hagrid, even moving onto the only other topic he cared about: himself. Lockhart began to share one of his most self-appointed heroism stories in the middle of the hour. Willow rolled her eyes and laid her head down on her desk, falling asleep within seconds. A sharp jab in her side woke her up.

"Hey, what- " Willow blinked to clear her vision. A downcast-looking group of girls she recognized as her Gryffindor Sisters were staring at her. Willow raised her eyebrows "Why aren't you guys trying to talk to Lockhart?"

"Willow, we're sorry for the way we've been treating you over the past few days," Lavender apologized.

"We had no right," Mia said.

"We didn't realize that you attacked Lockhart because he was saying terrible things about Hagrid," Fay added.

"All we saw was our chances with him getting ruined," Parvati said, wringing her hands. "You saw it a long time ago, and now we see it, too. Hagrid would never do any of those things Lockhart is talking about. He's a liar and a self-absorbed git, exactly like you said. We can see that clearly now. Sally pointed it out."

Willow glanced at Sally. "You did?"

Sally nodded. "I may have a thing for dazzling smiles and perfect blonde hair, but when it comes to dishonesty, that's the make-or-break quality. Lockhart is a phony, and the worst kind."

Willow sat up straight, smiling. "I knew you guys would come around eventually."

Her Gryffindor Sisters squealed and surrounded her in a group hug. A few people stared, but no one questioned them, already knowing of their insanity. Eventually, they pulled away, Mia and Fay getting a little emotional.

"So...apology accepted?" Mia sniffed.

Willow nodded. "I'm supposed to get through my Hogwarts years with a little drama, right?"

Fay barely held in a scream. "I knew you'd come around eventually!"

The bell rang, and Lockhart reluctantly guided them to their next class, History of Magic. Harry and Ron mysteriously dropped away and disappeared, but Willow had a feeling they knew exactly what they were doing. They'd be fine. The Gryffindor Sisters spent the entirety of the journey making faces and rude gestures towards Lockhart, giggling quietly to themselves whenever he turned around and barely missed them by milliseconds. He seemed awfully suspicious of Willow, but didn't say anything, instead divulging yet another false story onto his enraptured Slytherin girl audience. Willow and her sisters practically sprinted into the History of Magic classroom to get away from the grossly self-centered tale. She hardly got to sit down for a second before someone gripped her arm tightly.

"Outside, now," he growled.

"Hey, what are you- !" Willow was dragged into the corridor, where she found herself face-to-face with Draco. She yanked her arm out of his grip. "You better have a really good explanation for this."

"I do, actually," Draco shot back. Willow noticed for the first time how pale and weak he appeared. "I got a letter this morning that you might be interested in. If you don't want to read it, I'll gladly shred it."

"What? No, let me see it!"

Draco pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to her, gray eyes stormy. Willow quickly scanned the page, her heartbeat thumping faster with each sentence. She wanted to pass out by the end. The exhaustion lifted from her limbs, and adrenaline seeped into her veins.

"Draco, you're sure he meant every word of this?" she asked. "There's absolutely no doubt about the plan?"

"No, why else would I show you?" Draco retorted. He suddenly shivered. "It's happening today, Wisp. I thought he was just doing this out of spite, hoping to get rid of Dumbledore and some of the staff, but this...this is too far. Someone is going to die, Wisp! I had no idea! Who it is, how it's being done, where, I have no clue, but- "

Suddenly, an announcement thundered throughout the school. Willow covered her ears from the intensity of McGonagall's voice. Students streamed out of classrooms and flooded the corridors, racing to get back to their common rooms. Draco and Willow exchanged a look of panic.

"Wisp, it's happening now," Draco said, voice pitched. "You have to do something."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you're the one that's used to saving the school!" Draco hissed. "You know how to drop everything, jump into action, and save the day! I don't!"

"You mean I'm the one that's willing to get expelled," Willow said. "You're right, though. Now how do we stop this?"

"I- I don't know," Draco said quietly.

"What do you mean, you don't know? You're the one who knows the most about the situation!"

"Wisp, if I knew how, I would have already told Snape the moment I received this letter and gotten rewarded like a hero, alright? My dad isn't stupid. He doesn't tell me anything I could use to my advantage. All I know is everything I've told you already!"

"So what do I do? Where do I even start?"

"You're the bloody Gryffindor! You figure it out! You've got plenty of Ravenclaw friends to help you!"

"That's not- " Willow sighed. "Fine, I'll do it. But if I die, you are so getting haunted for the rest of your life. Thanks for the information. Now go to your common room before we get trampled by these sixth years!"

They parted ways. Willow sprinted through the corridors, dodging a number of older students who were pushing and shoving each other along. Prefects tried to restore order and calmly get everyone back to their common rooms, but it was no use. The paranoia that had begun months ago all came crashing down at once. Students were crying, begging for the monster not to kill them, screaming whenever they saw a shadow flit across the ceiling. The moving staircases saw students falling off and barely being caught by other classmates far below.

A group of first years screamed as three of them fell over the edge of a staircase, shoved aside by some burly fifth years. One of them was bawling her eyes out. The other two were barely managing to hang on with a few scrapes on their knees and arms. Willow vaulted over some toppled third years, dodged a large pack of terrified boys, and found herself directly in front of the first years. Their two friends were managing to pull one of them up, but the other two were slipping. Willow grabbed a boy and pulled him up, setting him on the ground when his legs wouldn't hold him up any longer. She moved onto the next boy, but when she tried to grab him, his hands slipped and he began to fall.

Time suddenly slowed down. Willow's heartbeat thundered in her ears. She put one foot over the railing. She put the other one over. She shoved off. She was free-falling. People screamed everywhere. The boy was inches away. Willow grabbed his hand. Another staircase raced towards them. Willow wrapped the boy in her arms. She flipped around. She braced herself for impact. She collided with the staircase with an enormous CRACK! The boy rolled over, and Willow lay there, stunned.

Time suddenly resumed. Searing pain shot up and down her spine. Willow could feel her powers incinerating her pain sensors, trying to heal her as fast as they could. The staircase around her was worryingly riddled with gaps and cracks. When she sat up, she was very light-headed, dizziness capturing her balance and replacing it with vertigo. The movement of the staircase underneath her didn't help any. A single student approached and helped her to her feet. Willow stumbled a bit, rubbing her temples. She hadn't hit her head very hard, but it still hurt, and she couldn't seem to regain her balance.

"Are you okay? Hey, talk to me, are you okay?" the student asked.

Willow nodded, though the motion hurt. The student looked vaguely familiar. She had long, wavy, beautifully dark hair, and dark brown eyes that stared straight into her soul. When the student cupped her hands around her face, Willow suddenly recognized the touch.

"Paige...?"

"Yeah, it's me. Hang on just a second." Paige balled up her fists in a rage, pointed her wand to her throat, and whispered a spell. She cupped her free hand over her mouth.

"ENOUGH!" she shouted. Her voice was surprisingly magnified and bounced through the space. The entire room fell silent and stared at her. "EVERYONE, SHUT UP, STOP RUNNING, AND GET TO YOUR DORMITORIES CALMLY! THE MONSTER IS NOT IN THIS AREA, OR MCGONAGALL WOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING! SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT FOR NOTHING! SHUT UP AND MOVE CALMLY!"

The students' faces turned red. It was utterly silent as they paraded slowly up the stairs and filed into the Gryffindor common room or headed towards Ravenclaw tower. Paige picked up a very unwary Willow and made her way upstairs. People stared at Paige's livid face as she stormed by, but when she glared at them, they suddenly became interested in their shoes. She was given a clear path to go into the Gryffindor common room. Willow was set gently on the couch and given some water, then rolled over so Paige could check on her back.

"Wow, there really is a spine in there," she joked. "All this time watching you bend yourself in half with that flexible back, and it turns out you do have a backbone. It's just made of jello. Bruisable jello, unfortunately." Paige sighed. "Why do you always have to do heroic things that get you hurt?"

"Just to make sure you care," Willow chuckled, though the movement hurt.

Paige rolled her eyes. "I do care. Deep down in that pit that I don't show on the surface. It's somewhere around here. Just give me a year to dig it out."

Willow smiled and relaxed into the couch. "How bad is it? My jello spine, I mean."

"Uh...healing unnaturally fast. I think you broke a rib or two as well, but they must have been clean breaks, because they're in position and trying to heal already. I should probably wrap your ribs."

"Go for it."

Paige brought out a makeshift wrap and had Willow sit up. She carefully, almost tenderly, wrapped the cloth around her ribs, making sure it wasn't too tight or too loose. Willow had never seen this gentle side of her before. It was almost more beautiful than her outer looks, and that was saying something, because she was drop-dead gorgeous already. Wait...why was she thinking about that?

"There, feel better?" Paige asked.

"Good enough to run a marathon," Willow teased. She saw something out of the corner of her eye. "Hey, what's up with Fred and George?"

Paige glanced over, too. Their hearts sank at the sight. The twins and Percy were gathered in the corner of the room, on the verge of tears and hugging each other. Willow had never seen Fred and George so deflated. Normally, even when they were a bit sad, they were good at hiding it and going off to prank someone. Right now, they were barely holding it together. Fred sat with his knees up to his chest. George had his arm around his brother, staring forlornly at the wall. Willow painfully rose to her feet and hobbled over to them, Paige on her tail.

"Guys, what happened? Where's Ginny?" she asked.

Fred buried his face in his knees. George couldn't even bring himself to look at Willow. "She's gone," he said hoarsely.

"What do you mean, 'she's gone'? Where could she be?"

George's voice was shaking now. "The monster from the Chamber. It took her. There's a bloody message on the wall and everything. She's dead, Willow. We'll never see her again."

The words hit her in the chest like a mallet. Willow forgot all about the pain in her back. It felt like someone had taken a knife and stabbed her right in the gut. Her legs gave out, and Willow sank to her knees. She had just seen Ginny this morning. Was that what she'd been trying to tell her? Did she know something bad was going to happen to her? No, she couldn't have. She would have said goodbye, right?

"Mum and Dad are going to be here soon. Tell them...tell them we're not in the mood to say hi," George said. He grabbed his twin, slowly, numbly making his way upstairs, where they locked themselves in their dormitory and shut off the light. Percy just sat where he was, lost in thought. Willow felt the gravity of the situation falling onto her shoulders. This was real. This was really happening. The plot that Draco had told her about was being executed on one of her best friends. And it was all because Lucius thought Ginny was a blood traitor. Willow felt a pair of arms wrap around her as a hot tear fell down her cheek.

"We're going to figure it out, Willow, I promise," Paige whispered. "We'll figure it out."

Willow nodded. "Yeah, we'll figure it out. We have to."

She allowed Paige to guide her back to the couch. For at least a half hour, Willow sat there, traveling through memories of Ginny from the past year while Paige ran a hand through her hair. How could she help Ginny now? She was probably dead already, lost in the Chamber forever. No one had a clue where the Chamber even was, so how could she even try to save Ginny? Draco's letter and revelations were no help now. She couldn't fix anything. They were stuck. Willow was helpless to save her best friend, and there was nothing she could do to alleviate the pain. Eventually, her Gryffindor Sisters and the Gryffindor boys, minus Harry and Ron, showed up, surrounding her.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Sam asked.

"Like I just jumped off the staircase again," Willow replied.

"We saw you save that first year. That was super brave of you," Fay said.

Willow flashed a ghost of a smile. "Yeah, I call it more of a tragic necessity."

"We're really sorry about Ginny, Willow. We know how much she meant to you," Dean said.

Willow sniffed, her voice hoarse. "I'll be okay eventually, right?" She let out a mirthless laugh. "It feels like we should be happy today, celebrating the revival of all those petrified people in the hospital wing, but this happens, and even more hope is taken away from us than we had to begin with. They're closing the school tomorrow. We've lost everything."

A sad silence settled over the group. Mia started crying, burying her face in Fay's shoulder, who looked close to doing the same. Everyone seemed like they were holding back tears. Neville wiped his eyes, Dean and Seamus were squeezing each other's hands, Sam and Sally were embracing each other, and everyone else was staring off at the wall, lost in though. It was the saddest moment Willow had ever lived through. Not only had they lost Ginny, but their future as well. The last scraps of hope they had been clinging onto evaporated in the blink of an eye. What were they supposed to do now? Where would they go for schooling? Would they ever finish their magical education?

Willow wanted to march straight up to the Minister of Magic and demand answers, but she knew that wouldn't change anything. The school was closing for their own safety. If only she had tried a little harder to find the monster and stop it, maybe they wouldn't be having this moment. Ginny wouldn't be dead, Colin wouldn't have missed half the year, Draco wouldn't be trapped between his father's actions and his own opinions, and Hagrid wouldn't be in Azkaban. Willow tried to tell herself it wasn't all her fault, but it didn't do any good. She just felt so...lost. She'd always had an internal compass, directing her onto each path as easily as she chose what she wanted to eat for breakfast. Maybe it was the exhaustion from staying up four nights in a row, maybe it was her depleting mental state, or maybe it was teenage hormones, but no matter what, Willow couldn't shake the feeling that she had missed something, that she hadn't tried hard enough, that she had let all this happen without lifting a finger. It was driving her back behind a wall she hadn't raised since she was very young, one that had taken two years to remove. Would she had to go through all of that again?

"Well, since the school's closing tomorrow, and we're probably never going to see each other again, how about one last game to get all the juicy secrets out?" Lavender croaked, breaking the silence. "One last round of Truth or Dare to call it for good?"

Everyone nodded numbly. They gathered around in a circle, collapsing on the comfy couches, chairs, and carpet that they had come to love as their own. Willow could hardly believe she would be leaving it all behind the next day. She never would have thought, waking up that morning, that she would be ripped away from her second home. That morning, she'd been complaining about tramping around the corridors during a time she should have been sleeping. Now, she wished she could memorize every last detail of the castle, remember every nook and cranny, recall every last place where she and her friends had hung out, caused mischief, and lived. Willow never would have thought when she woke up that morning that she would lose Ginny so fast. She'd taken all of her friends for granted for so long. She didn't realize how much she was living compared to a few short years ago. Glancing around the circle of second years and Paige, Willow wondered how on Earth she was supposed to say goodbye.

"Alright, cheer up, you lot, we've got a lot of scandalous secrets to uncover," Fay announced, though her smile seemed forced. "If you haven't played before, you'll catch on quickly. The only new rule is you've got to call on someone who hasn't gone yet. I'll start." She turned to Mia with a knowing grin. "Mia, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Mia said.

"How much had you studied for exams this year?"

Mia burst out laughing. "Like, three hours! I almost forgot about them, and this late in the year, I decided to call it quits. Guess that was...an unfortunately lucky decision." Mia's expression clouded, but she shook it off. "Sam, truth or dare?"

"Uh...dare?"

"I dare you to arm wrestle that fifth year over there. Yeah, that big one in the corner."

Sam's eyebrows shot up, but he still rose to his feet and walked over to the big fifth year girl. The second years excitedly gathered into a tight cluster to watch from afar. Sam pushed as hard as he possibly could, but the older girl simply yawned, looking bored, and crushed Sam's arm after ten seconds. Sally busted a gut, enjoying her twin's demise, and for the first time since the announcement, the second years had a little colour to their faces, some of them even snickering. Sam's cheeks were beet red by the time he sat back down.

"You all...didn't see anything," he said. Sam narrowed his eyes at his still laughing twin. "Sally, truth or dare?"

Sally suddenly stopped laughing, eyes wide. "Truth!"

"How many boys have you kissed this year?"

Sally's eyes widened further than humanly possible. "You little snake! You know exactly- Ugh, fine, four, but none of you are to repeat that! Sarah Brown would absolutely murder me if she caught wind of that!"

"Thanks for the inside information," Lavender said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Sally groaned. "I hate you guys, you know that?" She cast around the room, then grinned evilly. "Willow, truth or dare?"

"Definitely truth."

"Were you the one that made Daphne Greengrass act so funny all year?"

Willow smirked. "I had a little help, of course."

An eruption of noise met her response. Cries of "I knew it! I called it months ago!" and "You owe me two butterbeers!" startled the older students sitting in tight groups around the room. The second years were completely unapologetic, though. They were just starting to have fun again. The game picked up after that, the questions and dares becoming increasingly bold until it was almost too much for some people. There were red faces all around by the time Lavender called the final round. She had Paige begin, as she volunteered to be the final victim of the game at the end of the round.

"What? None of you are going to get to me. Take that as a challenge, if you will," she said in response to raised eyebrows.

"But we already know the person you fancy is in this room! You said so last round!" Parvati pointed out. "We have ammunition against you now! You better choose carefully!"

Paige rolled her eyes. "You know I take everything in stride. Pretty much everyone knows who everyone liked at every point in their Hogwarts career by now. Let's see...who's the next victim...oh, Willow, don't kill me, but truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Bold of you to assume I'll let you off easy," Paige said, smirking. She pointed to a girl playing a guitar next to the large window overlooking the Forbidden Forest. "Convince her to give you the guitar, then sing us a song. You have to actually try, too."

"Aw, Paige, you're so mean!" Willow whined. She sighed. "Fine, but you owe me big time."

Willow's friends cheered her on as a collective group as she received the guitar from the girl. She hoped her dad's Spanish guitar lessons had remained in her head and plucked a couple of chords to make sure she remembered them correctly. Then, she began to sing a song she'd kept close to her heart ever since she was very little, something she'd created with her mother long before she went crazy.

"Away, away, we go away

I see the meadow's fawns

Traveling along the river's edge

The current sings its song"

Willow's voice carried across the common room, drawing stares from every single person in it. She felt her cheeks redden and her voice slip, but she kept going, her fingers remembering the feel of the guitar her dad had given her all that time ago. Everything was so familiar, the images in her head, the embarrassment of performing in front of friends, the beat of her heart falling in rhythm with the music...

"I carry life upon my back

Father, Son, Holy Spirit to please

I run, I jump, I swim, I leap

Returning to the cherry tree"

Willow's mind dove back into happy memories, before all the darkness descended on her life. She closed her eyes and remembered the real-life place that had inspired the song. The park was still there in her mind's eye. She could still feel the moist soil as she planted rows and rows of flowers, still taste the sweet berries growing on the lush bushes, still smell the wild onion in the nearby forest, still hear the gentle rustling of leaves in the trees, still see her mother's face heavenly face. She was wreathed in sunshine, her smile a million times brighter than the beams of light that lit up her cheeks. Willow used to joke that she was an angel and the sun was her halo. Her mother was still there, playing tag with her in the park, hugging her dad as she watched Willow walk ahead on the path, loving like she'd never been hurt before...

"Life's not all about happiness and sorrow

It's all about love and laughter

No matter if we fall, or can't bring ourselves to walk at all..."

Willow continued through the rest of the song, the lyrics flowing off her tongue as if she was born singing them, the music dancing around the common room and filling it with love. People were visibly crying. Willow had always loved how emotional the song was. Despite its childish, easy lines and simple chords, anyone could relate to it, and that was what made it her favourite of all time. If she was ever feeling down, she could always run back to the song, remembering a time when everything was perfect, cherishing all the happy moments of her childhood. Everyone needed that little pick-me-up every once in a while.

"Away, away, we go away..."

Willow struck the final chord, and the room slowly filled with clapping and cheers. There were many instances of students giving each other tissues. Willow's cheeks were blazing red. She clutched her locket, which had grown warm against her chest. Willow knew she could strike emotion in her own heart with her music, but she didn't realize it was nearly good enough to receive the same outcome with an audience. She was tackled in a tearful hug by her Gryffindor Sisters.

"That was the best thing you've ever done," Mia sniffed.

"I always knew you were hiding a unique talent from us," Parvati sobbed.

"That was the best dare we've ever had!" Lavender wailed. "You should do it again!"

"No, I think we should finish the game before we run out of tissue boxes," Seamus suggested, though he was obviously fighting back sadness as well. "We're down to two."

"Well, Willow, it's your turn, then," Sam said as they reformed the circle. He turned away to wipe away an obvious tear. "Who do you think can top that dare?"

The game continued on, but this round, it was much more grounded in reality. Dares and questions were more about a last goodbye than a fun, scandalous time, like they were having before. Paige smirked and whispered, "I always knew you were a singer, I just had to shove you over that cliff of your comfort zone." Willow rolled her eyes and playfully punched her in the shoulder. She almost wished she could have kept playing the guitar. It seemed to be helping everyone take their mind off the situation, and although her nerves were shot, it was worth making everyone happy for one last night.

"Alright, last two!" Sally squealed. "Mia, truth or dare?"

"Truth!"

"What is one thing you will never forget about Hogwarts?"

Mia tipped her head to the side, the smiled, her eyes far away. "Food."

Everyone burst out laughing. Willow had to agree. The food at Hogwarts had never been a disappointment. In fact, it had been downright phenomenal. She personally wanted to thank all of the house elves for all the fine work they did.

"Alright, Paige, this one is for the very last question of the very last round of the very last game of Truth or Dare!" Mia sang. She giggled, hardly able to contain herself. "Truth? Or? DARE?"

Paige shrugged. "Dare."

"I dare you to kiss the person you fancy!"

Paige blinked. "...What?"

"You heard me! Kiss him! He's here, all you've got to do is go for it! It's your last chance!"

Paige's eyes appeared panicked, like a cornered animal. Willow had never seen her caught so far off guard. She looked like she wanted to melt into the floor on the spot. "Can I...not?"

"Nope! You have to do it! We have to finish the year strong!"

Paige forced a smile. "Okay, fine, but only on my conditions. Everyone has to close their eyes, and you can't tell a soul about this, or you're all dead. I will personally hire a mercenary to murder you."

Everyone groaned. "Fine, but we'll pester you until you tell us who all the way home!"

The group closed their eyes. Willow squeezed her eyes tightly shut, hardly believing what was happening. Paige was stepping outside of her comfort zone! With no preparation, totally surprised, she was on the spot. It took all of her willpower not to peek. Willow was practically shaking, she was so excited by the turn of events!

Suddenly, there was a tap on her shoulder. Willow opened her eyes to see Paige in front of her.

"Okay...this is going to be really hard to explain," the older girl began. She gritted her teeth, seemingly fighting with herself, then sighed. "Do you...do you remember how I told you about my parents? How they kicked me out because of something?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with- "

"Lower your voice!" Paige hissed, glancing around to make sure no one was peeking. It didn't seem like anyone had heard, nor did anyone open their eyes. Paige turned back to Willow. "They kicked me out because- because I'm..." Paige winced. "They kicked me out because I'm gay, Willow. I'm a lesbian. I like girls instead of boys. They couldn't deal with the fact and gave me the boot. I...haven't been able to tell anyone yet."

"Oh, that is hard to explain," Willow said. She put a hand on Paige's shoulder, and the older girl flinched. That was odd, but considering the tense circumstances, she understood. Paige wasn't touchy to begin with. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that for so long. I wish I would have known, because I'm hanging out with Cypress, and he's the most flamboyant gay boy in all of Europe, so that should tell you how easily I accept you."

Paige let out a sigh of relief, though her eyes were still filled with conflict. "Good, but that's not what I'm worried most about."

"What are you- " Willow suddenly gasped. "You're worried she doesn't know, or that she isn't into girls! Oh my God, Paige, I'm so sorry they put you up to this!" Willow couldn't contain a smile. "I have to ask, though, who's the lucky girl?"

Paige gazed directly into her eyes. "I'm not going to beat around the bush here. Willow...I should have told you a while ago, but...it's you. You're the one I've been talking about all this time. I tried to summon the courage to tell you earlier this year, but I got too scared, and now...we're here, stuck with this dare."

Willow stared at Paige, shocked to her very core. Me? How could anyone ever like...me?

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. You don't have to like me back. I've dealt with this before and been able to move on."

Willow blinked slowly. Suddenly, everything made sense. The way Paige was acting so weird lately. All her flirty comments on her Spanish-speaking. The conflict in her eyes the other night. It was like a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle suddenly put itself together. Willow barely stopped herself from gasping.

"So...are you okay if...will it make you uncomfortable if...you know, the dare..." Paige stammered.

Willow shook her head. "You've got to follow through, right? It's just a little kiss."

Paige nodded, apparently trying to convince herself. "Yeah, just a little kiss...you're right..." She swallowed hard. Willow had never seen her so nervous, so defenseless. Paige edged closer. "So...you're absolutely sure?"

Willow smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Paige stared at her lips, fighting something inside of her, then closed the distance between them. Willow's chest fluttered and sparked. Paige's touch was so soft, so gentle, that she thought she must have imagined it. Willow could have described it as magical. She closed her eyes and let the moment unfold. She'd never felt this way before. It was so weird, so foreign, yet so familiar. She couldn't figure out exactly what it was. Paige eventually backed off, cheeks blazing crimson, staring at Willow's freckles. She returned to her spot in the circle and announced that everyone could open their eyes. The second years immediately bombarded her with questions, begging to know exactly who she'd kissed. Willow, meanwhile, sat on the floor in shock, raising her fingers to her lips, wondering why they were still tingling. The game finally disbanded, and the boys and girls separated to chat amongst themselves on last time in their dorms. Willow absent-mindedly declined, telling Mia that she'd catch up in a minute. What was wrong with her? Why was she so stunned?

Then, it hit her with the force of a hurricane. Willow audibly gasped. The fluttering in her chest, the staring, the pleasant dreams...it all made sense at once. There was a reason Paige's laughter rang in her ears even hours afterwards. There was a reason Willow always thought about Paige in her free time. There was a reason Paige's sarcasm and snarky comments always cheered her up when she was at her lowest. How had she not known it all this time?

Paige had kissed her.

And she liked it.


	38. Year 2: Chapter 17

Willow thought her head was going to explode. Paige fancied her, and she was beginning to realize she had felt the same all along! How had she not noticed? It was so obvious that Paige was trying to tell her, and she was so obviously into her, but she had remained oblivious! Willow wanted to slap herself for being so stupid. There was being ignorant, and there was being an inconceivable level of stupid. Willow was beyond senseless. She couldn't stop glancing at Paige only to see the older girl talking normally with Lee. How was she able to stay so calm after such a big moment? Willow found a warm blush creep into her cheeks as she thought of her first kiss. It was extremely unexpected, but perfect on so many levels.

Willow accidentally gasped out loud when she suddenly realized something: Paige was a girl. She was...not straight? Since when did that happen? Willow recalled the conversation she'd had with Cypress, coming up with the term bisexual. Was that what she was? Did she like guys and girls? Was it just girls? Was she confused? No, she always knew exactly how she was feeling, and her fancying of Paige was as natural and clear as emotions could get. She definitely liked girls. Guys were in the picture in the past, but were they now? Willow's head spun like a top. Why did this have to be such a problem? It shouldn't have mattered, since she didn't consider her love life a huge aspect of her life and all, but it did!

Finally, it took you long enough to figure it out! Cebba cried.

You knew this whole time? Willow asked.

Duh, I'm in your head, I know pretty much everything that goes through your mind. I could have told you last year based on the amount of thoughts you're had about girls that you're into them.

What?! Cebba! You should have said something! That would have spared me a lot of panic!

It's much more fun to watch you suffer. You're pretty comical.

Cebba, I don't want to talk to you for the rest of the evening! Get out of my head!

I can't get out of your head, but whatever. Talk to you later, dork.

Willow sighed frustratedly. Did everyone know more about her than she knew about herself? It certainly seemed that way. Willow glanced at Paige, cheeks warming to an unnaturally high temperature again. She felt like she'd never get the color out of them. Willow hated being helpless to her emotions, and that was exactly what was happening. She couldn't control the never-ending waves of shock, frustration, and shy admiration. Willow wished she could go to sleep and wake up calm again.

She didn't get the chance to sleep, but something distracting quickly shifted her attention. Harry and Ron, who had been hiding in the corner of the room, were quickly exiting the common room. They were definitely up to something. Willow caught up to them on their way out.

"Hey! Where are you going?" she whispered.

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin. "Bloody- ! Willow, what are you doing? You're going to get expelled!"

"It's long overdue! You should be more worried about yourselves!"

"We're going to save my sister, that's what we're doing!" Ron hissed. Willow almost stumbled backwards at the force of his voice. His eyes were even more fiery than the time he'd gotten into a fistfight with Draco. "We think we know where the entrance to the Chamber is, and even though he's a bloody git, Lockhart is going to try and get in there, so we've got to tell him what we know!"

Willow gasped. "You think she's still alive?"

"She's got to be. Ginny's the strongest one in the family," Ron said. "She could punch through a brick wall if she wanted to."

Adrenaline pumped through Willow's veins. How could she be so stupid as to not even consider the fact that Ginny might still be alive? Willow pulled out her star map, quickly tapping the corner and expanding it. A small frame in the top right corner caught her eyes. Willow tapped on it, heart beating like a snare drum in her ears. She sucked in a breath when she saw Ginny's crumpled form on the stone floor, face pale, eyes shut, chest rising and falling with shallower breaths than usual. Ginny was alive, but barely. The surroundings were worrying familiar. When Willow recognized them, she wanted to chuck herself against the wall.

"That's the damn cave thing from my visions!" she nearly shouted. "I should have known it was the Chamber!" At Ron's and Harry's confused glances, Willow explained, "It's the cave thing I told you about after Hermione was petrified." Their expressions cleared, and Willow pressed on. "Ginny's still alive, but something's wrong. She's fading fast. We've got to hurry!"

"Willow, we can't let you go charging down there, too," Harry said. "We need you to stay up here and make sure someone knows what happened to us if..you know...we need help, or- er- don't come back. There’s a basilisk down there.”

"A basi- Ugh, I’m so stupid!” Willow shouted, clapping a hand to her forehead. “Nevermind that. You get your arses back here by tomorrow morning, or I will personally murder you again, you hear me?" Willow said, her tone much more serious. The boys nodded. Something sparked in her memory, and suddenly, with the force of a bullet, an idea hit Willow. "Oh my God, I know what to do! Remember what Dumbledore said? Hogwarts will always give help to those who ask for it? Well, Hogwarts is Dumbledore! We need him! I have to rescue him from the Ministry right now!"

Harry's eyes widened. "What? No! You'll get expelled for sure! How are you even going to get there?"

"You're not going to like it, but I have to do this, Harry! If there's anything I can do to help Ginny, any small chance to help you guys rescue her, then I have to do it! This is all my fault! I should have recognized the early warning signs in her all year! I should have gone after the monster myself, but I didn't, and this is the only way to make it up. I have to help!"

"Willow, how could this possibly be your fault? You're not the Heir of Slytherin," Ron said.

"That's beside the point! You guys need to go, and fast! I'll get Dumbledore as soon as I possibly can! Go! Save Ginny!"

After one final wary glance back, Harry and Ron took off down the corridor, heading straight for Lockhart's office. Willow transformed into a cat and was about to sprint in the opposite direction when someone picked her up by the stomach. She yowled and shifted back into herself, accidentally crushing the person underneath her.

"What the- Sally! Were you watching me?" Willow exclaimed upon seeing the strawberry blonde.

"Of course I was, and I'm glad I did! You're not going anywhere without some backup!" Sally demanded. Sam sheepishly appeared from behind the Fat Lady's portrait. "We're coming with you to the Ministry whether you like it or not!"

"What? No! I can't let you do that!" Willow said.

"Too late! You'll have to trap us in the common room kicking and screaming to keep us away now," Sam declared. "You may be brave, but you're not skilled enough to defeat trained aurors, Willow. There's strength in numbers."

Willow groaned. "Fine, but the moment one of you gets hurt, I'm putting you far out of harm's way and continuing by myself."

"It's a good thing there's plenty of us to have your back, then," Sally said. She started walking away, motioning for them to come with her. "Hurry up, we've got three common rooms to visit!"

Willow and the Smith twins sprinted to the east wing of Hogwarts. The corridors were deserted. It was odd, the silence that spread over Hogwarts. Willow shuddered as she imagined a suffocating blanket snuffing out all the life in Hogwarts. That was exactly how it felt during their run to the Ravenclaw common room. Even the paintings were silent, subdued by the eerie change in mood and previous panic that spread like a virus throughout the halls. Willow felt even more determination steel her will. She couldn't fail. Hogwarts had to return to normal not only for herself, but for everyone that called it home.

Sam surprisingly answered the riddle before the bronze knocker even finished. Of course, it was a rude, kind of vague answer that technically wasn't right, but it wasn't wrong, either, and they were allowed access into the Ravenclaw common room. A familiar trio of faces perked up at the sight of them and rushed over, three extra ones following them.

"Guys, we've got a major situation," Sally whispered.

They huddled into a group, Willow at the center. "Ginny is still alive, just trapped in the Chamber. Harry and Ron know where the entrance is and they're currently trying to get down there. They're going to need all the help they can get against that basilisk. It's a giant snake that kills people by staring at them, and that's what's been petrifying students. I'll explain it later. Right now, we have to get Dumbledore back from the Ministry of Magic. He's the only one powerful enough to stop the basilisk without getting killed."

"So we need a plan," Lisa concluded. "One that preferably involves us not getting killed."

"She's right," Mandy agreed. "What's the plan?"

Willow bit her lip. "Well...I was just gonna...you know...barge in there, get out as quick as possible, and be done with it, but..."

"For starters, only a small amount of us should go to the Ministry," Sue suggested. "We'll get caught otherwise."

"A group of us will stay here, then, and be ready to inform Professor McGonagall of what's happening," Oliver said. "If you guys get in trouble, we need a way for you to contact us for help."

"Good idea, Oliver- Hang on, why are you in the Ravenclaw common room?" Willow asked.

"The Metamorphagus found us after the announcement and dragged us here," Cypress replied nonchalantly. "I didn't want to go back to my common room anyway when it's underground and closer to the Chamber. That's kind of counter-intuitive to send Slytherins back to their dormitories, isn't it? They were just putting us in more danger- "

"Cypress, focus," Mandy interrupted.

Cypress rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll save my commentary for later."

"Okay, so a group of us gets to the Ministry, rescues Dumbledore, and brings him back. The rest of us stay here and prepare ourselves to jump into action if necessary," Padma summed up. Willow nodded. "I volunteer to go to the Ministry. I'm somewhat good at healing magic and have a few potions saved up just in case. I'll stick to the back and get injuries taken care of right away."

"Thank you, Padma," Willow said. "I'm going to the Ministry as well."

"I'll go," Sam volunteered.

"Cypress and I are coming too," Oliver said, earning him an eye roll from the blonde Slytherin.

"I'm going to the Ministry," Sue said.

"Lisa and I should stay here. You too, Sally. We're good at sweet-talking the teachers," Mandy explained, seeing the appalled expression on Sally's face. "If anything goes wrong, I've got these really cool watches that connect to each other. Just wind it up to midnight to let me know something went wrong and help will be on its way."

Willow nodded. "Everyone's accounted for, then. Suit up and get ready. We're in for the fight of our lives."

Padma and Mandy ran off to the dorms to get the potions and watches. Everyone else hovered near the exit in a tight group, worried silence settling over them. Willow cleared her throat when the girls returned.

"I know this is very sudden, so if you want to back out before we go, there's no shame in it. This is scary, life-threatening stuff. You don't have to help me if you don't want to. I'll understand."

Not a soul budged. They all looked at Willow with a steely glint in their eyes, some even smiling encouragingly. Mandy finally voiced what they all seemed to be thinking: "Willow, if we were afraid of danger, we would have put at least a mile between ourselves and you since the day we met you, but we didn't. We're not afraid. We'll stick with you to the burning end if we have to."

Willow let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Oh...that- that means a lot to me, guys. I didn't realize- Merlin, what did I do to deserve you guys?"

"Exist. Now everyone say your goodbyes, because we've got a lot of work to do," Sue said.

Willow blinked away tears. She might never get used to how awesome real friends are, she thought. Everyone hugged each other tight, whispering encouraging messages in each other's ears, trying not to make it sound like the final goodbye. Sally and Sam embraced each other for a good three minutes, threatening to bring each other back to life and kill each other again if one of them died. Mandy and Lisa went over a final strategy wrap-up with Sue and Padma, their voices breaking. Cypress and Oliver gathered closer to Willow to watch the exchanges.

"You do think we'll come back, right?" Oliver squeaked, hand inching towards Cypress's.

"I promise you, Oliver, you guys are all coming back if it's the last thing I do," Willow said.

"Are you sure you're okay to do this, though? You're super sleep deprived, and this is going on twenty hours straight that you've stayed up," Oliver fretted. He squeezed Cypress's hand. "You might not be able to fight as well."

"I'll be fine, Oliver. Just don't stop me from collapsing in bed afterwards."

Cypress laughed. "Peasant. I haven't slept in three days, and I feel fine."

"Yeah, well, you hardly move, and I was actually doing something super active while not sleeping the past four days," Willow argued. "I'm not supposed to be an insomniac. That’s your job. Take it back, Cypress."

Cypress smirked. "Nah, I don't feel like it."

The girls and the Smith twins finished up their goodbyes, and Willow saluted them one final time before sneaking unobtrusively out of the Ravenclaw common room. They descended down Ravenclaw tower and sprinted through the corridors until they reached Professor McGonagall's office. As to be expected, she was there, writing a letter to the Weasleys. Willow sucked in a breath as she finished it and began to wrap it up. She quickly rerouted the group to a few broom closets and shut them inside just in time. They watched through a crack in the door as McGonagall slowly trudged to the Owlery to send the letter, her face downcast and grave. Willow's heart rekindled a fire inside her. She had to get Dumbledore back. Professor McGonagall didn't deserve to deal with all of this loss. She was nothing but kind to her students and cared about their safety like they were her own children.

Willow burst out of the closet as soon as possible and found the Floo powder next to McGonagall's fireplace. She decided to go last to keep watch for them. Willow peered into the corridor for the longest time, but Professor McGonagall was long gone. She would take her time sending that owl to the Weasleys. It had to be unimaginably painful to let parents know that one of their children had died while at school. Willow gritted her teeth. If only she could shout to the world that Ginny wasn't dead, that there was still hope! McGonagall was dealing with unnecessary sadness. Willow took a deep breath and reminded herself that she would put an end to it if she would simply succeed in getting Dumbledore back. She ducked back into the office in time to see Oliver disappear in a plume of green flames. It was just Cypress and her left in the room.

"You know, there's this funny saying for when LGBT+ people tell others about their sexuality or gender, and it's called 'coming out of the closet'," Cypress snickered. "Are you trying to throw me back in the closet?"

"Oh, no, I'm slamming the door on my way out," Willow said, smirking. "I forgot to tell you. I apparently fancied this girl for God-knows-how-long, and she had to kiss me as part of a game, and it took that to make me realize I'm bisexual and fancy her. Pretty sad self-discovery story, isn't it? She's liked me for a while too. This is going to be a mess to clean up if I come back."

Cypress raised his eyebrows. "It took you long enough! I was going to have to tell you myself if you took any more time. God!"

He disappeared into the Floo network. Willow stared after him open-mouthed. How did he know? She didn't even have a clue herself until less than an hour ago! "That mierdita!" she whispered.

Willow threw the Floo powder into the fire and said very clearly, "Ministry of Magic!" The fire engulfed her in green flames, and suddenly she was spinning through a dark space, grate after grate racing by until she was pulled by a pair of arms from the Floo network. Willow's stomach flipped as she flew out of a glossy fireplace, spitting out ash. Padma and Sue pulled her to her feet.

"Okay, we're here, but where is here, exactly?" Sam asked.

Willow rubbed soot out of her eyes and took in her surroundings. They were in someone's office. It was very dark and decorated similarly to Borgin and Burkes. Oddly shaped skulls lined the polished black-brick fireplace, a few Slytherin items littered the desk, and a strange painting depicting a gruesome scene was proudly hung on the pitch-black wall. Willow tore her eyes away from the scene. She didn't need anything that would psych her out before the mission. Willow crept around the desk, looking for something that would identify who the room belonged to. Her nostrils flared when she recognized the name on the plaque that sickeningly sat on the center of the desk, shining gold.

"Lucius Malfoy," she hissed.

"Isn't that Draco Malfoy's dad?" Padma said.

"Yes, and he's the one that's put this entire thing into motion," Willow said. "He somehow caused someone to open the Chamber of Secrets back up because he wanted Dumbledore out of Hogwarts. The pig is too blind to understand that ridding the castle of Muggleborns is only going to lead to his own son no longer having a school to go to. Draco isn't the happiest camper right now." Willow tried to open one of the drawers, but it didn't budge. "Damn it. Is there anything around here that says where Dumbledore might be?"

Oliver shuffled a few papers around on top of the desk, then handed one to Willow. "I think this might help us. It says something about moving a high-security prisoner to a holding cell before...a trial?"

Willow scanned the paper. "This has to be him. I have a hunch that this trial isn't going to go Dumbledore's way."

Sue read it from over her shoulder. "It says he's being moved from A2 to F15. What does that mean?"

"The letter probably indicates the floor level, and the number probably means which cell. It's a dungeon sort of thing," Sam said. He looked around, then drew out a paper from a manila folder. "Here, this is the dungeon map. Who knew the Ministry had this many prisoners?"

"If all the workers are like Lucius, I wouldn't be surprised," Willow said. "They'd arrest someone who supports Muggleborns for 'breathing on them wrong'. It might infect their children or something." She pointed along the map. "Okay, so they're probably going to take him along the shortest route, which leads to the stairs closest to them. He's going down five floors, then over thirteen cells. It looks like Lucius left this place quite recently, judging by the mug of...whatever that is on the corner of his desk. It's still steaming. If we hurry, we might be able to cut them off."

"Hang on, doesn't this sound...too easy?" Cypress pointed out. "I mean, Lucius doesn't sound like the type of guy to just leave all these classified documents on his desk. What if it's a trap?"

Willow's blood ran cold. "You're right. We need to proceed cautiously. No one goes anywhere alone, and at the slightest sign of danger, get out. You guys get back here and leave for Hogwarts as fast as you can."

"What about you? What will you do?" Oliver asked.

"I'll buy you guys some time. The Wizengamot is more likely to go easy on me since I'm a pureblood. You guys would be in false accusations up to your ears. Just bolt as soon as it gets messy."

Sue frowned. "That doesn't sound like a very good plan, Willow. You can't sacrifice yourself that easily."

"I'm not very good at the self-preservation thing. Can't kick the habit." Willow quietly opened the office door, peeking into the hall beyond to check for Ministry workers. This late at night, there were hardly any employees. Not a soul was in sight. Willow grabbed the map and folded it into her pocket. "Come on, we don't have much time. Harry, Ron, and Ginny are depending on us."

Willow led her friends from hallway to hallway, dodging the occasional guard. They found the signage pretty easy to follow. Willow tried to convince herself it was just a coincidence, but what kind of government made it easy to get to its dungeons? Her skin prickled with the thought of getting captured and her friends going down with her. If they failed now, Harry, Ron, and Ginny would die, and everything she knew and loved would be ripped away forever. They couldn't afford to fail.

The temperature decreased as they descended, enough to make the glossy black bricks around them freezing to the touch. Willow gave her robes to Oliver, who drew them tightly around himself, sticking close to her and Cypress. Everyone drew their wands on Willow's command, dreading what would happen if they had to use them. None of them knew any reliable defensive magic. There was the disarming spell, which Cypress and Willow were kind of good at, and a few others that they were all decent with, but in a real fight against expert duelers, what chance did they have? They had to stick to the shadows as long as possible and avoid getting caught.

Willow's breath caught in her throat when she heard the screeching sound of an old door being slammed shut. Her eardrums rattled with the loud sound. Even Cypress, who sometimes struggled to hear because of how loud he listened to music, covered his ears. They were close. Willow enhanced her senses and listened closer. A couple wizards muttered darkly about the stupidity of moving Dumbledore when he was perfectly safe upstairs. So they really had moved him! Willow crept quietly further along, her friends sticking close behind. The guards came into view at the end of the corridor. Willow cursed under her breath. They had the keys to Dumbledore's cell secured tightly around their belts. By the looks of his cell, Dumbledore wasn't going anywhere until they got the keys.

"Okay, we've got a dilemma," Willow breathed. "Those guards have the magic key to get into Dumbledore's cell, and they're obviously not going to give them to us. I'm going to go back up and across floor E and try to jump them on the stairs on the other side. If I never show up, run as fast as you can back to Lucius's office and get to Hogwarts. If I do show up, be ready to disarm them from behind. Cypress, you come with me."

"Got it," Cypress said.

Willow and Cypress left Oliver in charge of hunkering down the rest of the group, then quietly made their way across the dungeon floor above and to the section of stairs where the guards were positioned just below. The absence of multiple guards made Willow worry, but there wasn't anyone being kept in the cells on any of the floors except A and F, and F15 was the only occupied cell on the F floor. It still signaled red flags to her that this was a huge trap. Willow took a deep breath and motioned for Cypress to follow her lead. She silently padded down a few steps. Then, raising her wand and pointing it directly at one of the guards, she whispered, "Expelliarmus!"

The guard was blasted backwards, his wand flying into the air. Willow caught it just as Cypress took out the other guard with the same spell. She stuffed both wands deep within her robes pocket. They approached the two guards, who were groaning and trying to get to their feet. Willow ran up to one of them and kicked him in the head, wincing. He immediately blacked out. Cypress shrugged and threw the other one into the wall, which immediately resulted in the guard slumping to the ground, unconscious. He stole both of their key rings in record time.

"I almost feel bad for them, but I feel worse for my wrists," he said. "Merlin's beard, that guy needs to lose some weight."

"Escape now, talk later!" Willow hissed. She suddenly froze. “Cypress, do you hear that?”

Cypress furrowed his brows. “You know I can’t hear anything.”

“Exactly my point. It’s…far too quiet.” Willow paused to send out echolocation. She gasped when the waves only bounced off the walls. “Cypress, they’re gone! Our friends are missing!”

Willow sprinted down the corridor, ignoring Dumbledore’s quizzical gaze as she blurred past. The corridor was empty. “Cypress, they’re in trouble! It’s a trap!” Cypress didn’t respond. Willow whipped around. “Cypress, did you hear m- “

She choked on her own air, halting mid-sentence. Cypress was incapable of talking at the moment. In fact, all five of her friends were, a group of five sickeningly familiar faces holding wands to their throats and wearing false grins. Cypress was still fighting to kick the guy behind him in the shins, but he was half the weight of the guy, and he was squeezed tighter in his grip until he could barely breathe. Oliver was almost in tears as he tried to get to him. The familiar man holding him yanked him against his chest, laughing as Oliver struggled. Willow growled and whipped her wand out.

“Little kids that play with fire get burned, do they not?” one of the women cackled. Willow’s stomach dropped when she recognized her. She felt like she was about to be sick.

“Mum,” she breathed.

“Oh, Willow, what did I say about the mumbling and grumbling?” Grace sighed. She lazily sparked fire out of the end of her wand, holding it closer and closer to Sue, who had tears running down her face and struggled to get away. Willow felt her hands warm to a blazing temperature, matching her rage. “See what you made me do, Willow? Look what you’ve done to your friends! Getting them into trouble, putting them in danger…you’ve got quite some nerve, coming here like this.”

“Shut up! I don’t give a damn what you say anymore!” Willow shouted. Her blood boiled. The dungeon floor began to melt under her feet. “Let Sue go! She didn’t do anything wrong!”

Alex laughed beside her mum, watching with a maniacal gleam in his eyes as Grace held the fire closer to Sue’s face. “Didn’t do anything wrong! You’re interfering, just like you always do. If you listen, your friends might not get hurt.”

“I’m not listening to a thing you say with that snake tongue of yours!” Willow yelled.

Sue cried out in pain as the fire moved closer to her cheek. Grace tutted. “Such a shame to ruin such a pretty face…I’d hate for you to make me do it, Willow…”

Willow’s pulse quickened. Her blood froze in her veins. The heat from her body dissipated in the space of a single second. “Stop! Stop it now! I’ll do whatever you want! Just don’t hurt Sue!”

Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the shadows as Grace and Alex chortled. “I’ll take your wand, then. Now.”

“Yeah, like I’d willingly give my only defense to you,” Willow said acidly. “I don’t listen to bigoted idiots like yourself, you slime ball. Go order someone else around.”

“I think you’ve forgotten who’s in control of the situation,” Lucius said, glancing at Sue, who was now whimpering with the flame close enough to heat her cheeks. Willow wanted to sprint to her mother and annihilate her for torturing Sue, but frustratedly kept herself under control, not wanting to provoke her into burning her friend.

Lucius held out his hand. “Your wand. Now.”

Willow begrudgingly gave him her wand as slow as she possibly could, dragging out the situation as long as possible as she attempted to scope out what was going on. Alex and Grace were each holding Oliver and Sue, the latter about to receive high-degree burns. Sam was being held by his own mother in the corner. He was watching Willow intensely, a fire burning in his eyes like a cornered animal. Padma calmly allowed the man behind her, Willow’s least favourite grandfather, to keep her pinned to his side. She was obviously not resting, however, her eyes unobtrusively scanning to room as fast as a hummingbird. Willow locked eyes with Cypress, who was being held by Lucius, and he nodded at her. She stole a glance at Grace’s positioning behind Sue. She was probably mental for trying this, but then again, so were the people trying to kidnap her friends. Just before she could give her wand to Lucius, Willow suddenly pointed it at her mother and shouted, “Expelliarmus!”

Grace flew back like she’d been hit with a cannonball. Her wand flew in the air and Sue fell hard to the ground, hurrying to pick it up. Lucius growled and reached for Willow, but made the mistake of releasing Cypress in the process, who aimed a kick at the back of his leg, throwing Lucius hard onto his knees. Willow threw a punch at Alex’s shoulder. Oliver went flying sideways as Alex lunged at her, snarling in pain. Willow dodged his charge and grabbed his arm, instinctively yanking it backwards until she heard a pop, then planting a foot in Alex’s back to send him screaming into the floor. Oliver, Cypress, and Willow teamed up to release Padma and Sam, then gathered up Sue and their wands that had flown out of their attackers pockets as fast as they could and sprinted to Dumbledore’s cell, forming a circle around Cypress as he attempted to discover which key would open the cell. Willow blasted her grandfather backwards with another terribly performed disarming spell when he tried to attack her. He barely even hit the floor before he was able to get to his feet again. Willow cursed herself for not studying the disarming spell more.

“How dare you!” Grace yowled from the other side of the room. Cypress cursed under his breath as he tried yet another key that didn’t work. “How dare you attack your own mother!”

“You’re the one that attacked me first, you bi- !”

“Willow, watch out!” Oliver warned.

Just in time, she looked up to see Lucius aiming at spell at them. Willow gasped and threw herself into her friends, bowling them over, saving them from being the receiving end of a blast powerful enough to destroy the walls above them. Stone rained down on their backs, but none of the chunks were large enough to majorly injure them. Willow winced as a sharp piece cut her cheek. Blood dripped onto her lips. She wiped it off on her shirt and shot to her feet, blindly firing a few spells in the direction she saw Lucius last. Unfortunately, he was no longer there.

Willow’s head exploded into pain as a fist slammed into the side of it. She was sent spinning into the wall, then fell to the floor, vision fuzzy. She tried to get up, but collapsed back to the floor, red now dripping into her eyes, covering her face in sticky blood. Willow vaguely heard the cries and yelps of her friends as they were forced to their knees against their wills. She felt someone grab her hair and roughly force her to her feet. Willow’s legs gave out when she stood up and she fell against her captor, who simply jabbed her hard in the side and painfully twisted her arms backwards to keep her upright. Her vision cleared enough to barely make out Cypress fighting against Lucius.

“Don’t touch me!” Cypress snapped.

Lucius regained his hold on him and squeezed his arms even tighter than before. “You will be begging for mercy from the Dark Lord soon enough, Mudblood.”

Cypress seethed. “You’re going to regret calling me that, douchebag.” He managed to get free enough from Lucius that he could kick him in the shin, but it didn’t stop Lucius from landing a retaliation blow onto his shoulder blade pressure point. Cypress collapsed to his knees and winced painfully, but didn’t give Lucius the satisfaction of seeing his pain as he was secured on the floor. Willow saw that every single one of her friends was back under the control of a Dark witch or wizard. She suddenly realized who was holding her.

“You insolent little traitor!” Grace hissed into her ear. “You’ll pay for this. You’ll pay for everything you’ve done to me!”

Willow snorted. “You’ve got plenty of money. I don’t see why you need a cover charge from me to fix your own mistakes.”

Grace suddenly yanked the locket from Willow’s neck. It burned wherever it touched as it was stolen from her skin, almost as if it were reluctant to leave. Willow gasped as the agony spread like a virus. She felt like something was suddenly missing. A piece of her heart had just been ripped out. Grace smirked at the shocked expression on Willow’s face, dangling the locket in front of her.

“I’m sorry, was this important to you?” she mocked. “Well, it’s about time you gave it back, you thief! You stole my family heirloom from right under my nose, you snake! You’ll never be a real part of this family!”

Willow bit back tears as the picture disappeared from view into her mum’s robe pocket, but didn’t show it, instead steeling her face. “Good thing, too, because I never wanted to be a part of a gang of murderers, thieves, and traitors in the first place.”

Grace slapped Willow across the face, hard. Oliver and Sue gasped while Willow blinked and moved her jaw, hoping it wasn’t broken despite the pain blossoming across her cheek. “You need to watch that tongue of yours, Willow. It might get you into trouble one of these days.” Grace reached into Willow’s robe pocket and drew out a silver piece of metal, smirking as her daughter jumped in panic. “Don’t think I didn’t learn about this in the last few years. You’re not too hard to find information about, Willow.”

Grace dropped the star map on the floor. Willow’s heart stopped. She tried to say something, but her voice caught in her throat. Grace raised her foot, then brought it down. Willow’s mind splintered into as many electrical signals as pieces the map broke into. Cebba began screaming incoherently about how that map had been around for more than a century, it was irreplaceable, Grace deserved to be destroyed, and something about letting her Dark powers flourish for two seconds, just two seconds. Willow refused, simply staring at the broken map, wondering if her mum knew that she had been on it still. Grace kicked away the useless scraps of metal.

“There, isn’t that better? No more spying on us, huh, Willow?” Grace grinned disturbingly. “I think the dungeons would be a wonderful finale to this little fiasco.” Willow glared as her mother yanked her to her feet, forcing her to stare into her eyes. “You’ll wish you were never born when the Dark Lord is through with you- not that you didn’t before when you went through that ridiculous depressed phase of yours.”  
“Trust me, nothing can compare to the satisfaction I’ll feel when I can finally put my foot where the sun doesn’t shine and kick you all the way to Hell,” Willow laughed mirthlessly. She smirked at her mother’s outraged expression. “Come on, then, take me to the dungeons. I don’t have all night.”

The bars shook as Willow threw herself against the cell door. They rattled and creaked with the intensity of her assault, but they wouldn’t budge. She shoulder-checked it again, only managing to move it half an inch before it bounced back into position, a bruise already flowering on her shoulder. Willow angrily kicked it with the sole of her foot.

“Damn this stupid magic dungeon!” she cursed, sitting down with a huff.

“You done with your temper tantrum, or are you going to make some more useless noise?” Cypress asked. “It’s grating on my eardrums.”

Willow scoffed. “As if yours are more sensitive than mine. I can hardly hear anything but ringing right now.”

“If you’d listen to music louder, maybe your ears would block out all the annoyances in life, too.”

“You walk a dangerously fine line, Cypress.”

He rolled his eyes. “I don’t walk across the line, I h across it.”

“I’m pretty sure Sue’s the real dancer here,” Willow said, smiling at the memory. Sue’s cheeks reddened. Willow’s smile turned sad. “I’m sorry I got you stuck down here with me, Sue. It would be a shame if the world never got to see you dance again.”

Sue shrugged. “It’s okay. Did you turn the clock to midnight?”

Willow nodded, checking the watch to make sure it was still turned to twelve. “Yeah, on the dot. I’m not counting on them to get to us anytime soon, though. There’s a lot of arguing to do with McGonagall before anything gets done.”

“It just means she cares about us, I guess,” Sam said.

“I wish I could say that about another female figure in my life…” Willow grumbled, automatically reaching for her locket and feeling nothing. She frowned darkly as she remembered her mother’s gleeful face when she ripped the locket off her neck. Karma would get her eventually, she convinced herself.

“If help doesn’t come, what then?” Oliver asked.

“Then we fight tooth and nail to get out of here,” Willow replied. “They can’t hold us forever. If my mum comes by, I know how to provoke her into a fight. She hates it when I don’t shut up about Dad.” Willow winced as her back spasmed again. “I hope the fighting doesn’t last long, though. My mum deserves a nice lights-out kick to the head anyway.”

“You don’t have to fight for us, Willow,” Padma said. “There’s always another way to get out of here.”

Willow blew a strand of hair out of her face. She took her hairband off her wrist and began putting it into a ponytail, remembering how her mum yanked her to her feet with it. “You’re right. I always jump to the fighting method. Is there any way you can think of that might help us escape?”

Padma tipped her head to the side, then glanced at her healing potions. “They only managed to find half of my potions when they disarmed me. I might have enough ingredients here that if someone mixed the right ones together, it would create an acidic substance that would burn through these bars.”

“I’ll do it, destruction is my specialty!” Cypress chirped, excitedly going through the potions. “Give me a minute to figure this out.”

“In the meantime, what should we do after we escape?” Sue said. “Dumbledore is still trapped.”

“Well, for starters, we need to get our wands and the keys back,” Sam said. “Without those, we’re doomed. Dumbledore doesn’t get free, we get blasted off the face of the Earth.”

“So…split up or stick together to get the wands back?” Oliver wondered.

“Definitely stick together. I’m not letting you guys out of my sight from now on,” Willow said quickly. She gently touched Sue’s face, causing her hands to glow and begin absorbing some of the heat. “I’m so sorry about what my mum did to you, Sue. It’s all my fault. I led us straight into a trap when we knew it was going to happen.”

Sue shrugged, feeling her cheek as Willow withdrew her hand. “It’s okay. She didn’t seriously burn me, so no harm done. You have to wonder what went wrong that she turned out like that, though. She doesn’t seem like the type of person to naturally love torturing children.”

“Yeah, I wonder…” Willow trailed off, swallowing her memories before they could overtake her. “So, to recap, we escape, free Dumbledore, get our wands back, and bust our butts to get back to Hogwarts as soon as possible.” Willow’s heart skipped a beat. “The longer we take here, the longer Harry and Ron have to wait for help at Hogwarts.”

“How much longer, Cypress?” Sam asked.

Cypress swore as he accidentally burned a hole through his robe. “Only a few more minutes, tops."

Sue nodded. “That’s good. Thanks for using your healing magic on me, Willow, by the way. It feels like I only got slightly sunburnt now.”

“I’m glad,” Willow said. She glanced at her regular watch. “God, I forgot how long I’ve been up. It’s over twenty-hour hours now. I’m definitely collapsing into bed when I get back to my dormitory.”

“You should close your eyes for a minute, Willow,” Padma suggested. “Save your energy for what comes next. We might be in for a long fight if we get caught."

“Please don’t pass out on us. You’ll hurt yourself even more,” Oliver pleaded.

“Don’t worry, with the massive amount of adrenaline in my system, I won’t be able to even get drowsy for at least three hours,” Willow reassured them.

“Um, I know this is kind of pessimistic, but…last thoughts before the battle, anyone?” Sam questioned. “I know, we’re probably not going to die, but just in case, what’s on everyone’s mind?”

“The Hogwarts library,” Sue murmured.

“The murals in the Ravenclaw common room,” Padma dreamily said.

“Cherry pie with the older Hufflepuffs,” Oliver said, a ghost of a smile touching his face. “They promised to teach me how to bake with magic next year. I hope I get the chance.”

“My own little Potions corner, where everything’s labeled and I actually know what’s going into what,” Cypress grumbled, nearly smashing a vial of brown liquid in frustration.

Willow laughed. “Sorry to shatter the melancholy mood, but I’m kind of pissed that I might die tonight. I literally just figured out that someone fancies me and I’m actually bisexual! If I die, I won’t get to freak out over how adorable some of the girls are in our year- not that I wasn’t doing that already, but this time it would be a conscious feeling. Also, isn’t it kind of rude not to respond to someone when they tell you they fancy you?”

“Um…yeah, I’m pretty sure it is, but what’s bisexual?” Sam asked.

“Oh, I fancy both boys and girls. Apparently, it takes a lot for me to figure out what the heck my emotions are trying to say to me.”

Sam raised his eyebrows. “It took you that long to figure this out? Wow, you’re worse than me.”

“Figure what out?”

“Pretty much everything.” Cypress rubbed his hands together and didn’t give Willow a chance to respond before saying, “Alright, I’ve got Super-Powerful Acid and Why-Would-You-Make-This Acid. Which one should I use?”

“Both?” Oliver said.

“Both it is!” Cypress exclaimed. He looked both ways down the dungeon to make sure no one was lurking, then uncorked two dark liquids and dumped them all over the bars of their cell. They sizzled and hissed and ate away at the metal, leaving a big enough gap in the now malleable bars for them to fit through. One of the acids stopped, but the other decided to pick up speed and disintegrated the entire cell door as it traveled downwards. They watched with raised eyebrows as it destroyed the floor and slowly began to descend into the Earth, only stopping when it reached a thick stone brick and ran out of substance.

“Huh, I didn’t expect that to happen,” Cypress said. Shrugging, he stepped through the bars of their cell and helped Oliver out. “Come on, you guys don’t have to stay here all night and stare at my masterpiece.”

The group shook themselves out of their trance and escaped the cell, quietly sticking to the shadows as they surveyed the area. Willow cursed under her breath at the sight of the two men blocking their escape.

“Stupid Alex the Arsehole and Grandpa Fawley the F- sorry, Fricking Idiot are ruining my life yet again,” she whispered. “We’ve got to take them out, but it has to be silent.”

“Allow me,” Padma breathed. Willow nodded, and Padma stepped forward, raising her wand and whispering, “Petrificus Totalus!” twice in rapid succession. Willow and Cypress sprinted out to catch the two men before they could noisily fall to the floor. Personally, Willow would have loved to see Alex fall on his face and break his nose, but they couldn’t afford to make any noise. Alex and Grandpa Fawley glared at her with a mixture of shock and fury. Willow smirked and rolled Alex to the side of the corridor, face-down into the floor. Cypress stole the keys off Grandpa Fawley and tossed them to Sue.

“Why didn’t we send Padma to take out the guards before?” Sam questioned. “This would have been so much easier!”

Willow shrugged. “I didn’t know she was this skilled with the full body-bind curse. We should have all come as a unit. Well, we know more for next time- not that there should be a next time, but you know what I mean.”

Oliver nodded. “I hope there isn’t a next time.”

The lock clicked as Sue turned the key. Dumbledore stared at them with an odd twinkle in his eyes, Fawkes perched on his shoulder. Willow sighed with relief and rush over. Dumbledore didn't have a scratch on him. His wand was strangely still beside him in the cell. Willow wondered why that was, but figured that it all came as part of Dumbledore's peculiarities.

"I was wondering when you'd stop by, Willow Guerrero," he said. "Professor McGonagall owes me a firewhisky."

Willow's mouth dropped open. "Professor, you bet on how long it would take me to rescue you?"

"Ah, I don't call it betting, but enjoying the thrill of a win over a lively drink," Dumbledore said. "There is no real betting between Hogwarts staff, you see, only the enjoyment of winnings."

"We can argue this later. For now, let's get moving before we get caught," Sam said. "He can apparate once we get out of the dungeon area. The spells fade after the A level."

The group hightailed it out of the dungeons, moving quickly and quietly to the main level of the Ministry. They paused when they heard voices at the top of the stairs. Thankfully, it was just a late-night work session between coworkers finishing up. The witch and wizard apparated away within minutes, and they were clear to leave. Fawkes vanished the moment the spells faded. Dumbledore didn't even bat an eye, but soon disapparated to Hogwarts as well.

"Great, now we're all alone again," Sam grumbled.

"Not yet, we're not. We've gotten Dumbledore back to Hogwarts, but we still have to get back, too. Come on, let's hurry up and get to the fireplace before anyone can catch us."

They'd taken all of two steps towards Lucius's office when a high-pitched screeching noise ruptured Willow's eardrums. An alarm had been sounded! The Ministry knew they were there! Willow was pulled to her feet by Oliver, and despite the pain in her ears, she sprinted forward with her friends, making a beeline for Lucius's office. They skidded to a stop far before his office, however, and stared in horror at what faced them.

“Going somewhere?” Molly growled.

Lucius, Grace, and Mrs. Smith stood facing them down, blocking the way to Lucius’s office. Willow balled up her fists in rage. Of course they wouldn’t get time to get their wands. Her luck was definitely showing its true colours.

“We’ll make this quick,” Lucius said. “Come quietly and explain what you did with Dumbledore, or face the consequences.”

“You don’t get to tell me how long time-out is,” Cypress retorted. “Consequences are something you might want to consider before dyeing your hair the wrong colour.”

Willow’s mum laughed as Lucius’s lip curled into a snarl. “I should have known Willow’s friends would have sharp tongues, too. Don’t worry, Lucius, the truth may hurt, but the pain of defying the Dark Lord hurts worse.”

“What do you mean? Are you talking about Voldemort?” Oliver asked, voice shaking.

“Your pathetic little scheme didn’t work, of course,” Molly scoffed. Sam stared down his mum with a raging fire in his eyes. “Dumbledore can’t stop what’s happening in the Chamber now. Your stupid little friends will die down there, and the Dark Lord will rise again. But your fag brain must not be able to process that, can it?”

Oliver’s eyes went wide like he’d been shot, his mouth dropping open. He stumbled backwards, then collapsed to the floor, violently shaking, barely managing to look up at Molly with terror in his eyes. Molly smirked at his feebleness. Willow furrowed her brow. What just happened? What had Molly called Oliver?

“How dare you call him that!” Cypress roared, launching himself at Molly. Everyone froze in shock. Cypress knocked the wand out of her hand and viciously punched her in the face. Molly’s nose broke with a sickening snap! She screamed as blood poured down her face, soaking into her robes. Lucius suddenly snapped out of his trance and fired a spell at Cypress, slamming him into the floor, then throwing him across the room. Willow gasped, but Cypress simply grabbed Molly’s wand and faced up with Lucius.

“So Oliver needs a big strong boyfriend to protect him? How disgustingly pathetic,” Lucius spat.

“So you need a big strong Dark wizard to take care of all your problems and make you feel powerful by bullying young children? Even more pathetic,” Cypress retorted. “And no, Oliver does not need someone to stand up for him. He could kick your arse in the dark without a wand and with only his left hand, and he’s right handed.”

“You insolent little- “

“Lucius! Are you going to stand here and bicker, or are you going to present the Dark Lord with at least something from the last twelve years?”

“You can only claim four of those, last I checked,” Lucius seethed.

Grace rolled her eyes. “And I’ve done twice as much as you in a third of the time. Now, let’s get something done, for once.” She pointed her wand directly at Willow. “Flipendo!”

All of a sudden, Willow found herself flipping backwards through the air, then slamming into the ground. Her left arm cracked and exploded into pain. She groaned and rolled over, feeling a little queasy. Her arm throbbed with its own heartbeat. She wished it would stop pumping blood so fast and just go numb.

“Wow, is that all it takes to get rid of a Guerrero? What a shame,” Grace tutted. She got Lucius’s and Molly’s attention. “You take the fags, you take your son and that Asian girl, I’ve got this princess over here.”

Willow’s heart beat faster. Adrenaline flooded into her system, dulling her pain, spiking her energy, and settling her stomach. She heard something rattle as she slowly rose to her feet and suddenly remembered that she still had the guards’ wands in her pocket.

“Sam! Padma! Catch!” she shouted, throwing them each a wand.

“You had these the whole time and didn’t use them to magic us out of the dungeon?!” Sam exclaimed. “I’m going to kill you when we get back, Willow!”

“You can kill me all you want then! For now- get down!”

Willow’s warning came just in time. Each of the three adults cast a spell simultaneously, exploding the wall behind them. Willow’s friends dove onto the floor and covered their heads. Cement and stone rained down on them like a hailstorm of bricks. Willow received a few more cuts to her back, but thankfully remained unscathed. She sprang to her feet around the same time everyone else did to find their opponents closing in.

“Fight in pairs! Whatever happens, just get back to Hogwarts, but don’t die trying!” Willow ordered.

The battle began. Padma joined Willow against her mother. Grace sent a wave of flame at them, but Padma repelled it with a burst of water. She dodged a flying chunk of brick and redirected it towards Lucius, who unfortunately skipped out of the way just in time, also missing a spell from Cypress. Why was it that the evil wizards had better luck? Padma attempted to use the full-body bind curse, but Grace threw herself to the floor just in time. Willow suddenly had an idea.

“Padma, are you up for something mental?” she questioned.

“Only if it won’t hurt anyone, yes!” Padma exclaimed, preparing a spell for Grace as she rose to her feet.

“Cover me, and don’t let my mum see me!” Willow shouted.

Padma nodded and fired off another spell at Grace, which ricocheted oddly. The wand wasn’t reacting well to its new user. Willow had to act fast if she didn’t want Padma to get injured. She inconspicuously stepped into the shadows, transformed into a black cat, and crept towards her mother. Her gut wrenched when she saw Sam get thrown back by his mother’s spell, but she kept her focus. Grace didn’t even notice her padding near when she was three feet away. Before she could overthink her actions, Willow shape-shifted into a demiguise, turned invisible, and launched herself at her mum.

Grace’s scream caused everyone nearby to screech to a halt. She gripped her arm, which was mysteriously cut deeply by a paw full of razor-sharp claws. Grace’s eyes were wild as she glanced around, trying to see her attacker, but she didn’t get the chance. Willow wound up and threw her fist into the back of her mum’s head as hard as she could.

The combined strength of her demiguise form, her own muscles, and her hatred for her mum was enough to knock her out cold. Grace’s eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Willow jumped up and down, accidentally emitting a few primate sounds. Her heart froze when Lucius and Molly paused to narrow their eyes in her direction, then she remembered she was invisible, then panicked again because her powers were draining her so fast. Sam and Cypress thankfully fired more offensive spells at the adults to return their attention to the fight. Padma’s head was on the swivel, obviously looking for Willow, so she reversed her invisibility. Her form flickered, though, and Willow suddenly found herself on two feet again, but it wasn’t long before she collapsed, barely catching herself before she face planted. Padma rushed to her side.

“Your powers aren’t going to help you very much tonight. You haven’t slept enough to recharge your energy. Don’t use them again unless we’re in an emergency.”

Willow felt her eyelids trying to close. The room blurred in and out. She suddenly shook her head, clearing her vision. “Okay, but doesn’t fighting former Death Eaters constitute an emergency?”

“It’s good to see your sarcasm is still here,” Padma said, smiling. She handed Willow the guard’s wand. “You’re definitely awake enough to help. I’ll take care of your mum. Go help the others.”

Willow nodded, allowing Padma to help her to her feet. She stumbled when Padma darted off to secure Grace, but eventually regained her balance, rubbing her eyes to remove all signs of sleep from them. Yes, she was exhausted, and yes, her body was attempting to shut down already, but she had to make it. She had to stay strong. Willow shoved her powers as far down as she could and ran to Oliver and Cypress’s side, who were currently being blasted across the room.

“Oliver! Cypress!” she yelped, removing rubble from around them. “Can you hear me? Are you okay?”

“Perfect, aside from the fact that this idiot ruined my hair,” Cypress grumbled. He glanced at Oliver, expression darkening, then faced back in Lucius’s direction, stone-faced. “Willow, I’ve got a douchebag to take care of. Make sure Oliver remembers who I am.”

Willow saluted him. “Tell Lucius his hair is too long for him. He’ll love that.”

Cypress smirked, jumping out of the rubble and running at Lucius. Willow watched him launch a violent spell in his direction, then returned her attention to Oliver, who was just beginning to stir. He mumbled something about “Cypress” and “Sorry I didn’t say anything,” then snapped awake. Willow grabbed his arm to stop him from jumping up.

“Hang on, how many fingers am I holding up?” she said.

“I’m not very good at math, but your left hand, your right pointer finger, and your right middle finger. Good enough?”

Willow rolled her eyes. “That would be seven, Oliver, but yes, let’s go get Cypress.”

She helped him to his feet and they managed to fight their way to Cypress’s side, having to throw themselves to the floor several times to avoid raging, spitting spells and greenish-blue flames. Cypress was cradling his arm by the time they got to him.

“Looks like we’ve got matching bruises now, don’t we?” he said, pointing between Willow’s and his left arms. “Madam Pomfrey is going to kill us.”

“We’re going to get killed first if we don’t duck!” Willow shouted, wrapping an arm around Cypress and Oliver and throwing them to the ground with her, the heat of a fireball passing so close that it singed the hair off her arms. Willow frustratedly got to her feet and helped the boys.

“Merlin’s beard, where the heck did he learn all of this Dark mag- !”

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream cut through the fight. Willow’s eardrums nearly ruptured. She didn’t fall to her knees as she normally did, however. This time, her gut twisted into a knot of fear. She recognized that scream. Willow gasped and covered her mouth when she saw a figure writhing on the floor in pain, blood pooling at her side. It was Sue, and the situation wasn’t looking good. At that rate of blood loss, she could bleed out in minutes. Willow’s adrenaline spiked even higher than before. She nudged Cypress.

“You’ve got good aim, right?”

Cypress rolled his eyes. “You’ve known me how long?”

“Trust me, it’s been long enough, but disarm Molly on the count of three! It’s time to stop this magical fighting before one of us gets killed!”

“A fist fight? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Do you have any better ideas?” Willow asked. “Sue is dying!”

Cypress groaned. “You wouldn’t approve of my methods, so no. Let’s just save the dance-fighter.”

Willow pointedly stared at Cypress, then took aim at where Lucius was slowly rising to his feet across the room. “Wand at the ready! One…two…three!”

“Expelliarmus!”

Lucius’s and Molly’s wands shot out of their hands. Willow and Cypress each caught them, then stomped on them underfoot until they broke in half, their cores the only things holding them together. Lucius and Molly growled at the two of them.

“I see how it is now! Take us out while we’re at a disadvantage, will you? You’d never win in a fair fight!” Molly screeched.

“You think this was a fair fight? We’re literally half your age!” Sam shot back.

“You want a fair fight? Fine!” Willow angrily threw her wand aside. “Let’s end this fair and square! No wands, just fist against fist!” Willow assumed a more mocking tone and facial expression. “Oh, wait, that’s not fair, isn’t it? Only Muggles fight with such ‘unsophisticated’ and ‘brutish’ ways, right?” Willow scoffed. “The Muggle way is much more dignified and fair than any magical way you can come up with! Abusive parents versus their children is never going to be fair anyway!”

“How dare you!” Molly snarled. “You filthy blood traitor and your spouting off nonsense! You’ve brainwashed my son and daughter into your ridiculous Muggle ways, and now you’re building an entire army against us!”

Cypress snorted. “Army? You realize that’s a compliment, right? You just completely admitted that we’re kicking your arse with ease.”

Lucius fumed. “Mudbloods,” he muttered.

Willow rolled up her sleeves. “I dare you to say that word again. I fricking dare you.”

Oliver and Cypress raised their eyebrows. Lucius and Willow locked eyes, glaring daggers. With a final battle cry, the second years charged the two adults. Willow managed to get a clean shot at Lucius’s face, which resulted in his lip busting open. She hoped that would teach him to ever use such a dirty word again. Oliver backed her up while Cypress flew at Molly from behind. Willow stole a quick glance at Sue to find Padma sprinting to her side, already sorting through potions. She desperately hoped Padma could buy her enough time to fight their way out.

Lucius and Molly unfortunately turned out to be very good fighters. Willow went in sorely underestimating their abilities and soon sustained a bruised rib, a bloody knuckle, and several scrapes from the floor. Oliver also turned out to be very good backup, not allowing Lucius to get any blow in while Willow was recovering. He managed to escape the majority of the blows. Sam and Cypress were holding their own as well across the room, somehow forcing Molly back towards a nearby railing overlooking a cavernous space in the middle of the Ministry. Lucius threw an elbow at Willow and drew her attention back to the present fight.

Oliver suddenly blocked a scathing punch from Lucius and stumbled backwards. Willow felt her mind drifting as she barely managed to dance around Lucius’s quick sets of strikes. Exhaustion was setting in quickly. Sweat dripped into her eyes, her leg muscles were on fire, and her chest began to burn with that familiar blocked feeling that exercise-induced asthma brought on. Her adrenaline wasn’t doing enough anymore. Staying up so many hours was taking its toll. Oliver somehow jumped in to tackle Lucius away from Willow at the last second, but it wasn’t going to last much longer. She couldn’t hang on.

All of a sudden, a glint of metal shone as Lucius snatched something dark and small off the floor. The scraping sound of metal on metal grated against her eardrums. Willow’s mind sparked into a series of electrical signals. They were warning signs! She instinctively jumped backwards, eyes widening as a blade passed within inches of her stomach. Lucius had a knife! She accidentally wondered where it came from when he flew at her, swinging the weapon in a wide arc. Willow darted to the side, nearly running into Oliver, then shot to the other side, avoiding yet another dagger strike. She stumbled to one knee and scraped together enough strength to dodge Lucius for a third time. Oliver caught her eye. She suddenly realized the situation was only going to escalate if she didn't get rid of Lucius's advantage.

“Oliver, tell them all I’m sorry, and Cypress and Seamus can blow stuff up at my funeral!” she cried.

Before Oliver could say anything, Willow sized up Lucius’s next move, tensed her muscles, and unexpectedly pounced forward- straight into the dagger. Pain exploded into her abdomen. Willow screamed and fell to her knees, hands firmly on the hilt. Lucius stumbled backwards in shock. Through bleary eyes, Willow thought she saw something strange in the Death Eater’s eyes, something almost like…regret? Horror? Whatever it was, she followed through on her mental plan and lashed out at Lucius, kicking him in the head hard enough to bring him down. He wheezed and rolled onto his side, staring at Willow with a mixture of terror and…a tinge of sadness?

She tightened her grip on the dagger in her stomach, coughing blood as she did so. Willow felt like she was going to throw up, but whatever happened, she had promised to get her friends home, and if this was how she had to do it, then she would take the risk. She was about to yank out the dagger when Draco’s face suddenly flashed in her mind’s eye. Willow’s heart sank. She realized she couldn’t injure one of her friend’s dads as horribly as she planned. Raising her fist, Willow instead threw the hardest punch she’d ever thrown into Lucius’s temple. He was knocked out cold in less than half a second.

Willow coughed up more blood and sank to the floor, struggling to breathe. At least she’d finished her mission. Willow pulled in as deep of breaths as she could manage, in for eight counts, out for eight counts, doing her best not to hitch the airflow in between the waves of pain it caused her. She dry heaved, then returned to her breathing practices.

“Willow!” Oliver shrieked. He slid to his knees beside her, bright green eyes clouding. “No, no, no, why do you always do this? Don’t die!”

Willow coughed, producing more blood spatters on her arm. “I’m not dying yet, Oliver. Go help Sam and Cypress.”

“But- but- you’re bleeding to death!” he stammered. Tears streamed down his face. “Please don’t die, please don’t die, please don’t die! I can’t have more people die in my life!”

Willow smiled sadly. “I know, which is why I’m not going anywhere yet. I’ve got my powers, right? Go get Sam and Cypress. Molly is strong, even for the two of them.”

Oliver bit his lower lip, then reluctantly nodded. “Okay, but promise me you’ll live?”

“I’m hanging onto life like it’s all I’ve got left.”

Oliver wasn’t fully convinced, the evidence in the worry etched on his face, but he finally broke away from Willow’s side, running to go help Sam and Cypress. Willow painfully shifted herself to watch. Sam and Cypress apparently hadn’t been doing well. They were both sustaining heavy injuries, Sam sporting a black eye, and Cypress a limp. Oliver did his best to help, but Molly was far too enraged, far too skilled, and far too cracked to be stopped. Sam was thrown into the wall and fell unconscious, Cypress disabled soon after when his bad leg received a sharp blow from Molly. She faced the last one standing- Oliver.

“No big strong boyfriend to protect you now, huh?” Molly taunted. “You’re a disgusting fag! You’ll never be anything more!”

Oliver’s face reddened. “How did you know that? Who told you?”

“You’d be surprised how unfaithful family can be,” Molly said acidly, her lip curling as she cast a glance in her son’s direction.

Willow suddenly realized Oliver’s face wasn’t red with embarrassment, but anger. Pure anger. Livid anger. She gasped. Willow had never seen Oliver actually mad before. She’d heard of what happened when students pissed off Hufflepuffs, but never before had she actually witnessed it. Oliver’s fists balled up until they were white-knuckled. He speed-walked over to where the guards’ wands had been cast aside and picked them up, throwing one to Molly and keeping one for himself, leveling it at Molly with a steely glint in his emerald eyes.

“You can hurt me, you can call me horrible names, you can even try to imprison me, but no one ever, ever gets to hurt my friends like you’ve hurt them!” he shouted. “How dare you carelessly abuse your son and daughter? How dare you turn your back on family! Mine might not be perfect, but that doesn’t matter! Everyone deserves a loving family, and if you can’t understand that, then you don’t deserve to have Sam or Sally in your life! They are the most caring, expressive, funny, mischievous, beautiful human beings anyone could ask for! You’re the most disgusting person in the world if you can’t see that!”

Molly growled. “You come here, attack me, and now insult my parenting? You deserve what’s coming for you, fag!”

“Call me by my name,” Oliver said, his voice at a deadly soft decibel. “It’s Oliver Rivers. I’m proud of who I am, I’m proud of who my friends are, and I’m proud to be the one that kicks your arse!”

Oliver fired a spell at Molly. Her eyebrows shot up at its intensity. She countered, but didn’t even get time to prepare for the next one as Oliver mercilessly shot wave after wave of jinx, hex, curse, and charm at her. Molly became more and more frayed as Oliver pushed her increasingly close to the ledge. She suddenly was forced to drop her wand and grip the balcony with white knuckles.

“Please, don’t kill me!” she begged. “I thought I was doing what was best for my son! I was just trying to be a good mum for my children!”

“If you wanted to be a good mum, you should have thought twice about laying a finger on Sam and Sally years ago. You should have thought twice about leaving them to their own devices after their dad’s death. You should have thought twice about ever hurting them in front of me!”

Oliver dropped his wand and backhanded Molly across the face, then planted a kick in her chest, sending her flying backwards over the rail. Willow heard her scream all the way to the next floor, then abrupt silence. Oliver muttered something about “…not dead, good…” and turned away from the ledge, taking a few deep breaths. He helped Cypress to his feet, and together they managed to drag Sam over to Padma, who was still taking care of Sue, also unconscious by that point. Then, Oliver rushed to Willow’s side once again.

“How are you doing? Are you still breathing okay? Has the bleeding stopped? Does anything feel excessively wrong?”

“Other than a knife in my gut? Everything’s just peachy,” Willow said, smiling. She lifted a heavy arm to touch Oliver’s cheek. “I’m so proud of you! Look at you, all grown up and taking down bad guys like a pro.”

Oliver shrugged. “She hurt my friends, especially Sam and Sally. I did what I had to do without killing her.” His eyes clouded. “A broken rib won’t kill her, right?”

Willow laughed, though it hurt and rattled her chest. “If breaking a rib kills a person, then I’ve died three times already. No, you did amazing, Oliver. You’re such an angel. I knew you had courage lurking beneath the surface.”

Oliver gently hugged Willow. “You’re the brave one. I would never have made it this far without you. Thanks for taking that hit for me first year and never letting me go after that.”

“I’d take all the hits if it meant you got to live another day. You’re a better person than I could ever hope to be. More selfless, more courageous, but most importantly, more caring. You value human life more than anything in this world, and I hope to one day love humanity as much as you.”

Oliver blushed deeply. “Aw, I’m not that amazing…”

“Sure you are! I wouldn’t be using extra oxygen to tell you otherwise right now!” Willow chuckled. “By the way, what was that weird word Molly was calling you? I didn’t like it.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. “Uh…I’ll explain that later. Right now, we need to get back to Hogwarts, and fast!”

Willow gasped. “Sue!” She painfully rose to her feet, stumbled a little into Oliver, and collapsed at Sue’s side. Padma had stemmed much of the bleeding, but there was still a massive red stain on her stomach. “We’ve got to get her back to Hogwarts, now! Sam too! Oliver, go grab our wands! I overheard the guards saying they put them in the ‘Keeper’s’ room, which I guess is a dungeonkeeper or something. Whatever it is, go grab them, and meet us in Lucius’s office as soon as possible!”

Oliver nodded, running off at a fast clip. Padma, Cypress, and Willow teamed up to carefully maneuver Sam and Sue around the rubble and into Lucius’s office. The knife was growing ever more painful in her stomach, but the longer she kept it in, the more her powers cemented her internal organs and skin back together. If she took it out, she risked bleeding out, excessive pain, and slowing their escape. Padma soothingly talked through each footstep with Willow, succeeding in keeping her calm despite the agony. Oliver met them at Lucius’s office in a matter of minutes. They took turns going through the Floo network, Padma carrying Sue, Oliver carrying Sam, and Cypress and Willow volunteering to go first and last, respectively. Finally, after spitting one last time on Lucius’s desk, she shouted, “Hogwarts!” and was engulfed in beautiful green flames.

Professor McGonagall looked liable to faint when they appeared in her office. She was clutching her chest and breathing heavily in shock.

“What- how the Devil did you- where have you been? You could have been killed!” she cried.

“I’m sorry, Professor, I promise, you can take all the house points away from Gryffindor and scold me to death later, but right now, Sue is dying, Sam is unconscious, Cypress probably broke something, Oliver and Padma deserve student of the year awards, and I feel like my internal organs are collapsing. We need to see Madam Pomfrey right away.”

Professor McGonagall stared straight into Willow’s eyes. “You are surely going to be thouroughly questioned for your actions in the near future, but for now, make your way to the hospital wing as quickly as possible, please. I have Ginny Weasley’s parents to meet soon.”

As her friends swept out the door, Willow suddenly remembered that Ginny wasn’t dead and was about to shout it to McGonagall, but Padma pulled her along, reminding her that the longer she waited for treatment, the faster the knife would impale her body further. Willow reluctantly followed along, the pain in her stomach mounting. They swiftly made their way through the corridors. Madam Pomfrey nearly had a heart attack when they burst through her doors.

“Merlin’s beard, it never ends!” she cried. “What happened? Who needs immediate attention?”

“Sue does!” Oliver exclaimed.

Madam Pomfrey set to work on Sue right away while the rest helped move Sam onto a bed. She made quite a few remarks on how well done the applications of the potions were to Sue’s body. Padma blushed a little, but still watched over Sue, face in a rare expression change. Willow had never seen her so devastated. Guilt swarmed her system, but she swallowed it the best she could for the time being.

“Alright, she’ll be fine with a few days’ rest,” Madam Pomfrey declared. Everyone sighed with relief. “Who’s next? I’ve got petrified victims to revive!”

Sam was swiftly taken care of, then Cypress, at Willow’s request. She apparently did a very good job of hiding the knife in her gut. While Madam Pomfrey was finishing up with Cypress’s leg, the doors suddenly burst open again, this time to admit a trio of familiar faces. Mandy and Lisa covered their mouths with their hands and rushed to Sue’s side, horrified at the wound scouring her robes, then asked in very unintelligible English whether everyone else was okay. The third person had Willow’s attention, however. Paige was staring open-mouthed at the six battle-scarred second years. Willow stumbled towards her, so exhausted that she collapsed into Paige’s arms.

“What- how- I don’t even want to know,” she stuttered. Willow found her face being cupped in Paige’s hands. “You better live, okay? Understand? You better live, because I’m not finished with you yet, Willow Guerrero.”

Exhaustion began creeping in, slowly shutting Willow’s eyelids, but she smiled despite the brokenness around her. “Trust me, I’m not finished with you, either. I’ve got loads to tell you.”


	39. Year 2: Chapter 18

"We saw the watch turn to midnight, but McGonagall threatened to give us detention if we wouldn’t go back to our rooms!” Lisa gasped. "What happened to Sue? Is she okay? Her robes are covered in blood!”

"Pomfrey said she needs a few days’ rest, but she’s okay, thank Merlin,” Padma said, gently caressing Sue’s hand. “She was incredibly brave tonight, Lisa. You should have seen her. She didn’t even flinch when the spells were flying millimeters from her head.”

Lisa nodded, wiping away tears despite her smile as she kneeled next to Padma. “She’s the bravest one in Ravenclaw aside from you. I always knew she’d rock out this hero thing.”

"It’s a shame they shot her down before the hand-to-hand combat started,” Cypress sighed. “I would have liked to see her self-defense prowess. I’ve heard a lot about her taekwando abilities.”

Willow smiled. “That’s alright. She doesn’t have anything to prove to us. Besides, we have an Oliver.”

Oliver’s cheeks reddened. “I only helped a little…”

"A little? You single-handedly took out an adult Dark witch! You’re the only reason we got out of there alive!”

Oliver blushed an even deeper shade of crimson. Mandy wrapped an arm around him and ruffled his hair. “I always knew we’d find the inner hero in you! You’re a big bad Hufflepuff, just like I said over a year ago!”

Paige laughed, which caused Willow’s heart to skip a beat. “I’m guessing the witch made him mad?”

“Yep. It was awesome, and he looked pretty damn amazing the whole time, I must add,” Cypress said.

Willow rolled her eyes. "He’s definitely feeling better. Where’s Sally, by the way?”

“Oh, she got caught by her Gryffindor Sisters,” Mandy explained. “They kidnapped her back to the Gryffindor common room. I’ll give them less than five minutes before they bust down the doors.”

“That’s how they ended up with me,” Paige explained. “I overheard them whispering about your little plight, and they were happy to have some backup with McGonagall. She wouldn’t budge, unfortunately, and I think she was ready to give me permanent detention for not letting her say no.”

Willow grinned. “That sounds about right.”

Sally suddenly busted down the doors. The rest of the Gryffindor Sisters were behind her.

“WHERE. IS. SAM?!”

“Called it,” Mandy whispered. She looked up to address Sally. “Right over here. He’s concussed, so don’t do anything stupid.”

Sally sprinted to Sam’s side, worry washing away to reveal a tearful, grateful smile. She held his hand and squeezed it, brushing a strand of hair out of his face and watching his chest rise and fall, leaning her head on his shoulder. Willow felt a pang of guilt, but it was for more than one reason. Then, she literally felt a pang, this time one of pain. The color drained from her face as she realized the knife had punctured a rather important internal organ. Willow bit her lip so hard it started bleeding. Parvati suddenly saw the blood and noticed the tiny, shining hilt of Lucius’s dagger protruding from deep within her abdominal walls.

“Oh my God, Willow!” she gasped. “Why haven’t you gotten help yet? Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey!”

“I’m…fine,” Willow said through gritted teeth. “Let her finish up with Cypress first.”

The rest of the Gryffindor Sisters suddenly noticed the dagger, too. Mia paled and gripped Fay’s hand, having to sit down. Lavender covered her mouth and started crying. Parvati looked ready to scream. Paige immediately picked Willow up and set her in a bed. She winced.

“I was perfectly happy on the floor, you know. Pomfrey doesn’t need to clean up all my blood off these sheets.”

“Willow, when are you going to stop worrying about other people and care about yourself?” Paige sighed. “You know there’s such a thing as magic, right? You deserve to be taken care of every once in a while.”

Willow shrugged. "I prefer to take care of others. Being helpless- " She dug her nails into her palm from another spasm- "isn’t my thing."

Paige raised her eyebrows. “Did you just admit you fear something? Wow, I never thought I’d see the day.”

Willow rolled her eyes. “Don’t you dare ruin my reputation.”

“As if you have one compared to me.”

Willow scoffed. “You’re terrible, you know that?”

“Yeah, keeping your mind off the agony from being stabbed is just terrible,” Paige said sarcastically. Her eyes abruptly darkened when Willow coughed on her own arm again.”How long have you been doing that? Your powers should have stopped that by now, right?”

“No idea,” Willow said, wiping the blood away. She failed to cover a gasp when another spasm passed. “Ouch.”

“What’s happening?” Oliver asked, hurrying from the other side of the room where Cypress was being taken care of. His voice became pitched. “You’re not dying, are you? Please don’t die.”

“I’m not dying anytime soon, I promise.” She curled her legs up towards her chest and squeezed her eyes shut in response to another spasm. “Can’t make any promises on not passing out, though.”

Madam Pomfrey finally hurried over. Her hand flew to her chest. “Merlin, you children don’t know how to stay out of trouble! Everyone, back up! For goodness sake, this girl doesn’t need you taking her oxygen! You too, Paige!”

Paige stared at Madam Pomfrey. “Make me,” she growled.

Madam Pomfrey threw up her hands. “Fine! Don’t come running to me when she doesn’t heal properly!”

Paige smirked triumphantly, winking at Willow. Willow couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. It abruptly disappeared when Madam Pomfrey suddenly yanked the dagger out of her stomach. Willow curled into a ball, hand flying to her stomach while the rest of her friends screamed. Madam Pomfrey tutted. “It’s punctured liver, broken rib, a whole slew of problems.” She calmly grabbed some potions and funny-smelling things. “You won’t want to watch this. It’s not the prettiest of healing methods. Cover your eyes, children.”

Cypress being Cypress, he intently watched with shining eyes from across the room. Everyone else except Paige, Padma, and Willow turned away. Madam Pomfrey put a seaweed-like substance on her wound, then uncorked a green potion bottle and poured it on. An ugly algae-like formation grew on the wound. Willow bit down hard on her tongue to avoid screaming. It felt like someone had set a fire to her insides, one that burned all throughout the wound, wove through her internal organs, and disintegrated her veins. Madam Pomfrey’s brow creased.

“That's odd. It’s healing, but it can’t get past…” She surprisingly groaned. “Of course. It’s just the icing on the cake! Leave it to some hooligan to make my life more difficult…”

Madam Pomfrey turned away to gather some more potions. Willow panted quietly, the burning sensation slowly increasing in intensity. It was worrying that Madam Pomfrey wasn’t fixing it right away, but she trusted her to find a new solution. Paige rubbed her hand.

“Merlin, you’re much stronger than you look,” she said. “I thought you’d cut off my circulation for a minute there.”

“Small price to pay for saving your eardrums,” Willow joked. She inhaled a deep breath and tried to calm herself as another spasm passed. Warm, sticky blood dripped down her side and onto her legs. “Ugh, I hate the feeling of my own blood dripping down my side.”

“Doesn’t everyone, though?” Sally asked.

“True, true.” Willow looked up as Madam Pomfrey returned. “What’s going on? Is it normal to feel like- “ she paused, wincing- “my blood is on fire?”

“Unfortunately, that’s exactly what this type poison does,” Madam Pomfrey said. “It calms your system down, temporarily keeps you alive, then activates and kills you.”

Willow blinked. “Um…did you say poison? I’m pretty sure I’d know if I’m poisoned.”

“Not in the magical world, you won’t,” Madam Pomfrey said, inspecting the wound. “It’s undoing the healing process now.”

Lavender gasped. “Is she going do die?”

“We’ll find out in five minutes, but hopefully not.”

“Hopefully not?” Parvati squeaked.

“Dang it, I’ve always wanted to go in a more epic way,” Willow lamented. “You know, going down in flames just to see the look on my mother’s face.” Another spasm of pain flashed through her. “I’m halfway there, at least. There’s fire in my veins.”

“She’s getting loopy, is that bad?” Fay asked.

“I haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours. What else do you expect?” Willow said, though her brain felt full of fog.

“I expect you to live, that’s what!” Mia exclaimed. “You can’t die on us now, Willow! At least one of us has to get married first!”

“Wow, that’s…random,” Willow said. Her visions suddenly blurred. “Um…what’s going on with the room right now? I’m pretty sure rooms don’t move.”

“Vertigo’s setting in. Four minutes,” Madam Pomfrey murmured, quickly setting to work on combining some potions. “Padma, come help me, quickly. I need an extra set of hands for this.”

“Four minutes?” Oliver squeaked.

Willow’s head drooped to one side. She felt like she was floating in midair, nearly separate from her body. The hospital wing and her friends’ concerned faces blurred in and out of focus. Every time she got too far, another spasm of that fiery burning sensation would course through her veins and set her back down again. After two minutes, the burning sensation was suddenly constant and began to grow even more intense. Willow whimpered when it extended through her arms and legs. She didn’t even have the strength to squeeze Paige’s hand anymore.

“Willow? Willow! Stay with us!” Lavender cried.

“Can you hear us? Say something!” Sally screamed.

“Please don’t die on me, you can’t leave like this,” Oliver sobbed, tears streaming down his face. “Don’t leave me! After all that, you can't die like this!”

Willow tried to lift her head, but her body felt super heavy, like it weighed a thousand pounds more than usual. She felt her eyes begin to close and fought against them, panic rising in her chest, not wanting to go like this. Paige squeezed her hand and brought her back to reality.

“Hey, Willow, listen, you’ve got to listen to me,” she said. “Listen to my voice. Come back to us. You’re not done yet. You aren’t the type to give up so easily. Get your arse back here and don’t you dare die on us, you hear that?”

“Yeah…not going…yet,” she whispered.

Willow fought and fought and fought, but she couldn’t overcome the veil being drawn over her. The Gryffindor Sisters’ screams for her to wake up sounded so far away. Darkness slowly overcame her vision, dimming the light, gently covering her ears, and lightly lifting her away, allowing her to drift into the beyond. She felt so peaceful, but it didn’t feel like it was the right thing to do. Willow tried to call out to the darkness to take her back. Nothing answered, and she sunk deeper, deeper, deeper, until she wasn’t aware of anything anymore, not even her own emotions. Willow sighed and waited for fate to make up its mind. She closed her eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Then, just as suddenly, it was like the blindfold had been ripped off her eyes. They fluttered open to reveal her friends nervously pacing around the room, some with tears streaming down their face. Willow's heart throbbed with guilt. She opened her mouth to try and say something, but her voice wouldn't cooperate. Madam Pomfrey noticed her, however, and gasped and cupped her hands over her mouth.

"Merlin's beard, she's alive!" she cried.

Her friends all turned at once and burst into tears. "Willow!"

Madam Pomfrey's stern orders to stay back didn't concern her friends in the slightest. They rushed to her side and squished her in the biggest group hug she'd ever experienced. Her Gryffindor Sisters were sobbing with joy, shouting "We knew you'd pull through!" and "Don't ever scare us like that again!" Her out-of-house friends were crying as well, though their words were so thick with emotion that Willow couldn't decipher what they were saying. Paige simply squeezed her hand and smirked.

"I knew you weren't going to die. You've still got at least six lives left," she said.

Willow rolled her eyes. "You're terrible."

Paige scoffed. "I'm not the one that scared the heck out my friends by almost dying!"

"How is that my fault?"

"From what Cypress told us, you walked into a trap. He might be biased, but you are the type to ignore all warning signs, you crazy Gryffindor. When are you going to take a leaf out of my book?"

"Cypress! You'll pay for that!" Willow said, playfully punching him in the shoulder. "Paige, I promise, I tried to bypass the trap, but I messed up. Now I know what not to do for next time."

"You will do no such thing!" Sally shouted. "There will be no more marching into the hands of Dark wizards without my approval from now on! You have to take more than five people with you!"

"How about never marching into the hands of Dark wizards period?" Lisa suggested.

Willow smiled. What did she do to deserve such a caring group of friends? "Don't worry, next time I'll consult Cypress for a plan beforehand that involves more stealth. We've got to defeat them eventually, right?"

"No!" her Gryffindor Sisters, Lisa, and Oliver exclaimed.

"Yes!" Cypress, Mandy, and Paige said. Cypress glanced at Mandy. "Wow, even the Metamorphagus agrees with me. I must be on the right track here."

"Guys, I promise, I won't be doing anything inherently life-threatening for the next week," Willow said. "My whole life is an occupational hazard, though, so you might have to get used to it."

"What if I don't want to get used to it?" Lavender questioned, crossing her arms.

"Then...I'll try my best to stay out of trouble?"

"We're getting there, slowly," Mia said, smiling.

"All of you, get out of here at once!" Madam Pomfrey shrilled. She shooed everyone that wasn't receiving medical care to the door. "This girl needs rest! Out! Out! To your dormitories at once! Out!"

There was a quick chorus of goodbyes and one, "Give her hell, Willow!" from Mandy before the doors slammed shut, sealing them out. Madam Pomfrey turned around only to nearly have a heart attack at the sight of Paige still in the room. She opened her mouth to scold her, but Paige held up a hand, sighing.

"I know, I know, but you might as well save your breath, because I'm not budging unless someone literally blasts me out of this room."

Madam Pomfrey huffed. "Fine, but next time it's a week-long detention for you!"

Paige smirked. "I'm counting on it."

Madam Pomfrey caught Cypress still out of bed and made a huge fuss until he was annoyed enough to lay back down. She yelled at him about needing to stay off his feet for at least a day, needing constant attending, and other tedious things that he rolled his eyes about. Willow knew that he would sneak out the moment he got a chance. After that, Madam Pomfrey went back to her original task of finishing up the Mandrake juice. Sue and Sam were still passed out in their beds, but recovering well. Paige was just beginning to explain to Willo how she had faded fast, nearly died, then seemingly came back to life within minutes when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley creaked open one of the hospital wing's doors, a familiar redhead peeping out behind them. Willow's heart stopped.

"GINNY!"

Willow felt hot tears burn in her eyes as she shot out of bed, stumbling towards Ginny in her weak state. Madam Pomfrey nearly dropped a glass bottle in her shock. Ginny's eyes went wide and she began crying, too, throwing her arms around Willow. They fell to the ground in a bone-crushing hug, sobbing into each other's shoulders. Willow had never felt so overjoyed to see someone in her life. Ginny was alive! She was alive! Harry and Ron had succeeded! The girls sat on their knees, and Willow set out to study every feature of Ginny's face, never wanting to forget the way her smile lit up a room, her adorable mannerisms, the freckles all across her nose and cheeks, the exact shade of her hair. She was such a beautiful soul, and Willow never wanted her to be ripped away ever again. Ginny appeared a little paler than usual, but otherwise okay.

"It was me, Willow! It was me all along! Tom Riddle made me- !" she began.

"Ginny, it doesn't matter what happened. The past is in the past. All that matters right now is you're okay." Willow squeezed her tight. "I never want to lose you again, you hear me? You scared the crap out of me!"

"I know, and I'm so sorry!" Ginny sobbed. "If only I wouldn't have touched that diary- "

"A diary? Dang it, I should have known that was it!" Willow exclaimed. Seeing the confused look on Ginny's face, she added, "Sorry, I'll explain that later. Are you hurt? Do you feel okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Harry saved me," Ginny said, her cheeks reddening more than they ever had.

Willow grinned. "Fitting, huh?"

"Oh, stop teasing me!" she complained, but the smile remained on her face, blush increasing by the second. "What happened to you, though? Why are there other people in here?"

"Uh...I should explain that later too. Right now, you should get checked out by Madam Pomfrey."

"For once, she's right!" Madam Pomfrey said. She ignored Willow's indignant reaction. "Ginny, come here, dear. Let me take a look at you real quick. Molly, Arthur, you can observe if it makes you feel better. This must have been a terrible ordeal for all of you."

The Weasleys hurried after their daughter to make sure she was okay, still visibly shaken by the shock of almost losing her. Paige helped Willow to her feet and thankfully didn't force her to get back in bed. Willow's muscles felt like they needed a long walk to work themselves out. The thought of sitting in a bed while watching all the commotion and excitement around her was almost too much to bear, too. Paige allowed Willow to use her to support herself.

"You're terrifying, you know that?" Paige said. "First, you do something incredibly stupid, then you get hurt, then you pretty much come back to life, and now you have emotional intelligence. What the heck did you see when you tried to cross over?"

"Absolutely nothing," Willow chuckled. "It kind of sucks, being on the brink of death."

"Yeah, I wonder why?" Paige said sarcastically.

Willow playfully punched her shoulder. "No, I mean it sucks because you either want to 'see the light' or go back, but neither happens, and you're kind of just waiting for something to happen while being completely helpless to the world, and you know how much I hate being helpless. I'll admit...it's my greatest fear, helplessness."

"Whoa, now you're getting deep. I'm pretty sure I don't have the brain power to process this."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you're faking the dumb thing. You're smarter than the twins combined."

"Is that really saying much, though?"

Willow chortled. "It depends which subject you're talking about."

Madam Pomfrey cleared Ginny, simply giving her a tiny swig of the Pepperup Potion, then finally went back to finishing her Mandrake juice. She periodically eyed Willow and Paige, obviously debating whether or not to force her back into bed, then apparently decided it wasn't worth the struggle. Pomfrey literally just finished the Mandrake juice when a small knock sounded on the door. She frustratedly threw it open to reveal Willow's least favourite teacher, Ron right behind him. Something was very odd about him, though. Willow sensed something completely out of the ordinary.

"Wow, this is quite the school! How many hallways does it have again? I think I counted wrong. Am I not very smart?" Lockhart gazed around the hospital wing. "Extraordinary! What do they call this room?"

"The hospital wing. Come on, you," Ron grumbled, guiding him to the nearest bed. "Have a seat."

"The hospital wing? Am I sick?"

Madam Pomfrey grimaced. "What's he doing here? Why is he acting so funny?"

"A memory charm backfired. The idiot finally proved he's good for nothing."

Pomfrey tutted, examining the way he reenacted an airplane fight scene with hands. "About time, too. He's much more bearable in this state. I'm afraid we can't reverse it, though. He'll have to be sent off to St. Mungo's when we get the chance."

"That's the best news I've heard all year aside from Ginny being alive," Ron said.

"This might be the third one to add to your list, then," Madam Pomfrey continued, proudly hoisting a jar of brown, ugly-looking juice. "The Mandrake juice is finally ready." Ginny and Willow exchanged a joyful glance. Colin was coming back! "I'm going to have to ask you all to provide them with some privacy, please. Head to the Great Hall. I'm certain Dumbledore will have a feast for this triumph."

The four Weasleys, Paige, Willow, and Cypress graciously left the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey begrudgingly kept her mouth shut at the sight of Cypress and Willow hobbling their way out of room, instead levitating a pair of crutches to him. Cypress was finally convinced to use them correctly when he realized even he, with his high pain tolerance, could hardly walk through it. Willow's entire body was bouncy and light with pure joy. Colin and Hermione were being revived! She couldn't wait to be the first one to welcome them back, catch them up on what happened, and simply hug them forever. Paige lightly smiled, seeing her happiness. Willow's heart jolted when she realized she should probably say something about fancying her. How was she supposed to do that without turning into a stuttering mess?

I've got it- say it as fast as you possibly can, then go to the bathroom to compose yourself.

What? Cebba, I am not taking your advice on this.

Excuse me, but this is not my first time in the world of love. I'm centuries older than you. Have you forgotten that I might have had a life with teenage years, too?

No, but it's not exactly the same thing. Paige is not a boy!

First of all, it's exactly the same thing. There's nothing different about her being a girl versus a boy. Second of all, it is exactly the same thing. I had an unofficial wife a long time ago.

Wait, you were a lesbian?

Don't act so surprised.

Well, I am! I didn't know! What was she like?

Hotter than hell, but with an extremely adorable side to her. You would have like her. She got along with people like you. Her name was Rowan, and she had the most naturally beautiful red hair you'd ever see. I could go on for days about her.

Whoa...that's amazing. I hope I get to know her someday. But...how do I tell Paige?

Like I said, just go for it. When your heart is telling you something, speak from the heart, and the words will come tumbling out like you were born to say them. Simple and easy.

Willow sighed. Okay, I'll do that. Thanks for helping me.

You're welcome, you ungrateful brat.

You're excused, you sarcastic little ghost.

Willow took a deep breath to clear her mind. It was just telling the truth, right? All she had to do was say the first thing that came to mind. Gathering up all the courage she could, Willow smirked at Paige, her heart fluttering as fast as a hummingbird's wings.

"Hey, Paige?" she said. "I may not be ready to have a relationship yet, but I'm just saying, you might have a chance in the future."

Willow winked and walked off. Paige scoffed. "You little- what am I supposed to do with that statement?"

"Make of it what you will," Willow called playfully over her shoulder. Paige exasperatedly rolled her eyes and followed her through the corridors, obviously fighting with the elation trying to spread a goofy grin across her face. Willow internally screeched and managed to keep her buzzing brain under control.

They reached the Great Hall. The enticing smell of baking bread, sweet berries, and casseroles of all kinds were already wafting in from the kitchens below. They all sat at the Gryffindor table, waiting for the rest of the school to arrive. The students began pouring in by the hundreds and the staff soon followed. Willow was happy to see the Gryffindor decorations slowly overtaking the Great Hall. They'd apparently won the House Cup. She wasn't surprised, seeing as Harry and Ron had literally saved Ginny from dying while risking their own lives, but it was still a joyful moment. Willow was suddenly surrounded by the entirety of the Gryffindor second years.

"Mandy and Lisa told us everything already! We thought you'd still be up in the hospital wing!" Neville exclaimed.

"Is Sam okay? Mandy said he got hit in the head really hard!" Dean said.

"Did those Dark wizards really blow stuff up?" Seamus asked.

Willow grinned. "Of course you'd ask about blowing stuff up, Seamus. Yes, they blew all sorts of stuff up. I'd ask them which spells are the best for exploding certain items, but I don't think they like me at the moment. Sam is going to be fine. He's mildly concussed and exhausted, so he might be sleeping for the next twenty-four hours."

"Wait, haven't you been up longer than that?" Neville questioned.

Willow shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm not missing this feast. I can sleep all I want afterwards. Madam Pomfrey can't stop me from doing anything right now."

"Just don't reopen your wound, you big dummy," Sally reminded her.

Willow threw up her hands. "I'm not going to eat until I bust open, I promise! I'll stop just before I get to that point."

"We all know that's a complete and total lie."

"You're addicted to bread."

"And you aren't known for using your brain much."

Willow gasped and turned around to find the twins and Lee standing behind her. She got up and hugged all of them at once, overjoyed and relieved to be able to see their smiling faces once again. They all sat together on the bench.

"Before you say anything, I'm so sorry I didn't at least- "

"Save it, Willow. We know you're a bloody Gryffindor. You're always going to be running off to the next near-death experience."

"Besides, Sally told us what happened. You helped save our sister. We can't be mad at you for that."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

"Absolutely," the twins chorused. "In fact, George decided he's certain about something, and he should say it." Fred nudged a horror-stricken George. "Come on, you've been holding back for too long! Go on!"

"I've got nothing of interest to say. It can wait," George said quickly. His expression changed faster than humanly possible. "We should be celebrating the fact that Ginny just came back from the dead! If you're dying for everyone to know, Fred, then how about you say it? You'd have much more fun that way."

George got up and went to join his parents and Ginny, who were quietly chatting among themselves and sitting closer than usual. Fred rolled his eyes while Willow furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Ah, that's George for you, always shying away at the most opportune moment," he lamented. "Don't worry, Willow, we won't keep you in the dark much longer. I'll force it out of him sooner or later."

"Force what out of him?"

Fred laughed. "Willow, you're so clueless at times, did you know that?"

"Unfortunately, I've come to terms with it in the past few months," she said.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, a group of disoriented students stood in the doorway to the Great Hall, Madam Pomfrey behind them. Willow shot to her feet when she recognized two very smiley Gryffindors.

“Hermione! Colin!” she screamed.

Willow sprinted towards them, laughing as they jumped into her arms. Harry, Ron, and Ginny ran up to join her as well. Hermione was congratulating them over and over and over again for solving the mystery. Colin was excitedly bubbling about the giant snake staring him straight in the eye, asking if he’d managed to get a picture of it. Ginny was crying and hugging Colin like she thought he would vanish any second. The entire Great Hall stood up and clapped for the return of the victims, including the teachers. Willow and the group of Gryffindors found their way to their seats at the Gryffindor table, Hermione and Colin receiving many whistles of appreciation and even a cheer from the twins, Lee, and Paige. Dumbledore tapped his goblet to gain everyone’s attention.

“Congratulations to the victims of the basilisk on your return, and let us give many thanks to Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout, without whom this recovery would not be possible,” he boomed. The Great Hall went up in applause once more. Hermione and Colin blushed at the attention, as did the two women. “In addition, Professor Lockhart will not be able to continue teaching next year, as he needs to recover from a backfired memory charm.” Some students were horrified by the news and buried their faces in their friends’ shoulders. Dumbledore, however, winked at Ron and Harry, a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by the two. “Furthermore, I believe we have a House Cup to award. Taking first place in the final few hours, winning the House Cup for the second year in a row, is Gryffindor!”

The Great Hall exploded into cheering, hooting, hollering, and general insanity. Harry and Ron were attacked with rough praise from older students and screaming from younger students in their favor. Fred and George did their best to embarrass their Ronniekins, which mostly succeeded except for Ginny’s intervention to control the chaos. When the mayhem finally died down, McGonagall stood up to make a final address to the whole room.

“As a school treat, all exams for this term have been cancelled!” she announced.

If there had been chaos before, there was earth-shattering, nation-destroying, apocalyptic celebration following this announcement. The Great Hall erupted into the most boisterous cheering and shrieking Willow had ever heard. Even the Slytherins joined in the absolute chaos and screaming of appreciation. Hermione was disappointed, but even she eventually got caught up in the moment, too, and joined the mayhem. Willow’s eardrums completely shattered, but she didn’t care. She was too happy that after all they’d been through, they didn’t have to destroy their grade, stay up late studying, or even pay much attention the next few days.

As if the excitement wasn’t enough, all of a sudden, the doors to the Great Hall burst open, and none other than Hagrid walked through. He immediately went and surprised Ron and Harry by clapping them on the backs, congratulating them on solving the mystery and saving Ginny. Hagrid finally spotted Willow and grinned. She jumped to her feet, accidentally falling into Fred as she lost her balance, then shook her head clear and sprinted into Hagrid's outstretched arms.

"Hagrid!" she exclaimed, voice muffled from being buried in his overcoat. "You're back! How did they release you so fast?"

"They said somethin' about Voldemort bein' behind the attacks an' such, then tried to apologize, an' the great buffoons let me out," he said, smiling ear to ear. "How is Fang an'- well, Daisy?"

Willow gasped. "Fang! I haven't checked on him in a whole day because of- er- an incident," she admitted. "I'm so sorry! I've been really good about checking on him every day before now! Daisy was a downright handful as well, but she has an affinity with sticks, so several games of fetch did the trick to wear her out."

Hagrid laughed. "Fang will be alrigh'. He's been cooped up longer 'an that before. Daisy mus' a loved ya. She loves runnin' an' such."

Willow beamed, relief washing over her head like a cold bucket of water. "Yeah, I think she's pretty amazing. Let me know if you need me to take care of any other crazy beasts."

"I can't wait for ya ter meet Fluffy. He's even more energetic 'an Daisy," Hagrid said, winking.

Willow suddenly remembered Harry's description of the three-headed dog. Terrifying guard-dog nature and giant drool aside, he sounded like an amazing creature. "I would love to meet Fluffy some day soon. Oh, that reminds me," Willow said, voice catching with sadness. "I might need you to do me a huge favor over the summer. I'm not sure yet, so I'll let you know."

"Anything fer you, Willow," Hagrid said. He clapped her on the back, nearly sending her head-first into the Gryffindor table. "I got ter catch up with Dumbledore if ya don' mind."

"Enjoy the feast, Hagrid!" Willow said, watching with a warm heart as Dumbledore stood up to welcome Hagrid back.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of fun and joy. Sue and Sam eventually woke up and joined them, and by four in the morning, every single one of her friends were present at the Gryffindor table. Willow ate more food than she'd ever eaten in her life, including three heaps of green bean casserole and five dinner rolls. The twins, Lee, Paige, and she received special permission from McGonagall to do one last prank, and they used up at least half of the remaining supply of their fireworks. Displays of Harry's and Ron's heroism flashed across the ceiling, Gryffindor pride flickered in and out of view, and celebratory statements about the cancelling of exams glittered in the brightening room. Willow felt ready to pass out by the time the feast was drawing to a close.

As the grey light of dawn filtered through the gaps high up the walls, Willow suddenly felt her mood shift. She wore a reminiscent grin on her face as she glanced around at her friends. Just two short years ago, she'd entered the wizarding world without a friend to call her own, just her own broken family there to support her. Now, she had friends from all aspects of life, of all different personalities, of all different origins and family types. She'd never felt so lucky in all her life. What had she done so right to deserve this entire selfless, insane, and dysfunctional yet caring family of friends? They easily risked their lives for her in the Ministry. They didn't even hesitate when she asked if they'd wanted to back out.

Willow felt herself wiping away a tear as she looked at all of her friends chatting, laughing, sharing stories, and simply enjoying life together. It didn't matter that some were better off than others. It didn't matter that some had awful parents. It didn't matter that some had tragic backstories. What mattered was that they all had each other, and for better or worse, they were a family held together by the tightest glue ever found in the world of the living: unconditional love. The Ravenclaw girls, the Gryffindor boys, Oliver and Cypress, the Gryffindor Sisters, Ron, Harry, and Hermione, the twins, Lee, and Paige, Colin and Ginny...every single one of them were living life without looking back, and they all cared about her. Willow allowed their care to swarm around her, encircle her heart, hug her tight. She loved her friends so much. She knew she would do the exact same thing they did for her without hesitation, because above all, Willow trusted them with her love, and she trusted them to return it.

And she knew they would never break it.

Oliver sighed. "What are we going to do?"

Willow groaned. "Come on, Griffin, we've been trying for so long! Why can't you fly yet?"

Griffin squawked and chirped, flapping his wings in excitement at "fly". He climbed the nearest tree and attempted to glide off it, but only managed to fall, face-planting into the soil beneath. Griffin frustratedly flicked the dirt off and stomped his feet. He walked up to Willow and allowed her to stroke his beak.

"Buddy, I don't want to, but if you can't fly, I'm going to have to leave you here and let Hagrid take care of you over the summer," Willow said. "You'll behave for him, right?" Griffin simply chewed on his tail feathers in an effort to get an itch. She sighed and glanced up at Oliver. “Hey, did you ever tell me what happened at the Ministry? I don’t remember if you did.”

Oliver’s entire body tensed. “Oh, well- no,” he said sporadically.

“What did that word mean? All I remember is stupid Molly using that word and you…not liking it.”

Oliver gulped, eyes directed at the floor. Willow sensed that he was extremely bothered by the topic. She felt bad, but something also told her that he’d been hiding something enormous deep within him, and he had to let it out before it consumed him. Willow knew what that was like firsthand, but her secret was something she knew would take years to build up the courage to tell. Instead, she helped other people let things off their chest, like she was doing with Oliver now. Willow walked up and put an arm around him. Thankfully, he didn’t jump at her touch like he normally would.

“You can take your time telling me, if you need,” Willow said. “There’s nothing that says you need to spill a big secret the moment someone demands it.”

Oliver shrugged, his usual cheery face unnaturally serious. “I should tell you. You’re a safe person to say it to. I can’t keep it a secret now that Molly…outed me.”

“Outed? What does that mean?”

Oliver took a deep breath, his voice shaking. “It’s when…um…a person…usually against homosexuals…tells people a person is gay or otherwise…when they haven’t told anyone yet. I’m- gay. Into guys.”

Willow smiled. “So am I. So is Cypress. So are a lot of people. It doesn’t make you any different. You’re still the same unimaginably sweet, selfless, and caring Hufflepuff you’ve always been. The only different thing is I now know who to set you up with in the future.”

“That…makes me feel a lot better. Don’t let Mandy and Sam go crazy finding matches for me, though. I’ll never stop blushing.” A ghost of a smile touched Oliver’s face before being swept away by his tide of emotions. “That’s not the only thing, though. There’s…something I haven’t been able to tell anyone.”

Willow’s heart throbbed. “Something bad, judging by your expression?”

Oliver nodded, swallowing hard. “My grandparents…don’t approve of my…love for guys. They haven’t been the nicest people because of that. When my parents died, that was the last straw, and they…they…”

Oliver broke down in tears. Willow’s heart absolutely shattered. She wrapped Oliver on a comforting hug, gently rubbing his back. Oliver leaned on her and cried into her shoulder. Why did the world have to do this? Willow wanted to scream. Why should Oliver, the sweetest, purest soul to the ever grace the Earth, have to suffer like this? Why did anyone have to go through this sort of pain because of love? Willow hoped she would get the chance to hex Oliver’s grandparents out of existence.

“I promise you, Oliver, if they ever lay a finger on you again, I’m going to personally break the Statue of Secrecy and make sure they get buried six feet into the ground, far away from any nice resting place.”

Oliver sniffled, wiping his eyes. “No, it’s not that. They didn’t touch me. They’ve kept five feet between us at all times. They did something much worse. They sent me to a- a camp. It wasn’t legal, but they knew how to- to get me there. They sent me- they sent me to conversion therapy.” Oliver hung his head, trying not to sob as another tear streamed down his face. “That’s why I didn’t talk to anyone when I first came to Hogwarts. I was too scared to talk to anyone. I was afraid they’d find out, and…do horrible things. I was afraid of everyone.”

Willow gasped. “Oh my God, Oliver! I’m so sorry they did that to you!” She hugged him even tighter. “I didn’t even know! All this time I thought it was shyness, but it wasn’t!”

Oliver somehow managed a half-smile through his tears. “You were the only other person that seemed to understand. I saw you only had a few friends, and you understood sadness, and you weren’t a guy, so I figured I could trust you. I’m glad I did.”

A lump formed in Willow’s throat. "Oliver, don’t ever change. You are a literal angel and a gift to this world. You’re an incredible human being, and don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise."

Oliver smiled again and wrapped his arms around Willow. They simply embraced each other in silence for a while, supporting each other without needing to say a word. At length, Willow said, "Oliver, you’re coming to live with me, okay? I can’t let you go back to your grandparents. Would you like that?"

Oliver nodded, eyes shining. "I’d love that."

Willow squeezed his shoulder. "I can’t wait for you to see my greenhouse. You’re going to to go crazy."

Oliver lightly chuckled. "I can’t wait, either."

They jumped when the click of the wall being unlocked startled Griffin. Sam appeared through the wall, followed by Dean, Seamus, and Neville.

“Whoa! I always forget how crazy this place is.”

Willow quickly stepped in front of Oliver as he cooled down his face. They both slapped on a smile. “Oh, hey guys! You saying last goodbyes too?”

Neville furrowed his eyebrows, already hugging Griffin. “What do you mean?”

Willow sighed, dropping the cheery façade. “Griffin doesn’t have any way to come home with me. He’s going to have to stay here with Hagrid...all summer.”

”I’d prefer that to riding next to him all the way home,” Seamus said, eyes darting to Griffin.

Dean nudged him. “Seamus, that’s extremely insensitive! Griffin means a lot to her.” He glanced at the baby griffin. “He’s not that bad, either.”

Seamus blushed deeply. “Sorry.”

Neville gave Griffin a bacon treat from breakfast as Oliver finally recovered enough to step out from behind Willow. “Won’t he get all depressed without us, though?”

”Yeah, aren’t you taking the other three with you?” Oliver asked.

Willow winced. “Don’t remind me. I’m going to be just as depressed without him.” She stroked Griffin’s beak. “This little guy gives me hope every day. He’s grown up so much since I first found him. Look at his feathers! They’re not even fuzzy anymore!”

Neville and Oliver exchanged a sad glance. “He’s so much stronger, too. And he does tricks really well.”

”I’m going to miss giving him treats from the Great Hall,” Oliver whimpered. “Him and V, actually.”

At the mention of his name, the jarvey poked his head out of his bush burrow. He scampered to Willow’s feet and crawled up her arm, sniffing for treats. V grumbled when he didn’t find any, settling onto Willow’s head instead, tickling her ears with his whiskers. Felicity fluttered over and landed on her shoulder. Fidget crawled out of her pocket to say hi. Patch even stamped out of his daisies and sat on Willow’s foot. The boys laughed at her appearance.

”You were definitely onto something, picking Care of Magical Creatures for next year,” Seamus commented.

Griffin squawked and padded closer to Willow, gently tapping Fidget with his beak. All five of the magical creatures seemed to sense the depression in the atmosphere, whimpering and whining softly. Willow’s heart broke. She forced a smile onto her face, wishing away tears.

”I guess it will be fine,” she said as evenly as she could. “Hagrid loves magical creatures more than life itself. He’ll take good care of you, won’t he, good boy?”

Griffin chirped sadly and rubbed his face against Willow. She hugged him tight, struggling not to cry. Griffin closed his eyes and leaned against her. Willow wanted to stand there and cuddle with Griffin all day, but the train was leaving in an hour. She pulled back and patted his head.

”I love you, buddy,” she whispered.

Griffin crooned sadly. Willow hugged him one last time, then wiped her face and turned away. The boys looked on sympathetically. Neville and Oliver said their goodbyes, the other three keeping their distance, and finally they turned to leave. Her magical creatures rushed out with the boys. Willow waited for them to leave. When everyone was gone, she looked back one last time. Griffin flapped his wings and screeched. Willow felt a tear drip down her cheek. He was already frantic with her leaving, eyes wild and scared. Why did this have to happen? Griffin didn’t deserve this! Willow wiped her eyes and quickly walked through the wall, the sound of Griffin’s crying ringing in her ears despite being suddenly cut off by the wall. She stormed past the boys and led the way out of the Gryffindor common room. The rest of the creatures dejectedly followed behind her, as did the boys. No one dared to break the heavy silence as they trudged through the corridors one last time.

Then, all of a sudden, Fidget clicked and chirped. He jumped up and down on Willow’s shoulder, pointing out a nearby opening. Felicity silently opened his beak and flapped his wings. V and Patch perked up their heads and put their paws on the openings in the wall. They raced ahead, calling out to something outside. Willow panicked and ran after them. What if they were seen? What if someone stepped on them? They could get hurt! The boys sprinted after her as well, gasping at something she couldn’t see. Willow finally caught up to the creatures in the courtyard.

”V, Patch, what- !”

Willow gasped. She covered her mouth with her hand and broke down in tears. There, gliding ten meters above her, was none other than Griffin. He giddily flapped his wings and changed directions, trying to catch birds, then noticed Willow and dove down, swooping in wide, uncontrolled arcs around her. The swish of his wings as he blew by was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard in her life.

”He’s doing it! He’s flying! Griffin is flying!” she exclaimed. Willow laughed when Griffin’s feathers brushed her face, tickling and sending a refreshingly cool breeze across her face. “He die it! He finally did it!”

”How did he...even get out?” Sam panted, the rest of the boys appearing behind him.

”Who cares? He can follow us home!”

”Won’t he get tired?” Neville asked.

”He can sit in an empty luggage compartment!” Willow said. She couldn’t care less about the logistics at that point. She was so elated and full of positive energy that it made her head buzz. “I’ll meet you guys on the train! I’ve got to fly with Griffin!” She handed Fidget to Oliver. “Keep him safe! I’ll see you in a little bit!”

Willow launched herself into the air, transforming into a griffin as she did. Griffin squeaked with delight and circled her, almost more excited than she was. Willow happily tipped her wings and aimed for Hogsmede Station. Griffin followed her clumsily, flapping his wings sporadically and struggling to stay on a straight path. Willow finally touched down in the Forbidden Forest just outside Hogsmede Station. Sneaking towards the back of the train, she transformed back into herself, judging the best spot for Griffin to hide. She discovered an empty compartment for luggage and beckoned Griffin towards her. Willow tensed when he tripped upon landing, tumbling into a tree and drawing some stares from students loading the train. She quickly waved a hand and caused a tree to bend in front of them. Griffin stood up, shaking his head, then excitably jumped around her, as if trying to tell her how happy he was that he finally managed to fly. Willow abruptly put a finger to her lips, and as soon as he noticed, Griffin hushed up. They snuck into the luggage compartment without being seen and shut the door. Willow silently celebrated.

”Yes! Yes! You’re going home with me, Griffin, you hear that? Home!” Griffin danced around the compartment. “Yeah, it’s all because you flew, buddy! I’m so proud of you! Good boy, Griffin, good boy!”

Willow played with Griffin for a little while, settling him down. About a half hour later, the door swung open, and a parade of her friends filled up the train car. Patch, V, and Felicity scampered in beneath their feet, tripping Neville. They shut the door behind them, then all fell to the floor in a heap, the train car shifting with the beginning of their journey home. Willow laughed at them all.

"It's nice to hear you laughing again," Mandy remarked.

"How did you all find me?" Willow asked.

"It wasn't hard. We followed the unnaturally bent tree and a crash-landing path, you know, the usual signs of Willow Guerrero's whereabouts," Sam joked.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Wow. I'm so impressed with your tracking skills."

"Let's make use of our last few hours of magic and blow some stuff up, shall we?" Seamus suggested.

The remainder of the journey was spent in a playful, light-hearted bliss. Dean, Seamus, Neville, and Sam blew up and incinerated several empty wooden crates. Padma, Mandy, Sue, and Lisa gave far too much attention to Felicity and Fidget. The Gryffindor Sisters adored Griffin and practically attacked Patch, making him a hair clip from daisy petals they found stuck to his spines. Patch grumpily sat there and took it. Willow promised him from afar that he'd get all the daisy treats he wanted when they got home. Mandy decided to allow her hair to change colour according to her mood for once, and it became a vibrant rainbow of blue, green, orange, yellow, and mixtures galore. Cypress absolutely loved it. He and Oliver sat off to the side with Willow, carefully watching the pandemonium, laughing at funny occurrences, and occasionally telling off V for repeating dirty jokes (taught by Seamus and Sam, of course). They cast charms galore to get out everything they wanted to try before the summer. Willow was going to hate not being able to use magic for months at a time, but at least she had her powers, however ornery and uncooperative they were.

The train finally rolled to stop at King's Cross Station what felt like minutes, not hours, later. They all hugged each other goodbye, then found their trunks and ran into their families' open arms. Willow smiled when she saw the Smith twins being squeezed in between Sarah Brown's strong, loving arms, already going back and forth about the Ministry debacle. She was so glad they had her to go home to. Willow asked Oliver to stay with Griffin and the rest of her creatures, placed Fidget back into her pocket, and found both hers and Oliver's trunks. She cast around for a familiar face, and suddenly she found herself staring at her father. Willow dropped the trunks and sprinted into her dad's arms.

"Dad! Oh my God, I never thought I could miss you even more than last year, but I did!" she exclaimed.

Carlos laughed and set her back onto the pavement. "I've heard a lot about this year- particularly the last week or so- from Molly and Arthur. Care to explain?"

Willow grinned. "In due time. For now, I kind of need a huge favor."

Minutes later, Oliver was following Carlos out of King's Cross Station, hundreds of meters below. A very invisible Willow and Griffin soared above the Station, then touched down next to the Guerrero's car. Oliver and Carlos lugged Iris and Achelous within their cage, another identical cage with a powerful disillusionment charm on it concealing Patch, V, and Felicity, and their trunks. Willow snuck up behind Oliver and whispered, "Well, hello, stranger!"

Oliver jumped, then smiled. "Willow! Don't scare me like that!"

"I'm actually to your right."

"Oh, sorry." Oliver turned in the direction of her voice, finally facing her now. "You dad's charms are powerful!"

"Yeah, he is kind of good at charms, wizardry, life...ooh, and cooking!"

Oliver beamed. "He sounds awesome."

The car was finally loaded, and after five minutes of struggling to locate Willow's exact position, Carlos undid the invisibility spell on his daughter. Griffin flapped his wings and circled in anticipation. They got into the car, and within minutes, they were making their way into the British countryside, Griffin entertaining himself a hundred or so meters above, only located by sonar in his invisible state. Willow explained to her dad that Oliver was staying with them for the summer at least, and he was happy to finally meet Oliver properly. Iris and Achelous constantly begged to be let out of their cage, as did the other three, but Willow decided not to risk her dad crashing the car. Her two pets had never truly met the other three, and the last thing they needed was a car crash and dealing with Muggle authorities, which her dad had explained to her when she was younger. All the legal stuff sounded like too much work when they could repair it with a simple spell.

Finally, at long last, they pulled into the Guerrero's driveway. A huge gash appeared in the lawn beside Willow as she stepped out of the car. Carlos undid the invisibility spell on Griffin to reveal him stuck beak-first in the grass, feathers spraying everywhere. Oliver giggled and helped Willow get him out of the dirt. A familiar voice called from the front porch.

“Merlin’s beard! Where on Earth did you get that?”

Willow gasped. “Tío Leonel! Tío Cisco!” She sprinted to the front porch and jumped into their arms. “What are you doing here? I thought you were on a mission in Brazil for the next month!”

Tío Leonel grinned. “We managed to collect enough information to satisfy Scamander and took leave early. How could we miss an opportunity to catch up with our sobrina favorita?"

“And her many, many creatures,” Tío Cisco whistled, spotting Carlos getting the two cages full of her creatures out of the trunk. “Where in the name of Merlin did you find all of those?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.” Willow’s eyes lit up. “Is that enchiladas I smell?”

Abuela appeared behind her sons, cheeks rosy. “Yes, no thanks to these bozos.” She opened her arms and gave Willow a suffocating hug, smiling. “You need a refresher of what real food tastes like after all those months eating mass-produced rolls and potatoes.”

“Trust me, those house elves deserve an award for their homemade bread, Abuela. I ate plenty,” Willow promised.

“Your friend here obviously didn’t,” Abuela observed, frowning at Oliver. “How many meals have you skipped? Ay dios mio, boy, you need to eat five enchiladas tonight- and three plates of rice! Come in, come in! Dinner will be ready in five minutes!”

Oliver, slightly shocked at her reaction, followed Abuela and the rest of the family inside. As he passed by Willow, he whispered, “Is she like this all the time?”

Willow nodded, fondly beaming at her grandmother. “That’s my Abuela, always making sure everyone eats enough, including heaps of rice.”

Oliver’s emerald green eyes sparkled. “I’m going to love your family.”


	40. Summer of Year 3: Chapter 1

Oliver groaned on the floor. “I don’t think I can eat for another week.”

Willow laughed. “Well, you do have several pounds to make up for. Abuela will make sure you get some meat on your bones.”

Oliver smiled. “I love your grandma. She’s the most caring person I’ve ever met.”

“Trust me, you’ll get to know her very well over the next few months. She’s crazy protective and caring of her family, and if anyone dares to upset that, including her own family, God help your poor soul. She always makes up for her strictness, though, usually by way of the best Spanish rice and homemade cakes on the planet.”

“I can’t even think about food right now,” Oliver said. “But that does sound amazing.”

Willow laughed. “You’ll develop a Guerrero appetite in no time.”

Achelous hummed quietly on Willow’s nightstand at Iris, who cuddled closer as she slowly woke up. Willow walked over to pat them both, receiving a quiet hoot of appreciation from iris. Oliver stood up and stroked Iris’s back.

“She’s much more friendly than most owls,” Oliver said.

Willow nodded. “Iris loves everybody- except for my mum. I heard she bit her when she had to deliver a letter to my dad once. I wish I could have been there to see it. Iris would have gotten ten extra treats that day.”

At “treats,” V perked his head up. Patch and Felicity also looked up. When they realized there weren’t any treats, V and Felicity pouted, and Patch kicked the latch on the cage. Willow rolled her eyes at his attitude.

“Alright, fine, let’s get you guys to the greenhouse.” She picked up the cage. “Come on, Oliver, I might as well give you a tour of the mansion.”

Willow led the way down the stairs, past the library, and into the greenhouse. She unlatched the cage in the far corner. V exploded out and immediately began digging a new burrow. Patch, of course, grumpily stomped out, sniffing with distaste at the herbs nearby. Felicity simply fluttered into the nearest tree, which was much smaller than the ones at Hogwarts, but he almost seemed to prefer the condensed size. Oliver’s face lit up as he ran along the flower beds, gawking at the small stream running through the middle of the greenhouse. Small but full trees lined the stream, providing a shady environment for some plants and half-sun for others. Both the full-sun and half-to-shady environments shared the space with Muggle and magical flora. Oliver squeaked and slapped his hand over his mouth at the sight of a Venomous Tentacula.

“You really love the greenhouse that much?” Willow chortled.

“It’s almost as amazing as Hogwarts!” Oliver squealed, nearly jumping up and down. “There’s so many magical plants here that I’ve been hoping to meet since first year! And the flowers are arranged beautifully! Their scents amalgamate perfectly! Oh, and the herb section is going to yield so many delicious dinners!”

“It always ties back to food, doesn’t it?” Willow laughed. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Like it? I love it! This is the best house ever!” Oliver exclaimed.

“You haven’t even seen the rest of it yet,” Willow said, smiling. “Wait until you see the library. It’s got everything from history books to Lord of the Rings. I’ve found at least ten nooks to read them all in, too.”

Oliver gasped. “Does it have squishy chairs?”

Willow grinned. “It has something even better.”

Oliver nearly sprinted into the library, collapsing into the nearest squishy and'fluffy chair after running from section to section, pausing in between to climb a ladder to the balcony-like second floor. Willow’s eyes gazed over the wooden beams holding up the ceiling while Oliver freaked out over the enormous fantasy section. Her heart filed with that familiar sense of pride to be a Guerrero living in this gorgeous home. She hoped Oliver would be able to find a little bit of that pride to become an important part of her family, too.

After exploring an outdoor overhang that overlooked the backyard and the forest beyond, Willow gave Oliver a tour of the entire house, Fidget peeping out every once in a while to explore rooms he didn’t get a chance to see the previous summer. Oliver was completely and utterly lost by the time they finished, but happy nonetheless. He and Willow found themselves clambering out of the attic by the end of the afternoon in an effort to escape a magical broom they’d accidentally set off. Fidget clung to Willow’s pocket for dear life when they sprinted down the stairs, then slid across the tiled kitchen floor into the living room. Willow flipped over the couch and tumbled into the coffee table. Oliver gasped and caught Fidget when he jumped from Willow’s pocket to safety.

“Whoa! Are you okay? How did that happen?”

“My whole life is an occupational hazard, it’s fine,” Willow giggled. Oliver offered a hand to help her up. She brushed her hair out of her face. “Just another side effect of being a Gryffindor. Speaking of crazy things, let’s go find Griffin! I hope he settled in by now.”

Willow opened the sliding glass doors to let them outside. Griffin was pecking around the yard, sniffing and searching for the best spots to snag a midnight snack. He perked his head up and flapped his wings at the sight of them, even clumsily catching the wind and getting a few feet off the ground. Willow was tackled and went somersaulting away. She laughed breathlessly, the wind knocked out of her, as Griffin crooned and rubbed his head against her to make sure she was okay.

“I’m okay, I’m okay, yeah, thanks for checking on me buddy!” she said. Griffin flapped his wings and squawked, seemingly satisfied with her state. Willow placed her hands on the sides of his face. His eyes excitably gazed into hers. “Yeah, you can fly now, how cool is that? Are you a big boy now? Yes, Griffin’s a big boy now!”

Griffin danced around the yard, jumping and accidentally gliding every so often, then brought Oliver an old soccer ball he found buried in a bush. Willow raised her eyebrows.

“Huh. I was wondering where that went. Catch me if you can, Griffin!”

Willow took off at the soccer ball, tapping it with the inside of her foot. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Griffin ecstatically chasing after her. Willow dribbled the whole length of the yard, then made a hard cut to her left, faked out Griffin, and sprinted back towards the deck. Oliver laughed, watching from a distance while Griffin overtook Willow and nearly sent her careening into a row of raspberry bushes. She still got up and found the ball to keep the game going. Growing a couple clumps of grass taller than usual, Willow created a goal and slotted the ball perfectly into the corner. She whooped and hollered, confusing Griffin, which resulted in him knocking Willow over and pinning her down with a large set of eagle talons.

“Aw, I’m sorry, did you lose?” she wheezed under his immense weight. “Better luck next time, buddy!”

Griffin squeaked almost moodily, then let Willow up, only to purposely swipe his wing at her and send her face-first into the grass. He screeched with joy, as if he were making fun of her. A chorus of chortling also went up near the mansion. Willow rolled her eyes. Leave it to her family to rub it in. She let Oliver help her up, then brushed herself off and made her way to the deck, where her entire family had gathered around the fire pit to enjoy the last couple hours of sunlight.

"We were wondering if you'd gotten lost in the dungeons yet," Tío Cisco joked.

Oliver raised his eyebrows at Willow. "Dungeons?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, we don't have dungeons, unlike most pureblooded wizarding families. We tend to accept people for a change. Oliver, these are my uncles, Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel. Watch out for them both. They act like the Weasley twins most of the time, although Cisco is older. My dad is the youngest."

Cisco and Leonel pointed at Carlos and laughed, Cisco even whispering a charm to make the smoke from the fire blow in his brother's face. Carlos simply smiled and flicked his wand, sending it straight up once again.

"I can see that," Oliver chuckled.

"He's used to the torment by now," Willow said. She turned to her grandparents. "This is Abuelo and Abuela, my grandparents. They both work with Muggle historians in London. Oh, and I forgot to mention, my uncles and my dad all work for Newt Scamander. They collect research on rare and newly discovered magical creatures and compile it with him to update versions of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

Oliver's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa! You really work next to Newt Scamander himself?"

"Yes, and I have to say, the adventures to Japan and Brazil are quite intricate and bountiful," Leonel said. "Scamander always seems to know exactly where to send us."

"In fact, we're being sent to Uganda this summer to follow up on problems of low numbers of hippeyhikes in Uagadou. That's the Ugandan wizarding school, though it accepts students from all over Africa, as it's one of the oldest and the best. The students there are so well educated in particular subjects such as Astronomy and Self-Transfiguration that some old bats on the International Confederation of Wizards are getting jealous. They tried to complain that they were 'too good' at becoming animagi and other animals."

Willow snickered. "I'd be a heck of a problem to them if they ever met me, then."

"Oh, you'd be a downright terrorist in their eyes," Tío Cisco chortled. "I can't wait for you to see Uagadou- and Uganda, for that matter. They're both incredible places."

"Wait, we're going as a family?"

Abuela scoffed. "We're not leaving you here to fend for yourself! You know how out of hand things get when we leave you alone for even two seconds! It's a surprise Carlos even let you go off to Hogwarts, as reckless as you are. No, both you and your friend are coming with us."

"Me?" Oliver squeaked.

"Yes, you!" Abuelo chuckled. "You're once of us now! When there's a family excursion, that means you, too!"

Oliver blushed slightly. Willow's excitement level went through the roof. Her family was already accepting Oliver! And they were going to Uganda, of all places, for magical creatures! How much better could a vacation get? Willow's powers accidentally reacted to her excitement, and a small tree began growing beside the deck. She quickly retracted it before anyone could see. As her family conversed with Oliver, however, trying to get to know him better, she absent-mindedly played with her now antsy powers, calling animals to her, using echolocation to check out what was happening around her, swaying the trees, and sending leaves showering down around her family, which accidentally caught their attention.

"I see someone still has phenomenal powers that she's totally using for pure good," Tío Leonel teased.

"Oh, shut it," Willow giggled. "They're getting harder to control if I don't practice with them every so often. They react to my emotions otherwise, and the last thing I need is a magical creature to come and butcher my potions professor just because I'm mad- not that I don't dislike him strongly, but he doesn't need to be mauled by an adolescent griffin. I'd rather take him out myself."

Tío Cisco laughed heartily. "You're a Gryffindor after your grandmother's heart, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do know that," Willow said sheepishly. She stood up. "Anyway, I'm going to go check on- " She paused, seeing black dots swimming before her eyes, then collapsed back into her chair. "On second thought, I might just stay here for a little while."

Carlos furrowed his brow. "I thought your powers were becoming stronger?"

"They are, but I'm not exactly growing as fast as they are," Willow sighed. "Cebba warned me about this. She said they're going to become even more finicky and exhausting as they become stronger, but I don't know why. Here, you can ask her yourself."

Willow called for Cebba to come. She immediately responded. That horrible, bone-chilling, pulling sensation overtook her, then Cebba was standing before her, glowing and ghostly. She put her hands on her hips and stared at Willow.

"You are getting awfully moody, you know that?"

Willow's mouth dropped open. "Hey! When was I being moody? I'm perfectly calm right now, thanks! You're the one that was pestering me all day about pretty much everything!"

Cebba rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless at times, Willow Guerrero." Leaving her speechless with indignation, Cebba turned to address the rest of her family with a smile. "It's been a long time, has it not? I'm glad to see you all again. I don't know how you deal with her all summer. Being in her head is exhausting." She ignored Willow's cries for her to say that to her face and nodded warmly at Abuela. "How have you been? The Muggles haven't been keeping you too busy, have they?"

Abuela shook her head. "No, they don't give me enough work is more like it."

"Good, they’ll recognize your abilities soon.” Cebba faced Carlos. "I heard you had a question for me?"

Willow's dad nodded. "Why are Willow's powers taking such a toll on her? They used to be so easy to work with, and now they're...almost parasitic. I don't want her passing out in the middle of the day just because her senses are detecting sounds from a mile away."

Cebba grinned. "She won't be doing that any time soon, I promise. Willow- for once- was onto something earlier. Her powers are growing while she is not. She was born strong enough to handle regular powers, but the array she's taken on is more than has ever been presented to a single person. I've wondered about that for a long time and only come up with the solution that her personality has many strong, powerful aspects that all loosely tie back to the same thing, just as nature does. What she will have to do in the future is specialize in a certain area or two and attempt to lose the rest."

"That's fine with me, as long as I don't have to do any more black-outs," Willow panted.

"Is that all?" Abuelo asked. "You seem like you have more to say."

Cebba grinned. "I had a feeling you were the observant one. Yes, there is one more thing I must say before I return to Willow. She is about to go through another 'power-up,' as I call them. There will be a single new ability she will receive, which I will explain when she is ready for it. Be warned, though, her powers are growing even more than ever with this next increase, which means they will become even more testy, exhausting, and influential. Don't let them pull you to that darker side, Willow. I know how devastated you would be if that happened."

Willow smirked. "So you do care, albeit a tiny bit."

Cebba rolled her eyes. "Don't push it, Princess."

Willow scoffed. "I am not a princess. If I was a princess, I'd get kicked out of my kingdom in less than two seconds for bad manners, disrupting the royal court, neglecting duties...the list goes on and on, probably ending with burping loudly in the middle of the throne room."

Cebba sighed. "Unfortunately, yes, but I don't know if that's such a bad thing."

"Aw, are you finally admitting that I'm a pretty cool person?"

Cebba threw up her hands. "I'm going back into your head before it gets too full of your ego. Goodbye for now, Guerreros and Oliver. I'll hopefully see you again soon."

Willow gasped as the ice water sensation spilled over her head, then disappeared in a fraction of a second. She stared around at her family, then shrugged. "I guess I'll come up with a schedule to start practicing with my powers, then. It might make soccer a bit difficult, but I'll manage."

"Do you always bully each other like that?" Tío Leonel asked.

Willow nodded, grinning sheepishly. "Yeah...it's a past time. She yells at me for doing something stupid- not usually in the wrong, of course- and I yell back, being the stubborn idiot I am."

"As long as you're always winning," Tío Cisco chuckled. "S'mores, anyone?"

"Is that even a question? Yesyesyes!" Willow shrieked. She sprinted inside with her uncle and her dad to gather all the gram crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate, taking the Hershey bars for herself. They brought out the iron roasting sticks and each stuck two marshmallows on the ends. Willow couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten a s'more. The smell of fire-browned powdered sugar blanketed her senses with tranquility. Oliver stared in wonder at the finished product sitting on his plate, Willow giggling at his ridiculous expression.

"Have you seriously never had a s'more before?"

"No, and I've been missing out," Oliver mumbled through his first bite. He melted on the spot. "How have I never had these before? They're amazing! Whoever came up with marshmallows and chocolate together on a gram cracker needs an Order of Merlin, First Class."

"I agree," Willow said, already finishing her second s'more. "Care for another one?"

"I was hoping you'd ask!" Oliver exclaimed. "Ooh! Can I try to make one? Please? Please?"

Willow laughed. "Of course, silly."

Helping Oliver hold his iron roasting stick correctly, Willow showed him how to successfully make a s'more without burning the marshmallow or himself. He ate three s'mores in all. Abuela was proud of how much he was eating by that point. Oliver was noticeably gaining the slightest bit of weight, but he was growing fast, too, and it would take a long time before Abuela got him where she wanted him. He was in for a long summer of excessive quantities of food. That was a good problem to have, though, Willow thought, compared to what he would have faced going home with his biological grandparents.

"So, Oliver, are you in Willow's year?" Abuelo asked.

Oliver nodded, sitting up in his chair. "I'm in Hufflepuff."

"Ha! Leonel, you awe me five galleons!" Tío Cisco exclaimed. "I knew he was a Hufflepuff!"

"He still seems like a Gryffindor to me..." Tío Leonel grumbled, begrudgingly handing a fistful of gold to his brother. He cleared his throat. "Please excuse that; my brother and I have a horrible habit of betting each other on everything." Ignoring Tío Cisco's disdain for calling it horrible, he continued. "Have you enjoyed Hogwarts so far?"

Oliver smiled shyly. "Yeah. Willow introduced me to a lot of people. The classes are hard, but I like Herbology."

"Herbology is a tricky subject. I think you'll find there's a lot more fun to be had in the coming years," Abuelo said. "What did you choose for your electives next year?"

"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination," Oliver replied. As if on cue, Griffin trotted over and begged for pets. Oliver beamed and stroked the silly griffin's beak. "I think I'll have at least some success in Care of Magical Creatures instead of Ancient Runes."

"Willow must be doing those, too, because I can't see her in either Ancient Runes or Arithmancy," Tío Cisco said.

"Hey! Is that an insult to my intelligence?"

"If you're intelligent enough to recognize when I'm insulting you, is it really?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Don't make me uproot a tree on your head. I can and will do that, by the way." As Tío Cisco's mouth dropped open with an indignant expression, Willow continued on to her father. "Do you remember anything about either subject, something that might help me not fail Divination, specifically?"

"Well, since you've already got an extra sixth sense, you've got a leg up in the class, but my suggestion is to pay close attention, take whoever the professor is very seriously, and go with your gut, because Divination isn't an exact science."

"There's no science in the wizarding world period, brother," Tío Leonel laughed.

Oliver gasped. "I almost forgot! How does that even work? Muggle science has gotten really advanced over the past few decades, and now they're coming up with really, really cool stuff! Does that fit in anywhere in the wizarding world? I'm pretty sure- from what science I remember from grade school- that magic breaks scientific laws all the time. How does that even work?"

"It's a new area being developed by the top witches and wizards in the world," Carlos explained. "Soon, it might have a name, but for now, they're so heavy into their research that they sometimes stay awake for a week at a time on a single subject. I’ve provided them with multiple hodag horns before."

"Whoa," Oliver and Willow chorused.

"Yeah, it's crazy, alright," Abuelo commented. "They're going to be some of the most powerful people alive soon- that's if they figure out what they're researching, of course, but I have full faith that they're going to do it."

"For all we know, they could make a breakthrough discovery tomorrow and name that day as a holiday," Tío Leonel joked.

"That would be fun to have a holiday on my birthday," Oliver said quietly.

"WHAT? Your birthday is tomorrow?" Willow shrilled. "Oh my God, how did I not know this? We've got to give you a birthday party! It's the big turning point- thirteen! You haven’t had one since you went to live with your grandparents, have you? Merlin's beard, you missed out on so much!"

"I'll bake the cake," Tío Cisco volunteered.

"I've got the decorations," Carlos and Tío Leonel chorused.

"I'm definitely providing the rest of the food," Abuela said.

"I'll send an owl to the invitees," Abuelo offered.

"Oh, you don't really have to do all that for me, I shouldn't have said anything-" Oliver began.

"Merlin's beard, Oliver, you haven't lived until you've had a grown-up birthday party!" Abuela exclaimed. "Thirteen years old tomorrow, and you haven’t had one since you were single digits!" She shook her head. "No, you are going to have the best birthday a thirteen-year-old could ever ask for. You deserve ten of those to make up for everything you've missed." She went inside the house, grumbling about getting a hold of his grandparents, no birthday parties, how dare they, and many more threats. The rest of the family followed her. Before long, three owls took flight with letters galore attached to their legs, including Iris, who seemed happy to finally have a mission at night. Willow beamed at Oliver.

"Admit it, you're kind of excited to have a birthday party," she said.

Oliver smiled shyly. "Okay, maybe a little bit...or a lot a bit. Your family is awesome. I've never had anyone this excited to do something for me aside from you and Cypress."

Willow hugged Oliver. "Trust me, you deserve everything you've ever wanted, and you should never feel bad about it."

When Willow and Oliver woke up the next day, Abuela immediately announced that they would be going anywhere in London that Oliver wanted for his pre-birthday celebration. Oliver at first was very shy, then finally admitted that he hadn’t been to the London Zoo in years. Before they knew it, the entire family was gathered into the car and zooming towards the city.

The London Zoo was exactly as Willow remembered it: welcoming, clean, and full of vibrant life. Her senses being overactive after her early-morning power-up, she accidentally received reports on a few chameleon’s vitals not doing so well. She may or may not have taken it into her own hands by growing some herbs in their enclosure. Oliver practically sprinted from exhibit to exhibit, pointing out every animal he remembered from when he was little, squealing about the new ones, and reading every plaque. They spent an exorbitant amount of time in the butterfly house. Willow influenced some of the butterflies to land on Oliver, then accidentally ended up covered head to toe in multicoloured wings, having a natural attraction because of her powers (“You must taste sweet!”). By mid day, they were starving, so they went to the Terrace Restaurant. Oliver and Willow ended up sharing a stone-baked pizza.

“Whoa. I’ve never had a pizza this good,” Oliver commented. “I didn’t know stone-baked pizza could be better than everyday pizza.”

“I haf t’gree,” Willow said through a mouth full of food. “The closest thing I’ve had before is oven-baked pizza in Toledo, Ohio. You can literally watch them assemble the pizza, make the dough, stoke the fire, put it in the oven, and hand it directly to your waitress. I ate an entire margarita pizza once.”

“I’ve never managed to eat even half a pizza before,” Oliver said. “What’s America like?”

“Well, it seems that every single city is completely different from the next, but Toledo, at least, is super historically important and has a lot of cool places to go. Put-In-Bay is cool, too, and fishing for perch on Lake Erie is the best. Oh, and Cedar Point is incredible! That’s one of the best amusement parks in the world.”

“I might have to visit Ohio sometime, then.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll probably end up going back at some point before we graduate from Hogwarts.” Out of the corner of her eye, Willow spotted something fluttering in the wind outside. Her heart stopped. Memories came flooding back despite her efforts to stem the tide. Oliver’s face melted into concern.

“Are you okay?”

Willow swallowed. “Remember how I told you about that incident I had at the Zoo?” Oliver nodded. Willow sighed, pushing away nightmarish memories. “That...that is the place. Where I had a mental breakdown. Last year. It wasn’t my first…but it was still one of the worst.”

“Oh…” Oliver trailed off. He stared through the window at the shriveled-up, browned ivy tendrils. “I’m guessing that was your doing too?”

Willow nodded. “I could only hope that the Muggles dismissed it as nothing. That was the closest I’ve ever come to revealing my powers to the entire world…and revealing my instability, I guess, which is something I’m not exactly proud of.”

“Well, everyone gets overwhelmed at some point in their lives, and that’s just talking about everyday Muggles. You’ve had several near-death experiences. That leaves a mark on someone. The fact that you’re still so strong after all of those mentally shattering moments shows exactly how resilient you are.”

“Thanks,” Willow said, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. It disappeared after a half of a second. She gripped her shoulder. “But…it’s not exactly any of those experiences that hurt the worst. It’s…something else.”

“What? Your mum?”

Willow flinched. “Not exactly. I’d rather not talk about it.”

Oliver gently squeezed Willow’s shoulder. “You know I’m always up to listen when you’re ready.”

Willow smiled, nodding. “I do know that. You’re the best.” She shook herself. “Well, I’d say that’s enough sadness for one day. It’s your thirteenth birthday, for God’s sake! We need sunshine and rainbows and happiness!” Willow paid for their meal with the money Abuela had given them. “Come on, I’ve got the greatest place to show you.”

Willow guided Oliver outside, the fresh air instantly clearing her head. They inconspicuously walked along the wooden fence nearby, then found the little pathway through the trees. Oliver followed her, staring in wonder at all the birds singing above. At length, they arrived at the Sorting Hat Gate. Willow paused for a moment, remembered the pattern, and knocked. It immediately swung open to reveal the best part of the London Zoo- the magical section. Oliver gasped and clapped both hands over his mouth.

“Merlin- what- how- I love it!” he squealed. “How have I never known about this place?”

“That’s what I asked last year!” Willow laughed. “Come on, there’s so much to show you!”

They passed by numerous exhibits, most of them boasting a large population. Willow saw Albert the graphorn lazily basking in the sun, the Bowtruckle Man watering a tree while covered in his creatures, and a group of clabberts racing to the top of a jungle tree. They finally halted in front of the demiguise exhibit. As usual, they were all invisible. Willow sensed a familiar creature and put her hand against the glass. Oliver looked like he was about to ask her a question when a demiguise suddenly melted into existence, hand against Willow’s on the other side of the glass. Willow grinned, excitement buzzing around in her stomach. An older man she recognized as the demiguise keeper opened the door to their enclosure.

“Willow Guerrero!” he whistled. “I was wondering when you’d decide to stop by! Come in, come in! Who’s your friend?”

“This is Oliver Rivers,” she replied as they were ushered in. “Oliver, meet Mr. Perry, the demiguise keeper.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my boy,” Perry said, shaking Oliver’s hand. He locked the door behind them, then sealed it with magic. “Phoebe’s gotten exponentially smarter since you last visited. She’s escaped five separate times, and every time we found her heading towards Hogwarts. An absolute pain, that curious girl! We’ve had to come up with our own brand of locking spells just for her. It’s getting ridiculous!” Perry suddenly beamed. “But she’s such a sweetheart. Here she is, just in time to throw another banana at you.”

“You better not do that again!” Willow giggled, allowing Phoebe to climb on her shoulders. “I liked it last time, but I was forced to dress up today!”

Phoebe groaned softly, hanging onto Willow’s shoulders while she swung to the right of her, observing Oliver. When he offered her his hand, she took it, sniffed it, then patted it, grunting in approval. Phoebe turned her attention back to Willow, maneuvering herself onto Willow’s back so that she felt more like a backpack. She whined and patted her back. Perry laughed.

“I think she wants you to give her a ride. You can take her outside, if you want. That might settle her down for a week- or a few days. She’ll be chomping at the bit the moment you leave, knowing her.”

Willow grinned. “That sounds amazing.”

Walking outside, Perry sealed the door behind them. Oliver followed Willow, giggling every now and then at Phoebe’s demeanor, then ended up getting a turn to carry Phoebe, who seemed to love Oliver just as much, if not more, than Willow. Phoebe constantly made faces at the keepers, which turned out to be entertaining, as she timed it perfectly so they’d just miss her. She also played with Fidget quite often. They got along very well and made a game of racing to the top of Oliver’s and Willow’s heads. The four of them chatted with many keepers of multiple different types of magical creatures. Willow learned some of the best ways to tame a kelpie, exactly how many Auguries could sit in a full-grown oak tree before it toppled, the most common colour of hippogriffs, and why kneazles sometimes don’t get along very well with crups. Phoebe had a grand old time teasing the keepers from her perch on either Oliver’s or Willow’s shoulders. She appeared almost heartbroken when they went back inside her enclosure. Fidget clung to Phoebe’s chest and refused to let go, emitting tiny sobbing sounds.

“Well, that appears to be an enormous problem,” Willow remarked. “Fidget refuses to leave her side. If I know anything about him, it’s that he will not hesitate to nip me when he’s upset, and his little teeth are sharp.”

“I couldn’t believe it when Anita told me that her granddaughter had a bowtruckle, but here we are,” Perry chuckled. “What did you name him? Fidget? He seems to get along with Phoebe rather well. I’m impressed. Phoebe doesn’t normally like Ed’s bowtruckles.”

“Really?” Willow patted Phoebe on the back. “I’m glad you like Fidget, because we can’t be friends without my left-hand man.”

“Hm…I wonder…” Perry trailed off. “Have you ever taken care of bigger creatures before?”

Willow and Oliver exchanged a mischievous glance. “Mr. Perry, I may or may not take care of a knarl, a jarvey, a jobberknoll, a bowtruckle, and a baby griffin simultaneously. I’ve also taken care of a graphorn.”

Perry’s eyes twinkled. “You’re a girl after your father’s heart, do you know that? I remember the first time he tried to sneak out of here with a snallygaster that had bonded with him…he almost got fired for life. The snallygaster tried to sever the manager’s hand for yelling at Carlos.” Perry shook his head. “I have a feeling Phoebe would be in more than capable hands.”

Willow’s heart skipped a beat. “Wait…are you…?

Perry beamed. “I think Phoebe’s had quite enough of a restricted space, don’t you? She seems to love you and Oliver more than she’s ever loved me. I know that you’ll take very good care of her.”

“But…wasn’t she supposed to be returned to the wild?”

Perry shook his head. “Unfortunately, these guys can’t be returned to their old home. It’s been completely and utterly destroyed by some selfish Muggles. We can’t just introduce them to a new place now; the other groups would never accept them on their territory. A few have been successfully accepted into the odd group here and there, but the rest of them have proven to be far too independent to assimilate. They have to live out the rest of their lives in captivity. As for Phoebe, she belongs with an attentive human that will care for her as much as she wants to care for them. You and Oliver seem to fit that mold perfectly.”

Oliver was rendered speechless. Willow could barely form coherent thoughts. “I- I don’t- I don’t know what to say!”

“All I need is a simple yes or no,” Perry said.

“I- yes!” Willow stammered. Phoebe sensed her excitement and climbed onto her shoulders. Willow laughed and hugged her. “Yes! I’d love to take care of her! Do you hear that, Phoebe? You’re staying with us! Yeah! Forever and ever and ever!”

Phoebe chattered excitably, climbing onto Oliver. She hollered and banged her chest. Oliver giggled, watching as she gently hugged Fidget closer to her chest. Perry opened the door back up and gestured for them to wander back outside. Phoebe clung to Oliver like her life depended on it. Perry’s eyes twinkled as he stared at her.

“Take care, you little trickster,” he said, scratching her back. Phoebe grabbed his hand, patted it, then clung back onto Oliver, as if she knew exactly what was happening. Perry shook his head, holding out his hand for Willow to shake. “Thank you for giving her a shot at the best life possible, Willow. I’ll miss her. Bring her by every now and then, will you?”

“I will, Mr. Perry,” Willow promised, shaking his hand. “Thanks for everything.”

“And tell Anita and Carlos I said hi, will you?”

“I will!” Phoebe pulled on Willow’s sleeve. “Alright, alright, I’m coming!” She turned to Mr. Perry one last time. “Thank you so much, sir! I wish you best of luck in rehabilitating everyone!”

“Good luck with your creatures!”

Willow was dragged away by Phoebe, who was still on Oliver’s shoulders. The nearby keepers cast wary glances in their direction, but they didn’t attempt to stop them. Willow and Oliver quietly slipped past the gate and shut it behind them. They sauntered their way along the path back to the main section of the London Zoo. When they finally reunited with the rest of the Guerreros near a secluded viewing of a rather odd reptile, Abuela narrowed her eyes at Willow.

“Your smile is far too mischievous. What are you hiding?”

Willow glanced at Oliver, giggling. “Nothing! Why would you suspect such a thing? We were just having fun in the magical part of the zoo.”

Carlos crossed his arms. “Willow Lucía Guerrero, don’t you dare hide anything from your grandmother. You know the pain you can endure.”

Willow grinned goofily. “Okay, fine! Phoebe, it’s okay to show yourself now.” She also spoke telepathically to the demiguise, and finally, a little shyly, Phoebe’s invisibility melted away. “Her name is Phoebe. Mr. Perry wanted her off his hands. She’s super curious and would be a great addition to the family!”

Willow’s family gaped at the creature. Tío Leonel was the first to come to his senses. “That’s- that’s the demiguise you played with last year, isn’t it?”

Willow nodded. “Yep! She’s been trying to find me ever since, apparently. Mr. Perry says she managed to escape five times.”

Still clinging onto Oliver’s shoulders, Phoebe peered at the Guerreros, sensing their shock. She seemed to grin innocently at the mention of her clever actions. Willow watched and waited with baited breath, wondering how her family would take this most recent turn of events. Abuela suddenly let out a hearty laugh.

“Look at her! She’s perfect! A little rascal! She might give you a run for your money, Cisco!"

Tío Cisco scoffed. "We'll see about that!"

"At least wait until tomorrow, Cisco," Tío Leonel recommended. "We've got a birthday party to pull off yet! Come on, there's loads to get done. To the mansion!"

“No peeking!” Willow squeaked, covering Oliver’s eyes.

He giggled. “I’m not!”

Keeping her hand over Oliver’s eyes, Willow slowly lead him down the stairs and onto the tiled kitchen floor. Her body trembled at the sight of her entire family waiting impatiently in the living room. She’d never felt this excited before! Willow stopped Oliver on the edge of the kitchen.

“Alright, uncovering your eyes in three…two…one!”

“Happy thirteenth birthday, Oliver!”

Oliver gasped and covered his mouth with his hands. He took in the streamers dancing across the wooden beams on the ceiling, the Hufflepuff decor displayed on the walls, the green balloons with his name on them, and the Guerrero’s gleeful faces. Oliver glanced at each of them in turn, eyes shining, nearly on the verge of tears, then hugged Willow super tight. He laughed one of the purest laughs she’d ever heard in her life.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” he squealed.

The guests began arriving fifteen minutes later. Mandy, Lisa, Sue, the Smith twins, and Cypress walked through the door in quick succession. They each brought towering piles of gifts as well. Willow had never seen Oliver more happy in his life. As soon as everyone was settled in (and no longer in awe of the enormity of Willow’s house), they began the party games. There was a ridiculous amount of water balloons stuck in the grass by the time they were done with the water fights. Willow had to use her powers to clean it all up before Griffin got any ideas. Then, they split up into two teams and did a few relay races to see how many cupcakes each team could eat within a time limit. Griffin inevitably joined them and took care of the extra cupcake problem. Lisa was still slightly terrified of him, especially on a sugar high as he was, but otherwise, he behaved very well. Willow gave him lots of extra treats for listening to his commands so well.

Later, they gathered inside the kitchen to eat. Tacos of all kinds (beef, chicken, soft & hard shell), Mexican rice, cheeseburgers, Abuelo’s homemade refried beans, steak and rice, and several other delectable sides filled the room with the most delicious combination of smells ever to be present at a single time in the Guerrero mansion. Abuela passed by Oliver’s chair several times, peering scrutinizingly at his plate whenever it appeared close to half-full. He decided to eat a helping or two of everything- as did Willow, naturally- to keep her happy. Carlos and the rest of the Guerreros caught up with Sarah Brown and Lisa’s parents at one end of the table while the children laughed and talked loudly at the other. Oliver was so hyped up on excitement that he actually joined in the majority of the conversation, which lasted far more than a half hour. Willow didn’t regret her decision to keep him with her all summer. He deserved all of this ten times over to make up for what his stupid grandparents condemned him to.

At long last, Willow’s favourite part of every birthday party, dessert, arrived with flourish. Carlos whispered a spell to dim the lights. When the sunlight was only faintly trickling through the windows, Abuela lit the candles on Oliver’s enormous birthday cake and slowly walked out of the kitchen. Abuelo sent off some sparks which buzzed to life above the table. They all looked up to see “Happy Thirteenth Birthday Oliver!” glittering in Hufflepuff colours. The cake was set down in front of Oliver, his candle-illuminated face one of the happiest sights in existence. Willow gladly began singing a rendition of “Happy Birthday” and giggled as Oliver’s face went slack at the joyous sights and sounds of everyone wishing him a happy thirteenth birthday. When they finished she whispered to him, “Make a wish- silently!- then blow out the candles!”

Oliver closed his eyes for a moment, then smiled and blew out all the candles. Everyone clapped and cheered for him as Carlos allowed the light back in. Abuela began to cut the cake, and soon, everyone was eating the biggest slices of vanilla cake Willow had ever seen. They were jittery within minutes, if not seconds. The chatter at the kids’ end of the table seemed an endless see of rapid thoughts. Eventually, Abuela let them all outside to hang out in the warmth of the setting sun. Willow turned to Oliver when she shut the door behind her.

“Still sure you were okay without a birthday party?” Willow joked.

Oliver grinned sheepishly. “No, this is pretty cool.”

“I have to say, is your family for hire for this party thing?” Cypress asked. “They are literally the best cooks and bakers I’ver ever seen.”

“Sorry, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Willow said teasingly.

Cypress shrugged, sitting next to Oliver and putting an arm around him. “Oh well. Seeing Oliver was the best part anyway.” Griffin chirped indignantly from where he sat in the yard. Cypress rolled his eyes. “And you too, I guess, you needy beast.”

Mandy looked up from petting Griffin. “Hey! He is not needy. He’s a strong, independent griffin! If anything, Patch is the needy one,” Mandy commented, chuckling at the knarl’s fervent attempts to get into her pocket. “He apparently needs attention twenty-four/seven.”

Willow raised a brow. “Patch likes you?”

Mandy smirked. “He knows what he wants, just like me. I know the way to a knarl’s heart.”

Willow nodded slowly. “Okay, good to know that Mandy is growing up to be a con artist…” She purposely ignored Mandy’s scoff while trying to hide a grin. “Moving on! What are you all planning to do this summer?”

“Mum and us are going to Spain for a week,” Sally replied happily. “Sam’s been trying to learn some Spanish, but…we all know him. He tries. Anyway, Mum’s parents moved there recently, and they’re throwing a housewarming party.”

“Diles que he dicho hola,” Willow said.

Sam’s eyebrows shot up. “I honestly have no clue what you just said. All I got was ‘hola’ and…yeah, that’s it.”

Willow laughed. “Tell them I said hi.”

Sally poked her brother’s deeply blushing cheeks. “If you can’t even understand that, you’re done for.”

Sam rolled his eyes, which had somehow grown even more kaleidoscopic in the past week. Their light green-brown combination caught the sunlight in such a beautiful way. Sally’s were the same way, but instead of absorbing the sunlight, they refracted it to each individual person in a slightly different manner depending on the way she was looking at them. Willow wondered how her eyes appeared to other people. Were they as bright green as Oliver’s? As intuitive as Paige’s? As light-hearted as George’s? She caught herself staring at her friends and had to shake herself out of the trance before it became awkward.

“I’m going to my couch this summer, if anyone was wondering,” Cypress said. “It’s going to be awfully boring. My mum and dad will start making me do chores soon.”

“Well, you’re always welcome over here if you need it,” Willow offered. She turned to Mandy, Lisa, and Sue. “What about you guys? Are you going on vacation?”

Mandy shook her head. “No, I’m stuck with my mum all summer. I might have to sleep in your library every now and then.”

“We’ve got seven- maybe more- spare bedrooms if you want them, too,” Willow giggled.

“Seven? Wow, I’d get lost!” Lisa said. “Well, my family is going to stay in a log cabin on a beautiful lakeshore. They won’t tell me where yet, but I’m hoping it’s the place they were looking at in a magazine last Christmas! It’s so picturesque…”

“That reminds me of where I’m going this summer,” Sue said. “We’re visiting family in Japan. There’s a gorgeous ravine a few miles from their home, and last time I was there, one of my cousins decided to jump in! That’s a several-hundred foot drop! He didn’t die, though, and that’s how we found out he was a wizard, too. He goes to Mahoutokoro.”

“Jesus, if that’s what your family is like, it’s a wonder you turned out the way you did, Sue,” Mandy remarked. “We don’t need any more reckless Gryffindors. It’s sad to think Sam and Sally are fairly level-headed. Then we have a Willow, too!”

“Hey! I’m not that bad, am I?”

“Let’s see- and this is only a sum of what I’ve heard and seen, so I might not even be close,” Cypress began. “You ran after a troll, almost died, went into the Forbidden Forest, almost died, went after Quirrel, really almost died, jumped into a tiger pit, only relatively almost died, attacked Molly, almost died, ran into the Forbidden Forest several hundred times, could have died any one of those times, danced around dangerous magical creatures, also could have died at any moment, and finally went to the Ministry of Magic, got poisoned, and really, really almost died. Oh yeah, and don’t forget world-quaking powers that people would definitely kill you for! So, yeah, you’re at least semi-reckless, if not an entire cauldron full of explosive potion ingredients.”

Willow rolled her eyes. “My life is an occupational hazard. You’ll get used to it eventually.”

“Or you could shape up?” Sally suggested threateningly.

Willow shrugged. “That sounds like too much work, but I’ll try not to go running head-first into danger anymore.”

“Yeah, yeah, you said that the last time,” Mandy said, playfully punching her in the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ve got at least three spells prepared at all times just in case you do something stupid.”

“Mandy!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll try and stop her before she does something stupid- if that’s possible.” She glanced at Oliver. “What are you guys doing for summer vacation, anyway? Something potentially dangerous?”

Oliver paused in thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No, Uganda shouldn’t be dangerous.”

Sam choked on his own air. “Uganda? Whoa, I did not see that coming. I’ve always wanted to go there! Are you going to Queen Elizabeth National Park?”

Sally looked at her brother with a cross between disgust and surprise. “Since when did you have any interest in Uganda?”

“Since I realized there are lions there that literally climb trees!How cool is that? They’re chasing some prey, it climbs a tree, thinking it’s safe, then bam! the lion comes out of nowhere and lands perfectly on the next branch. How have you not seen any of those documentaries?”

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with Sam?” Mandy asked.

Cypress raised an eyebrow. “I’m impressed. He does hide a brain somewhere.”

“Hey!”

“Anyway,” Willow continued, “we’re visiting many parts of Uganda, then heading to the western border for Uagadou, the oldest and most accomplished of the African wizarding schools. They’re still going to be in school when we visit, so I’m hoping we get to see what one of their classes is like!”

“Bring back the best local dessert you can find!” Mandy stage-whispered.

“I will, don’t worry.”

“Hey, did you guys want an outdoor movie night?” Carlos called from the house.

Oliver and Willow jumped to their feet. “YES!”

A few minutes later, they were all settled on an enormous blanket in the grass while Star Wars: A New Hope was beginning its theme song. Star Wars was one of the only movies Oliver had ever gotten to see throughout his life. His parents had managed to take him to the theater a few times, but his grandparents obviously deprived him. Willow was bound determined to make this the best movie ever. Carlos magically enhanced the outdoor movie screen so that the graphics were crystal clear. Willow popped up a massive amount of popcorn and ended up having her dad levitate the massive bowl to her friends. She, of course, ate the majority of it, but that was after everyone else ate what they wanted.

When the movie ended, darkness had fallen. The guests began to leave one by one until only Cypress was left. When his mum arrived in the driveway, he whispered “By the way, you’re to love my present.” He surprisingly hugged Oliver and smirked at his astounded expression, then turning to leave. Willow glanced quizzically at Oliver the moment Cypress was gone. They both sprinted into the living room and skidded to a stop by the presents. Oliver tore open the one from Cypress, which was decorated with a combination of green and yellow ribbons. A box fell out of the wrapping paper. They opened it to reveal a card and a lovingly packaged treat. Oliver squealed at the sight of the red velvet cake roll.

“What does the card say?” Willow asked.

Oliver opened it. “‘I knew you wouldn’t like it if I gave you a vile of acid to throw at your enemies, so I thought this would be better instead. Happy Thirteenth Birthday, Oliver! I hope you don’t hate being a teenager too much.’ Aw, Cypress! He knows me too well!”

Willow grinned. “He does indeed.”

Oliver’s face was positively glowing. “I can’t believe he managed to get this with only a day’s notice! It’s my favourite restaurant to get it from, too! I feel kind of bad because it’s super expensive…but it’s really good…and he says his family has too much money…”

“Also known as perfectly acceptable to eat it all in one sitting,” Willow joked. “You’re allowed to be spoiled every now and then- or all the time.”

Oliver grinned. “Cypress does spoil me all the time though! He’s always making sure I know what I’m doing in potions, helping me out with social situations, throwing glitter on my face, giving me potions for some of the common room plants I look after…He’s amazing.” His face went red. “Not- not because I like him, no, he’s a good friend.”

Willow could hardly contain her glee. “Are you sure about that? Because that’s exactly what I said about Paige, and now look where that got me.”

Oliver tentatively smiled. “Okay…maybe a little bit.”

Willow screamed internally as she hugged Oliver. “I knew it! You two are super cute, did you know that? You’re polar opposites that balance each other out. Cypress helps you be more confident, you make sure Cypress’s ego isn’t the size of Earth. It’s adorable!”

“You and Paige are even more cute,” Oliver said, sending the colour to Willow’s cheeks. “You’d make the perfect pair. Paige has been head-over-heels for you since first year. I can’t wait to be at your wedding.”

“Wedding?” Willow spluttered, heart flipping.

“That’s taking it a bit far,” a voice said quietly behind them.

Willow and Oliver jumped. Their hearts skipped a beat. They whipped around to see Abuela staring at them both, face expressionless. Willow shot to her feet to stand in front of Oliver. An icy claw of fear dragged its way down her spine.

“Abuela, I can explain,” Willow said quickly.

She simply stood there, gazing between them both, face made of stone. Willow’s heart pounded so hard against her ribs she was sure Abuela could hear it. She’d forgotten all about the fact that her family didn’t know she wasn’t straight. They’d never even discussed the topic before. Were they okay with it? Were they religious zealots about it? Willow bit her lip, the tension rising as Abuela remained motionless. How would she react?

Suddenly, Abuela burst out laughing. Willow and Oliver glanced at each other, furrowing their brows. What?

“You should have seen the looks on your faces!” she wheezed. “Ay dios mio, you give me a good laugh! What would you need to explain? I had my guesses after the amount of talking you did about Paige last summer. The whole world had to have known by the time you went back to Hogwarts. She’s a keeper, Willow, both on the quidditch field and off. Don’t you dare let her go! I want to see my granddaughter married before I die!”

“Abuela!” Willow squeaked. “Wait- you don’t care that I’m bi?”

“Why should I care? It’s double the chances to see you walk down the aisle.”

Willow lost all ability to speak. She spluttered and tripped over her words. Abuela turned to Oliver.

“So you’re into that Cypress boy, are you?” she confirmed. Oliver nodded. “Good. You’ve got great taste in men- reliable, independent, and accepting. I better receive a wedding invite.”

Oliver’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “How- what- when- You’re not kicking me out?”

“Just because your grandparents are complete pendejos doesn’t mean the entire generation is that ignorant,” Abuela said firmly. “I’m smart enough to realize it means more chances to eat wedding cake and fight over what musicians to hire.”

“So…you’re okay with us…not being straight?” Willow questioned.

“I don’t care who you bring home, as long as it’s someone worthy of marrying into the family. All I do care about is seeing my granddaughter happy.” Abuela kissed Willow on the cheek. “You can come to me with any questions about this future wife of yours. I know women better than I know men anyway and...well, we know you’ve had more luck understanding guys.”

“Future wi- Abuela!” Willow exclaimed.

Abuela simply chuckled to herself as she rejoined the rest of the family outside on the deck. Willow and Oliver glanced at each other with raised brows.

“That was…unexpected, to say the least,” Willow said.

Oliver was nearly in tears, grinning from ear to ear. “Is it too late for your family to adopt me?”

Willow hugged him tight. “We already have.”

Later that night, Willow and Oliver went through each and every gift and card with Phoebe and Fidget. The pair of magical creatures were nearly inseparable already. Willow found a fanny pack that was given to her father as a gag gift and buckled it around Phoebe's waist. Fidget hopped right in and hadn't left since. When the moon shone brightly through the windows, Willow took them both to the greenhouse, where the rest of her magical creatures were settling in for the night. She and Oliver said goodnight to everyone and headed towards the bedrooms.

Willow’s senses suddenly buzzed threateningly. A second later, the doorbell rang. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Something- or someone- was up to no good. It was the dead of night; why would anyone bother them at this time? One hand on her wand, Willow crept towards the door, opening it slowly. A pair of older Muggles stood on her doorstep. Willow’s dread furthered at their tense faces.

“Is this the Guerrero household?” the man growled.

“If that’s what you want to call it, sure,” Willow said, the man’s expression darkening.

“We’re here for Oliver Rivers, our grandson,” the woman explained, though her smile was so fake Willow wondered if it was made of plastic. “He is in our custody. Legally, he belongs under our care. You must return him to us. Now.”

Willow crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the couple. After a tense silence Willow finally said, “Sorry, but I wasn’t expecting a couple of arseholes today. Stranger danger, you know. Try again tomorrow- or never. You’re quite annoyingly rude.”

Willow barely got a glimpse of the couple’s appalled expressions before she slammed the door in their face. She turned on her heel only to stop short. Oliver was standing at the base of the stairs, body rigid, emerald eyes wide.

“You- you just…how…why were they- why were they here?”

“To get their arses kicked,” Willow replied.

“What’s going on? Who’s at the door?” Carlos asked, appearing from the living room.

“No one of importance,” Willow said quickly.

Suddenly, a loud BOOM! shook the door. The lock bent and the door’s hinges cracked. The grandparents were trying to break in! BOOM! Willow glanced at her dad. He raised his eyebrows.

“Right, it's nothing,” Carlos said, nodding slowly.

Willow scoffed threw up her arms, then slowly drew her wand out of her pocket. BOOM! Cracks spidered across the door. BOOM! The door barely remained attached to the frame. BOOM! With one final groan, the front door crashed onto the tile floor. The grandparents stormed in only stop short, frozen-mid stride. A singular piece of sleek rowan wood dared them to even breathe.

“What the hell is your problem?” Willow shouted. “I told you to go away!”

“Why should we listen to such a rude girl?” the woman snapped.

“How dare you!” Carlos growled, whipping out his wand.

Willow gestured calmingly to him. “Dad, I’ve got this, it’s fine. I’ve dealt with much worse.” She turned back to the two adults. “Look, can you save yourselves the time and just leave? Oliver’s not coming with you. He belongs here, where people actually love him and give a damn about his well-being- in all aspects. It took me two seconds to realize your house would be a living hell.”

“You dare threaten us like this?” the man roared.

“Yeah, I do.” Willow heard audible gasps behind her. “I have every right to kick you off this property. You’ve done nothing but abuse, bully, and destroy Oliver. Oliver, the most beautiful soul I’ve ever discovered in this world! How dare you even think about hurting him in any way, shape, or form? You deserve to burn in hell for all of eternity!”

“This, coming from a fag!” the man shouted.

That did it. Abuela’s nostrils flared. She strode forward, wand at the ready. “You dare come onto my property, threaten my grandchildren, and think you can get away with it? You’re lucky I’m smarter than to tempt the Ministry. You would be splattered across the floor by now!”

The woman’s chest heaved. “Oliver, we’re going. Say goodbye to your friend.”

Willow stepped in front of Oliver. “Touch him, and I swear to God and all things Holy, I will hex you so many times, not only will you be blasted off the face of the Earth, you will be blasted straight into hell, and I will not hesitate for a second to do it. You will wish you’ve never been born. I promise.”

“You’re wasting my time. You can’t even do magic outside school. Oliver, let’s go, now.”

The man grabbed Oliver, and time suddenly froze. Willow saw the iron grip on his arm, the sheer panic on Oliver’s face, the horrifying memories that rushed to the surface in the space of a millisecond. Her blood boiled. How dare he touch Oliver? How dare he hurt him? How dare he even threaten him? Without batting an eye, Willow swung her fist as hard as she could directly into the man’s face.

Time came crashing into reality again. There was a satisfying snap! and a bloodcurdling scream, and the man hit the floor. Oliver stumbled backwards into Abuela’s arms. Willow dove on top of the man. She hit him again, then again, then again, and again. He was screaming bloody murder while scarlet poured over his face. Willow didn’t care that her fist was slowly shattering. She didn’t care that her family was horrified. The man had never cared about Oliver, so why should she care about him at all? She was seeing red. Her arm burned with exhaustion, but she kept beating him and slapping him and punching him, bleeding the life out of him, until a sharp blow to the side of the head sent her flying into the wall.

Willow grunted in dizzying pain and rose to her feet only to receive another blow to the back of the head. She blindly struck out and felt herself graze someone’s face with her nails. A female voice growled. Willow’s senses screamed at her to duck. She dropped to the floor. A hand collided with the wall. Willow rolled over. She bowled into the woman’s legs. Willow shot to her feet. The woman hit the ground. Willow’s vision became fuzzy. She aimed a kick for the woman’s gut. The woman grabbed her leg. Willow slammed into the ground. She curled into a ball in pain. A sharp blow landed in her ribs. Another blow. Another blow. Willow wheezed. Her chest burned. She slowly began to lose her grip on reality. Then, all of a sudden, the blows stopped.

Willow looked up to see Oliver’s grandma in a headlock, courtesy of Abuela. Her wand was pointed to the other woman’s throat. Willow blinked. She’d never seen her grandmother this angry before. Her naturally dark brown eyes were nearly black. Abuela’s strong arm muscles were tensed to their max. The other woman couldn’t even draw in a single sliver of air.

“Apologize. Now!”

The other woman coughed and fought and struggled. Abuela tightened her grip. The woman wheezed, the choked out, “Fine…I’m…sorry!”

“Now take your pathetic excuse for a husband and get the hell off my property, or I’m sending my sons on you, and believe me, they have an arsenal of magical creatures they’d just love to unleash on you. And if you ever touch my grandchildren again, you will never see the light of day. Now leave!”

The grandparents stumbled to their feet, glaring daggers at the Guerreros, clutching their bloody noses and smearing scarlet stains across the walls on their way out. Abuela stood in the doorway, arms crossed as she watched them hurry into their car. The screech of their tires on the road pierced Willow’s eardrums and increased the pain in her already-pounding head. She unwillingly groaned when she slowly rose to her feet. Raising a hand, she grew the vines from the side of the house and guided them to where the blood stained the walls, wiping it away with their foliage. She couldn’t stand the sight of the blood on the wall. The low-lives couldn’t leave an impact in their wake if she wouldn’t let them. Willow had already forgotten how fast her powers would exhaust her, however, and fell to one knee. Oliver kneeled at her side.

“Willow? Are you okay?” he asked, voice pitched. “You took a lot of blows to the head…”

“I’m fine, just a little tired,” Willow said quietly. “Just…combination of healing powers and using them…a little more tiring than I remember.”

Carlos rushed beside her and touched her head, which sported a massive bruise. “Minor concussion. It’s already healing. Holy…wow, those healing powers work fast. It’s halfway healed already.”

“It won’t heal any farther with powers, then…stop at halfway…” Willow murmured. She shook her head to clear her vision. “Ouch.”

“Why…why would you fight my grandparents for me?” Oliver questioned. “They could have seriously hurt you; they kind of did!”

Willow smiled. “I always protect family, especially from other family. You’re a brother to me.” She winced, but still grinned. "Plus, they were kind of douchebags."

Oliver very nearly cried.


	41. Summer of Year 3: Chapter 2

“Watch out! Crazy animal coming through!”

Oliver ducked just in time. “Whoa! Phoebe, be careful!”

Phoebe chattered loudly as she passed by, almost as if she were laughing, then ran straight into Willow’s flying form. She landed flat on her back, Fidget cautiously peeping out of his fanny pack. Willow giggled and landed next to Phoebe, who crossed her arms, grumbling at her caretaker.

“Aw, what’s the matter? Can you not outrun a hawk?”

Phoebe grunted. She threw a stray soccer ball at Willow, who caught it with surprising agility.

“Ha! I’ve figured that one out, too, you silly girl!” Willow said triumphantly. “Your little tricks don’t work on me anymore!” Phoebe made a face. “No, don’t go pouting on me! I won fair an square! Even you know that!”

Phoebe rolled her eyes and sauntered moodily down the hallway into the greenhouse. Willow and Oliver followed her. The greenhouse still retained its original fresh, sweet, and soothing scent, despite the amount of magical creatures now occupying the space. Griffin perked his head up from where he was sleeping. He blinked groggily a few times, then yawned and flopped back onto the ground. V, Patch, and Felicity were all curled up next to his stomach. Phoebe stomped over and laid herself across Griffin’s flank. She quickly fell asleep, even though she was in one of her moods.

Willow checked her watch. It read 6:13am. No wonder they were still so sleepy. Unlike her and the rest of her family, the magical creatures were not exactly morning people. Willow sighed. She was going to miss them while they were in Uganda, but they were going to be well-taken care of by the best in the magizoological field: Newt Scamander. He had agreed to take them back to his enormous research facility in order to make sure they were all healthy as could be- and to enjoy their company, of course. Willow’s dad had told her plenty of stories about the old man simply spending an entire day with groups of magical creatures just to have fun. He claimed to be studying their behavior the whole time, but he was Newt Scamander! He already knew exactly what every magical creature would behave like, down to the most complicated of them all. Newt was simply going to play with her creatures all day long, and when she thought about it, that was almost a vacation in itself for her creatures, too.

“Hey, Willow? You’re glowing,” Oliver whispered.

Willow glanced down to see all of her veins lighting up in that warm, honey colour that her hands glowed with while they were healing someone. She groaned. “Great, my powers are at it again.” Oliver appeared completely lost. “Oh, sorry. I should explain. Cebba miscounted the amount of new powers I would receive in my last power-up. Instead of one, I got two, possibly three. One of them is this glowy thing that happens whenever I’m near something that is possibly dangerous- you know, a physical extension of my mental sixth sense. It’s kind of annoying, because it’s draining. Another one that might be happening is piggybacking off the sixth sense: my powers keep reacting on their own to perceived danger. Thankfully, not too much around my magical creatures, as I love them too much for the danger to cross that threshold, but around anything I’m even wary of, they lash out to defend me. It’s…kind of dark. I’m hoping to drop those powers. The third one- okay, I’m sorry, but it’s the coolest thing ever. Watch this!”

Willow took off at a dead sprint at a tree. Right before she ran into it, her eyes flicked to another, and she pulsed her powers. Willow suddenly found herself tumbling out of the other tree, slightly disoriented but otherwise fine. Oliver ran to her side.

“Whoa! How did you do that?” he squealed.

“I have absolutely no idea, but Cebba showed it to me a few weeks ago, and I’ve been trying to get better at it ever since,” Willow explained. “It’s super exhausting every time I do it, but it gets better each time, little by little. I don’t even get a headache afterwards anymore!”

“Wait, can you literally travel from any tree in the world to any tree in the world?” Oliver gasped.

“Yeah, as long as I won’t drain all of its energy in the process, either,” Willow said. “You see, Cebba warned me about doing it too many times to the same tree, because it takes an equal amount of energy for me as it does for them to launch me to the next one. I guess it kind of makes sure the laws of Muggle science aren’t completely and utterly ignored?”

Oliver shrugged. “I gave up on trying to make sense of the way they combine the moment I stepped into Hogsmeade Station.” His eyes suddenly lit up. “Wait a second, can you take people with you when you- what is it called?”

“I call it tree traveling, but it’s whatever you want it to be. And yes, Cebba said I could when I get good enough at it, since I’d pass out immediately if I tried it now. It’s like Apparation, in a way.”

“That’s so cool!” Oliver exclaimed.

“I know, right?” Willow said. She checked her watch. “Ay dios mio! We’re going to be late for our flight if we don’t finish packing soon! Let’s go, quick!”

Willow and Oliver ran through the house at record speed. They skidded to a stop in Willow’s room and quickly threw the last of their cosmetic items into their bags, which were already large enough, as they were going to be gone for more than a week. At the last second, Willow decided to leave her camera at home, especially because Carlos would force her into enough photos throughout the vacation. She and Oliver finished up and made their way downstairs. They found their family already gathered in the front hall, ready to go. The door had been fixed good as new since Oliver’s biological grandparents busted it down. Willow was overjoyed that they hadn’t gotten the best of anyone. Oliver was her brother, whether anyone liked it or not. He was part of the family now.

“Are we all ready to g- ?” Carlos began.

Suddenly, a figured stumbled out of the fireplace, sending a ploom of dust and soot into the air. She coughed a few times, dusting herself off.

“That stupid bi- “ She suddenly saw the Guerreros standing in their doorway and coughed again to cover up the curse word. “Oh, I’m sorry if I’m interrupting something. I can go.”

“Paige?” Willow squeaked.

The older girl smirked. “Hi. I think your grand entrances are rubbing off on me.”

Willow scoffed. “You- I do not make grand entrances! You’re the one that taught me those!”

Paige rolled her eyes playfully. “Anyway, it looks like you guys are going somewhere, so I can just go back home.”

“No, no, you’re more than welcome to come with us,” Tío Cisco offered. “You look like you need more than just a vacation, no offense to your appearance.”

Paige smiled. “Yeah, covered in soot isn’t exactly my look. No offense taken. Are you sure you want me tagging along, though?”

“Heavens yes!” Abuela said quickly. “Come, I’ll help you pack a bag. We’ve got plenty of extra clothing for guests upstairs. And don’t bother getting that money out of your pocket. We’ve got enough for two extra guests.” Abuela set down her bags, and as she passed by Willow, she whispered, “Plus, I’ll get a first look at my future daughter-in-law.”

Willow was taken way off guard. “What- Abuela!”

Her grandmother simply chuckled to herself and took a very grateful Paige upstairs to gather some belongings. Willow felt like a pair of eyes were on her back and turned around to find the rest of her family staring at her.

“What?” she said.

“Oh, you know…” Carlos trailed off, winking at Willow and grinning from ear to ear.

“Are you sure she can’t propose now?” Tío Leonel asked.

Willow’s mouth dropped open. “Guys! Stop it! Don’t you dare do this to me the whole vacation!”

Soon, Abuela and Paige returned from upstairs. They all piled into the car and headed off to the airport. Willow, Paige, and Oliver were all in the third row. Paige was already smirking at a silent thought.

“What is it?” Willow asked.

“Your grandmother is the most amazing human being on the planet,” she replied.

Willow smiled. “Yeah, I’ve heard that from multiple sources. So what happened that you came flying through our fireplace during your least favourite part of day, morning?”

Paige groaned. “My parents wanted me desperately for an interview for the public, as they were really concerned about not having seen me with them in years. I refused, so they sent out bounty hunters, only one of which even found me, and I didn’t let him catch me. Eventually they called the police and at least five of them came at me. I didn’t feel like going to jail, so I went without a fight, annoyingly enough. Apparently, they paid a boatload of money to keep the whole ordeal quiet. Well, I did their stupid interview, but I refused to behave how they wanted me to, and when they asked me questions, I told them to shove it up their arse- live. My ‘mum’ decided to take me off camera, attempt to hit me, then went back like everything was fine, that I was just going through a ‘teenage phase’. I of course didn’t let her touch me, stormed back onto the camera, and told the world exactly what they did to me. I’m pretty sure it’s fifty-fifty on whether anyone believed me or not, but needless to say, they’ve been suspended from multiple positions, events, and outings in general while there’s an investigation going on. That stupid woman went crazy and attacked me afterwards, so I pulled my wand on her and managed to get to the fireplace. I didn’t know where I was going. My first thought must have been here, because that’s where I ended up.”

Oliver was grinning quietly beside Willow. Paige noticed and said, “Oh, don’t go turning that into some romantic, mushy-gushy crap. You know that’s not how I operate.”

“Then be careful around my family, because they turn everything they possibly can into a romantic situation just to embarrass me,” Willow warned.

Paige smirked. “I love them even more. Now there’s hundreds of new ways to embarrass you.”

Willow scoffed. “Do that and you’ll see exactly how many extra powers I’ve got.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Willow exasperatedly gave up. They arrived at the airport shortly after. The parking lot seemed bigger than Willow remembered. They ended up parking in the middle, and she felt like she was in the center of a vast sea of motor vehicles. There were cars, trucks, and buses shining in the sun as far as the eye could see. The family began walking towards the nearest shuttle to the entrance and sat down on one of the benches in the shade. Oliver and Paige stared around with equally shocked expressions. They'd never been to an airport before. Willow hoped their first experience wouldn't be horrible.

The bus arrived five minutes later. Willow’s uncles loaded all their luggage into the lower compartments, and they shot off towards the entrance. They arrived within minutes and stepped back out into the hot sun to retrieve their luggage. Abuelo gave the bus driver a hefty tip and a wink, then disappeared inside of the airport. Paige whispered something to Oliver about wishing she had the money to be able to do that. They stepped inside the Heathrow Airport for the first time, and their jaws dropped.

The vaulted ceilings shone far over their heads, the sunlight reflecting off the glass. Their shoes clicked and squeaked on the freshly-cleaned tile floor. There were a handful of people hugging each other hello or goodbye, though there were more people laughing in delight of finding their loved ones than crying while they walked away. Hundreds of other people wandered around, waiting for family, taking a rest on benches, gathering all their bags for check-in and security, and much else. The Guerreros, however, being all set, went straight into the security line. They hide their wands within Carlos's charmed long-sleeve shirt. Oliver and Paige looked on with confused expressions.

"I thought there was barely any security on airlines?" Paige said.

"Well, people have attempted to confiscate my uncles' wands before because Tío Cisco decided to do something stupid and the Muggles suspected him," Willow whispered. "We just play it safe now."

Paige nodded. "He sounds like Fred. Recklessly mischievous."

Willow grinned. "He kind of does, doesn't he?"

They easily passed through the British Airline security, checked in their bags, then headed to Terminal 1. Their flight was less than an hour away. They all piled their carry-on luggage onto some of the chairs, left Abuelo in charge of them, and went on to explore the nearest shops. Willow, of course, gravitated directly towards the snacks, which were all completely overpriced. She resigned herself to simply looking at them with Oliver and Paige. After nearly twenty minutes of salivating over candies and chips galore, Carlos found her and gently guided her away. The plane began boarding after another ten minutes, and they were called for the second group. Willow always respected her family for never flying first class, even though they could afford it. Although it wasn't exactly flaunting their money, she felt like first class would be an incidental showing-off of their status, which would draw unwanted attention to them. The real flying experience came from sitting with the rest of the people in the main part of the plane.

Willow's family had managed to get tickets for the adults to sit in a single row near the wing of the plane while the three children sat in the middle row behind them. The plane was much larger than the last one Willow had been in, as it was traveling to another continent entirely. There were three columns, the outside ones with two seats in each and the middle one with three seats. Willow placed her carry-on bag underneath her seat, Oliver and Paige following her example. More and more people began to pour onto the plane and find their seats. Paige glanced out the window to her left and raised her eyebrows.

"Wow. That's...an enormous piece of metal," she commented. "I never thought I'd be sitting in one of these. My 'mum' threatened to make me stay home every time they traveled if I misbehaved, and of course I did, so I missed out."

"A plane hasn't crashed in years, right?" Oliver asked.

Willow laughed. "No, Oliver, planes are perfectly safe. There is pretty much a one-in-a-million chance that something could malfunction to that degree. Besides, we've got my family here with a full arsenal of spells to save us. And don't forget that I never hesitate to shape-shift to save a life or two."

Oliver smiled. "This should be fun, then, right?"

"Yes, it's always fun. Just wait until takeoff and landing. You're going to love it."

As if on cue, the captain announced over the loudspeaker that they would be taking off. Everyone fastened their seat belts (Oliver did so with help from Willow) and adjusted their seats to the normal upright positions. The plane's engine roared to life, and slowly, they began rolling towards their portion of the runway. Oliver smiled and tapped his feet. They waited for a few minutes for the runway to clear, then, accompanied by the rocket-like sound of the thrusters, the plane lurched forward and sprinted with the speed of a bullet towards the opposite end of the airfield. Everyone was pinned to the back of their seat. The pressure built in Willow's skull, but it was more exhilarating than concerning. Her legs felt like jelly. The deafening thunder of the thrusters increased. Finally, at long last, the nose of the plane tipped upwards. The pressure dropped straight into Willow's stomach, and with a slight jerk, the plane lifted off the ground and soared into the sky. Oliver's eyes were wide with excitement. He glanced to his side to see the city of London growing smaller and smaller until the cars appeared as tiny ants. The top of the plane grazed the clouds as it leveled out, and people began to unbuckle their seat belts shortly after. The sudden release of pressure made Willow light-headed, but she found it rather refreshing, wishing she got to feel that wonderful sequence of sensations every day.

"I may or may not be interested in becoming a pilot now," Paige said.

Willow grinned. "It's a pretty cool job. You're a little more self-assured when you have magic on your side, too. There should probably be a few more wizarding pilots."

"I'll happily add to that number, then."

The hours passed slowly on the plane ride. A few times throughout the journey, the flight attendants passed out drinks and snacks, but Willow's stomach still grumbled. She refused to eat the pretzels and forced Oliver to eat every last one. Abuela nodded approvingly from her position to their right. Paige stumbled across some blank paper that was probably left by the flight before and grabbed a pencil. She immediately began to sketch the plane as she remembered it from the view offered by the boarding area. The wings, the tail, the nose, and the body of the plane slowly came to life. Willow watched, entranced, as Paige expertly detailed the lettering and windows on the side. When she was finished, Paige finally noticed her audience.

"Oh, um...I can- well, sort of- draw. I tried it two years ago and I guess I kind of liked it. Quidditch is still better, but it's a nice past time. I'm not a great drawer or anything, though I would like to say that I'm not exactly a novice, either."

"That's better than I could ever do!" Willow exclaimed. "Look at the precision on the shape of its wings! And the tail pieces- how did you make the point of view so perfect with them?"

"It's all about angle, see," Paige explained, moving the picture around. "If this were a three-dimensional, tangible piece of artwork, you could move it around and see the differences for yourself. Since it's not, you have to imagine how you saw it from where you were standing, then draw it from the best similar angle you can to capture the image without making it hard to interpret. It's a hard concept until you get the hang of it."

"You've certainly got it down," Willow commented, taking in the perfection of the drawing. "Do you ever want to show off your art to the world?"

Paige shrugged. "Nah, I'm good. I'm not interested in becoming that good that rich people would come to my galleries and fight over exactly what my drawings are attempting to represent. Can you imagine how painful that would be to watch? No, I'm good. I've had enough of nasally idiots for a lifetime."

"Good thing we're not like that, then," Willow said.

"Yeah, I would hate to hate you. You're kind of the only fluent Spanish-speaker I know, and I can't live without that for too long. I need my daily dose of different to get rid of- pretty much everything else, now that I think about it."

"Bueno, no me voy a cambiar por nadie."

"Good...not change...anyone?" Paige attempted to translate.

Willow nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it means I'm not going to change for anyone!"

Paige scoffed. "That's what I said."

Willow rolled her eyes. "You almost got the grammar with it. Where did you learn that, anyway? I thought you only knew what bien and chica meant, last time I checked."

"Spanish dictionaries? Another Spanish-speaking friend? I could have picked it up from anywhere, really."

"Oh, so now we're getting all mysterious. I see. Well, un día de estos, voy a averiguar cómo lo hiciste."

"Don't ask me to figure that one out. Please."

Willow laughed. "I won't. I have room to be mysterious now too, don't I?"

Paige smirked. "Don't push your luck."

Willow heard a stifled chuckle next to her and turned around to find Oliver covering his mouth with his hand, face blushing slightly. He was trying so hard not to laugh it was almost pitiful. On either side of them, Willow realized her family was peering at the two of them, giggling and making heart signs. She groaned and sunk down in her seat. Carlos winked at her, her uncles whispered something to each other, and Abuela silently asked in Spanish if she was sure she couldn't arrange a wedding while on vacation (she might die tomorrow, for all she knew!). Willow mouthed for them to screw off in Spanish, and they begrudgingly went back to their previous entertainment. Oliver couldn't help it anymore and giggled uncontrollably. Willow sank further down into her seat and covered her face.

"I love your family," Paige whispered.

"Of course you do."

Thankfully, not much longer after that, they began their descent. Everyone buckled their seat belts. Willow looked out the window to see the plane circling a large, bustling airport amid a semi-dry landscape. They finally departed from the clouds and the pressure rose once more. The familiar sensation of pressure working its way through Willow's stomach excited her senses. Her legs turned to jelly once again. Oliver watched with wide eyes as the plane neared the runway at a super fast speed. He buried his face in his hands, then peeked out once more. The plane landed with a jolt, sending the pressure flying into Willow's chest. She smiled when the brakes began to rein in the massive speed and momentum of the plane. They finally slowed to a mere walking pace, then sauntered to a single gate. Minutes later, the Guerreros were entering the Cairo International Airport, carry-ons in hand. They wound their way through the massive crowds of people and found their next gate. There was still a three-hour layover, however, so the adults waited with the baggage while Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel accompanied Paige, Oliver, and Willow to find some lunch. They settled down at a Mediterranean buffet to eat until their hearts were content.

"My God, Willow, is that really your third plate already?" Tío Leonel asked.

"Yeah," she replied through a mouthful of food. "I'm not a fan of pretzels in general, let alone airline pretzels. I'm starving. Are you still stuck on your first plate?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Tío Cisco replied. "I feel old."

"Now, don't go feeling sorry for yourself!" Tío Leonel scolded. "You've still got a few years left before we've got to put you in the ground, right? The new wheelchair-accessible tub will be ready for you by July, so don't fret!"

Tío Cisco flicked his brother. "Alright, I get it! I'm fine! I'll prepare a special cabinet for all your daily diabetes and heart failure medicines, though."

"Oh, now you're asking for it!"

Willow, Paige, and Oliver bemusedly watched as the two brothers teased and fought each other to no end. It reminded Willow of two redheaded twins she hadn't seen yet that summer. She wondered what they were getting up to when she suddenly caught a flash of scarlet out of the corner of her eye, then another, then another, then a few more. Willow thought her eyes were playing tricks on her when an entire blazing-orange-haired family stopped at a store across the walkway from them. She pinched herself, blinked a few times, and eventually rubbed her eyes, but they were still there. Willow pointed them out to Paige.

"Is that the Weasleys, or am I going crazy?" she questioned.

Paige was taken aback. "What are they doing here?"

"I have no idea, but we should say hi!" Willow exclaimed. She threw her scraps away and returned her plate, then wound her way back to the table to find Paige and Oliver just finishing their food. "Come on, guys, what are the chances of this ever happening again? Let's go!"

Leaving Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel to continue their banter, the three crossed the walkway and entered the store. The Weasleys were all attempting to find toothbrushes, sunblock, a pair of sunglasses, and other necessities that they'd managed to leave at home. As they crept closer, the smallest of the bunch noticed them, then squealed and jumped into Willow's arms.

"Ginny- woah! You're getting really strong!" Willow yelped. "I'm so happy to see you! What are you guys doing in Cairo?"

"We won a prize from the Daily Prophet, so Mum and Dad decided to take us to Egypt for vacation!" Ginny said. "There's so many ancient Egyptian tombs to explore! I'm excited to visit them all! Fred and George said there were some nasty, brutish curses on some that would make your body grow six feet of hair all over, but I'm not sure if I believe them."

"That's so cool!" Willow gasped. "I'm excited for you!"

The rest of the Weasleys finally noticed Willow, Paige, and Oliver. Percy cordially shook their hands, which gave Willow the impression that he'd become even more presumptuous than before. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley happily greeted them all with hugs, Ron awkwardly said hello, and finally the twins pushed their way to the front of their family.

"Willow, Paige, and Oliver! Never thought I'd see all three together."

"Fancy seeing you here."

"Have you come to set off the magic traps in the tombs too?"

"George!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"Sorry, Mum," George said, completely unapologetic.

Willow grinned. "I haven't seen you guys in forever! Unfortunately, we don't have enough time to blow up any ancient tombs, but you should definitely show me on your name tag when you do!" At a look from Mrs. Weasley, she added, "O-r you can show me the cool stuff that you find? Anyway, we're here to catch our next flight to Uganda. We're visiting Uagadou."

"The oldest African wizarding school?" Percy confirmed. "That's quite the honor to visit a school with that impressive and rich of a history."

"Just an honor to step on the sacred elephant poop," Fred emphasized.

"Absolutely incredible to see the spindly tree that Agatha the Ancient planted five thousand centuries ago," George said.

Percy fumed. "I'm visiting the restroom. Dad, will you hold my luggage?"

"Excuse my language, but I must use the dreaded water closet," Fred teased.

Fred and George continued to harass Percy until the moment he left the shop, then returned without shame to their angry mother's side. They took the harsh scolding with pride. Oliver appeared extremely confused, and Paige was smirking. Willow simply smiled. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley went back to buying necessities while the twins, Ron, and Ginny conversed with the three. Eventually, they were cut short, as the Weasleys had a bus to catch in order to get to their hotel. Willow said goodbye to each one, then finally got to George.

"I'll definitely give you a front-row view of the explosions," he whispered.

"I'm looking forward to it. Don't lose your name tag in the meantime, will you?"

"It's more likely Fred will steal it," George chortled, winking at his twin. "He's been taking my stuff left and right ever since we got home."

Fred rolled his eyes, shoving George into Willow. "Yeah, yeah, you're so sure it was your stuff, especially since our clothing, shoes, pranks, and pretty much everything is so different and totally not identical. And I wonder why, George, I wonder what you could possibly have backed out of."

Willow realized she was extremely close to George. They both took a step away from each other, George oddly glaring at his twin. Willow wondered what that was all about. She glanced at Paige, thinking she'd know why, since she seemed to know everything about them, but ended up seeing an upset and slightly ticked off Paige. The older girl was glaring at George with a rage Willow had never before seen in her. Her normally dark brown eyes were black. She could easily have been imagined with a fire blazing within her irises. Paige did her best to cover it up, but there was no lightening her reaction. George raised his eyebrows when he noticed.

"Paige? You okay?"

"Fine," she growled. "Perfect, actually."

"If you say so..." he trailed off, obviously not believing her. George cleared his throat. "Well, I hope you have a good time in Uganda, guys. Bring something super cool back for us."

Willow gave George a quick hug. "I will! Can't make any promises on whether it's a live creature or not. Have fun!"

George blinked, somewhat in shock, then covered it up. "You too! Don't you dare steal another dangerous creature! No matter how cute they seem to you, they're still going to kill us, remember!"

He ran back to his twin, scolding him furiously, saying, "Real smooth, Fred, real smooth!" Willow shook her head and returned to the Mediterranean buffet, still confused as to why Paige was fuming. She glanced at Oliver, but he simply shrugged, in the dark as much as Willow. They both simultaneously decided it was out of their comprehension. Gathering up the still-arguing Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel, they returned to their departure gate. Carlos and his parents took their turn to find a restaurant to eat at. While they were gone, Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel continued their argument, Oliver and Willow silently took turns writing sentences on a blank piece of paper, and Paige glared daggers at the floor. Eventually, the older girl spoke.

"You fancy him, don't you?" Paige asked.

Willow furrowed her brow. "Who?"

"George! Who else would I be talking about? You fancy him, don't you?"

Willow scoffed. "Paige, absolutely not. He's my friend. Also, he's not remotely interested in any sort of romance. If anything, Fred is the romantic one, and he's hopeless. He's after Angelina Johnson."

"Oh, that's tough," Oliver remarked. "I hope he gets a chance with her."

Paige sighed. "Willow, are you blind? How long have you been noticing George acting weird? Have you even noticed that at all?" She groaned. "George has fancied you for at least a year, now, Willow, and you haven't even seen it. How on Earth did you miss that Valentine's Day poem? That had George written all over it! He had help from Fred, of course, but anyone could have known it was him!"

Willow's mouth dropped open. "He- what?" All the memories of the past year came flooding back, and Willow suddenly realized it was true. She gasped. "Oh my God! I'm so stupid! I'm literally the dumbest, most clueless person alive! Merlin, I feel terrible now! Do you think he'll try and make a move? Please tell me he wouldn't."

Paige shrugged. "I don't know. Fred seems to be the one doing all the pushing around. Both of them are too high in the clouds to be serious, though, so I wonder if it would ever happen."

Willow's pulse quickened. She wrung her hands. Her head spun with a dizzying replay of every moment that had ever happened between her and George. "What if this ruins our friendship? What if George hates me? What if both Fred and George hate me? Oh my God, this is a mess! I'm such an idiot!"

"No, you're not, you were just too busy with your own life," Oliver said. "It's okay. Lots of people don't see something that's right under their nose until it's spelled out for them, especially if they don't suspect anything."

Willow took a deep breath. "Okay, but still, what if this ruins everything?"

"It's not going to. Lots of people can remain friends after something like this. It all depends on your reaction to it."

"That makes me feel better. I won't do anything about it until he brings it up, then I'll handle it from there. All I can do is hope for the best, right? He has to understand, somewhere in that small brain of his"

"So...you don't fancy George?" Paige questioned.

Willow shrugged. "Not that I know of. You'd probably be able to tell the moment I fancy someone, because no matter how hard I try, and how much I hate it, I end up wearing my heart on my sleeve all the time."

Paige half-smiled. "That makes me feel a little better."

Willow was about to ask why when her family showed up. They began the boarding process minutes later. The plane ride was successful, and a few hours later, the Guerreros stepped into Entebbe International Airport. They took a bus directly into the city of Kampala. Willow stared out the windows, eyes wide. She'd never seen a more naturally formed city in her life. Though there were many man-made structures and buildings, they seemed to melt into the natural setting as though they were supposed to be there. She couldn't explain the sensation of completion that washed over her upon seeing the buildings molded together to form streets, the people buying and selling goods at a local farmer's market, and the multitude of children playing soccer in an open field. When they stepped out of the bus, Willow took a deep breath, satisfied that the city air was not nearly as choking as London's. The Guerreros walked about a quarter mile, and finally Abuelo held up a hand to stop them.

"Here we are: the vacation home of Matías, my friend from Mexico. Let's go inside, shall we?"

The Guerreros entered the home, which was enormous compared to its small facade. Willow guessed that it was enhanced by an expansion charm. There was a mudroom to their right that also doubled as the laundry room. The front hall flowed into the high-ceilinged living room, decorated with dark-wooded furniture and decor. There were two openings on either side of the living room the smoothly transitioned into either the kitchen or the dining area, and a first-floor bathroom was behind them to the left. A gorgeous spiraling staircase led the way to a suspended walkway to either side of the house, where Willow assumed the bedrooms were. She set down her luggage and immediately collapsed on the couch.

"I think I'm going to love it here," she mumbled through the cushion.

"Just wait until you see the upstairs," Abuela chuckled.

Willow jumped to her feet and sprinted up the stairs. She veered left and skidded to a stop on the dark hardwood flooring. Her jaw dropped at the beauty. There were a total of four doors that led into obviously magically-enlarged bedrooms, and in between them was a beautiful library. It was much smaller than her library at home, but this one had hand-carved chairs and shelves, enormous windows, and even an original traditional Ugandan song framed on one wall. She squealed with delight. Willow then ran across the walkway to see the other side, which contained something even more appealing: a miniature greenhouse with multiple species of native flora. She nearly screamed.

"This is the best vacation ever!"

The next morning, the Guerreros woke up early (to Paige's lament) and took a taxi to Lake Victoria. Once there, they rented a boat and drove to Kome Island. Willow decided to take a chance and drive the boat herself. She continued debating years after whether it was a good decision or not. Willow was given a crash course on how to operate the watercraft, then put the pedal to the metal, flying through the water at seventy miles an hour. They went over some waves and bounced up to a foot off the water. Willow and Paige high-fived every time they got Carlos to yell, "SLOW DOWN!" Oliver, at times, appeared very frightened, but he warmed up to the fun of the high-speed boat ride eventually. Both of Willow's grandparents and uncles sat in the back of the boat, simply smiling from ear to ear. Abuelo had to remind her where they were going once, and to Carlos's great fright, Willow yanked the wheel to the side, nearly throwing him into the water. The edge of the boat almost dipped below the surface, but Willow managed to right it just in time. Paige whooped and cheered. Willow dared a quick glance over her shoulder to confirm that her grandmother and uncles were still teasing her about Paige. She rolled her eyes and didn't let up on the speed until they got close to shore. Abuelo took over the boat, and within minutes, the boat was docked, and they were walking onto shore.

The island was rather beautiful. Willow appreciated the multitude of trees covering the landscape. There were hundreds of exotic birds whistling and singing wherever they looked, and legions of fruitful trees dotted the shore. Abuelo led them to a shaded area of the beach, and after making sure they were alone, he used the summoning spell to retrieve multiple items from his magically expanded bag. Soon, a handful of beach chairs, some giant umbrellas, and several towels formed a ring around a fire pit lined by some rocks. Abuela found some firewood at the bottom of the bag and started a fire up immediately. While the adults began to gather ingredients for lunch, Willow, Oliver, and Paige were allowed to explore the island, so long as they stayed together. Willow promised they would be careful, but it wasn't until Oliver promised to make sure he provided his common sense that they were allowed to go. Willow couldn't say she was surprised. After all, she was the one that committed many stupid acts that nearly got her killed.

The children wandered around the perimeter of the island. They found several enormous coconut trees, one of which Willow scaled. She accidentally shook one loose and dropped it on her head, much to Paige's delight, then dropped two more coconuts back to Oliver. They all cracked them open and sat on some large, weathered rocks, allowing the sea spray to wash over their feet. Willow drank all of the coconut milk within the span of two minutes. She ended up getting two more because she loved them so much. Oliver eyed his coconut, gingerly took a sip, and shrugged. He slowly consumed it by the time Willow had moved onto her third. Paige, on the other hand, simply poured the coconut milk into a canister she had brought.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to drink it?" Willow asked.

"I tried it. It's meh," Paige replied. "Plus, this will probably smell better than it tastes once I figure out how to incorporate it into my shampoo. My hair apparently decided to be high maintenance here lately.

Willow nodded. "Let me know how that goes."

"Can you use coconut milk as a replacement for regular milk in desserts?" Oliver questioned.

Willow laughed. "Yes, Oliver, and it's actually awesome in fruit-flavoured milkshakes. I tried a strawberry one when we went to Mexico once, and it was the best drink I've ever had in my life."

"Cool!"

Paige sighed. "It's hot. Will you judge if I take my shirt off?"

"As long as you have a bra on, I'm not one to cower in fear of female beauty," Willow said.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, that's totally the reason I'm taking off my shirt, to show off my gorgeous body. Like I'm the person to actually do that."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't put it past you."

Paige gently punched her in the shoulder. "You're terrible."

"You're worse."

Paige gave up and pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it behind her as a place to put her canister. Willow noticed she wore a sports bra at all times, just as she did, and she had abs. Since when did Paige have abs? Willow had guessed she was semi-strong, but Paige was pretty much ripped, in her opinion. Touching her own stomach, Willow wondered why she didn't have the motivation to work out like Paige. Then she remembered that Paige hated running. It all balanced out, she guessed, and judging by Paige's equally strong arms, she worked out as much as Willow ran. The older girl brushed her hair behind her and it became caught in the gentle sea breeze. Willow admired the way Paige's hair turned red in the sunlight, beautifully capturing the natural waves in the older girls's dark locks. Her heart fluttered slightly. Had Paige always been that enamoring? She probably had, Willow thought, so how in the heck had she not noticed before?

Oliver suddenly nudged her. Willow shot him a quizzical glance. He was grinning from ear to ear, a teasing gleam in his eyes. Willow realized exactly what he was playing at and blushed, mouthing for him to stop it, but it was too late. Oliver refused to stop pestering her. Willow secretly loved having someone so close to her that they could tease her about people they fancied, but Paige was really close to noticing a couple of times. The older girl didn't need Willow adding to her already stressful summer.

"Hey, castaways, are you ready for lunch or what?" Tío Leonel called from further down the beach.

"Estoy muerta de hambre!" Willow exclaimed. "Come on, I heard they were making Abuelo's special stew!"

"Does that mean 'I'm starving'?" Oliver whispered to Paige.

Paige nodded. "Technically, it translates to 'I'm dying of hunger,' but yeah, we say it differently."

Willow inwardly smiled to herself, then nearly tripped over a branch that had washed up on shore. She pulled her head out of the clouds and followed her uncle back to the beach fire. The scent of earth-grown carrots, softened potatoes, and savory beef wafted towards her. Willow helped herself to multiple servings of food. Much to Abuela's delight, so did Oliver. They soon finished lunch and turned their attention to Lake Victoria. Willow didn't even get a chance to change into a swimsuit before Paige shoved her into the water. She splashed Paige as much as she possibly could, then was carried out into deeper water and thrown into it. Willow's senses decided to go crazy with the shock. She began locating several schools of brightly coloured fish. Of course, some of them turned out to be dangerous, so she helped her family avoid them. Willow's head went crazy when she looked in one particular direction. She sighed, rubbed it, and pointed to the area.

"Found a reef," she said.

"What? No way!" Oliver squealed.

Still on the water's edge, he peered into a zone where the bottom dropped off to reveal an explosion of colour. Willow's entire family gathered around to have a look. It wasn't as incredible as an ocean reef, but it was cool nonetheless. Some brightly coloured fish wandered around a patch of toned-down reds, yellows, and oranges. A single enormous blur of gray wandered close to them, then even closer, until it rose directly to the surface, nearly within two metres of the family. Oliver gasped at its long nose-like feature that protruded from its head. Willow finally recognized it.

"Oh! That's a sawfish," she explained. "That's weird that it's in this area, but cool nonetheless. These guys can grow larger than us. I'll ask him- oh- wait- no, he's not mad at us, and he doesn't have a name. Do you want me to tell him to leave us alone?"

"Uh...sure?" Tío Cisco said.

Willow shrugged, telepathically spoke to the sawfish, and watched as it swam away. She turned around only to realize she was surrounded. An entourage of reef fish and curiously swam towards her, attracted by her powers, and formed a colourful, rainbow-like ring around her. She tentatively stepped forward only to see them clear a path for her. They even made room for Paige. Willow took a deep breath, trying not to stare at all the larger fish around her.

"Uh...this may not be a good time to tell you guys, but I'm terrified of a aquatic life. Surprise?"

"But...you literally have the power to make them go away," Paige chuckled. "So there's nothing to be afraid of, right?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah, sure. The only problem is they have free will to bite my leg off if they choose not to listen. Not all animals are capable of communicating with me. Only the smart ones can talk back. Less smart ones...don't get the full picture."

"Oh. That might be a problem," Oliver said.

"Aw, but you're Willow Guerrero! You're good at improvising this kind of stuff," Paige reminded her. "Just throw a tree in their way or something. They won't get at you that way."

Willow laughed. "That's...oddly comforting."

"I've been known to do that."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Narcissist."

"Imbecile."

A fish bumped into Willow's calf. She jumped, scaring away some of the fish, but they eventually all returned, this time in a perfect rainbow of stunning colours. Willow sighed, then suddenly realized how close she was standing to Paige. Her heart skipped a beat. The older girl smirked at her, having the advantage of being taller. Willow saw her family silently chanting, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" out of the corner of her eye. She blushed deeply and stepped away, instead settling to splash Paige. They groaned and cast their eyes to the heavens. Willow received a splash back, this time being dunked under the water. When she stood up, water dripped from her now revealed frame. Paige shamelessly let her eyes trail down Willow's upper body.

"You're so much hotter than you let on," she said lamentingly.

Willow scoffed. "I'd like to think I'm even hotter on the soccer field."

"Then we better play a pickup game with some locals before we leave, shouldn't we?"

"Ahem?" Carlos said, gathering the girls' attention. "When you're done flirting with each other, we need to pack up and get back to the mainland. We've got a farmer's market to visit."

Paige winked at Willow as she walked out of the water. "At least someone is catching on."

Willow's mouth dropped open. "What- you know I'm completely and utterly clueless!"

"And whose fault is that?"

Willow groaned. "Fine, you win! Now let's get dried up and back to Kampala so I can smash a fresh mango in your face."

The Guerreros dried off and packed up their stuff, then headed back to the boat. Paige grabbed a few more fallen coconuts and drained their milk into her canister. Oliver got the chance to drive the boat this time, and much to Carlos's delight, they went at a safe pace. He was surprisingly good at it. Whenever there was a cross wave, he slightly tilted the wheel to avoid being jerked sideways. The boat ride was much smoother with less spearing of waves. Paige eventually took over, and to everyone's surprise, she drove directly between Willow's and Oliver's styles. She fearlessly floored it, but slowed down whenever there was cross-traffic. Carlos was only terrified for his life a few times instead of the entire ride. Nevertheless, he was the first off the boat when they docked it once more.

The Guerreros flagged down a taxi and made their way back to the vacation house. After cleaning up at bit, they found the way towards the more urban section of Kampala. The farmer's market gradually came into view. Willow stared in awe at the rows upon rows of tents, their roofs each unique in their range of homemade to commercial workmanship. Earth-grown food of all colours of the rainbow lined the tables. People of all nationalities wearing all different types of clothing browsed the products, speaking in multiple languages, each with their own pattern and rhythm. The satisfying crumple of the dirt under her sandals, the drumbeat of a local performer, and the cohesive beauty of several different languages being spoken at once made for a wonderful ambiance. When they sauntered up to a particular vendor, the woman offered Willow a sample of her watermelon. The juicy, sweet fruit lit up her senses. She'd never tasted anything so pure. Abuela ended up buying a few watermelon for later that week.

Several tempting vendors later, the Guerreros walked home with semi-full stomachs and heavy bags. The adults began to put away the groceries, then gave into Willow's persistent begging to take a last stroll. Paige, Willow, and Oliver headed back out into the streets of Kampala, simply enjoying to sunshine, the beautiful buildings, and upbeat music that seemed to be around every corner. When they turned onto one block, a mini concert appeared to be taking place on the street. A group of musicians with drums, a kind of string instrument, and a sound system were having the time of their life engaging a small crowd in their music. Willow, Paige, and Oliver glanced at each other, grinned ear to ear, and sprinted into the mayhem. The song switched between English, another language, and some form of Swahili. They quickly got the hang of the English section of the chorus and sang along. Willow began to dance with Oliver, who at first was shy, then realized Willow couldn't dance either and simply let go. Paige was the only one who could actually dance and did so solo. Willow's face physically hurt from smiling so much. They were having the time of their lives.

Then, the song changed. Willow realized it was a romantic, yet still upbeat song. Oliver raised his eyebrows and glanced at Paige. Willow blushed. He motioned for her to go, but she shook her head, much to Oliver's exasperation.

"Quit dancing around your feelings and just dance with her!" he whispered.

"But- I'm awkward!" Willow hissed.

"So? You need to let yourself have this moment!" Oliver urged. "You've helped me through tough situations, so the least I can do is help you with your love life!"

"But- ugh, fine! You're right, you're right! If I screw up, this never happened!"

Oliver squealed with joy as Willow finally turned and tapped Paige on the shoulder. The older girl didn't waste a second. She took Willow by the hand and immediately launched her into a fast-paced dance. Willow had no idea what she was doing, but figured out that if she let Paige take the lead, she wouldn't trip over herself. They managed to move in unison across the street, Willow spinning and twirling and dipping. She'd never seen Paige so happy. The older girl laughed when a random guy threw a flower crown on Willow's head. Suddenly, with one final spin, she found herself turning directly into Paige. The musicians struck their final chord. Willow's cheeks reddened considerably as she realized she was pressed up against Paige. She thought her heart would jump out of her chest. Paige still held her hand from their last dance move, her face positively glowing. Glancing at Oliver for help, Willow only saw him silently screeching and jumping up and down with joy, mouthing, "KISS HER ALREADY!" Willow returned her gaze to Paige, whose brown eyes were highlighted by the setting sun. Butterflies fluttered around her stomach. What was she supposed to do?

Thankfully, Paige made the decision for her. She gently spun Willow out of their tight position and said, "You're even more beautiful with a flower crown, you know that?" While Willow found herself scrambling for a response, Paige winked at her, then walked off into the crowd, making her way towards the musicians to meet them. Oliver sprinted to Willow's side.

"You two are literally perfect for each other!" he squeaked. "You dance like you were meant to be together! And did you see the way she was looking at you? Ahh! It's so cute!"

Willow's cheeks somehow became an even darker shade of scarlet. "I saw. I have to admit, she's stealing my heart even more now. Do you think I fancy her? I still can't tell."

"You so do! It's obvious, even to strangers! Why else do you think that guy would have put that flower crown on you? Everyone's rooting for you two here!"

Willow couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "Okay, but I'm not acting on it yet. I'm too young."

Oliver sighed. "That's fair, but don't wait too long! I can't last long without you two being cute together!"

Willow's grin suddenly faded. "Wait...does it bother you? Paige and I...uh...accidentally flirting? I don't want to make you uncomfortable. It's your vacation, too."

Oliver shook his head. "No way! There's nothing better to do on vacation than tease your sibling!"

Willow's heart warmed. "I couldn't agree more. Hopefully I'll get the opportunity at some point." Oliver's eyes went wide. "Okay, I'm joking. Maybe. Come on, let's get Paige and head home before Dad gets upset."

Over the next few days, the Guerreros had the time of their lives. Abuela dragged Oliver, Paige, and Willow into taking a local cooking class. Oliver and Paige succeeded, but per usual, Willow failed so miserably at cooking that she had to shadow Abuela instead. They went on a chartered fishing trip and caught some fish bigger than Willow. Another day, they even went through some local shops and found some traditional clothing from several different regions of Uganda that went well with their skin tones. They apparated in pairs to Queen Victoria National Park the next day, where they saw so many elephants and tree-climbing lions that Willow nearly passed out from excitement (and over-active senses calling out to them, of course). Finally, the day arrived when they would travel to Uagadou. The Guerreros took turns apparating in pairs. Willow touched her father's hand, and quicker than she could blink, the sickening sensation of her stomach flipping over and over swamped her senses. Then, she was abruptly set down on her feet, hard. She nearly slipped off the side of a steep slope. Willow squeaked as her father caught her and pulled her to the safety of a wider ridge.

"Whoa! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did anything happen?" Carlos asked, brushing Willow's hair out of her face and inspecting it. "We normally apparate somewhere else. You didn't splinch, right?"

"No, I'm fine, Dad," Willow said. She grinned sportingly. "I can fly, remember?"

Carlos let out a breath he'd been holding, dipping his head. "Yes, I know, but you still manage to scare me every time, you know that?"

"I know. Let's get climbing, shall we?"

Carlos led the way up the snowy mountaintop, drawing Willow's cloak tighter around her. He finally stopped at a rather oddly shaped patch of snow. Willow looked on as he pulled out his wand, whispered a spell, and melted the snow away to reveal a door with an ornate carving. Carlos grinned at the symbols on it. While the rest of her family arrived from higher up the mountain, Willow peered at the door. Various fruits she'd seen at the farmer's market were woven into an almost abstract picture.

"Someone could have bothered to warn me it would be cold," Paige grumbled, shivering with snow dotting her dark hair. She noticed the door. "Why the heck did we come all this way to find a bowl of random fruit?"

"Uganda is said to be the Fruit Basket of Africa, and not without reason," Abuelo explained. "There are over fifty types of fruit naturally grown here."

Paige raised an eyebrow. "That explains why everything actually tastes like it's supposed to."

Tío Cisco chuckled. "One of the many perks of being in Uganda. Come on, we've got some magical creatures to take care of."

To Willow's surprise, Tío Cisco walked straight through the door, just like it was the wall for Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station. Tío Leonel, Carlos, and Abuelo soon followed, leaving Abuela with the children. Paige and Oliver went through together, and finally Abuela shoved Willow through the barrier because she hesitated too long. She stumbled and face-planted onto hard stone. Slowly rising to her feet, Willow blinked the fog out of her eyes and glanced around. Her mouth immediately dropped open.

Uagadou stood tall, large, and proud on the side of a mountain opposite where Willow was standing. Shrouded in mist, it seemingly floated in midair, an entirely separate world from her own. The massive, otherworldly edifice was carved directly into the mountainside. Floor after floor of intricately designed stone glimmered in the abnormally bright sunlight. Courtyards separated each wing at three different levels, splashes of colour amid the imposing grey. Tiny dots Willow guessed were students scuttled along the far off hallways. The breathtaking beauty of the school captured her heart as Tío Leonel led the way down a worn path to the entrance.

Paige, Oliver, and Willow exchanged a glance when they arrived at the front gate. The wrought-iron bars appeared very old, but stronger than any human could have made. They buzzed with a primitive power. There were also a pair of guards, one by each pillar that the gates were hinged to. Two live lions raised their hackles and growled threateningly. They bared their teeth at Willow specifically. She should have felt terrified, but that familiar gut-wrenching sensation never gripped her stomach. In fact, she smiled at the lions, her senses not even firing, her skin not glowing in the slightest. Oliver shot her a concerned look, but Willow simply kept her positive expression. Tío Cisco seemed to have the same reaction. He walked right up to the lions, spoke a word in a language she didn't recognize, and watched gleefully as the animals' facades melted away to reveal two equally ripped witches.

"Welcome to Uagadou, Cisco and Leonel Guerrero," the one on the left said, completely expressionless. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. There will be an upper-year student a short way along the path to show you to the hippeyhikes. The rest of you may visit, but only do as you are permitted."

"Of course, thank you," Tío Leonel said. He motioned for the rest of his family to follow him through the gates. "Let's go, then, we don't need to overstay our welcome."

The Guerreros continued down the path together. Paige and Oliver stared at Willow like she was a crazy witch. Willow shrugged and mouthed, "Senses, duh." Paige fake-punched her and Oliver finally understood.

The path opened up onto a smooth-stone walkway, then finally into a grand entrance. A pair of enormous dark wooden doors stood wide open to let the sunlight into a circular high-ceilinged room. Willow rather liked the open concept. There were several hand-carved tables and bonfire areas out in front of the entrance hall, and multiple students of all ages were conversing, laughing, and not-so-secretly gossiping all around them. It reminded Willow of late spring days out by the Black Lake at Hogwarts. The Guerreros entered the entrance hall to find themselves surrounded by Uagadou's history. There were paintings of all sizes, preserved everyday items from some of the first students, and the very first wand to be used within the school's walls. Willow barely even had time to read the plaques when a tall female student skidded to a stop in front of them.

"Oh, there you are!" she said, her accent slightly more American than British English. "I've been wondering when you'd get here. The hippeyhikes are this way." She began walking towards the right, then turned around and skipped backwards. "I'm Miremba, by the way. I hope Uagadou isn't too much for you on first sight. Its outer walls distract from the inner beauty it has to offer. Have you heard much about us?"

"Yes, fortunately," Tío Leonel replied. "All good things, and so far, it appears to all be true. Does your curriculum still include becoming animagi as a class your fourth year?"

Miremba transformed into an okapi, then back into herself. "Yeah, I'm a fifth year."

"Impressive. I've never seen an animagi transform that easily back at home," Tío Cisco remarked.

"It's a Uagadou thing." Miremba peered at the relic on the wall, then clapped a hand to her forehead. "Oops, we're turning right here, not left! Come on, Miremba! Focus!"

Miremba took them across the entire school, down a dizzying spiral staircase that disappeared far above into literal clouds, and finally onto the "ground level," which was the flattest spot on the side of the mountain they could find. She had them wait for a second, then whistled. A group of animals began sprinting in her direction, then suddenly noticed a butterfly, chased after it, then began fighting each other. Miremba groaned.

"Curse their short attention span!" she hissed. "Well, if I could get them over here, I could have you take a look at them. Be careful though, they're extremely dangerous."

"It's okay, that's kind of our forte," Tío Cisco said, winking. "Come on, Leonel, let's go wrangle some hippeyhikes, shall we?"

While her uncles wrestled with the herd, Willow, Paige, and Oliver turned to Miremba, who talked endlessly about anything they wanted to know about Uagadou. They apparently were very similar to Hogwarts in that they had fabulous teaching staff and students that were anywhere from extremely selfless to petty as all get out. The difference, though, was that Uagadou was better at pretty much every subject than Hogwarts. Miremba showed them some of her Astronomy and Transfiguration homework, which made Willow's head spin just looking at it. She was glad to be at Hogwarts. The only thing she would have excelled in was Self-Transfiguration, but only because she had her extra powers. Miremba loved to transform into her okapi animagi upon request at any given time. Instead of coming off as an arrogant showoff, however, Willow thought she walked that line on the more confident side. Miremba was very good at what she did. She obviously put countless hours of hard work into her self-transfiguration and animagi transformations, so she deserved to showcase her skills. Willow was very tempted to show Miremba what she could do, but a small tap from Oliver reminded her that not everyone would be okay with her not-so-normal powers.

At long last, Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel returned, sweat dripping from every exposed part of their bodies. They announced that the hippeyhikes simply needed a yearly checkup on their gut health from now on, as they were having digestive problems. Tío Leonel gave Miremba some medicine to give to the Care of Magical Creatures professor, which she took with careful grace, something Willow wished to see in Hogwarts students but never found, even in herself. Every student they passed in the hallways on their way back also appeared to carry themselves in that confident, yet caring way. They had been coached into the perfect balance of power and grace. Willow wished she was teachable enough to become that gentle in any area of life, but knew that she was far too gone. She was a bloody Gryffindor in every way.

Miremba dropped them off at the entrance hall once more and wished them a good rest of their vacation. Willow was stopped, though, before she could leave.

"Hey, wait! I didn't catch your name," Miremba said.

"Oh! It's- it's Willow Guerrero," she replied, surprised that anyone would want to know her name.

"Cool! Would you mind if we sent a few owls back and forth? You seem like the type of student that would easily fit in here, especially with that love for magical creatures, and I've always wanted to know more about Britain!"

"Not- not at all!" Willow stammered. "I'll be looking forward to your owl!"

Miremba grinned gleefully, then unexpectedly gave Willow a quick hug. "I can't wait to send it! Bye, for now!"

Willow blinked slowly, standing rooted to the spot where she was as Miremba skipped off to her class. It wasn't until Oliver pulled on her arm to get her to move that she dropped the stunned trance.

"What just happened?" Willow asked.

"You may or may not have gotten hit on by an older girl, but either way, I really hope Paige didn't see that," Oliver whispered.

"What? I had no ide- how was that- ugh! This is so confusing!" Willow hissed.

"Well, I'd help you with this, but judging by Paige's expression, I don't want to end up murdered," Oliver whimpered, glancing further along the path.

Willow looked up only to see Paige's livid face whip around, stomping away as fast as she could.


	42. Summer of Year 3: Chapter 3

Willow’s feet pounded down the path. Paige was a really fast walker when she decided to be. Willow ended up transforming into a mountain goat to keep up with the older girl, hopping from boulder to boulder with surprising agility. Paige didn’t seem too impressed, however.

”Chasing after me as a goat isn’t exactly attractive,” she growled.

Willow finally caught up to her and transformed back into herself. “Yeah, I know, but it’s a little unexpected, just like what Miremba did,” she started. “I don’t know what just happened, but im pretty sure she wasn’t into me, Paige.”

”Oh really? Well, being the incredibly observant person you are, you totally noticed the way she was looking at you. I didn’t miss it.”

”What- Paige, I didn’t even know!” Willow exclaimed.

”How could you not see it?” Paige mirthlessly chuckled. “You were probably too excited she was talking to you to notice. I was stupid to think I had a chance in the first place.”

”Paige, if I didn’t notice, how could I possibly fancy her?” Willow pointed out. “I was literally stammering! I don’t do that in front of attractive people.”

Paige looked at her. “That...literally makes no sense.”

”I know! I’m really, really weird! It makes as little sense as me fancying someone after talking to them for five minutes!”

"You would be surprised. It happens all the time."

"Paige- ugh, how do I get my point across without sounding like an idiot? I'm not into Miremba! She's simply curious about London, so I'm helping her learn about it. It's no different than Hermione and I exchanging Muggle and wizarding news."

"So you think. You couldn't even tell that George fancied you for a year when it was literally right under your nose."

"Paige! How many times can I tell you that I don't fancy her before you believe me?"

Paige stared at Willow. "Well, seeing as you've told me over and over and I still don't believe you, you've got a long way to go."

Willow stood directly in front of Paige to stop her. "Look, I don't know why talking to someone else for five minutes is such a big deal. Just because I'm bi doesn't mean I like every human being I see. You of all people know that too well- uh, with girls, at least."

Paige at first appeared as if she was going to explode, then her expression softened. She sighed. "Fine. You're right. But I still don't believe you."

"What is it going to take for you to actually believe me?"

Paige crossed her arms. "The only way I can know for sure- admit that you fancy someone, and tell me who it is, for God's sake!"

"But...Paige, I don't know if I- "

"Save it. I know you're going to try and say you don't know. You do fancy someone, and deep down, you know it. Cut the crap. Just tell me, and I'll get off your back."

Willow's stomach dropped. Her throat went dry. She thought her hammering heart was going to bust through her ribs. "I...fine. But- oh, for Merlin's sake, don't go insane or react crazy." She noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "And Dad, you and everyone else can go on ahead and stop eavesdropping now. I'm sure you'll hear all about it later. Oliver can stay."

Tío Cisco groaned as Carlos begrudgingly put his camera away. "Teenagers and their dumb privacy! What fun is that?"

"Brother, I think we can leave Willow alone for once in her life," Tío Leonel chuckled. He winked at her. "Besides, we'll have plenty of opportunities to make fun of them at their wedding."

Willow rolled her eyes and ushered her family along. Once they were a good distance away (and Oliver just within earshot), she turned back to Paige. "Do you promise not to go crazy?"

"Sure. Just tell me so I can stop being mad at you."

Willow cleared her throat to find her voice again. She was excessively sweating despite the cool breeze. When she opened her mouth to finally speak, her voice was small and raspy, but she knew above all that she was speaking from her heart. "Paige...I think I- I might fancy- you."

Oliver squealed. Willow blushed deeply. Paige crossed her arms and smirked at her. "I thought you'd never admit it. It still feels good to hear it directly from you, though."

Oliver crept a little closer in the background, silently rooting for Willow to "KISS HER ALREADY!" Willow's stomach fluttered. She was standing somewhat close to the older girl. Willow didn't know whether she was ready for that or not. Paige didn't make it awkward, however, and simply shoved her off the mountainside. Willow yelped and transformed into a hawk, clumsily flying back onto the mountain path. Paige was patiently waiting for her, foot tapping, while Oliver stood by in a stunned silence.

"What was that for?" Willow demanded.

"You froze up. I don't like awkwardness, so I fixed it."

"By shoving me off a cliff."

"Yep."

"That's your solution to awkwardness."

"Yep."

"Endangering my life without a second thought."

"Yep. I mean, technically, since you can shape-shift and fly, you're perfectly safe, but yeah, that's my fast-acting solution."

"Are you absolutely certain you can't get married tomorrow?" Abuela called from further down the path, getting hounded by her husband and Carlos for fighting her way closer.

"Don't worry, I've already got a dress picked out," Paige teased back.

Abuela chuckled heartily. "That's my future granddaughter-in-law!"

Willow blushed an even darker hue of scarlet. "Abuela! Go away!"

"Nah, she's fine. She has full permission to give me away- or be my best woman. Either one's fine with me." Paige turned back to Willow. "I'm still mad at you, by the way. You're not fully forgiven."

"What- I literally just admitted something deeply personal, and you of all people know I don't do that easily!"

Paige shrugged. "Get used to it. People demand mushy-gushy crap too much, and we've got to adjust."

Willow sighed. "What on Earth is it going to take for me to make you not mad at me anymore?"

Paige exchanged a grin with Oliver. "Well, since you're leaving that open-ended...Oliver, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He nodded. "Perfect, because this is going to be the greatest revenge story in the history of the world."

"You're joking."

"Nope."

"Can I at least adjust the straps?"

"Absolutely not."

Willow tugged on the dress, pulling it up in an attempt to make it cover her chest. "Paige, this isn't a good idea! What if it falls down in the middle of a public square, and everyone takes a picture of me and puts it in the newspapers?"

"That's really far-fetched, but Kampala would get a view at one hell of a body," Paige assured her. She grinned evilly as she stepped back to admire her work. "There. Now everyone is going to stare at you, and you're going to hate it. Ready to show yourself off to your family? I can't wait to see the pictures your dad is going to get from this."

Willow groaned. "This is payback and then some. You owe me for this."

"Oh, it's well worth the price of admission."

Paige slid open the bedroom door. Willow nearly tripped down the hallway at least three times, using the rail to hold herself up. She heard audible gasps from the living room below and winced. Oliver very clearly squealed.

"I present to you the new and improved- if that's even possible- Willow Guerrero!" Paige announced.

Willow opened her eyes to see her family staring slack-jawed at her. Paige had transformed her into a goddess. She had a full face of makeup, including concealer, eyeliner, blush, and a tiny bit of red lipstick. Her hair was glossed and tamed into wavy perfection. Paige had found her the most revealing red dress from the market she could with the blessing of Abuela. There were all sorts of sparkles across its many splits and low seams, all of which detailed Willow's body perfectly, trailing all the way down to her vivid red heels, which added a few inches to her height. Willow could barely walk in them. At least she wasn't the only one in heels. Abuela and Paige had each found a pair from the market, too, and were dressed in fancy gowns that modestly covered their perfect frames. The rest of her family was dressed up in suits tailored to their individual measurements. Willow was dying to show as little skin as they were, but if she wanted to earn Paige's good favor once again, she had to do what she had to do. Paige helped her down the dark-wooded stairs and was met by Oliver at the bottom, who had a little green glitter on his face.

"I found a perfect flower to go in your hair!" he said, pulling it out from behind his back. He put it in Willow's hair. "It's a magical breed that I discovered here! It stays in your hair automatically and makes it retain its shape and texture."

"Oh- thanks! Did Cypress give you that glitter?"

"Maybe? Yes," Oliver admitted, blushing slightly. "And...and the suit, too."

Willow grinned. "You're so cute." She nearly tripped in her heels again. "Oh dear God. I'm going to die."

"No! You'll be okay," Oliver encouraged. "Just take it one step at a time! I'm sure you'll adjust to them eventually."

"Thanks for the support- literally and verbally, I guess."

"Come on, we've got a fancy dinner to go to and a Willow to show off," Tío Cisco said.

The Guerreros walked slowly down a few blocks towards one of the fanciest restaurants in Kampala. Along the way, Willow finally figured out walking in heels enough to look up, but when she did, she wished she hadn't. Her dress was turning heads from all sorts of places- balconies, across the street, street vendors, and even outdoor eateries. Willow's face turned extremely red. At least they weren't whistling, she thought. Immediately after, someone whistled somewhat disrespectfully from across the street. Carlos whispered a spell that made the guy suddenly break out with pimples and chortled to himself as the guy ran for a mirror. Willow felt a little better after that.

The dinner went well, to everyone's surprise. Willow didn't spill anything, cuss, or spout off in Spanish about something wrong with the world. Paige enjoyed making puns about Willow's bold dress. Oliver split his time between joining in the fun and acting normally, every once in a while being scolded by Abuela for not eating enough food. They finished dessert, waddled out of the restaurant stuffed to the brim, and gathered on the back porch of the vacation house to watch the sunset. Willow, Paige and Oliver went to the upstairs balcony instead. Gladly taking off her heels, Willow stood barefoot on the smooth wood, enjoying the fresh scent of sweet earth-grown fruit carried on the wind. The sky was painted with an even more beautiful combination of pinks, yellows, and oranges than she'd ever seen before. Clouds like cotton balls scuttled across the sky, as if making way for the moon and stars. She was definitely going to miss Uganda. She'd never been to a place more in tune with nature while still keeping up with the current world.

"Hey, I got you something," Paige whispered, pulling an item out of her pocket. "I'm finally not mad at you, so you can have it."

Willow was suddenly aware of Paige brushing her arm while she slipped a bracelet onto her wrist. It was a rainbow one, made from seashells that had washed up on shore over the past week. Willow admired the way their colours were arranged, perfectly capturing the light of the sun to make them glow, popping against her darker skin tone.

"I made it for you over the past few days," Paige explained. "You know, a thank-you for letting me tag along."

Willow hugged her, surprising the older girl. "It's beautiful! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oliver, do you see this?"

Oliver nodded, though he was so preoccupied trying not to squeal out loud that he barely got to admire the artistry of the bracelet. Willow and Paige both raised their eyebrows as he let out a breath he was trying to hold in.

"I'm sorry, you're just so cute!" he squeaked. "Please, please, please at least hold hands for me? Please?"

Paige rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine, I'll let you have your daily dose of mushy-gushy crap if it will keep you quiet on the plane ride home."

"Yesyesyes! Thank you!"

Oliver watched with pure joy as Paige finally took Willow's hand in hers. Willow's breath caught in her throat. She could have sworn Paige had shocked her with static electricity, the spark was so real. Paige was so gentle, yet strong in her grip. Willow wondered if Paige felt the same way. Was this what it felt like to fancy someone, she wondered? Did it feel like a spark every time her grandparents touched hands, even after to many years of being together? She had so many questions, but she knew they would only be answered by tough lessons throughout her life. There was no telling what the true definition of love was. She would simply have to wait it out to see what her emotions were doing.

The sun had long set, but Willow, Paige, and Oliver still stayed out on the balcony, watching the stars become brighter and brighter in the night sky. It was entrancing, seeing the velvety colour of dark blue envelop the clouds and tickle them purple. Willow didn't even realize her family had come to say goodnight until there was a clicking sound by the sliding glass door. She turned around and glared at her father, who was taking multiple photos of Paige and Willow holding hands (and all three of them, of course). Carlos stopped when Willow saw him and gave her a thumbs up.

"I got my photo shoot. You're good," he said. "It's getting late, so we're going to bed. Goodnight, guys."

"And don't be afraid to sleep in the same room," Abuela hinted.

"Abuela!" Willow exclaimed.

All she got in response was faded chuckling as Abuela walked away within the house. Willow rolled her eyes, then yawned. She realized she was still holding Paige's hand and quickly dropped it.

"I better go to bed, since I'll get up at the crack of dawn, knowing me," she said. "Goodnight."

Paige dramatically waved her hand. "Buenas noches, madam."

"That's...Spanish and French."

"Exactly. Goodnight, Willow."

Willow shook her head. "Night, guys. Don't stay up too late talking about me."

Oliver gasped. "How did you know?"

Willow winked. "Just a hunch. See you in the morning."

After brushing her teeth in the enormous bathroom for the second to last time, Willow put on her tank top and shorts and flopped on her bed, which was decorated with a forest-esk pattern. She wished they could stay in Uganda a little longer. The people there were extremely friendly, the fruit actually tasted like it was supposed to, and the music was unique in a way that she loved much more than the popular music back home. There were always pickup soccer games among refugees and locals alike. She wished there was a way to bring some of the Ugandan culture back home with her.

Without warning, a stone nicked Willow's window. She jumped, lost her balance, and fell onto the floor with a thump. Willow scrambled to her feet and frantically glanced around the window. Plunk! Another pebble hit the glass. Willow peered onto the city street below, still seeing nothing. Tink! Fed up, Willow opened the window and enhanced her senses. She finally caught sight of the outline of a person, and from the look of their size, they were a child. The kid waved to Willow, then held out a soccer ball. They appeared as though they were asking her to play. Willow bit her lip. Her father would be furious, but this was essentially her last chance to play soccer in Uganda. Glancing back into the hallway to make sure her family was asleep, Willow swallowed her fear and let herself go. She silently climbed down the side of the vacation home and landed on the path with minimal noise. The child grinned at her.

"I'm happy to find you! My name's Akiki," the boy said, shaking hands with Willow. "I saw you playing the other day. You're really good. My team can't wait to play with you."

"How- how long have you been waiting under my window?" Willow asked.

Akiki shrugged. "An hour? Maybe longer? I don't know, but you're here now, so let's go play some football!"

Willow followed Akiki to the end of the street, then down a few side alleys, and finally made it to one of the community football fields. A large group of children, ranging from Willow's age to just under eighteen, were gathered there, warming up in the field that was more dirt than grass. Some enormous stadium lights lit up the space on all four corners. The vast majority of the players were barefoot, so Willow took off her shoes as well. Although the goalposts were old and rusting, they were still about the same size, and there were even makeshift nets. Willow realized this was the field the refugees played on. Now that she thought about it, a lot of the players had a similar style of facial features and body build. They were South Sudanese refugees from the war between their country and Sudan. Willow wished she knew a way to help them a little more with their situation, but hopefully playing football with them would help cheer them up.

Akiki gathered up his team, then addressed them as a group. "This is Willow, the girl I was talking about the other day. She's going to play left back for us."

"Wait, that means I can play forward now, right?" one of the girls asked.

Akiki grinned. "Yes, Aarifa, you're center forward now."

"Yes! Thanks Willow!" the girl squealed.

"Alright, is everyone stretched out enough and ready to go? Not throwing up today, Jona?"

A tall boy rolled his eyes. "No, my mother didn't make me eat dinner so late, and my dad finally didn't make me eat his godawful pudding. I'm good. Let's just kick Oregano's butt."

"What- Oregano sounds nothing like Omari! How did you get Oregano out of Omari?"

Jona shrugged. "I'm always thinking about food."

Akiki sighed. "Let's just play. And don't trip over Shaker! I know he's short, but you're not that tall that you can't see him!"

Willow took up her position of left back and analyzed the teams. Akiki had a group of mixed heights, but they shared the same all-around strength. They probably had similar skills, too. Omari's team- her opponent, she guessed- was mainly comprised of boys with a more muscular build. So this will be a physical game, she thought. Willow tensed her muscles. Thank God she'd kept up her training throughout her time at Hogwarts, or she would be done for. A woman dressed in a florescent pink shirt put her fingers to her lips and let out a shrill whistle. Aarifa darted after the ball, trucked a boy, and the game started.

Willow was quickly thrown into the action. A boy from the opposing team managed to wrestle the ball away from Aarifa and shot off down the flank. Willow was instantly on him, hips low, on the balls of her feet. She read his hip movement, but he was lightning quick, and he managed to take a touch around her. Willow darted after him, beating him to the spot where he was planning to cross the ball and tapping it away. He flew by as Willow took off in the other direction. She made a pass to Akiki in the center of the field and called for her team to push up. The boy she'd beaten breathed heavily like a bull behind her. She'd have to keep an eye on him.

Akiki took a touch to the left, then zigzagged around a midfielder. He shot off towards the goal and ripped it with his right foot, just barely hitting it wide. Aarifa and another forward were there, however, and with a simple one-two, Aarifa had a shot on goal, which she buried in the back of the net. Akiki and the rest of his team cheered, jumping up and down and hugging Aarifa to death. Willow naturally joined in. Aarifa did a short dance with the other forward, laughed, and made her way back to the middle of the field. Willow refocused herself as the female referee whistled again to restart the game. She'd learned that even letting your guard down for a second after scoring was fatal.

Omari's team did some two-touch passing, somehow perfectly on the ground despite the bumpy conditions, then hit it to their right forward once more. Willow tensed her quads and zeroed in on the boy's movements as she closed down on him. He faked one way, then the other, but still did not move Willow. The hips never lied. When he tried to tap to the left, Willow instantly pounced and touched the ball to herself, then whipped around to shield it. The boy frustratedly attempted to clobber her from the right side, then found himself coughing in a storm of dust as Willow turned on a dime and sprinted away, using the boy's planted left leg as a springboard. She'd turned and burned, just like her mother had taught her, all the way back when she was six years old. It was an incredible feeling every time she succeeded. Willow chipped the ball to her left forward and pushed up with the rest of her defenders as Akiki attempted another shot on goal.

Still up one-zero, Akiki and Aarifa put together many plays with Jona, the right back. They even toyed with Omari's team a little bit, their skill more incredible than anything Willow had ever seen. The poor opposing goalkeeper was doing all he could to keep Akiki's team at bay. He made save after save only to be peppered with more shots from short range. Willow noticed how tired he was getting and wondered if he would have a mental lapse soon. She was distracted when the right forward from the other team began his run down her sideline once more and followed him, preparing herself for a cross. The ball came flying across the field, and despite all of Willow's efforts, the boy was taller than she was, and he easily headed the ball over the top of her. He said something in Swahili that she didn't understand, his teammates laughing and pointing at her. Willow didn't really care, however, and the next play, she cleared the ball the entire length of the field before the right forward could have a chance to touch it. He and his teammates stopped laughing after that.

Trouble was on the horizon, though. Willow's breath was coming in ragged gasps after a few more sprints down the sideline. Her exercise-induced asthma was showing itself again, just as it did every summer, and no matter how much mucus she hacked up on the sideline, it kept pooling in the back of her throat. She couldn't move the proper amount of air through her chest to save her life. She was tiring much quicker than the older boys of Omari's team. The entirety of Akiki's team seemed to be following her suit. Omari's team began to hound the defensive line, and inevitably, they broke through to bury the ball in the back of the net. Willow cursed in Spanish. She doubled her efforts to fight through the pain.

When the ref announced that there were only five minutes left, both teams were dying. The goalkeepers and defenders took their time returning the ball into play just to have a ten-second break. It was going to come down to which team could handle more pain. Omari's team seemed to notice Willow was exhausted and refused to pass the ball in any other direction. She ran, and ran, and ran, and ran. The right forward hid it with much more expertise than Willow, but he was quickly losing strength, too. They both gasped for air as the ball seemingly wouldn't stick to their feet anymore, tripping them and rolling the opposite direction they were attempting to touch it. Willow's legs burned. Her feet ached. Her lungs screamed for air. Her stomach convulsed in a massive cramp. Still, she would not let up. The right forward resorted to physicality to overthrow Willow, but she gave it right back to him. They hip-checked and threw elbows and tripped each other to no end. Finally, in the last thirty seconds, Willow had enough. There was a fifty-fifty ball lying directly in between them. Willow pulsed her calves, took off with whatever speed she still had left, lowered her center of gravity, and slammed into the older boy.

The right forward went flying into the ground, rolling over and over, facade crumbling- and the ball landed at Willow's feet. She wasted no time. Willow took off into the center of the field, her arms pumping as fast as they could. She faked out a midfielder, tapped it around another, and completely juked one of the defenders. At last, with seconds to go, Willow did a spin move, tripped over the ball, and accidentally tapped it through the defender's legs. She took one step towards the ball and ripped it with her left foot with all the strength remaining in her legs. Willow watched it soar, as if in slow motion, towards the upper ninety, getting closer, closer, closer...and hitting the crossbar.

Then, from nowhere, Aarifa darted towards it, and with a composed, expertly placed pass, she put the ball in the back of the net.

Devastation suddenly transformed into the utmost glee. Akiki's entire team engulfed Aarifa, raising her up and chanting her name. Omari's team collapsed to the ground, defeat written all over their exhausted frames. Willow quickly hugged Aarifa, then walked over to the right forward, who had fallen to one knee on the ground. She clumsily collapsed next to him, trying not to let black dots envelop her vision. He stared at her defiantly. Willow, however, simply offered him her hand.

"Good game," she said.

The boy stared at her for a second, then shook it. "You too. You're actually decent."

"As are you. I hope you make it far."

"Don't worry, I'm heading there."

Willow smiled at his arrogance, then walked away. Akiki's team suddenly surrounded her, Akiki himself the first one to hug her, cheering her name and thanking her for playing with them, complimenting her and saying that she was amazing. Willow blushed, but she didn't want to be rude by denying it, so she simply thanked them. They all cooled down together, chattering about fun or intense moments during the game. Willow's muscles were absolutely dead. She stretched out really well, a few people who had run a ton during the game joining her in a semi-circle. That's when she noticed Aarifa and two boys pulling out some mats from their bags and setting them on the field.

"Hey, do you know what they're doing?" she asked Jona.

"Oh, yeah! Aarifa and her brothers are Muslims, so they have to pray five times a day," Jona explained. "Once when they wake up, three times throughout the day, and once before they go to bed. It's part of the five pillars of Islam."

"Why are they all facing the same way?" Willow questioned.

"They must always pray facing Mecca, the town where Muhammad first lived when he received divine messages. That's the guy that started the religion. Eventually, she'll have to make a pilgrimage there, but only if she can afford it. We're all rooting for Aarifa and her family to get out of their situation so they can complete their pilgrimage."

"That's...really cool," Willow breathed, watching Aarifa and her brothers pray. "They look so peaceful."

"Yeah, I don't know why so many people stereotype the religion. The majority of Muslims are Sunni, and they're the most peaceful people you'd ever meet. Aarifa avidly opposes violence, and her brothers have even backed down from fights that they surely could have won. If you ask me, that's the bravest thing anyone could do, choose peace in the face of violence. We all make sure to get into peoples' heads that try to mess with their family."

"Well, I sure hope they have a peaceful and prosperous life. I hope the rest of you do, too, especially since you had to...you know...leave your original home."

Jona shrugged. "It's easier on us than our parents. We're young. We can adjust. We also don't see quite everything that goes on around us. Our parents deal with the majority of the opposition and such."

Willow sighed. "Well, if you ever really find yourselves in a pinch, I can always help. My family has helped multiple refugee families escape terrible situations in the past."

"Thanks. I hope we don't need it."

"Me too." Willow yawned. "Oh God, it's halfway through the night. No wonder I'm so tired."

Jona laughed. "I wish you a safe journey home tomorrow, Willow. You're a pretty cool person."

"So are you, Jona. I won't forget you- any of you guys. Have a good evening." She cupped her hands over her mouth to address the whole team. "And thanks for everything, guys!"

"Bye, Willow!" Akiki's team called.

Willow navigated the streets of Kampala, climbed back into bed, and collapsed onto the mattress, her body finished. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, dreaming sweet dreams of Akiki's soccer team. She was definitely going to miss Uganda. The food, the people, the ambiance...what more perfect place to escape to?

The next day, the Guerreros flew back home, and both flights went well. Willow finally convinced her family to stop teasing her for both legs of the journey. When they arrived back at home, she collapsed on the couch, jet lag hitting fast. Paige purposely sat on her back to pin her into the cushions.

”Hey, what the heck?” Willow wheezed.

”You’re a comfy seat. I think I might sit here for a while.”

Willow managed to shove the heavier girl off. “Nah, I’m skin, bones, and hopefully a lot of muscle. I can’t be comfortable.”

”Hm, I don’t know...sitting close to you does seem to make you uncomfortable.”

Willow scoffed. “That is not what I meant. And no one makes me uncomfortable by sitting close. I may not like being close to people, but I have no concept of personal space.”

”The meaning of a word is in the mind of the beholder, especially when it comes to English.”

”I’m pretty sure that’s not how that saying goes, but whatever. You still make sense- to me, at least,” Willow added, giggling at Oliver’s confused expression.

Paige’s mouth twitched upward in a smile. “You know, I think you’re growing on me, Oliver. You were great before, but I think you’re taller now.”

Oliver grinned. “That’s clever. Hopefully I’m growing in both height and mind! Being stuck at this height forever would be hard, and I don’t want to study for school as often as I’ve had to.”

”That’s reasonable,” Paige nodded. She checked her watch. “Crap, I’ve got to meet Jewel before she thinks my adoptive parents hired someone to murder me. Thanks for…literally this entire vacation. It was much-needed.”

Paige hugged Willow, then turned to leave. She paused at the fireplace, however, and sighed. Paige quickly darted back to Willow, pecked her on the cheek, grabbed herself Floo powder, and vanished in a flash of green. Oliver squealed and jumped up and down. Willow blinked, trying to process what just happened. She touched the spot on her cheek where Paige had kissed her. Her heart fluttered when she did, and Willow suddenly blushed. She touched the rainbow bracelet on her finger.

”Aaah! You two are so cute!” Oliver squeaked, hugging Willow.

"I can't wait until they tie the knot..." Tío Leonel said dreamily as he walked by.

"Guys, stop it!" Willow complained. Her name tag suddenly went off, and she gratefully sifted through her bags to find it. "Fred! George! Oh, thank God! You couldn't have timed that any more perfectly!"

"Why yes, we are masters of surprise," Fred agreed, bowing dramatically.

George elbowed him out of the way. "You should have seen the explosion we set off!" he butted in. "Mum cursed our doors to only open for breakfast and dinner last week!"

"That good, huh?" Willow laughed. "I'm not surprised! How has Ginny been doing? She seemed fine when I saw her at the airport."

"At first, we had to prank Ron every day to make sure she laughed, but now she's okay."

"Oh, poor Ron!" Willow said.

"Poor Ron? He's not our ickle Ronniekins anymore! He got taller again! Much more of this and we're going to have to charm him to stay shorter than us!"

"Well, that does happen. I'm enjoying being taller than him while I can."

"Anyway," Fred continued, shoving his brother into the frame, "George here has something to ask you."

George slapped his twin. "You don't need to act so weird about it! I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go into London and prank random Muggles. We're bored out of our minds."

"Honestly, I'm overdue for stirring up trouble. I'm in."

"Perfect! We'll be at yours in less than ten seconds. And don't leave Oliver behind!"

Willow called out to her dad where she was going, then ran downstairs, grabbed Oliver, and waited by the fireplace. Fred and George expertly landed on their feet emerging from the Floo network.

"That was eleven seconds," Willow said.

"Like you could do better."

Willow scoffed. "Now that's just insulting. You better watch your back today, George."

Fred raised his eyebrows, taking a step back. "That coming from you is a serious threat. Don't rope me into this, George."

"Whatever happens to me happens to you too, Freddy!" George said. He grabbed some Floo powder, handing some to his twin. "Come on, we've got lots of plans to try out. Take Oliver, would you? We don't want him going one grate too far."

Fred wiggled his eyebrows at George, causing his twin to punch him in the arm, then disappeared with Oliver in a flash of emerald green. George linked his arm with Willow's and stepped up to the fireplace. Being sure to speak “London” very clearly, he stepped into the grate with Willow, and they suddenly found themselves flying out of an old fireplace. George pretended to yawn as he caught Willow, as if he'd done it a million times. She rolled her eyes and brushed herself off.

"Alright, where are we going?"

"First stop, random alley so we can set everything up."

Throughout the day, London saw many explosions, confused crowds, and angry wizarding authorities. The twins and Willow terrorized the many parks of London with dungbombs, stink pellets, frog-spawning soap, and new inventions from George’s genius, though Fred claimed to have just as much credit with the amount of “work” he’d put into the creative process. Oliver supplied damage control and distractions for some of the more intricate plans. Willow would never admit it, but she was slightly impressed by how detailed some of their plans were. They were becoming masters of their field. Their prowess with Charms was almost terrifying.

For the finale of the day, Willow was involved in a very important position. She was to be the main distraction for a large crowd of people while Oliver stood off to the side, prepared to handle the soon-to-be-panicking crowd. Of course, George had laid out the most ridiculous distraction possible for her, too. She was covered in mud streaks, and leaves and twigs stuck out of her hair. The crowd is going to eat this up, she thought, decorating her shoes with more shrubbery. Willow found a sizable hill to stand on and glanced at Oliver, who gave her a thumbs up. He was grinning so much that she wondered how the Muggles around him didn’t notice anything. Receiving the signal from Fred, Willow stepped up onto the hill and pulled out a guitar.

”Hey, what’s up, guys!” she said, accenting her voice to sound American. “Thanks for coming to my concert tonight! I hope y’all enjoy it!”

The crowd stared at her as if she were alien. Children laughed hysterically, but their parents didn’t seem so amused. She had to up her act. Launching into a funny southern song her mum had taught her, Willow strummed the guitar rapidly and descended into the crowd. They parted to allow her through, but still appeared uncomfortable, put off a little too much. Willow went back up on the hill and began dancing ridiculously while still singing. More people chortled to themselves when she- very realistically- pretended to trip. She rolled down the hill, then popped right back up, continuing her dumb act. The crowd finally began to clap along. Willow increased her volume and projected across the whole area. Children danced in her dumb fashion and sang the even less intelligent lyrics. When she struck the final chord, the crowd half-cheered, half-laughed for her stupid end pose. She didn’t have to hold it for long, though.

A series of lightning-quick fireworks exploded in the evening air one right after the other. Instead of bright lights, however, super thick clouds of large confetti rained down on the crowd. There was some nervous laughter, but it quickly turned into screams. A hoard of frogs suddenly appeared in the middle of the crowd. People shrieked and pushed their own children out of the way to get away from them. Willow couldn’t contain her laughter, and neither could Oliver as he redirected the crowd, slowly running them straight into another trap. The moment they walked in between a pair of trees, sticky webs shot out of them, enveloping the entire crowd and trapping them together. Fred and George shout out of the bushes and grabbed Willow, snickering.

”Let’s go, let’s go!” Fred urged, dissolving Willow's costume with a simple spell. “Both the Muggle police and our own are bound to be here any second!”

Gathering up Oliver, the four sprinted away from the scene of the crime, laughing their fool heads off. Willow managed to take a picture as she ran away. That was definitely going in with the highlights of the summer. Their happy mood couldn’t last, however. Fred suddenly stopped, holding out his arm to prevent the rest of them from moving.

”Um...new escape plan, George?” he said.

Two sizable wizards stood in front of them with their arms outstretched, wands pointing directly at them. Oliver put his hands up and slowly inched behind Willow. George whispered something to Fred, who nodded. The twins glanced at each other, hiding grins. Willow shot them a look, but they waved it away, slowly putting their hands up.

”Hand over your wands,” the woman commanded.

”Um, duh, we don’t have them,” Fred said. “We’re under seventeen.”

“Then turn out your pockets, you ungrateful brat,” the man snarled.

”Hey, hey, there’s no need for name-calling, now, is there?” George said, pulling his joke supplies out of his pockets. He handed the bundle to the woman. “Was it so hard to ask nicely?”

Fred did the same. “Yeah, it’s almost like you’re bursting with agitation.”

At that very moment, Willow suddenly understood. She grabbed Oliver by the hand and sprinted away with him. The twins high-fived as they followed. Both aurors called out for them to come back, but were suddenly enveloped in explosions of all kinds. Every detonating device the twins had on them went off at once. The aurors panicked, dropping the bundles and apparating away. Willow knew they had limited time until they would come back. She gently guided Oliver into George.

"Here, split up!" she shouted. "You guys look the exact same unless they took the time to tell you apart! We have better chances this way!"

"Got it!" George said, immediately taking a right down a different alley, Oliver in tow.

"Down this way!" Fred said, taking a sharp left onto a small street.

Willow followed, elation bubbling in her chest. She honestly didn't care if her dad punished her for pranking this time. There was simply too much fun in watching the way peoples' faces lit up after they realized it was all a joke on them. Pedestrians scrambled out of their way as they sprinted down the crowded, busy street. Every once in a while, Willow sensed the aurors apparating near them, but they never got close enough to see their targets. Fred had also chosen a route into the sun, which meant that the aurors would be half-blind when looking down the street. She needed to give him a little more credit for his quick thinking. He had something within that thick-headed skull of his, at least. Fred turned without warning and darted into a small ivy-covered shop, dragging Willow along with him, barely managing to escape the view of the female auror who happened to apparate only feet away.

"That was close. Way too close," Fred chortled.

"And that's funny...how?"

"A little bit of danger never hurt anyone, especially when that danger doesn't involve physical fighting," Fred said. "They'll remember not to touch suspicious bundles from peoples' pockets now, won't they?"

Willow shrugged. "You've got a point. That technically makes it educational instead of harmful, right?"

"It's a stretch, but I'd call it something along the lines of that." Fred glanced around. "Hey, this is that coffee shop that Paige took us to last summer. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah, I remember you getting all kinds of mad because a kid literally said hi to me," Willow teased.

Fred scoffed. "Blimey, you jump straight into the negatives, don't you? For your information, I did not get all kinds of mad, I was just one single kind of mad, and it for a good reason!"

"Being overprotective?"

Fred rolled his eyes. "You don't need protection. You're terrifying all on your own."

"So why were you mad then, hm?" Willow prompted. "If it was for a good reason, then explain what kind of mad you were, exactly?"

Fred sighed. "Merlin's beard, Willow, if you got any duller, I'd swear you're going beyond human comprehension. My dear brother fancied you back then, and he still does."

"Oh. I forgot about that," Willow said, stomach flipping. "That makes total sense now."

"I'm sure half- well, pretty much the entire- year makes sense now."

Willow gently punched Fred in the arm. "Hey! Not everything has to be about romance and other mushy-gushy crap, right? I'd much rather focus on getting super good grades, starting in quidditch, and pulling the most intricate pranks on people. I'll be in everyone's league if I accomplish that anyway."

"That's...actually genius."

"My grandmother probably still thinks I should get married within the next year, knowing her, since she thinks she could die any minute and really wants to make my wedding cake."

Fred laughed. "If you did have to marry someone right now, who would it be?"

Willow made a face. "No one, duh. I'd marry myself before I marry anyone else right now. It wouldn't be fair to the other person, you know? I'd probably end up hurting them in the end, and I've had enough heartbreak in my life."

"Oh, now you're getting all sentimental," Fred said dramatically. "I'm not sure I have the brain capacity to understand."

"Congrats. Your life is officially ten million times easier."

Fred's face lit up. "Ah, we've got some visitors. Fasten your seat belts, because this is going to be rough."

Willow glanced at the door only to see both aurors striding through. She was ripped away from where she was standing and thrown under the table by Fred, who remained upright. He positively beamed at the aurors when they neared him. From where she was under the table, Willow only heard muffled phrases from their hushed tones, but none of them sounded good. She stifled a giggle when they assumed Fred was seventeen, especially given they already told them they were underage. He prolonged the conversation for several minutes until they looped an arm around each of his and marched him out of the coffee shop. Willow tried to dart out after him, but he motioned for her to stay there, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. She suddenly understood.

The moment they stepped outside, Fred tripped the woman, grabbed a bundle of prank supplies out of his pocket, and lit up several fireworks. Bright flashes exploded one right after the other in the man's face. The multicoloured bursts seemed to be magnetically attracted to his face, constantly curving back towards him if they were aimed the wrong way. He screamed and tried to swipe them away, but to no avail, only increasing the frenzy. Fred set off another round aimed at the woman, then called for Willow. She sprinted towards him without hesitation. Muggles nearby stared in wonder at the scene outside the little coffee shop. Fred and Willow, however, ran away as fast as their legs would carry them. They rounded the nearest corner and collided with George and Oliver.

"Merlin's beard! Warn me next time you're out to bulldoze me!" George cried.

"They're not going to be held off long! Come on, this way!" Fred said, running into an abandoned apartment.

The four skipped up the steps and collapsed in an old, tattered bathroom, locking the door behind them. A single window was their only escape route if necessary. Willow kept her hand on the door, sending out sonar waves, only finding that the aurors were running the opposite direction. She sighed with relief and sank to the floor, her legs burning. Everyone seemed to be in the same boat, panting hard, rubbing their calf muscles, and sitting on the floor.

"I haven't moved that fast in years," George complained.

"I just don't move most times," Oliver said breathlessly.

Willow smiled. "Well, I hope I don't jinx us- ha, pun- but I think we won't have to move like that again. They're gone."

"What, are you 'accidentally' going to blast us off the face of the Earth?" Fred teased.

"More like 'accidentally' blast you into the Burrow."

George's eyes flew wide. "Merlin's beard, don't do that! Mum will never let us see the light of day again! The last time, we didn't even get chased by the authorities, and she wouldn't let us out of the house for a month, not even to play quidditch!"

Willow smirked. "I wouldn't have told me that if I were you."

"You wouldn't- "

Without warning, the wall behind George gave way. A huge BOOM! ricocheted off nearby buildings as the building exploded into a pile of rubble. The four were sent flying into the living room of the house, some chunks of drywall littering the floor around them. Willow groaned as she sat up, wincing when she touched her shoulder, which was slammed into the ground upon impact. Hopefully she didn't dislocate it again. She didn't have time to worry about it, however, as the aurors descended on them immediately.

"Great, you jinxed us," Fred said.

"Surrender your weapons now, or face the consequences during your hearing," the man snarled.

Fred and George begrudgingly emptied their pockets onto the floor, an enormous pile building up quickly. Their father had magically enhanced their capacity without a doubt. The woman seemed slightly put off by it, but regained her composure. Oliver and Willow put their hands up to show they had nothing. The aurors magically sealed Fred's hands together, then cursed when they realized they only had one vial of the purple, glowing substance. They instead used their iron grips to hold George's and Willow's hands behind their backs.

"Let's go for a little walk, you know, to assess the damage, shall we?" the man said very patronizingly.

Oliver whimpered when he was prodded in the back to start moving. They were forcibly marched all across the London, ending up at last at the final park they'd pranked. The Muggle police where doing their best to unstick the Muggles from the portable webs, but were not making much progress, as half of them were getting stuck themselves. Willow couldn't hold in a snicker. The man instantly kneed her in the gut. Pain exploded into her abdomen, blocking out all other senses. She didn't crack a rib, but at the moment, it sure felt like it. George growled at the man.

"I'm sorry, did you think something was funny?" the man asked. Willow didn't respond. He kicked her in the hamstring, sending her into the pavement, hard. "I asked you a question, delinquent."

George fought to get at the man, but the woman held him firmly. A fiery rage boiled up in Willow's system. Before she could even try to react, her powers did the work for her. A tree branch swung at his head. Unfortunately, he saw it coming and ducked, coincidentally freeing Willow. The blood froze in her veins. They could discover her secret! She took a step back and commanded her powers to stop. After a few seconds, the tree finally stopped beating the man. The initial panic built up in her system faded as the tree returned to normal. Her powers begrudgingly obeyed, and she raised her fists instead. The man may have seen the tree branch coming, but he didn't notice Willow, and all he could see seconds later were stars. He shrieked and gripped his groin, falling to the ground in pain. Willow then moved onto the woman, who after a few blows let go of George. Together, they took her on. She swung at George, but he dodged, kicking her in the hip. The woman fell into the bushes, and with a quick flick of her leg, Willow sent her foot flying into the woman's temple, knocking her out cold. George scoffed when she brushed her hands off on her t-shirt.

"I could easily have done that. Being the hero is my thing!" he complained.

Willow shrugged. "It's more my thing, actually, but you can take it up anytime you'd like."

Oliver struggled to hide his chuckling. Fred simply put a hand on his twin's shoulder, saying, "George, I think she got you good this time. You better let her be the hero between you two."

George groaned. "Fine, but this is only the first battle. I'll win the war."

"I'd like to see you try."

George's face went slack. He was speechless for a moment, then was about to say something when he was interrupted by a voice complaining, "God, have you guys never heard of walking?"

Oliver's face lit up. He turned around and jumped straight into the boy's arms. "Cypress!"

Cypress smirked. "Hey, Oliver. Miss me already?"

"What- yes- I mean no- I mean- " Oliver sighed. "You know what I mean."

Cypress raised an eyebrow. "I thought you would have learned by now not to leave anything open-ended for me. That could be taken at least fifty different ways, and I'm low-balling it."

Oliver blushed. "Yeah, but it's interesting to hear your take on it."

Cypress grinned. "A-n-d you're flustered. Goal achieved. So what are you all running away from so fast that you couldn't give me time to catch up? The police?"

"Technically, yeah," Willow said.

Cypress sighed. "I can't say I'm surprised. What did you do this time? Blow something up? Wait, let me guess: you pranked all the Muggles in the park for your own entertainment."

"You're two for two so far," Willow chortled.

"Wow, it's like I've known you for nearly a year!" Cypress said.

"Only a year? It feels like longer," Oliver remarked.

"Of course it would, as much time as he spent with you in the Slytherin common room," Fred muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear. Cypress bristled.

"I can leave if you want. My ears may not be the best, but they can always pick up people talking rubbish about me."

"No, no, it's fine," Willow reassured him, glaring at Fred and George. "You're a close friend of mine, regardless of your Hogwarts house. I won't let a dumb frame of mind mess up anything."

George and Willow stared at each other, neither one giving in, faces stony. At length, George seemed to come to a realization and instead burned a hole in his shoe with his eyes. Willow smiled patronizingly and turned back to Cypress. "I'm sorry you had to follow us for so long. Do you live around this area?"

"Not really, but my family was sick of me laying around the house and dropped me off to 'have some fun,' as if that's possible when you're walking around London all alone. No one's afraid of me when they're in a crowd."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Again with the world domination. When will you learn that I'm never going to let you do that?"

"When you learn you're not immortal and stop trying to die on us every five seconds by running head-first into certain death."

Oliver chortled as Willow ran her hands down her face. "How many times do I have to tell you there's no filter in my brain? I've tried since birth, but I'm just really, really stupid. I wish I could say stupidly brave, but there's not much brave about running into former Death Eater's hands. It's a straight-up death wish."

"I'm going to have to make a potion or something that forcibly gives you a filter, or you're never going to be controllable."

"Good luck with that."

Fred and George shuffled their feet uncomfortably. "We should...probably head home, you know before...Mum finds out about the incidents, or...the aurors come to."

Willow's face fell. "Oh. Well...safe travels home guys."

Fred and George left, visibly less happy than usual. Willow wished they would get over their stupid quarrel with everything Slytherin and change their minds already. Everyone would be much happier that way, but what did she expect from her own house? Cooperation? That word didn't exist in a Gryffindor's vocabulary. The only thing they understood was being stubborn to the point of pushing their friends away. Willow really wanted to invent a spell or potion that forcibly made her fellow bull-headed Gryffindors more like Hufflepuffs. They could all take a leaf out of Oliver's book.

"So...do you want to go somewhere? See something?" Cypress asked, mainly towards Oliver. "My parents left me with plenty of money. We could pretty much do whatever you want."

Oliver's cheeks descended into a rosy pink. "There was this restaurant...that I've always wanted to go to...but I don't want you to spend your money on me...it's not exactly fast food prices..."

"And this place is...?" Cypress prompted.

"I don't know the name, but I know where it is, if that's okay with you," Oliver said.

Cypress shrugged. "Pretty much nothing is off-limits right now." He turned to Willow. "Is it alright if I steal him for tonight? I promise he'll be returned in one piece, fully intact."

Willow grinned. "Of course! Go, have fun! Eat all the food! Make Abuela proud, and I mean that both ways!"

Oliver blushed slightly. Cypress offered his hand to him, which made his cheeks redden even more. The blonde boy winked at Willow real quick, mouthing, "He'll be perfectly safe with me," then let Oliver take the lead. Willow's heart jumped for joy. The pair were so cute together, walking down the street. Oliver's happiness was so immense that her senses didn't even need to reach out for a wave of second-hand joy to wash over her. She hoped the night would be good to them.

Willow walked along the streets of London, allowing the cool evening air to wash over her face, shoving aside Fred's and George's distaste. She stuck her hands in her pockets and pulled her ponytail out. For some reason, Willow loved the feeling of her hair gently waving in the breeze, brushing her face ever so slightly. Her soul begged for the tiniest bit of freedom it gave her. She desired nothing more than to let go of all the drama building up into a slow-motion train wreck. Sure, she loved her friends to death, but it had been so long since she'd taken a moment to herself. She thrived on multiple hours per day of alone time. Willow missed the sensation of the wind whipping in her face as she sped along the countryside, the twitter of birds in the trees outside her window at the crack of dawn, the voice of someone she hadn't seen in a long time trickling over her ears like sweet honey. Her soul was crying for her past, but her heart was screaming for the future. Willow's mind wanted nothing more than to live in the present.

She took a deep breath as a crisp gust slammed into her. The cooling tingle that spread throughout her lungs enlivened her despite the time of day. Willow finally decided to free herself, if only for a moment. She set herself into a fast-paced run, heading further and further from the heart of the city, the hustle and bustle fading behind her. The scent of country air greeted her senses with a pleasurable fresh taste of pine wood, tree sap, and meadow grass. Willow ran faster. Her legs freed themselves from soreness, from the ache of running from her past, and from the stress of being there for every single person in her life. Willow pushed on. Her lungs burned, but the raging fire that had been burning within her was set free at last, allowed to grow until the sky could no longer push down its glow. She ran even faster. Willow could barely breathe, but every step set her freer than the last, every moment was another gasp of freedom, and every second was screaming for life to free her from the prison she'd locked herself in. Launching herself off one foot, Willow spread her wings and took to the sky.

There was no thinking involved in her transformation. There was no contemplating what animal would be best for the moment. There was no concentrating or analyzing or even asking for help. The world below may have only seen a dragon, but Willow only saw freedom. She was finally above all of her worldly problems. Her soul was flying free, and it shone brighter than the full moon hanging in the sky. No more dealing with her past. No more wishing herself away. No more pain of the losses she'd suffered and the worries held close; only keys to unlock her chains and firewood to burn away her agony. Willow soared higher and higher into the sky, leaving behind the twinkle of London as the night breathed life into the city. She didn't stop at the clouds. She didn't even stop when she was within them. Willow didn't stop climbing until she was far above them, caressing the sky with her wings, Heaven seemingly coming to greet her on the edge of Earth. The dome-like sky no longer felt like a trap, but a glittering doorstep to another world above. Willow didn't wish, for once, to find out what was beyond that threshold. She was truly at peace with herself. All she wanted was to live in this moment, feel the wind passing over her wings, breathe in the air that brushed her face.

At last, the moon was high in the sky. Willow recognized that it was time to return to her real world. Her soul may be trapped for a long time once more, but she had work to do. There were countless lives depending on her return. As much as she wanted to let go and live free forever, she had to willingly trap herself beneath the burden of her life. If she saved even one life in the future, one single burning flame amidst the darkness to come, then the sacrifice of her freedom would be worth it. Willow veered back towards the city, descending beneath the clouds once more. She landed in the field where she last stood on the ground. Willow closed her eyes, kneeling on one knee. There was a long road ahead of her. Yes, she was strong, but she had just proven to herself that she easily cracked, that she was only good at covering up her cracks instead of fixing them. She was regenerated now. There would be a time to take back her freedom, but now was a time to focus. She had to focus on her road ahead of her. There were friends to provide support to, drama to sort sort out, and powers to tend to. She was so lucky to have all of them in her life. There was no room to take them for granted.

Focus, Willow, focus, she scolded herself. Think about Oliver. Oliver, your brother. Oliver.

Like someone dumped a glass of cold water of her face, Willow literally jumped out of her trance. She shivered all over and shook her head. Willow panted, the glow of her body finally fading. The exhaustion of what she had just done with her powers suddenly piled on. Willow weakly fell to the ground, coughing up a bit of blood, her muscles trembling.

What....just happened? Willow asked.

This happens at times. You haven't used your powers enough, so they took matters into their own hands. Before you ask, no, absolutely not, I cannot and would never take over your body, and yes, if you go too far, your powers could kill you, so be careful, you bumbling idiot.

But...what was with the soul thing? And don't you dare lie to me, I can't mistake the feeling of my soul attempting to free itself.

That's something to do with the blood curse. It happens.

Care to explain?

No. Goodnight, Willow. I'm going to exhaust you to the point of death if I don't stop. Go to sleep soon, or you're going to end up dead by morning, you fool. I'm not letting you die from something this dumb.

Before Willow could get in another word, Cebba very obviously shifted within Willow so she couldn't feel the ghostly woman's presence as much as she usually did. Willow frustratedly laid on the ground. There was something more to the trance she'd just went into, and Cebba wouldn't tell her, of course, being the annoyingly secretive spirit she was. That was downright dangerous! What if she'd gone a few minutes more? Would she have never gone home? She would never have fulfilled her purpose in the coming war, whenever that was! No matter how dangerous it was, Willow needed answers, and soon. She was determined to force them out of Cebba whether she liked it or not. For the moment, though, Willow could only think about wanting to get up. She couldn't even move.

"Uh...what now?" she said out loud to herself, as if someone could hear her. Naturally, no one responded. "Well, that sucks. Guess I'm sleeping here tonight."

Just then, the grass rustled. Willow's heart jumped. Thankfully, it was only a doe that poked her head between the tall stalks, curiously staring at Willow. She blinked, cautiously sniffing the air, then sneezed directly into Willow's face.

"Thanks," Willow said sarcastically.

The doe snorted, then surprisingly shuffled behind her. Willow gasped when the doe threw herself into her back, sending her flying to her feet, nearly stumbling into a patch of stagnant water. Her muscles finally kick-started into action and tensed, keeping her upright. Willow's mouth dropped open as she stared at the doe.

"Um, I feel like I should say thanks, but I don't know what to say after that," she said. The doe stomped her foot. "You should just know that this has been the weirdest experience of my life so far." The doe flicked her tail. "Tough crowd? Okay, fine, thanks for...helping me up?"

The doe shook herself, then turned and trotted away. Willow stared after her for a moment, then shrugged, brushing herself off where the grass had stuck to her arms. She then slowly made her way out of the meadow, back towards London. The walk had never felt so long nor rough on her muscles. Willow's entire body was crying for her to rest by the time she found a bench near the place where Cypress had met them. She flopped down, the streetlamp above her buzzing annoyingly, but too tired to move, Willow learned to ignore it. Thankfully, Cypress and Oliver appeared a block away. Willow sat up and grinned at the pair, noticing how eagerly they were talking to each other, Cypress almost uncharacteristically completely engaging in the conversation. Oliver finally noticed her sitting on the bench.

"Oh- Willow! Hi!" he squeaked, his cheeks pink. "I had a really good time! There was so much food, and it was so good, and- oh my God, Cypress paid for all of it, but he insisted it's fine, and- "

"Alright, she gets it, I'm amazing," Cypress summed up, smirking.

Oliver nodded enthusiastically. "You are!"

Willow beamed. "So you had a good time? I'm glad! I just hung out in London, you know, trying not to do dumb things."

"And how did that work out for you?" Cypress asked.

"Really well, actually," Willow said. She tried not to smile, but failed, dissolving into laughter. "Okay, nevermind, I did one big dumb thing, but it wasn't horribly dangerous. I did I relaxing flyover of London. You should let me take you up there sometime. It's unbelievable."

Oliver grinned. "We should!"

Cypress checked his watch, then sighed. "Well, I've got to make it back to whatever that bus station was called in the next half hour. My parents are probably more strict than yours, Willow." He smirked at Oliver. "You know, you get more adorable every time I see you, Ollie..."

Leaving Oliver speechless, Cypress sauntered away, eventually rounding a corner and disappearing into the night. Willow grabbed Oliver's hands, smiling from ear to ear.

"Oh my God, that was literally the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life!" she squealed. "He literally used a pet name for you! My heart- I can't- Merlin's beard- ahh! You're so adorable my heart is going to explode!

Oliver blushed a deep shade of scarlet. "Do you- do you think I've got a chance?"

Willow nodded enthusiastically. "A bigger chance than anyone else in this world, that's for sure! Come on, let's get home so we can watch a movie to celebrate!"

Thirty minutes later, in the backyard of the Guerrero mansion, Willow and Oliver were spread out on a blanket, another Star Wars movie playing. An enormous bowl of popcorn sat between them. Thankfully, only the gentlest of breezes trickled through their backyard, allowing the movie screen to stay still. The temperature was perfect. Eventually, the movie ended, and Willow shut down the projector. Both she and Oliver stared at the night sky, admiring the constellations. They slowly began to drift off.

"Willow?" Oliver whispered.

"Yeah?"

"You're the best sibling in the world," Oliver murmured.

Willow smiled. "And there's no person in the world I'd rather be calling my brother than you."


	43. Year 3: Chapter 1

"Oliver! Oliver, you forgot your socks!"

"Oh, sorry! One second!" Oliver bustled into the room, nearly dropping a stack of Hufflepuff-crested robes. He piled it into his trunk, then threw the socks in one by one to make them fit. "We should have packed yesterday!"

"Oliver, you're so much smarter than me; let me be stupid in peace," Willow groaned.

Oliver grinned. "You're not stupid! You just work better under pressure, that's all!"

Willow looked at him doubtfully. "Yeah, that's a nice way of saying stupid, only much more believable than when I say it to myself. How do you do that?"

Oliver shrugged. "Hufflepuff thing?"

"Definitely a Hufflepuff thing."

"Willow! Oliver! Nos vamos en cinco minutos! We're leaving in five minutes!" Carlos called. "You've still got to load up your creatures, remember, and Phoebe can be stubborn about the car!"

"I know!" Willow said, though she most certainly had not remembered at all.

Five minutes later, with a trunk full of luggage, magical creatures, and a tuned-up Nimbus Two Thousand, the Guerreros were speeding across the countryside towards King's Cross Station. A very invisible Griffin was flying high above them, every once in a while making a dive, as Willow's senses told her. She'd created a plan for the entire school year that incorporated her practicing her powers while her creatures witnessed or were even involved to get some energy out of them. That way, she wouldn't have to worry about either factor affecting her year for the worse again. Cebba had even promised to help her drop the nuisance powers. Willow couldn't wait to get rid of the out-of-body experiences, visions of the present, the protective (more so dangerous) outbursts, and whatever else decided the plague her day.

Carlos parked the car at King's Cross Station at exactly 10:40. Oliver and Willow managed to lug their trunks into a large cart, then Carlos disguised their magical creatures with a disillusionment charm, and they were off, marching straight through the barrier into Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Griffin, still invisible, decided to land on top of the train, startling a few barn owls inside. Willow quickly snagged a compartment directly underneath him and stored her trunk overhead. With barely five minutes until eleven, she walked back outside, finding her dad waiting for her. She threw herself into his open arms.

"Don't get yourself killed this year, you hear me?" Carlos chuckled. "No running after basilisks or attacking stuttering professors."

"I hear you," Willow said, voice muffled by her dad's chest. She unburied her face, and for some reason, this goodbye didn't weigh down on her heart. She felt positively light and full of joy as she reflected her dad's smile. "I'll see you at Christmas. Don't you get yourself killed by a 'cute' dragon, either, alright?"

Carlos laughed. "I'll try not to. Go and learn at least one cool spell for me! And blow something up for Cisco!"

"I will!"

The train whistled, signaling that it was time to go. With one final embrace, Willow hopped back onto the train, waving goodbye with Oliver from the window. Carlos grew smaller and smaller until King's Cross Station disappeared entirely. Willow happily returned to her compartment, where Griffin was peeking inside the window, his invisibility enchantment finally wearing off.

"Hi, buddy," she giggled, patting his beak. "Stay up there and take a nap, okay? It's a long ride."

Griffin grumbled to himself, then resigned to curling up on top of their compartment, his weight easily enough to hold him down against the wind. Oliver was already sprawled out on his seat, a peaceful smile on his face.

"I'm tired. I think I might take a nap."

"You've only been up for two hours!"

"Yeah, but Ernie and Hannah will make sure I don't sleep tonight, and I need my twelve hours of sleep."

Willow shook her head, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. "You're sounding more and more like Cypress. Go ahead and get your sleep. I'm going to catch up with some people."

Willow didn't even manage two steps before a pair of redheads swept her up on each arm.

"There you are!"

"We've been searching every compartment!"

"Come on, Lee's got a fancy new contraption, you've got to see it!"

Willow spent the majority of the next few hours obsessing over a device that flung the Weasley twins' portable spider webs farther and wider than ever before. They dreamed up several new plans that involved Marcus Flint, the captain of the Slytherin quidditch team, and one that even included the whole of the Slytherin team. Willow suddenly realized someone was missing.

"Um, guys? Where's Paige?"

Fred shrugged. "Not here."

Willow slapped him. "I know that! She's normally in your guys's compartment, and she's not here, so where is she? Please don't tell me she missed the train."

"I haven't seen her, but I wouldn't put it past her to sleep to long," George said.

"Great, that makes me feel loads better," Willow said. "Seriously, where could she be? I thought you guys searched every compartment when you were trying to find me earlier."

"Not every compartment," Fred corrected her. "It was an exaggeration."

"Wow, that's a big word for you, Fred," Lee teased. "Were you reading the dictionary lately?"

Fred threw a crumpled piece of paper at him. "Charming, Lee, just spiffing." He slouched in his seat and took on a dramatic air. "Sure, I'm brilliant at charms, but is that enough to convince anyone of my brains? Of course not!" He shook his head. "I wouldn't worry about Paige, Willow. She'd literally walk here if she had to. Knowing her, she's probably pouting about something at the other end of the train."

Willow nodded. "That's the most likely case. I'd rather not set off that bomb right now, so I'll just stay here."

Without warning, the train jolted, and the horrible screeching of the brakes wrenched Willow's eardrums. She covered them, wincing. The train was quickly skidding to a stop. Willow noticed for the first time the patter of rain on the windows. She glanced outside, wondering what in the world was going on.

"Why are we stopping?" Lee asked. "We're hardly halfway there."

"Conductor probably fell asleep," George said.

Willow elbowed him. "No, I think something's actually happening. The train's never stopped before." She peered outside, tiny traces of movement just visible in the translucent patches of water spreading across the window. "There's something coming towards us, but I can't tell what it is."

The train jerked again. Willow was thrown back into her seat, her shoulder blade painfully slamming into the backrest. Lee helped her sit up again.

"I think you might be right about this being bad," George said.

"You think?"

Suddenly, the lights went out. Willow couldn't see her hand in front of her face. All around them, she could hear students chattering animatedly, fear rising within the confusion. Willow’s senses went into overdrive in response to the assault on her ears. Students were shifting around everywhere, some untangling themselves from others they’d fallen into in the hallway, a handful nervously pacing their compartments, and others sitting perfectly still, too scared to move. Her echolocation sent out wave after wave to bring her a near overload of information. She quickly placed both hands on the sides of her face, taking a few deep breaths. Slowly but surely, the waves became a trickle, then ceased altogether. Her heart steadied itself. She was okay. She was alive. Everything was fine. It had to be.

”Willow? Is that you?”

”Ouch! That was my toe, Oliver!”

”Sorry, sorry!”

”Don’t feel too bad; the metamorphagus is just being dramatic. I’ve seen her get hit in the face with a cauldron before and not bat an eye.”

”You little sh- !”

“Guys, what are you doing here?” Willow asked as her friends stepped into the light of Fred’s wand. “More importantly, how did you manage to get here? I couldn’t see anything before Fred lit his wand."

”Good question, because to be honest, I was blindly blundering through pitch blackness,” Mandy said.

”You said you knew what you were doing!” Lisa exclaimed.

”Yeah, well, I knew I was putting one foot in front of the other, so I knew exactly what I was doing, didn’t I?”

Sue groaned. “You know what Lisa meant, Mandy.”

”Are you all going to just stand there or are you planning coming in?” Lee said.

”Sorry, we’re coming in to wait for the lights to come back on,” Lisa explained.

Willow shepherded her friends into the compartment, then shut the door behind them. For some odd reason, a sudden chill spread across the compartment, seeming to affect everyone at the same time. Ice spidered across the window, and their breath hung like ominous clouds in the unusually chilly air. The happiness vanished in Willow's chest, as if someone had put out the fire burning within her. She checked if she’d properly shut the door, but it was sealed. Where was this weird change in atmosphere coming from?

The door handle was suddenly yanked out of Willow’s hand. Draco stumbled into their cabin, his face even paler than usual in the light of Fred’s wand. He appeared as though he’d just woken up from a nightmare.

”Draco, what- ?” Willow started.

”Dementors!” he panted, eyes wildly scanning the cabin. “They’ve invaded the train!”

George narrowed his eyes. “Sure, and we totally know that you’re not lying to our faces.”

”I’m not lying this time!” Draco growled, his gray eyes reverting to a crazed, metallic flashing. "They're here, on the train! They're looking for Sirius Black!"

Lee shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Sirius Black, but Fred and George continued to glare at Draco as if he'd killed their chickens. Willow’s senses immediately suggested he was telling the truth. However, she had no idea what he was talking about, these “dementor” things. They couldn't be good news, judging by the expression on Sam's face.

”What’s a dementor?” Willow asked.

”Th-That,” Lee said, face ashen, pointing a single, trembling finger at the open compartment door.

Willow turned around and choked on her own air. The hair stood up on the back of her neck. She instinctively put her arms around her friends to keep them behind her. Standing in front of them, as tall as the ceiling, as wide as the doorframe, was a black-cloaked, faceless figure, more terrifying than any Halloween phantom some Muggle had dreamed up. It was faceless, bodiless, and seemed as empty as Willow suddenly felt. There was no soul in this creature, only a an endless sucking void that preyed on others. It slowly turned its head, its hood rotating to gaze at each one of them in turn. Two others appeared behind it, but passed them by, simply floating further along the hallway. Willow's heart hammered against her ribs. The blood roared in her ears. What was it going to do? Why was it here?

Without warning, Mandy fell, eyes rolling into the back of her head. She simply blacked out without cause. Willow pulled out her wand and pointed it at the dementor, hissing a barely audible warning, but it ignored her. Oliver was the next to pass out. He stumbled into Cypress, who caught him, lividly glaring at the creature, but what could they do against it? Sally and Sam were the third and fourth victims. Panic rose like a sickly bile in Willow's throat. She was absolutely furious and terrified simultaneously. All she wanted to do was tear the dementor limb from limb, but as she was about to blast it with a spell, she realized it didn't have any limbs to break.

Fear gripped Willow's spine with an icy claw. Her lungs seized up when the dementor turned her way, as if sensing her fear. The silence of the train was split by a piercing scream, cries for help, and endless sobbing. Willow covered her ears, all fury forgotten.

"Who's screaming? Who's doing that?" she cried.

"No one, Willow! What are you talking about?" Sue squeaked.

Willow couldn't muster a response. She lost control of her limbs. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and all she could see was darkness, as black as the void beneath the dementor's hood. Screams and cries tore apart her eardrums, some taking shape, others remaining an endless sea of noise, drowning her beneath their stormy, relentless waves. It was like all of Willow's horrible memories were floating the the surface at the same time. One memory unfortunately found her, rising out of the depths, like an ancient beast drawn to the surface by a tremendous power that it couldn't refuse, and Willow was helpless to stop it as it sped towards her, enormous jaws ready to deliver the final blow that would send her into the cavernous black hole that death suddenly seemed to be...

Father, I can't do this!

You're a disgrace to this family! You have to earn back your place!

I- I can't!

Willow tried to shut out the hissing and yelling in the background, but it seemed to be trapped within her very head, lodged there like a paper behind a desk, so annoyingly close, but unreachable. She was vaguely aware of hands trying to pull her somewhere and slap her awake. Willow was stuck, though, and nothing seemed to penetrate the darkness. She was sinking far below the waves, all hope of survival disbanded. There was only the pain and suffering awaiting her at the bottom of the sea when the beast had finally finished her off...

I'll do it for you, then!

Father- !

No! Fawley, you can't do this!

Willow tried to call out for help, but her voice was drowned out by the thunder. The beast was preparing to strike. It would be all over in a few seconds. The jaws were closing in around her, snuffing out the last tiny light within her. She barely heard her friends calling out for her. Was she semi-conscious? Was she dead? Was she stuck somewhere in between? Maybe if she could call back to them, they'd come find her...they'd come help her...they could bring her back...

Do it now!

Av...Avada...Ke-Kedavra...

GRACE, NO!

Willow suddenly felt her body rising. She gasped and spluttered awake, and as if she'd just been yanked out the jaws of the beast, the transition from water to land so fast, the blur of sounds gone altogether, replaced with nervous chattering and the patter of rain on the windows. Willow blinked to focus her eyes and found herself staring at the most bizarre apparition she'd ever seen. A glowing, saintly wolf had appeared in front of her, nearly touching her nose with Willow's. The wolf seemed to be an incarnation of sorts, but of what, Willow had no idea. Her beautiful coat shimmered in the light of an unseen moon. She stared at Willow as though making certain she was awake, then bounded off down the corridor, chasing away yet another horrid dementor. Willow shuddered when the last dementor was taken away, the icy encasing around her heart finally melting away, replaced by an uncomfortable emptiness. She could have sworn she felt her soul shivering. Was that fear it was reacting to? Was it the almost tangible cold she'd been affected with? Was it both?

"Willow! What happened? Are you okay? What was that glowy dog thing?" Lisa exploded, she and Sue helping Willow to her feet.

"I- I have no idea- it all happened so fast- " She gasped. "Mandy! Oliver! Sally! Sam! Are they okay? Please tell me they're okay! If I survived that, they had to have!"

"We're fine..." Sam mumbled, though he and Sally most certainly did not look fine. They appeared as though they'd been thrown back in time to the day they appeared on the horizon next to the Forbidden Forest first year, beaten, bullied, and utterly defeated. Willow recalled how worried she was when she first met them. That same fear stabbed through her heart. The dark circles were back under their eyes, the haunt had returned to their kaleidoscopic irises, and they were clinging to each other like they could be torn apart at any second. Both stared at a point far away that none of them could see.

"Here," Willow said, gently touching both of their hands. The honey-warm glow flowed from her hands and up through the Smith twins' arms, all the way up to their heads, which lightened up their faces considerably. "That better?"

"Loads," Sally said, though her brow furrowed as glanced at Willow again. "Won't this drain you though? You've been through just as much as us right now."

Willow shrugged, pretending Sally wasn't exactly right. She retracted her hands and the glowing ceased. "I'm fine."

"You can literally heal peoples' minds?" Lee piped up, eyes wide as he stared at Willow's hands.

"Um...maybe? To be honest, I can probably heal myself, I just haven't figured it out yet. These dumb powers are getting to be a hassle." She glanced at Mandy, who appeared a little better off than the Smith twins. "Is anybody else in need of anything?"

"No, Oliver's the only one still out," Fred said.

Willow snapped her head towards Oliver, but relaxed upon seeing the way Cypress was cradling him. The Hufflepuff appeared as though he were only sleeping, peacefully comforted in Cypress's arms. Willow hid a smile, the faintest of faint rays of happiness alighting in her heart. He would definitely be okay. After tending to Mandy, fussing about healing her mind (and refusing to have help for her own), she sat between the Weasley twins and Lee, utterly bewildered about the whole ordeal.

"So...you guys didn't pass out."

"Nope."

"And neither did Sue, Lisa, and Cypress."

"Nope."

"So why the heck did the rest of us pass out?"

"Well, a dementor is a parasitical creature, Willow- and yes, I know a big word, congrats to me," Lee said. "They say they feed on every happy thought you've ever had until there's nothing left, then they can take your soul with this thing called the 'Dementor's Kiss,' but that last part sounds pretty rubbish to me. I'm guessing you guys just had lots of happy thoughts?"

Willow shrugged. "I don't know either. We'll figure it out when we get to Hogwarts."

A cloaked figure appeared outside their compartment door. Willow's heart stopped, thinking it was another dementor, but it turned out to only be a wizard. He opened the door just as the lights began to flicker to life again. He glanced up, then smiled at them all.

"Good, I was hoping the dementors would wander off by this time...Did any of you get affected by the dementors?" he asked.

"Yeah, six of us...who are you?" Willow asked, taking in his appearance, which was more like a homeless man than a wizard, though she sensed he should really have belonged in some of the finest robes the wizarding world had to offer.

"Six of you? Merlin, we'll have our work cut out for us this year..." he trailed off, reaching inside his pocket and drawing out an enormous slab of chocolate. He broke off six pieces and handed them to Willow. His brow furrowed when he noticed Oliver, and he crouched down, whispering a spell and tapping his wand to Oliver's head. He nodded in approval even though nothing visibly happened.

"I'll be back to check on you after I have a chat with the conductor," he said. "For now, eat the chocolate. Trust me, it will help."

"Wait, you never told us- " The wizard disappeared into the now-chaotic hallway- "...your name," Willow finished. She looked quizzically at Fred. "Do you have any idea who that was?"

"Not a clue," he said.

Willow noticed both he and George appeared a little off-colour, and they were always, always jovial and ready to cause havoc. "Are you guys okay? I never asked."

"Yeah, just fine," they chorused.

"Sure, that's so convincing when you say it in a dead sort of way and have white-knuckled grips on each others' wrists," Willow said sarcastically. The twins immediately dropped their grips. "Hey, it's okay, it's called sadness, fear, and emotions other than happy and angry. Human beings feel these things all the time."

George gently punched her in shoulder. "Says the one that bottles up everything then lashes out at the nearest unlucky Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Willow scoffed. "Okay, the last two were awful, and even you have to admit that!"

Fred grinned. "You're still a hypocrite."

Willow realized they had played her into forgetting about her question. She pretended that she hadn't noticed, however, and simply played along, filing away her worries for later. She rolled her eyes and took a bite of the chocolate. Willow was surprised to find warmth spread throughout her numb body. After finishing the rather large chunk, she almost felt back to herself already. Mandy and the Smith twins also appeared much healthier and happier. Cypress was still trying to get Oliver to regain consciousness so he could eat his chocolate.

"Oliver? Oliver, hey, you've got to wake up," he whispered, brushing the dark brown locks out of Oliver's eyes. "You can't spend the whole train ride asleep, no matter how tired you are."

"But I'm really tired..." Oliver murmured, finally beginning to stir. He slowly sat upright. "Is that chocolate?"

Cypress grinned. "So food can wake you up, but I can't? We'll work on that. Yeah, it's definitely chocolate, have all of it, there's plenty."

Oliver nibbled on a small chunk, a smile spreading across his face as it worked its way through his system. "That makes me feel a ton better. What- what happened?"

"I'll explain later. For now, I'm going to wait here until you eat all your chocolate."

The rest of the train ride continued in an odd silence, everyone left with their thoughts. Willow broke off a leftover piece of her chocolate and forced Fred, George, and Lee to eat some, which finally returned the life to them. They went through intervals of fun, bubbly conversation and dead silence, which was appreciated for some and uncomfortable for others. Everyone was excited to finally get off the train. Willow finally remembered that she hadn't seen Draco since she'd passed out.

"Hey, where- ?"

"Willow! Are you okay? Did you see those dementors? Harry passed out!"

Willow blinked in surprise as a little redhead threw herself into her arms. "Ginny! Oh my God, I didn't realize they came near you, too! Are you okay? Is Harry alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine, I only got a little scared is all," Ginny said, shrugging. Willow highly doubted it was a minor occurrence, but with what Ginny had been through last year, a dementor must have been nothing. "Harry got chocolate from this guy that was sitting in his compartment. He's better now, but he won't stop talking about someone screaming when no one was."

Willow furrowed her brow. "Huh. I'll have to keep an eye on him."

"Ginny!" a mousy brown-haired boy squealed. "I've got so many pictures to show you! I even got some of those dementor things!"

"I'll be right there, Colin!" Ginny hugged Willow. "See you at the feast!"

As Ginny ran off to catch up with Colin, Willow was yanked off her feet and thrown into the nearest carriage. Two familiarly wide Slytherins sat on either side of Willow, grunting stupidly to each other, then grinning evilly at her. Willow rolled her eyes as a certain blonde sat in front of her, lazily stretching out on his own unoccupied side as the carriage slowly rolled forward.

"You don't have to be rough with me just because I know how to handle pain," she said.

"It's more fun to watch you panic," Draco drawled.

Willow kicked him in the shin, which made him sit upright. "Where'd you go after the dementors sent you running with your tail between your legs? Don't deny it, I saw how petrified you were."

"Oh, just for a little stroll, you know, since you were too scared to take the dementors, passing out and all," Draco taunted.

Willow slammed her foot into the bottom of the carriage. "I was not afraid of them! They were just making me hear things that I've tried to forget my whole life!"

"Oh, like your mum? You wrote plenty of poems about her. I only got halfway through that book of yours, but you're quite the poet when it comes to dark and depressing themes. What did she do to you that was so bad, Wisp?"

Willow was about to say something, got tripped up by the nickname, and became even more furious. "My mum did something unforgivable. You had no right to go through my personal journal, and you have no right to bring it up at any time. That's personal. I respect the fact that you refuse to talk about anything near the subject of your father, so why can't you respect my privacy?"

Draco appeared affronted. "I am not afraid to talk about my father! I've got nothing to hide, so why are you allowed to have so many secrets?"

"Because- ugh, how do I make you get this? Some people have had horrible pasts, Blondie! Not everyone got everything they wanted exactly when they wanted it. Some people's parents are awful, and some don't even have any! My mum ripped my family apart in a way that even I cannot forgive, no matter what she does. She made a choice that no one has the right to make!"

"What was it, Wisp? You can tell me," Draco said, loftily inspecting the Slytherin crest on his robes.

"I- I can't."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Are you afraid of something, Wisp?"

Willow was on him quicker than he could blink. Draco suddenly found himself in the iron grip of Willow Guerrero's fury, pinned into the corner of the carriage, Willow's fiery eyes glaring down at him.

"How dare you?" she growled. "My past is my past. You have no right to go digging up the worst memories of my life. I've spent a lifetime dealing with the consequences of my mother's decisions. You don't know what it's like to live life with one giant hole in your heart. Back off, or one of these days, I'm never talking to you ever again, and the last memory you'll have of me is my fist in your face."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You don't have to be so sensitive about it. I'll stop. But one of these days, I'm going to figure it out, and you're going to wish you told me."

Willow seethed. "I'm not sensitive, just really, really liable to punch someone in the face for spewing my personal life into the public's hands."

"So sensitive, just with a specific definition for you."

Willow clenched her fists, anger pulsing through her veins. She could easily take it out on Draco while he was down. But some unknown force made her drop her hands. Willow relaxed her fists and sighed. "You're not worth the muscle strain. I'll be down on the ground if you need me."

Before Draco could lift a finger, Willow lightly hopped down onto the ground, walking beside the thestral that pulled the carriage. Crabbe and Goyle looked to Malfoy for instruction, but he was too busy glaring at Willow. She didn't care, however, and decided to freak them all out by climbing onto the thestral's back. Draco struggled to hide his surprise.

"You're floating in midair, stupid," he sneered. "You look ridiculous."

"Yeah, I'm so incredibly stupid for learning how to levitate," Willow said. "It's just so dumb to research complicated magic beyond even a third-year pureblood's capabilities and perform them in front of people."

Draco scoffed. "I could easily do that. And there's no way you're levitating."

Willow blinked innocently at him. "How do you know? You've got no proof."

"Neither do you, so I don't have to believe you."

Willow rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless. So, is it safe for me to change the subject now, or are you still going to bite my head off? I'm okay with wiring your mouth shut if necessary."

"I am not the one being moody," Draco grumbled.

"I'll take that as a yes, then. How was your summer?"

"Great. Father took me to Azkaban to visit Sirius Black before he made his big escape. There were loads of former Death Eaters stuck in there, their magical talents wasting away to nothing..."

Willow sighed. "We'll work on your priorities later...Who's Sirius Black?"

Draco cast her a weird look. "You must be joking."

"No. I've siriusly got no clue who you're talking about."

"You're hopeless," Draco muttered. "Sirius Black doesn't ring a bell? How have you not heard of him? Mass murderer? Most famous convict from the war? He murdered a dozen innocent Muggles and a wizard by blowing up a street. I'm surprised Potter hasn't told you all about him, considering Black was so close with his parents."

"He was what?"

Draco's eyes gleamed maliciously. "You don't know? That must mean Potter doesn't know, either..."

"Was Black friends with Harry's parents?" Willow asked hurriedly.

"Oh, you've got to learn the story for yourself now. It's too much fun to watch you suffer not knowing. There's so many stories from school that Father told me, but since you're so eager to know, I'm not going to tell you."

Willow's nostrils flared. "You're such an arsehole."

"You're an idiot."

"Imbecile."

"Arse."

"I already called you that name!"

"You're one too, so it doesn't matter!"

Willow crossed her arms. "Fine. Be a jerk. You're in for the worst bout of pranking Hogwarts has ever seen! I'll figure it out by the end of the year, and you're going to wish you'd told me sooner!"

"If Potter even lasts that long," Draco snorted.

Willow's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

"Are you sure you even get the Daily Prophet? Sirius Black escaped Azkaban for one reason: to kill Potter. That's been his mission since the start, to kill the Potters, and now he's trying to finish it. If he gets within Hogwarts, Potter won't last a week."

Willow climbed back into the carriage. "Why would he want to kill Harry?"

"Merlin's beard, Wisp, I can't tell you everything!" Draco said dramatically. "You have to figure out that part yourself!"

The carriage finally rolled through the gates of Hogwarts. People began to climb down onto the worn path that led to the Great Hall, Hogwarts towering above them, grand and homey as ever. Willow shot Draco a look as she dismounted.

"I'm forcing this story out of you later, whether you like it or not, you mierdita," she warned.

Draco mockingly yawned. "Yeah, sure, you'll forget about it by tomorrow."

Willow followed the crowd into the Entrance Hall, then through the open doors of the Great Hall. She breathed in the familiar scents, her entire body relaxing, the homely sensation melting over her. Willow's eyes sparkled in the light of the thousands of candles floating above them, reviving the warm feeling the great space managed to deliver every single time she walked into it. She traced the cuts and grooves on the Gryffindor table that she practically knew by heart. Willow couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She was finally home.

"Miss Guerrero! Where are you?" a woman called, fighting the throng of students streaming through the doors. It was Madam Pomfrey. Willow sighed. This was a welcome home indeed.

"I'm here, but there's nothing wrong with me for once," she said, managing to meet her beside the doors.

"You've got the 'for once' part correct, but you children always say you're fine, and you never are," she tutted, examining Willow's face. "Professor Lupin informed me that there was a dementor attack on the train, and you happened to be one of the victims. Were there multiple others?"

"Prof- wait, that was a professor on the train?" Willow exclaimed. She gasped. "He's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, isn't he? That's why he knew what to give us!"

"Willow, focus, were there other victims?" Pomfrey repeated, now magnifying Willow's eyebrows with a magical sort of device.

"Oh- yeah: Harry, Mandy, the Smith twins, and Oliver, but we're all fine."

"You all must be examined whether you say you're alright or not!" Pomfrey shrilled. "Wait here while I gather them up! You'll be in detention for a week if you move a centimeter!"

Willow groaned, but stayed put. Several minutes later, while the Sorting Ceremony was finally beginning, Pomfrey pulled the group into the Entrance Hall, frantically testing their pulses, checking their eyes, and looking at their fingernails, muttering constantly about the ridiculousness of the whole ordeal, the Minister was out of his mind, dementors at Hogwarts, how stupid could they be, and multiple other complaints. Finally, just as the Sorting Ceremony came to a close, Pomfrey released Oliver.

"I suppose the chocolate did you all good for now, but you're going to receive a daily examination every morning at seven, do you hear me? There will be house points at stake if you do not show up!"

Pomfrey walked away, grumbling about the dementors again. Willow sighed with relief. She and her friends all glanced at each other, silently agreed, and made a break for the Gryffindor table before Madam Pomfrey could change her mind. They had a wonderful feast together, interchanging between their own house mates and the Gryffindors. The Great Hall exploded into cheers when the announcement was made that Hagrid was to be the new Care of Magical Creatures Professor. Willow couldn't wait to get started on his class. She filled up an entire plate with at least eight roles at one point, then made sure to throw more helpings of Oliver's favourite food onto his plate every time she got the chance. Abuela would have been proud. Harry and Ginny were across from them a little ways down the table, and thankfully, they appeared as healthy as ever. The dementors hadn't had too much of an affect on them, then. It wasn't until after every pie was devoured that the students were finally sent off to bed.

The Gryffindors most certainly did not go to bed. Fred and George made sure that there was a miniature party in which they tested out every new pranking device of theirs, including their newest combination of Lee's device and their portable spider webs. The common room oohed and ahhed as they stuck their poor brother Percy to the ceiling on multiple occasions, most of which Percy threatened to go straight to the Headmaster for. He never managed to get within five feet of the portrait hole, however, before he was once again wrapped up in sticky webs. Fred, George, and Lee bowed after their finale, which included launching a spider web from the floor all the way up to the seventh year dorms, ensnaring Oliver Wood. Willow grinned as he sarcastically clapped, then yelled at his Beaters to get him down before they were forced to do seventy rounds of Dodge the Bludger. The Keeper was removed in record time and sent on his way.

"How was that for entertainment, Willow?" Fred asked jovially as they put their supplies away.

"I'd say it's definitely more fun than sitting around the common room doing nothing."

"Wood just told us we're going to have one of the toughest years for quidditch, practice-wise, of course," George said. "We've got to win the House Cup this year or he's likely to die of heartbreak."

"You are playing this year, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I've been trying to practice flying as much as I could this summer!" Willow said. "I doubt I'll be good enough to shake the reserve position, though. Hopefully I can just challenge you guys enough in practice that the games are easy."

"Quit moping around! Wood'll put you in at some point!"

"Someone always manages to get knocked off their broom halfway through the season!"

Willow smiled. "Thanks, guys. I hope no one gets hurt, but playing in an actual game for once would be a nice change." She glanced around the common room. "Where is Paige? Have you guys seen her yet?"

"Oh...yeah, I saw her an hour ago near the fireplace," George said, rather gloomily.

Willow shot him a weird look, which earned him a kick the the shins by his twin. George simply sighed and walked away. Fred and Lee exchanged exasperated expressions, then begrudgingly ran after him, apologetically glancing at Willow. She stood rooted to the spot, bewildered. Why was George acting so weird every time she mentioned Paige? Weren't they best friends? What had changed? Willow racked her brain, but nothing came to mind. She decided she was too stupid to figure it out anytime soon and wandered off in search of Paige. The older girl was sitting in the windowsill, staring longingly at the Forbidden Forest and beyond. Willow gently tapped her on the shoulder.

"Who the hell- " she growled. Paige suddenly realized who touched her. "Oh! Willow! Sorry, lost in thought- again."

"I'm zoned out for about fifty percent of the day. It's a teenager thing, I think," Willow said, climbing into the windowsill opposite her. "Where were you on the train? We couldn't find you. Did those dementors get to you, too?"

"I was in the back, probably hidden or something," Paige said. "And no, thankfully, they didn't come anywhere near me. What about you?"

"Uh...they came into our compartment, but we're fine now. Mandy, Oliver, and the Smith twins also got affected, and apparently Harry passed out. We just had to eat some chocolate from that Professor, and now we're all feeling better."

"Wait, you all went unconscious? What the heck was that all about?"

Willow shrugged. "No idea. Maybe we had too many happy thoughts at the time and they preyed on that?"

Paige seemed skeptical. "Willow, they don't take your happy thoughts. They drown them out with their presence, then drain you of all the negative things hanging around in your brain. That means they're attracted to people with troubled pasts. Oliver's we know, Mandy's we know, the Smith twins we know all too well, Harry- well, his parents were murdered in front of him when he was a baby, that's pretty bad- but what about you?"

Willow wouldn't meet Paige's eyes. "Um...family drama? I honestly have no idea."

"That was the crappiest lie I've ever heard in my life. Merlin, I need to teach you how to lie better."

Willow half-smiled. "Well, I'm a truthful person. Good luck with that."

"Willow, don't you dare avoid the question. What the heck happened to you that the dementor caused you to pass out? I mean, they literally make you relive the worst memories, unless my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher got it all wrong."

Willow scrambled for a response. "I mean...I heard my mum screaming, but that was about it. My memory must not have been powerful enough to make me fully relive it."

"So it's your mum's mistake, from when you were little," Paige said, nodding. "I'm not going to ask you what she did, but what are you supposed to do now that there's dementors around every corner? They'll target you and your friends. You've got to be able to defend yourselves."

Willow recalled the glowing she-wolf. "The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor chased them away with a sort of ghost animal. What is that?"

Paige shrugged. "No idea. I didn't see it. You'll have to ask him sometime. For now, though, you're all going to have to be super careful, because those dementor things are crazy bad. I've heard lots of stories about the people they've sent into insanity in Azkaban."

Willow shuddered. "Hopefully that doesn't happen to me."

"It probably won't. Dumbledore will make sure they don't harm anyone as long as he's still here."

"Thank God for Dumbledore." Willow noticed Paige's eyes were still far away. "Hey, are you okay? You're normally much more extroverted than this. I'm usually the one that sits on the windowsill and pouts all day."

Paige gently punched her in the shoulder. "I am not pouting. I'm just...thinking....about something I found out today. It was about my Nana, the one that took care of me when I was little. I finally managed to break into my adoptive parents' office and found the file they kept on her. She's been relocated so many times, it's not even funny. I tracked down the latest address, and...I know where she lives now."

Willow gasped. "You have to go find her!"

"I can't until Winter Holidays, but it at least gives me something exciting to look forward to," Paige said. "Maybe I can finally run away from that pair of scumbags once and for all, start a life with Nana, get some answers on why my adoptive parents are so horrible..."

Willow hugged Paige. "I'll go with you if you want. You deserve all that and so much more."

"Yeah, the ability to legally punch both of my 'parents' in the face," Paige joked. "It would be worth the bruised knuckles."

"I would help with that, but my family isn't in the Muggle police force, unfortunately."

"WILLOW! We've been looking for you for ages!"

"There's a brand new dress we've been dying for you to model!"

"It's going to match your hair perfectly!"

"Oh no," Willow breathed, trying to hide her face. "Paige, I don't exist. Tell them I'm an apparition."

Paige smirked. "Oh, this is too good. I'm kind of excited to see how this plays out." She turned to the Gryffindor Sisters crowding around Willow. "Have at her, girls!"

Lavender, Mia, and Fay squealed excitably. They grabbed Willow and drug her up the stairs, Sally, Parvati, and Hermione having already prepared everything for them. The three handed supplies to Lavender, Mia, and Fay as they transformed Willow. She was thrown into an ombre green dress, which was- unfortunately for Willow's taste- strapless and slightly low cut. Light blush was brushed onto her face, eyeliner accented her already dark lashes, concealer evened out her skin tone, and a tiny bit of eye shadow put the dark look into place. Willow was given a mirror to see the final result. The Gryffindor Sisters had done a tremendous job. Though she hated the thought the moment it entered her mind, Willow saw herself as stunning. She would never admit it out loud, but Willow really liked how excited her Gryffindor Sisters were to beautify her. Hermione and Parvati high-fived.

"Oh, wait! I've got one more thing!" Sally exclaimed, pulling out her wand. "George gave me a spell to use on you, Willow! He said he's perfected it since Halloween your first year."

Willow prepared herself for some ultimate prank to happen, but it never came. Instead, lush, miniature, life-like oak leaves attached themselves to her hair. They were the exact colour of her eyes. Willow stared at herself in the mirror, wondering how on Earth George had managed to exactly replicate her eye colour. Had he compared it to a photograph, or was it from memory? Willow's cheeks reddened as she realized how much time and effort it must have taken him. Was he really that into her?

"Oh my God," Lavender said, voice choked up from being on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry- it's just- you're so pretty, and I can't- ugh, Willow, you're such a beautiful human being!"

Willow blushed. "You guys made me beautiful, that's all. It's thanks to your hard work that I look like this."

"We know, it's just- wow, we have to show you off!" Mia sniffled.

"Who should we present her to?" Fay wondered.

"Ooh, let's grab the boys!" Parvati suggested. "They'll love this! Well, Dean and Seamus never seem to pay attention, but at least Neville will get tripped up over his words! Ooh, and grab the Weasley twins! They'll appreciate her!"

"I'll get the boys, you grab Fred and George," Hermione said to Sally.

Willow gaped at Hermione. "What- since when did you get in on this?"

Hermione grinned. "It's nice to have fun before the hours of homework begin. Plus, it's so fun to see you out of your comfort zone. I should photograph your expression next time."

Willow groaned. "Is no one on my side for this one?"

"We are on your side, Willow!" Fay laughed. "We're doing exactly what we're supposed to do- get each other dates! There has to be someone out there interesting enough for you!"

"But- ugh, fine, I understand. Lead me to my doom."

Mia and Lavender squealed, then brought Willow out to the landing. The rest of the Gryffindor Sisters crowded around her to get a look at the boys' reaction. Within seconds, Hermione had found the boys, and the Weasley twins were dragged from the upper level. All of them stared at Willow's hair, admiring the leaves magically placed there. Fred raised his eyebrows at George, who went slightly red, then punched his twin. Willow furrowed her brow. What was that about? She was distracted by Dean and Seamus playing a game with each other, clearly not caring about the situation. At least two people got it that Willow didn't want their attention. The rest of the boys complimented the Gryffindor Sisters on their handiwork, and finally were released to go back to their dormitories. Fay positively beamed at Willow when they got back into her dorm.

"Did you see the way George was looking at you?" she squealed.

"Um...no?"

"Ugh, Willow! Quit being so unobservant! You have to notice these things to find someone for yourself!" Fay scolded. "I know, I know, you care more that he looks at you like that when you're wearing a t-shirt and shorts, but I'm like that too, and it's never hurt to get someone to notice you that way first, then keep their attention for your personality!"

Willow groaned. "I don't want to date anyone just yet. I'm probably going to be so busy with schoolwork that I won't have time- "

"B-u-t you can capture peoples' attention now, so if they still fancy you later, you know they're actually into you!" Lavender said. "You've got to admit, there's at least some logic to this!"

Willow considered it. "Yeah, I guess I see what you're saying."

"Then no more objections to us setting you up?" Parvati said.

Willow sighed. "Fine, but I'd rather help set you guys up more than myself."

"Done!" Mia said. "Our goal is to get everyone on a successful date by the end of the year- except Willow and Hermione, they've got two years. Everyone in?"

"YES!" the Gryffindor Sisters chorused.

Willow face planted into her bed. "This is going to be a very dramatic year..." she groaned.


	44. Year 3: Chapter 2

Willow, inevitably, was not allowed to go to bed until far past midnight. Of course, early in the morning, she woke up around her usual time of six, and there was no amount of exhaustion that would make her go back to sleep. Willow frustratedly threw off her covers and got herself moving. After rinsing off her face, she quietly slipped out of her dormitory and into the secret room. McGonagall had taken the liberty to transfer her creatures from the train to the room- with the help of house elves, of course. Willow grinned from ear to ear when she stepped through the wall, sunlight already warming the area where Griffin and Phoebe were curled up together in a makeshift nest. She gently stepped on a few pebbles to alert them to her presence. Griffin groggily lifted his head blinked sleep out of his eyes.

"Hey, buddy!" Willow whispered, kneeling down next to him. "Good morning! Wakey, wakey!"

Phoebe groaned and rolled off of Griffin, laying face-down on the soft ground. Willow laughed, rolling her over and tickling her belly, which got her to finally wake up.

"Are you ticklish? Is someone ticklish?" Willow giggled, Phoebe going crazy trying to shake her off. "What's the matter? Does Phoebe have tickle spots? Yeah, Phoebe has tickle spots!"

Phoebe was finally rescued by a slightly jealous Griffin, who barged in and sat directly between Willow and the demiguise. Willow rolled her eyes and began petting him instead, making sure not to touch his sore spots. He was growing super fast and his body, just like humans, was struggling to keep up at times.

"You're just a big jelly bean, aren't you?" Griffin cocked his head at Willow, as if he was almost offended. "Okay, yeah, you pretend you're not jealous, but that doesn't make it true. You're a big attention hog." Griffin flapped his wings. "Yeah, you're still a pretty boy! Your adult feathers are coming in so nicely! You're not a baby anymore!"

Griffin pranced around, enjoying the praise. He flapped his now-darker brown wings and puffed out his chest. Phoebe simply climbed on top of Willow to watch him. The demiguise always appeared to be judging Griffin, but Willow wondered if she was just imagining it. Nonetheless, when Griffin reared up, pretending to be tough, she chattered at him in a sort of reprimanding way. Griffin tossed his head and swiped her with his wing. Phoebe gave up and crossed her arms to pout. Willow sighed and watched as Griffin continued to strut around the forested area, purposely flashing his wings and talons in Phoebe's direction. Leave it to her creatures to form a love-hate friendship, she thought.

Willow passed the rest of the time until breakfast playing with her creatures. Griffin got lots of treats for performing his commands well, but he was beginning to act like a teenager in that he would randomly refuse to listen, strutting around instead. Every once in a while, Willow would tease Griffin for this by shape-shifting into a griffin, performing the command herself, then pretending to eat the treat. Griffin begrudgingly dropped the superior attitude and behaved. Before she knew it, Willow looked at her watch, cursed loudly, and sprinted through the corridors towards the Great Hall. Almost everyone was already there. Willow took a seat across from Harry, unfortunately giving her a perfect view of Draco's impression of Harry's fainting spell across the room.

"That imbecile will get what's coming to him today, mark my words," she growled.

Harry sighed. "It still won't do any good, knowing him. The worst part is he never even saw me faint, so he's making it all up. George said he came running into their cabin."

Willow snorted. "More like sprinting for his life. I'm never going to let him forget that."

Harry half-smiled. "You should have taken a picture."

"If I could have, I would have, and my life would be a thousand percent better." Willow remembered what Draco had told her on the carriage ride. "Do you know anything about this Sirius Black character? Draco thought I knew, then wouldn't tell me when he realized I didn't have a clue who he was, you know, being the little git he is."

"All I know is he's after me. No one has filled me in on the rest."

"So we're both in the dark?"

"Per usual," Harry said gloomily. "At least the situation let me get away with a literal blow-up this summer with the Dursleys. I accidentally blew up my Aunt Marge, but Fudge is so scared I'm going to drop dead that he let it go and reversed her memory."

Willow spat out a tiny bit of her chocolate milk into her cup. "You what? Harry, that's pretty awesome."

"I know. She's horrible, so it serves her right. If only she would have remembered it....maybe she wouldn't set her dog on me anytime soon."

"Wow. Cruel woman. Karma seems to be working very quickly lately, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded. "I hope it catches up to Sirius Black so he doesn't catch me. I'm sick an tired of everyone tiptoeing around me, acting like I need a wall of knights surrounding me at all times. Sirius Black is not going to murder me. Dumbledore wouldn't let anyone come into Hogwarts if didn't want them here."

"So you're not scared of him?" Willow paused in thought. "Honestly, I'm not either. I don't get all this hype over an Azkaban escapee. High-security Muggle prisoners escape all the time. What's so different about this guy? He doesn't even have a wand right now."

"Exactly! The odds are stacked up so far against him it's nearly impossible that he'll come within ten kilometers of me."

"You're right. Don't pay attention to all the extra security, Harry. Sirius Black will be back where he belongs before we know it."

Professor McGonagall swept by, passing out course schedules for the year one by one. Willow picked hers up and grimaced, the reality of how much homework she was about to have setting in. She and Harry exchanged a disgusted look.

"Great, more classes," Willow groaned. "And we've got three with Slytherin- Potions, History of Magic, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. How are we expected to survive Draco's pestering this much? Oh, and he's in Care of Magical Creatures, too...Lovely year we're going to have. At least we're getting the first Divination class out of the way this morning."

"I'm just dying to go there," Harry said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The warning bell tolled, and the Great Hall emptied quickly. Willow packed up all of her belongings and turned to go when someone caught her eye. It was Lisa, struggling to carry all her textbooks in her bag, but not because they were heavy. Her eyes were gaunt and bloodshot, her nails appeared off-colour, almost yellow, and she looked as if someone had vacuumed the strength right out of her body. Willow noticed for the first time how much thinner she'd gotten over the Summer Holidays. Was she sick? Willow tried to reach her, but the tide of students hurrying to find their first class carried her away, and she lost sight of the short blonde. She only hoped that Lisa would feel better soon.

Cypress and Oliver found their way to Willow through the crowd, then the entirety of the third-year Gryffindors, and Willow ended up leading everyone through the castle to Divination. Apparently, word had gotten out that she was the only witch with a sense of direction. Willow had a miniature heart attack when she thought she'd taken a wrong turn towards the West, but she'd taken the correct corridor and was still heading North. A handful of people had joined their parade through the castle as they went along. Willow finally climbed up the longest spiral staircase in what seemed like the world, and they arrived at last in the North Tower. She set her bag down on the landing while they waited for their teacher to call them inside.

"That- was a really- long walk," Sam panted, pretending to collapse on the floor.

"Oh, get up, you big baby, Mum will be furious if you have dirt on your robes half of the term," Sally scolded.

Sam groaned. “But I’ll brush it off by then...” He got up and leaned against the wall. “Fine. I’ll figure out another way to be lazy. Maybe I’ll levitate myself through the halls next time.”

"With your brains, I’d say we’re safe from that for a good while," Sally said.

"Hey!"

Thankfully, a trapdoor above them opened just as the last few stragglers arrived for class. Willow giggled at Harry’s surprised expression as a ladder descended at his feet. He, Ron, and Hermione appeared as though they’d just arrived, covered in a glistening sheen of sweat. She should have thought to find them before she took off, too. Willow shrugged it off and climbed the ladder after Cypress and Oliver.

Immediately upon arriving inside the classroom, Willow was hit with a wall of sickly-sweet perfume. There was no natural light inside the classroom, only red-shaded lamps, casting ominous shadows across the plush furniture. Willow decided to sit at one of the tables so that the hard chairs might keep her from sinking into the oblivion this other-worldly class seemed to be. Her gut twisted with a nauseating sensation. She may have made a mistake by signing up for this class.

As others began filing into the array of furniture, Willow noticed that her senses were vibrating and causing general mayhem within her head. She wished the dumb sugary smell would go away to lessen her headache, but when she thought about it, that was probably the least powerful cause. There was some sort of supernatural disturbance in this North Tower. It made sense, given that Divination was all about looking into the future, but Willow wondered how on Earth she was going to survive this class with her powers driving her nuts.

Hey, Cebba, is there anything you can do about this? Willow asked, rubbing her forehead.

Unfortunately, no, because this is simply a passing storm. It seems that your powers are acting up to show you something. I normally can tell what it is, but this time they have a mind of their own.

Well, let me know when it’s happening, because I wasn’t looking forward to a migraine on my first day.

Willow nearly toppled out of her seat when a loud smash split the quiet air. The lesson had already started, and Neville hadn't managed a single minute without breaking something. Apparently, the professor was having them use tea cups. Willow leaned over to Cypress and whispered, “Hey, what was the professor's name?”

"You weren’t paying attention? Wow, that’s a first for you. Should I tell you what you missed? No, I’m lazy today, and it's your fault, you can figure it out yourself."

"You’re lazy every day," Willow sighed dramatically. She turned to her other side and asked Dean, "What’s the professor’s name?"

"Oh, Professor Trelawney," Dean replied. "We need to get tea from her to read the dregs, too."

"Thank you, Dean."

"No problem."

Willow, her face breaking into a smug expression, turned back to Cypress, who was gaping at her as though offended. "See, was that so hard? You didn’t even have to move your mouth that much."

Cypress scoffed. "Oh, come on, Dean ruined the fun!"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's entirely Dean's fault for being a good person. Come on, let’s go figure out how soon our lives are going to be cut short by some maniac."

The three each grabbed pink or blue teacups, then went to the professor's armchair to receive some tea. Willow's headache only increased when she neared Professor Trelawney. Her bug-eyed glasses and thin frame were enough to throw off her depth perception, too, and Willow felt like her head was pounding more than ever before. Professor Trelawney poured her a steaming hot cup of tea and Willow scurried away as fast as she could. Thankfully, when she sat back down at her table, the perfumed scent of the fireplace was farther away, and she was able to massage her head a little bit to ease the pain.

When her headache lessened, Willow opened up her textbook, Unfogging the Future. She accidentally burnt her tongue on her tea (even though she'd done it a thousand times before and never learned from it), cursed quietly, and finished it as fast as she could. Willow swirled around the dregs in the bottom and turned the cup upside down to drain the remaining tea. When it was finished, she reproachfully gazed into her cup, trying to make out some of the symbols in it, but not sure if she wanted to know.

Willow, something is happening, Cebba suddenly said, making Willow jump nearly a foot in the air. I can't control it. Your powers are reacting to something in the atmosphere, and I have no idea what it's going to do.

Well, don't sound so concerned! That's not very comforting! Willow said, placing her tea cup farther away from her just in case.

What would you rather me do? Lie? You're the last person to do that to, Willow.

True. I'm rather difficult like that. Willow glanced around, her headache increasing beyond fathomable pain. I have a bad feeling about this. Should I get out of here?

YES, you big dummy!

Okay, okay, I'm go-

Willow never got to finish her sentence. The pain suddenly vanished from her head. Willow had a single moment to breathe, panic rising in her chest, then she was gone.

Her body fell from her chair, but Willow wasn't there realistically. She found herself standing next to Harry, frozen, unable to move, but still able to see what was in his cup- the Grim. He'd gotten the death omen. Willow hardly believed it, but if her powers were making her have an out-of-body experience, it must be important. Was it true, then? Harry could die! Willow tried to move her arm to knock the cup over, hoping to shatter the image, but she was rooted to the spot, and no one could see her. Professor Trelawney picked up Harry's cup and screamed, attracting the entire class to his and Ron's table. Someone walked through Willow. She gasped and spluttered, the bone-chilling sensation worse than walking through a real ghost. Was she going to be stuck this way forever?

Then, with the blink of an eye, she was in another room. The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was decorated much more modestly this year, more for the students than the professor. Willow was stuck on the landing that led to the professor's office. She tried to remember the new professor's name, but nothing rang a bell. Her body jolted when the door opened, which unfortunately meant her stomach wrenching itself, since her body couldn't move. The professor stepped out of his office. Willow noticed for the first time the scars that criss-crossed his face, the bags under his eyes, and the limp he walked with. She'd missed a lot of observations on the train. He must have been like this since the day before, when his wolf-ghost saved them. Had he gotten into a duel? He appeared as though he could fall over dead at any moment.

Willow gasped as she was suddenly whisked away again, this time to the dungeons, where Snape was brewing a nasty sort of potion. It was stormy grey and appeared to actually be storming. Smoke rolled off of it as Snape stirred it, a livid sort of expression on his face. He slammed the stirring ladle down and stomped into his office. Willow could see he was writing something down. Was it a journal of sorts? Maybe a potion record? Whatever it was, it seemed to be the cause of his irritation, as he broke several quills scribbling down a few sentences.

Snape suddenly stood up, snapped his head in her direction, and walked straight towards her. Willow's heart stopped. He'd found her! But Snape passed directly through her, angrily stirring the cauldron again, peering inside to make sure its contents were correct. Willow's chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to calm herself from the horrible sensation. As she regained her ability to breath, Snape cast the journal aside- directly into Willow's view. She fought with herself, knowing full well that reading someone's personal journal was an appalling violation of privacy, but she wondered if she was meant to read it, because why else would her powers show her this? Then Willow's eyes, seemingly of their own accord, traced their way down the journal and read its contents. She gasped when she finished.

See how reacts to potion.

Sirius Black animagus. He's helping into castle.

Turn into Dumbledore if all goes well.

What on Earth was Snape planning, Willow wondered? Was he trying to poison someone with the potion? What was this about Sirius Black and an animagus? Who's helping who into the castle? And what was this about turning someone into Dumbledore if some sort of meeting goes well? What kind of meeting ended in turning someone into the Headmaster?

Willow didn't get a chance to know, because the moment she asked her last question, her body was whisked away, back to the Divination classroom at last. She was on the floor, shoulder bruised, and head scrambled with electrical signals. The whole ordeal was so confusing, she had no idea what was going on. No one had even noticed her falling out of her chair. Willow tried to get up, but the signals were so strong in her head that her body wouldn't respond. She laid on the floor, rubbing her head, but nothing would get rid of the buzzing warning signs. Willow didn't care what was going on at that point. She just wanted class to be over so she could go to sleep and get rid of her headache...

Suddenly, a voice boomed in her head, and it was most definitely not Cebba's. This one seemed old, ancient, and very powerful, beyond anything Willow had ever experienced in her life- beyond anything she would probably ever experience. She covered her ears, but nothing could dull the thundering voice in her head.

The One born of powers  
Will in eleven year's time  
Receive the burden of the coming war  
When the full moon rises high

She will fight and frolic  
Never succumb to fate  
But friends, family, lovers, and besides  
These lives she will most certainly suffocate

Unless she follows the descendant  
Of Hogwarts' great  
The trail blazing of a life born of joy  
Is the path she shall take

Once arrived at the house  
That once knew no lie  
A great challenge awaits her  
Of whether the betrayer will die

Then she will carry on wings  
Of fiery pain  
A swift and just punishment  
To those whose judgement has maimed

At last she will reach  
Her final destination  
One of great discovery  
And buried secrets that awaits her

In her final moments  
She will take a fateful breath  
To decide the most difficult matter  
And her loved ones' lifespans may reset

She may spare her loved ones  
But for how long no one can say  
If she succeeds in her task, they are immune only until  
They jump into the fray

Great triumph and tragedy  
Are all in store  
Either could be the result  
Of the One's coming war

The voice finally faded away. Cold sweat dripped down Willow's nose and plunked onto the floor. She placed a hand to her chest, shock slowing reality from slapping her in the face. Willow took several deep breaths, struggling to breathe like she'd just finished a four hundred meter dash. What was that? Some sort of prophecy? Was it for her? It was definitely for her. Why else would it be talking about the One with powers for a war?

Willow? Willow! Why can't you hear me? Please tell me you haven't gone brain-dead!

No, I'm still here, unfortunately for you. Cebba, what was that?

There was a long pause of silence in which no voice entered Willow's mind. All she could hear was the rattling of her own struggling lungs. Then, at length, Cebba replied, You weren't supposed to know about that just yet.

Well, that certainly clears things up. What was that?

Uh...a prophecy?

I know that, dummy, but what is it about? What did it all mean?

If Cebba had been visible, Willow would have seen her flinch. It means that there's a lot ahead of you. Lots of trials and tests and loads of rubbish that I didn't want you worrying about at thirteen years of age. Yes, I do care about you, enough to not want you tearing your hair out over a war that's several years away.

So...do you know what's going on with this prophecy, then? Willow asked, finally regaining enough strength to climb into her chair.

Cebba paused. Unfortunately, yes, but just the beginning part of it. The first six lines are talking about you getting your powers and all that, it's a burden all right, blah, blah, blah, you're as stubborn and bullheaded as they come, blah, blah, blah, but the seventh line is where it gets dark. Willow...I'm not sure how to tell you this without you flipping out.

Willow's stomach clenched. Cebba, what is it?

Willow...I'm so sorry, but...if you don't complete this entire prophecy, your family, your friends, even your magical creatures...they're going to...they're going to die.

Willow stood up so suddenly that her chair crashed backwards. You're joking. This is all some sick joke.

It's not, Willow. If you don't do this...they're all going to die.

The gravity of the situation came crashing in. Willow ran her fingers through her hair, panic rising in her chest, squeezing out the remaining air in it. She felt her breaths coming faster and faster. Her friends were going to die. Her family was going to die. Everyone was going to die, and because of her. She was going to snuff out so many lives just because she existed. Willow began to hyperventilate as images of her family, friends, and creatures dying unwittingly flooded her mind.

Willow? There's a way to stop it, I can- 

How long have you known? Willow interrupted. Answer me, now!

I- I'm going to be perfectly honest with you, Willow. I've known since the beginning. I didn't tell you because-

You wanted to leave me in the dark? "Protect me" from the truth? Allow me to have my first real friendships for a few years only to let them be ripped away? You had no right to keep this from me! Because of you, my friends are going to die, Cebba! How in the hell did you ever think this was going to work out okay?

Willow, I've always looked out for your best interests-

"Don't talk to me!" Willow shouted out loud, drawing a few peoples' attention.

I promise, I'll help you fix this- 

"This is all your fault! I never want to talk to you again! NEVER!"

Before anyone could stop her, Willow ran to the ladder, clambered down it, and descended the stairs faster than humanly possible. Tears threatened to fall as her legs carried her farther and farther away from that stupid tower where everything felt like it was trying to suffocate her. She didn't stop when she saw the "Out of Order" sign on the girls' bathroom. Willow busted down the door and collapsed against the nearest sink, her arms trembling to support her weight while holding onto the rim. She threw water all over her face. She coughed and spluttered, slowly convincing herself to calm down. Crying about the situation wouldn't help anything. She had to be in the right state of mind to fix this.

"Oh? What's this? Another intruder?" a familiarly annoying voice hiccuped.

Willow whipped around, fury suddenly exploding within her. "SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOU FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF RIGHT NOW, MYRTLE! MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE ALL GOING TO DIE, AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO FEEL SORRY FOR, MYRTLE? STUDENTS BULLYING YOU? MY ENTIRE LIFE IS GOING TO BE RIPPED AWAY FROM ME, AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT!"

Myrtle instantly burst into tears. "I hate you! Go use someone else's bathroom!"

"What are you going to do about it, Myrtle? Walk right through me? You're already dead!" Willow screamed.

Myrtle sobbed and attempted to drown herself in the nearest toilet, her echoing cries making Willow even more miserable than before. She banged her fists on the wall, anger vanishing in the space of a second, drained of all emotions. Her friends were going to die. How much time did she have before they passed away? It didn't matter, she realized, because all she was ever going to see when she looked at them now was a ghost. Willow sank to her knees. Why did this always have to happen? Why did her friends have to suffer? Why couldn't it be her that would die in their place?

Willow, please, there's a way to stop this- Cebba began.

I told you to go away, Cebba, Willow thought, her gaze hardening.

But I don't want you to do this to yourself, it's extremely unhealthy for you to react like this!

Cebba, if I wanted your help with my health, especially my mental health, I would ask for it. Right now, I'm asking for you to leave me alone. I'm not killing myself.

That's not what I'm-

I don't care what you have to say right now! You've said enough.

There was a long pause before Cebba spoke again. Finally, she sighed and said, Tell me when you're ready, then. I'll be waiting.

Willow's heart sank as she felt Cebba shifting within her so that Willow would not feel her presence or hear her voice. She suddenly realized how empty it felt without the ghostly woman's spirit constantly prodding her and keeping her company. Willow almost regretted her words, but immediately shook her head to clear it. She'd made her choice. Cebba should have told her sooner that her friends would die. If she'd known, Willow wouldn't have made so many friends, wouldn't have gotten so close with so many people. She might have been lonely, but at least no one would have had to die because of her!

Willow's heart stopped when she remembered just how many friends she had: her Gryffindor Sisters, the majority of the Weasleys, the Gryffindor boys, Oliver, Cypress, the Ravenclaw girls, Paige, and Draco. She leaned back against the wall and squeezed her eyes tight, trying to shut out the images tormenting her brain. Her friends weren't dying yet. They were fine, they had to be! But her brain kept flicking from situation to situation, every possibility for her friends to get murdered or worse flashing before her mind's eye. Cold sweat dripped down Willow's forehead once more. She struggled to breathe, her chest rising and falling too rapidly for the proper amount of oxygen to circulate. What could she do? There was no solution jumping to mind. But her friends were doomed to die! There had to be something!

"Willow? Willow!" a voice called, seemingly far away. A blurry figure kneeled in front of her. "Talk to me! Please tell me you aren't dying!"

"Hey, if you've poisoned yourself or something, you've got to tell me now, or I won't get back to the lab in time to grab you an antidote, so hurry up," another voice said.

Willow shook her head, closing her eyes to block out the blurry outlines. What was happening to her? Was she dying from an overreaction to the news? Would that stop her friends from dying? Willow's mind was so scrambled, she couldn't form another coherent thought. All she could do was sink further and further into oblivion, heart shattering from the horrible scenes playing out, her mind so far cracked that it seemed nothing could reboot it...

WHACK!

Willow gasped and spluttered, her eyes and brain suddenly able to focus once again. Kneeling in front of her were two of her best friends. Cypress had his hand poised, ready to strike, and Oliver had buried his face in Cypress's shoulder. Both of them sighed with relief when she looked at them.

"Good, you're not dying," Cypress said.

"Willow! Don't ever scare me like that again!" Oliver cried, flinging his arms around her neck. Willow weakly hugged him back. "We thought something horrible was happening when you ran out of class, so we looked all over for you, then Cypress remembered that everyone runs here when they want to be alone, and we found you sitting here, looking like you'd- you'd- "

"I'm not killing myself anytime soon- or ever. I promise," Willow said, rubbing his back. "I just- I was having an argument. With Cebba. It was kind of alarming, but we've sorted it out now, and I'm fine. How did you snap me out of that, by the way?"

Cypress smirked. "I got to slap you in the face. It was awesome."

Willow scoffed. "Congratulations. I bet you've been wanting to do that since the day you met me."

"Oh, I've been dreaming of that since the first time you did something incredibly Gryffindor-ish, also known as stupid," Cypress said. "I think I feel a little remorse, but the future ruler of the world can't have remorse, so I'll put that cause down as pain from my hand."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Alright, I get it, you don't want me to die since I'm semi-useful. I'll stay alive a little bit longer for your sake."

"A little longer? You have to live until you're at least ninety!" Oliver squeaked fearfully.

"You know what I mean," Willow sighed. She checked her watch and jumped to her feet. "Merlin's beard, class starts in two minutes! We've got to get out of here!"

"Wait, you never told us what was happening between you and Ceb- " Cypress started.

"I'll tell you later!" Willow lied, hurriedly washing off her face and combing her fingers through her hair. "See you guys later! Thank you so much for coming after me! Love you guys! Please tell your professor that it's my fault you're late!"

Before they could stop her, Willow burst out of Myrtle's bathroom, sprinted down the corridors, crashed into a suit of armor, and finally made it to the Transfiguration classroom, only a few bruises on her shoulder. Professor McGonagall was just about to begin the lesson and peered at Willow suspiciously from behind her brown-framed glasses. Willow sucked in a breath, hoping to God she wasn't about to get detention. McGonagall simply pursed her lips and shook her head, though, and began the lesson on animagi straight away. Willow tried her best to not breathe heavily and disrupt class. It turned out that it wasn't necessary, however, as everyone was still brooding over their previous class with Professor Trelawney. Willow gave up and face-planted into her desk, letting her exhausted body and mind rest for a moment.

"Hey, are you dying again?" a voice whispered.

Willow groaned. "Yes."

"On a scale of zero to infinity, how dumb was the thing you did this time?"

Willow sighed. "For once, I didn't do anything."

Mandy nodded sarcastically. "Yes, because Willow Guerrero is known for passing up the chance to run after trolls, attack evil two-faced teachers, sprint into the Forbidden Forest for no reason whatsoever, and attempt to get murdered by former Death Eaters."

"I'm serious! I actually didn't do anything this time!" Willow protested.

Sue and Lisa exchanged a glance with Mandy, then all three looked at Willow with an expression that might as well have shouted what they were thinking, it was so clear. Willow slumped in her chair.

"It wasn't my fault, but I think running out of Divination was, but Professor Trelawney didn't even see me, so...it's a good question of whether or not it was stupid."

"Willow! You ran out of class?" Lisa gasped.

"You could get serious detention for that!" Sue warned.

"Hey, I was dealing with a very difficult situation, and for your information, class ended early, like, five minutes after I left!" Willow said. "Besides, I had a massive migraine from the classroom's smell. I had to get out of there."

Mandy glanced at Willow suspiciously. "What do you mean by difficult situation?"

Willow's blood froze. "Uh...nothing I need to share."

"I call B.S. on that, even from three desks away," Sam whisper-shouted from the back of the class. "Seriously, Willow, you can't have your moral of not running away from your problems if you keep running away from yourself."

"That's not...physically possible?" Willow said, brain going into overdrive to think of a convincing lie.

"Willow! You're going to tell us what happened right now, or we're forcing it out of you in any way necessary!" Sally threatened.

At long last, a light bulb went off in Willow's head. She assumed the most hollow voice she could to make her story stick. "Fine, but be warned, it's kind of disturbing. When we were reading tea leaves in Divination, Professor Trelawney came over to read Harry's cup. She literally screamed. Apparently, Harry had the Grim, some sort of black dog that haunts graveyards. It foretells...death."

Lisa and Sue clapped their hands to their mouths. Mandy and the Smith twins blinked in surprise. "You're joking!"

Willow shook her head gravely, heart doing a happy dance as they ate up the partially true story. "I'm not. Harry's been foretold to die, and I didn't handle it very well, so I ran off. Cypress and Oliver had to find me and remind me to go to my next class, which is why I ended up running here. Now I'm exhausted and already want to go back to bed."

Lisa gently put her hand on Willow's shoulder. "I'm really sorry that had to happen to you, Willow. No one should have to learn that their friend will die, even if the prediction might be false. It can be scary, I'm sure. We're all here if you need us."

Willow nodded, internally flinching as her stomach decided to reenact Lucius's blade puncturing it. "Thanks. I think I'm pretty much over it, but I'll let you guys know if I need something."

"In translation, we'll corner you when you need something," Sam said.

Willow half-smiled. "Yeah, that's a more accurate way of putting it."

"Miss Guerrero, are you done with your conversation, or am I still interrupting?" Professor McGonagall said with an eerie calm, making Willow jump.

"I'm done, Professor, sorry!"

Professor McGonagall nodded and went back to the lesson. Raising her eyebrows and gesturing towards the front of the room, Willow and her friends all simultaneously decided to pay attention before they lost three hundred house points. The lesson continued in rather content silence, Professor McGonagall's voice the only one filling the space, informing them about animagi and their special abilities. Willow nearly choked on her own air when she realized there were hardly any to exist except for those at Uagadou. She seriously doubted the Ministry would be okay with her ability to transform into any animal or magical creature at will without their supervision. Biting her lip, Willow wrote a small note to her dad and tucked it into her pocket. She got the sense that she shouldn't reveal her powers to the world, of course, but how much trouble would she get in now compared to the storm that would descend on her after accidental damage was done and she was discovered? Hopefully she could get away with staying under the radar for now, but knowing herself, she'd accidentally tumble directly into the Ministry's spotlight.

Willow was glad when lunch came. She instantly threw her textbooks into her bag and rushed out the door, leaving the majority of her guilt back in the classroom. After a hasty bout of roast beef sandwiches and potatoes, she remembered she'd forgotten her Monster Book of Monsters and ran upstairs to grab it. When she pulled it out of her trunk, however, she realized with a pang of horror that she'd never tightened the strap around it. One of her t-shirts had been completely torn to shreds by the crazed book. Willow leapt backwards as it darted for her shoes, growling and snapping around her toes as she backed away. Deciding that this wasn't going anywhere, she surprised the book by diving on it, which did the trick to keep its mouth from chomping her robes. Willow reached for the belt hanging off her dresser. As she did so, her leg brushed the spine of the book. It whimpered and calmed down for a second. Furrowing her brow, Willow touched the spine again. The book quivered and even made a noise that resembled a purr. Thinking she was probably going insane, she carefully shifted her weight onto the floor and stroked the spine of the book. It suddenly flopped open to page one. Willow raised her eyebrows.

"That was...something," she said.

Checking her watch, Willow suddenly closed her book and tucked it tightly under her arm, running out of the dormitories at a fast pace. If there was one class she couldn't be late to, it was Care of Magical Creatures. She couldn't do that to Hagrid! Willow managed to make it across the castle, onto the grounds, and to the edge of the Forbidden Forest where Hagrid's hut stood in record time. A small crowd was already gathered there. Willow grimaced when she recognized one of her classmates.

"Great, we've got Blonde Brickhead and the Two Buffoons," Mandy muttered, sauntering up next to her. "Just what I wanted to start my year off in what's probably going to be the least boring class."

Willow sighed. "Let's keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't sabotage Hagrid, okay?"

Mandy smirked. "Just give me the word, and he'll wish he'd never been born."

Not sure whether to be terrified or comforted, Willow gathered with the rest of their class at Hagrid's hut, then followed the burly teacher around the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest and into a paddock she'd never seen before. She got distracted by her book tearing at her robes, already having forgotten to be calm again. Willow struggled with it until she managed to stroke its furry spine again. When she looked up, Mandy was glaring daggers at Draco, Harry, Ron, and Hermione seemed utterly furious and were muttering among themselves, and the rest of the Gryffindors shifted uncomfortably, some obviously torn between anger and exasperation.

"Um...what did I miss?" Willow whispered.

"Only that stupid blonde idiot trying to ruin Hagrid's mood," Cypress said, smoothly slotting in next to her and Mandy. "Yes, my hair may be the same colour as his, and they say our hair colour is notoriously dumb, but we all know mine's golden blonde. The rest of them are idiots."

"Well, you're a potions genius, so you can't be part of that stereotype anyway," Oliver remarked, appearing from behind Cypress.

Cypress grinned. "Yeah, I am a genius, aren't I?" Mandy snorted. "See, even the Metamorphagus agrees!"

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Don't let your ego grow too big, Cypress. I'd be more than happy to shrink it down to size."

"Oh, you won't have to, I'll have conquered the world by then."

"We'll see about that."

"Ooh, what's that?" Oliver squealed, pointing to the far side of the paddock.

Willow clapped a hand to her mouth. A handful of some of the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen were running towards them, all roped together by Hagrid. Her dad had told her stories when she was young of these magnificent magical creatures. She couldn't remember the exact stories, but the moral was always the same: appearances are deceiving. The hippogriffs bounding towards them were armed with claws and muscles galore, as were most magical creatures, but when Willow really looked at them, their bodies were sleek, powerful, and majestic, and their eyes were a gorgeous orange. These hippogriffs were like any others, with the head of an eagle and the body of a horse. Willow couldn't stop staring at the black specimen. Its feathers were jet black, not even a hint of dark grey daring to show itself. Its claws appeared metallic, its fur coat gleamed in the sunlight, and its eyes stood out so brightly against its midnight hue.

"Now that is how you pull off a dark look," Cypress commented.

"Shh! I'm trying to listen to Hagrid!" Mandy shushed.

"Yeah, right, Mandy actually listening to a professor," Cypress said sarcastically, grinning at an exasperated Mandy. "You never pay attention, and I mean never."

Mandy smirked. "Your voice is annoying, but I do happen to pay attention, if only when it interests me. Right now, I want to know how I can become best friends with that hippogriff to ask him how he manages to protect his feathers from fading."

Cypress scoffed. "My voice can't be annoying, or you wouldn't listen to it so often."

Mandy sighed. "Just shut up and pay attention so we don't get sliced into a million hippogriff treats."

The four of them fell silent. Willow tried to pay attention, but after a minute of silence, her brain returned to the events leading up to her breakdown, replaying it over and over, trying to process and make sense of it all. The more she heard the terrifying prophecy, the more paranoid she became. It echoed over and over in her mind until her ears were helpless to it. Willow couldn't stand being helpless. She'd had nightmares of being unable to move, trapped, beyond reach of her friends, unable to protect them because she couldn't stand on her own two feet. The prophecy wouldn't leave her alone, bouncing from eardrum to eardrum like a pinball. She couldn't stop it no matter how hard she strained her brain to focus.

The One born of powers...Receive the burden of the coming war...Never succumb to fate...These lives she will most certainly suffocate...

"Willow, you in there?" Mandy said, suddenly snapping Willow out of her trance. "We're going to meet our new hippogriff buddy. You coming, or no?"

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry, I'm coming."

Willow approached the paddock and climbed over the fence, helping Oliver over as well. She looked on in a daze at her friends as they bowed before the hippogriff. What was wrong with her? The prophecy wasn't going anywhere, so why was she thinking about it so much? Why was she letting it affect her so much? She should be tougher, Willow thought. She should be much tougher than this. She should be trying to figure out how to fix the situation, not moping around about it! But...how could she when every time she looked at her friends, she could practically feel their souls slipping away? Was she just imagining that? Was she being melodramatic?

"Willow, it's your turn!" Oliver said, smiling triumphantly next to Cypress.

Willow internally cussed at herself. She'd have time to brood and be a moody teenager later. "Oh, right! I'll try this."

Glancing up, Willow sized up the jet-black hippogriff. He was a marvel to look at. His body was proportional, the size of him was enough to turn heads, and his muscles rippled underneath his feathers and fur. Willow slowly sank into a bow and tried to slow her blinking. Unsurprisingly, the hippogriff lowered himself into what was the equivalent of a bow as well. Willow grinned and gently stroked his feathers, staring into his blazing orange eyes, reading the world of emotion within it. She liked this hippogriff. He wasn't at all terrifying to her, simply another fluffy pet she would probably end up naming and falling in love with. She even wondered if he would like Griffin. The moody griffin would need a playmate soon.

All of a sudden, a scream split the air. Willow's thoughts dissipated as soon as they had come. She collapsed to her knees, hands over her ears. Her eardrums finally stopped ringing enough for her to hear the sound of her hammering heart. That scream, that blood-curdling scream, it had sounded so similar to something, so similar to something Willow was still trying to forget. She clutched her chest and forced herself to take deep breaths. This couldn't happen right now. She couldn't break down. Not at Hagrid's first class. She couldn't ruin his teaching career.

Judging by the student he was carrying up to the castle, however, it appeared as though someone had beat her to that. None other than Draco Malfoy was swinging limply in Hagrid's burly arms, a gash clearly from the claws of a hippogriff trailing blood down his arm. Willow's fear morphed into anger quicker than she could blink. She marched up to the group of Slytherins following Hagrid up towards the castle, walking furiously within their ranks and listening intently to their mutterings.

"-can't believe he let that happen- "

"-place is becoming a dump- "

"-should be fired for that- "

Willow flexed her fists. How dare they say those things about Hagrid? It's not like it was his fault that Draco Malfoy has a grudge against anyone that isn't pureblood and is a decent human being! The whisperings were really beginning to piss Willow off by the time they reached the Entrance Hall. All the stress of the day piled up into one big cauldron that was beginning to boil over...

"Well, at least no one died," Mandy said, walking up behind Willow, making her leap a foot in the air. "I mean, we could have easily- "

"I'll be right back," Willow interrupted quickly, suddenly breaking into a run in the opposite direction.

The anger was already gone. In its place was something Willow had never experienced before, a weird accumulation of something she'd never wanted to discover. Her chest rose and fell far too fast, hindering her run. Willow collapsed next to the wall only a short ways beyond the Entrance Hall, sweat pouring down her shirt, confusion and panic setting in all at once. What was going on? Why was she breaking down? Why did Mandy's words drill her in the gut so hard? How could the prophecy have this tight of a hold on her already?

"Willow? What's wrong?" Mandy said, rounding the corner. "I was just joking about us dying, we didn't even come close- "

"Stop! Stop saying that!" Willow said, her mind and body physically hurting.

"Willow, I'm just joking, no one's dying- "

"Please, for the love of God, shut up!" Willow shouted.

Mandy stared at her, face frozen in shock. Willow got up and sprinted away before Mandy could stop her. She blindly tore through corridors and hallways until she couldn't run anymore. Lungs burning with the effort, Willow struggled to breathe, and her throat tightened the more she panicked. Her hand shot out to steady herself on the wall.

It's fine, you're fine, they're all fine, no one's dying, Willow told herself over and over. NO ONE IS DYING.

But no matter how hard she tried, she knew deep down, there was no convincing herself otherwise. The prophecy was real. This was happening in real life.

And her friends were going to die, all because of her.


	45. Year 3: Chapter 3

"Hey, there she is!" a voice called. "I thought you would run off somewhere to brood in silence. You done breaking down, or am I still in the firing zone?"

Willow's heart leapt into her throat. She shot to her feet, trying to mask her expression with confusion. "Paige! I- uh- I'm fine, I've been fine. Since- I don't know, last month?"

"Yeah, you lie as good as you dodge bludgers," Paige said, ignoring Willow's offended scoff. She firmly wrapped her arm around Willow so that she couldn't escape. "Come on. I'm taking you somewhere."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

Paige guided Willow through the corridors, glaring at anyone who dared to stare at her. She guided Willow all the way through the castle, past the library, and up onto the Astronomy Tower. Willow glanced at the older girl with a confused expression.

"Your powers still working?" Paige asked.

"Yeah- wait, why?"

"Good, because this won't end well otherwise."

Without warning, Paige two-hand shoved Willow off the ledge. Willow yelped and instantly transformed herself into a falcon, desperately flapping her wings, then finally stopped her momentum and flew up. Paige was standing against the railing, grinning to herself. Willow clumsily landed, panted heavily, and pointed at Paige.

"What the hell was that for?" she snapped.

Paige shrugged. "Like I said in Uganda, my solution to awkward situations is shoving you off a cliff- er, in this case, the Astronomy Tower. You were being sad and mopey, and I don't know how to deal with that, so I fixed it."

Willow threw up her hands. "What- Paige, that is not how you fix bad situations!"

Paige shrugged. "You're not all depressed and moping around anymore, so I had to have changed something, haven't I?"

Willow groaned. "You're impossible!"

Paige smirked. "I think you meant to say I'm possible."

"No- what- I mean- ugh, Paige, I was having a down moment, that's all," Willow explained. "My friend said something, and it shouldn't have bothered me, but it got through to me, and...yeah, that happened. They didn't insult me, either, it was just- how do I explain this?"

"You stop lying and hiding and start telling the truth," Paige said. "You claimed you were fine earlier, but now you're saying that you had a breakdown? Hm, seems like your story isn't adding up. What part did I miss?"

"The part where you're bad at math and added up my story wrong," Willow teased.

Paige scoffed, gently slapping Willow. "You little- I'm not bad at math! I got all passing grades in that class when I was in primary school! No, I'm not a genius- that's too much work- but I'm not so bad that I can't tell when someone is lying to me!"

"Well, I'm not lying, I'm- "

"-stretching the truth," Paige finished. Willow tried to protest, but she cut her off. "Don't deny it. Seriously, you don't have to tell me lies. I'm not going to ask you what's going on if it's that important to you to keep it a secret."

"You- you won't?" Willow stammered.

Paige carelessly shrugged her shoulders. "No. You'll eventually spill anyway. You're weird, like that, but in a really cute way."

Willow felt her cheeks heat up. "Uh...thanks?"

"You're welcome. Now don't hug me."

Willow scoffed. "Why would I hug you for that? I'm not a touchy-feely type of person. You're not either."

Paige smiled. "Yeah, just making sure you weren't going to go all soft again and use me as your breakdown stabilizer. I don't do that. You're only allowed to use my sanity once per week."

Willow rolled her eyes. "I'm not breaking down anytime soon, Paige. I bottle it up and unleash it on idiots."

"I better watch out, then, since I'm not so great at math," Paige said playfully.

"That's not- ugh, how do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

Willow helplessly gestured with her hands. "That! Take my words and use them!"

"Words have power. You should be more careful with them."

"You're terrible."

"You're worse."

Willow and Paige stared at each other, both pretending to be furious with one another. The moment didn't last, though, as only seconds later, the Weasley twins appeared, both carrying armfuls of fireworks.

"Oh, hey, Willow, Paige, mind that you don't set these off, they're likely to blow up the whole tower!" Fred said, barely missing them with his teetering tower of Filibusters.

"So you're bringing fireworks up here that might backfire on you when you could easily find a better place to set them off safely," Paige summed up.

Fred set down the Filibusters and brushed his hands off, grinning at her. "Pretty much, yeah."

Paige shook her head. "'Safety first'- if you mean first rule to be ignored."

"Since when do you care about safety?" George snapped.

Paige appeared taken aback. "Um, since never. I'm just joking around with you."

"Yeah, sure sounded like it," George muttered.

Paige clenched her fists, walking closer to George. "If you have something to say to me, say it to my face, and like you mean it, Weasley. I don't have a problem if someone wants to let me know exactly what they think of me."

George shot to his feet. "You want to know what I think of you? You're the most annoying, obsessive, aggravating idiot in all of Gryffindor! It's impossible to get anything done with you around!"

Paige rolled her eyes. "Please. You couldn't have managed the majority of your first two years at Hogwarts if it wasn't for me. Sure, you can plan a great prank, but I'm the one that kept us on task and passing our classes while still entertaining everyone."

"If you mean barely scraping by, then that might be at least partially true," George growled.

Paige furiously stood her ground. "You know what? I'm not going to stoop as low as to insult someone that used to be my best friend. At least I make clear how I feel about him simply by my tone of voice. What happened to you, George? Where did the kid go that used to make sure I was laughing every day? What happened to that ginger that always forced a smile on my face? Oh yeah, he was mauled by jealousy!"

George was almost livid. "Jealousy? Of what, you?"

"You know exactly what I mean, George," Paige hissed.

Fred and Willow glanced at each other with raised eyebrows, then jumped in between the pair to separate them. Paige and George still glared daggers at each other from across the Astronomy Tower until Paige stormed out of view down the stairs. Willow stood there for a moment, fury threatening to spill over, then whipped around and marched towards George.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but you can't treat Paige like that!" Willow shouted, forcing George to backpedal. "Whatever's come between you guys, it can't be important enough for it to escalate like this! Stop, before you hate each other forever!"

George gaped at Willow. "But- but Paige- "

"No, George, this time, I'm not backing down," Willow said. "You're in the wrong here. Either figure it out, or I'm not speaking to you."

She made to leave, marching down the Astronomy Tower's stairs. After recovering from his shock, George tried to go after her, but to Willow's surprise, Fred stopped him.

"George, let her go," he said firmly. "Come on, cool down before you do something stupid."

Willow half expected George to ignore his brother, but instead, George sighed and simply returned to the fireworks. Willow let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and met Paige at the bottom of the stairs. Together, they went to the Gryffindor common room, both still reeling from the fight, both still hiding it. How could they be losing their friend so quickly?

Professor Snape began Potions right away Thursday morning, later that week.

"I'll be assigning your new partners for this year. Complain, and you'll lose five house points. Let's hope your partner is sufficient to clean up your messes, Longbottom. Cypress, Malfoy, front desks."

Willow seethed as Neville's cheeks reddened. Appearing offended that he had to work with Malfoy, Cypress plunked down into his new desk. Thankfully, Malfoy still hadn't attended classes since his accident in Care of Magical Creatures, so Cypress was on his own for the time being. Willow wished she could call Griffin and have him absolutely clobber Snape for his rude comments and ridiculous pairings. He continued to call out names of students, most of which everyone could tell Snape had placed together for the sole purpose of creating tension. Willow found herself paired up with Tracey Davis. The Slytherin girl frowned at her, but at least she didn't outright appear to hate her. Willow hoped that they could mutually agree to not speak to each other. When Snape had finally finished calling out names, he continued without pause onto the ingredients they would need for the Shrinking Solution they were to make that day. Willow clumsily pulled out her quill and a scrap piece of parchment from her pocket to scribble it all down. Poor Neville, still flustered from Snape's comment, dropped his ink well in his rush to write everything down. It shattered and spilled all over the floor. He blushed furiously and bent to down to clean it up, using every ounce of his willpower to ignore Snape's burning gaze in the back of his head.

Willow bent down to help him. "Ignore Snape. He's trying to get into your head."

"I know, but it works every time!" Neville squeaked, shooting a terrified glance in Snape's direction. "He always manages to find something wrong I did and remove house points!"

"Screw house points. If he were even a tiny bit less biased, he would be awarding you house points for your effort. You can't worry about that. Hermione earns more than enough to make up for Snape's incessant idiocy."

Neville took a deep breath. "You're right." Students began moving around them to gather supplies. "I hope Blaze wrote down what we were supposed to do, because I didn't get a chance."

"If he didn't, let me know, and I'll give you my list."

Neville thanked Willow and hurried off to the supplies cabinet. Willow returned to her desk, where Tracey Davis had already thrown a collection of gross-looking items onto their cutting boards. Referring to her list, she realized that almost none of the items were anything close to the ingredients Snape had specified.

"Um...did you write down something different than I did?" Willow asked.

Tracey sighed. "I'm going to make this clear right away. I have no idea what I'm doing, I don't care about this class, and I'm definitely not touching most of these ingredients."

"So...you want me to do all the work?"

Tracey shot Willow a look and snapped, "Is that a problem?"

Willow simply grinned. "No, that's actually great, because I'm terrible at working with people. Draco was only a good partner last year because he wouldn't let me do the actual brewing of the potion, which was the easy part. I'm good with doing all the work. If you want me to write down what I'm doing so you can study it at the end of term, I'll do it."

Tracey sat back in her seat, staring at Willow with an expression she couldn't read. "You're serious?"

Willow furrowed her eyebrows. "Um...yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"

Tracey nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off of Willow. "I don't know. That was a dumb question."

Willow shrugged. "There's no such thing. Just make sure you don't bump me while I'm making the potion, because God knows I need no help being a klutz and spilling the ingredients everywhere."

Without skipping a beat, Willow gathered up all of the potion ingredients, returned them to the cabinet, and replaced them with the correct ones. She grabbed a knife and began carefully cutting her daisy roots into as equal pieces as she could manage. Tracey never seemed to take her eyes off Willow, expression remaining stoic. Willow wished she could figure out why, but as Tracey didn't seem to have any intentions to hurt her in any way, she brushed it off. She'd eventually have it spelled out to her after the matter, if her past was any example. She continued to prepare the ingredients, skinned a shrivelfig, and measured out leech juice on her brass scale. Finally, just as she was beginning to combine the ingredients, Cypress stormed over to her table, having already finished his potion with ease.

"Can you believe him? I really have to work with that little git!" he hissed under his breath, eyes flashing as Snape passed by. The electricity sparking within his icy blue irises was almost terrifying. "I know for a fact that the idiot will make me do all the work, then take credit for it!"

Willow frowned. "Yeah, he's liable to do that. Just ignore his entire existence, especially when he's telling 'heroic' stories about himself. That really pisses him off."

Cypress didn't even smile. "I swear to God, if he takes his anger out on Oliver because of me, he's going to be my personal test subject for my newest line of potions, and he can be sure that there's no survival worth living as of the current state of them. The side effects I've identified are devastating."

Willow sighed. "Don't worry, there will be a mile-long line behind you to get a shot at him if he so much as glances at Oliver in a negative way. He's surrounded by a freaking army at this point."

Cypress smirked. "And I'm happy to lead that army." He combed his fingers through his hair, seeming to finally calm down a bit. "Okay, I'm going to experiment some more with my potions to make sure they're ready, you know, just in case he shows up today for the first time in forever and needs a wake-up call. Oh, and your rat spleen is slightly smaller than average, so you're going to want to stir it a little slower than usual to get it to mix."

Willow smiled. "Thanks. Go blow something up in Snape's face, will you?"

"It's a given at this point."

Willow snickered to herself. Leave it to Cypress to be careless, then suddenly flip a switch because of Oliver. He was slightly terrifying like that. Willow hoped that she never ended up on the wrong side of his anger. Stirring her potion clockwise, she realized that Tracey was missing, and when she cast around the room to locate her, she wished she hadn't. Willow groaned at the sight of the blonde boy striding into class, surrounded by an entourage of Slytherin girls that were cooing and simpering over his injury. Draco soaked up the attention like a desert cactus and stretched it for all it was worth. Willow watched in disgust as Tracey and Pansy particularly fawned over him. She was so aggravated that she spilled a bit of her potion onto Tracey's side of the table, burning and sizzling until it left a sizable divet. Willow huffed and finished up the potion as quickly as she could to let it simmer while she hightailed it over to Cypress's corner.

"I see what you mean more than ever, Cypress," she fumed. "He's an absolute git."

"How you had any faith in him before that he was going to turn out alright, I have no idea," Cypress said, nearly smashing another vial as he shoved it onto a shelf. "He only cares about himself. No one should care about too many people, but everyone has to have one person that they care about nearly as much as themselves."

"Well, that might be impossible for Draco. I've tried to become his friend but all he ever does is resort back to his idiot self...I'm quite honestly done trying, especially after what he's attempting to do to Hagrid."

"Good. He deserves nothing more than Karma’s about to throw in his face. Oh, and by the way, you missed Snape’s big bullying debut of the year,” Cypress remarked, acid lacing his voice. “He’s making Neville test his potion on his toad even though it was orange. Unless Hermione’s helping him like I think she is, his toad’s going to be poisoned.” He shook his head in disgust. "What does he have against Neville? For God’s sake, he’s rubbish at most magical subjects, but it’s not like he doesn’t try!"

"I don’t know, but I’d love a chance to find out why, then turn the tables, because I’ve heard rumors that Snape is rubbish at Astronomy."

Cypress smirked. "You just wait; one of these days I’m going to show him up at his own subject, and he’s going to give me detention for a year, but I’m going to love every bit of it. He’s never gotten any better at potion-making. I’m already light-years ahead of where he was when he was young. I can’t wait to give the school something to talk about."

“There’s the Cypress we know and love," Willow chuckled. "Oliver must be rubbing off on you a bit. I like this super-caring side to you." She lowered her voice. "But in all honesty, I want a front-row seat when you show up Snape."

Cypress smirked. "You’ve got it." Then, very nonchalantly, he added, "And yeah, Oliver might be rubbing off on me, but just a bit."

Willow grinned. "I know we won’t be losing our Cypress anytime soon; I just hope he gets lost in Oliver’s eyes."

Cypress scoffed and gently slapped Willow’s shoulder. "I don’t lose myself in anybody’s eyes. People get lost in mine."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Sure, and Muggles ride dragons to work. We all know the truth: you both get lost in each other's eyes. Come on, Snape’s about to attempt a pet murder. Let’s make sure Neville’s okay."

Cypress, only slightly put off, followed Willow towards the table where Snape was preparing to poison Trevor the toad. Neville gripped Willow’s hand very hard when Snape poured a few drops of the potion down Trevor’s throat. Instead of keeling over and dying, however, Trevor simply transformed into a tadpole. The Gryffindors burst into applause. Neville looked so relieved Willow worried he’d passed out for a second. Cypress smiled and commented, "Hermione’s much better at Potions than I thought. Maybe I should give her a few tips on going off-book."

Snape killed the happy mood, though, before anyone could celebrate too much longer. He took five house points away from Gryffindor for Hermione’s "cheating" and strode off into his office. Draco and a few Slytherins clapped approvingly. Cypress simply glared at Draco, then roughly threw his books into his bag and strode through the door exactly as the bell signaled the end of class, muttering something about meeting Oliver in the Great Hall for lunch. Willow found herself in the same aggravated mood and followed not far behind her Slytherin friend. Before she could get very far, an annoyingly superior voice found its way into her ears.

"Personally, I would have given Granger detention, cheating like that," he drawled. "What’s the point in testing it at all if he knew that it would succeed?"

Willow could have sworn her entire head detonated. She turned on her heel, whipped her wand out of her pocket, and pointed it directly at Draco. "Maybe because there’s some sort of soul left in him since, you know, Trevor could have easily died?”

Draco appeared disgusted. "He named that slimy thing? No wonder he can’t produce even the simplest of potions; he’s too busy worrying about his precious friend, considering that’s the only thing he ever seems to talk to."

Without skipping a beat, Willow slammed Draco into the corridor wall, flipped him around, and wrenched his bad arm painfully back so that he cried out in pain. She brandished her wand at anyone of his entourage that dared come near.

"Does this remind you of anything, Draco? Maybe being helpless? Well, that’s exactly how Neville felt when Snape decided to start bullying him for no reason. Neville has done nothing to deserve the treatment Snape is subjecting him to. He’s perfectly fine in the friendship area, I might add, as all of Gryffindor seems to talk to him on a daily basis. Now, if you ever insult Neville again, or even suggest something negative about him, I’m going to give you a real injury to mope around about. Are we clear?"

Draco glared at her. "Crystal."

Willow released him, making sure to be rough on his bad arm. As expected, he didn’t even flinch. Unfortunately, his Slytherin gang didn’t seem to notice that, only glaring daggers at Willow. She picked up her bag that she’d thrown aside and marched to the Great Hall. Throwing it on the Gryffindor table, she plopped down in her usual seat, aggressively dumping mashed potatoes on her plate. She was so livid that she didn't even notice Fred and George appear on either side of her.

"Jeez, Willow, what did the potatoes ever do to you?" Fred asked.

Willow dropped her spoon in surprise. "Oh! Is it really that bad?"

George slowly put his hand up, eyebrows raised. "I swear I didn't do anything punishment worthy- at least by your standards. What pissed you off this time?"

Willow sighed, sliding her hands down her face. "I think I'm officially suspending all rocky friendships for the rest of my life. It's too much work. I'm sticking to you guys before I kill someone."

"Ah, so you're finally done with that Malfoy? Excellent, you and Cypress can team up for pranking him in the Slytherin common room," Fred said. "We were wondering when you'd realize there's no room for improvement in that slimeball. Cypress is the only decent one out of that whole bunch. Well, maybe there's one or two odd ones mixed in there too; but for the most part, we're glad you came back to us, because we've got a ton of pranks lined up for the Slytherin quidditch team after we kick their arse this season."

Willow half-smiled. "I can't wait."

"Oh, that reminds me," George said, pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to Fred. "I finally figured out the series of charms to make this necklace work. Go ahead, Freddy, throw it at me." Glancing at Willow, he sighed and added, "I kind of deserve this one."

Fred tossed the necklace at George, and almost instantaneously upon touching him, it exploded into a series of scathing remarks about him, but in a way that was highly comical to the viewer. Willow crossed her arms and smirked at George. He was right. He did deserve a round of insults for how much fighting he was causing between Paige and himself. George simply rolled his eyes at the last comment, tapping his wand to the red jewel to shut it up. He handed the necklace to Willow.

"I call it the Pesky Pendant. When you throw this at someone, it immediately hurls a series of insults aimed personally at the person. All you have to do to make it stop is tap it with your wand. Only us three can make it stop; no one else's wands are incorporated in it."

Willow nodded. "Impressive. Thanks, guys. That makes me feel a lot better."

"Do us a favor and throw it at Malfoy next time you see him, will you?" Fred said.

Willow rolled her eyes. "I will. Trust me, it would happen whether you asked or not."

George jokingly saluted her. "Go cause chaos for us. We've unfortunately got yet another year of History of Magic to attend to. McGonagall threatened to throw us in the dungeons this year if we found another way to skip the first day."

"We can't have that! Go, and make sure Professor Binns knows you're there!"

The twins ran off, Lee scolding them for taking so long. Willow returned to eating her mashed potatoes until the bell rang. She begrudgingly got up and forced her mopey body to go towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The class was almost completely full by the time she got there, but thankfully, she found a desk next to her Gryffindor Sisters. Professor Lupin appeared shortly after and announced that their class would be practical, however, and soon, they were in the teacher's lounge, talking about some Boggart thing that was banging around in a wardrobe. Willow, however, was preoccupied with her seething about Draco's low whispers and laughter between Crabbe and Goyle to hear what was going on. She was unmistakably surprised when Lupin began counting down.

"Shoot- Seamus, I missed all that, what's going on?" she hissed.

Seamus sighed. "How did you miss all of that? We're going to try that spell on the Boggart, and Neville's first up, so he thinks Professor Snape is going to appear out of the wardrobe."

"Professor Sn- wait, didn't he just leave the staff room? How the heck is he popping out of a wardrobe?"

"Willow, you seriously need to work on your attention span," Dean whispered. "The Boggart turns into whatever the person facing it fears most. Neville fears Professor Snape, so he's planning on defeating him with this spell, Riddikulus. Just watch."

Willow looked on as Boggart-Snape burst out of the wardrobe, striding menacingly towards Neville. Willow instinctively gripped her wand, but it wasn't necessary. With a single cry from Neville, there was a sound that reminded Willow of a whip crack, and Snape was suddenly covered in an old woman's clothes, moth-eaten and old as dirt. The class burst into laughter. Willow nearly had to be removed from the room, she was laughing so hard. There was nothing that could have prepared her for seeing Snape in a stuffed vulture hat with a handbag slung over his shoulder. Sam happened to be in the same boat as her, and the pair of them moved to the far corner of the room, where their explosive giggling wouldn't bother the rest of the class as they fought Boggart after Boggart, transforming them into countless, far less scary, almost ridiculous beings. Willow and Sam applauded hard when Neville finally finished off the Boggart.

"That was something to watch!" Sam said. "Wish I could have had a go with it, though. I'm terrified of werewolves. On second thought, maybe having a werewolf in the staff room might not be the best idea..."

Willow shrugged. "Werewolves just howl all night. They're mostly humans anyway. Whenever I go to the Forbidden Forest, they seem to stick towards the darker part, the center of the forest. I don't think they're too scary, too be perfectly honest."

"What do you think the Boggart would turn into for you, Willow?" Sam asked, holding the door for her as the class emptied out of the staff room. "Do you know what your greatest fear is?"

Willow paused in thought. "Now that I think about it...I don't have a clue."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "That's surprising. Normally, you know everything about yourself down to the exact science- except what your emotions are doing, of course, but that's beside the point. Do you at least have an idea of what scares you?"

Whispers of the first few lines of the prophecy echoed in Willow's ears, but she shut it out of her mind before they could grow. She feared the prophecy, but it wasn't her greatest fear, so there was no need to bring it up and torture herself right now. "No, not really. I'm not scared of much."

"Hm. Maybe you'd figure it out if you were faced with a Boggart. Try asking Professor Lupin if there's another Boggart. It's important to know what you're scared of, because you might be running from something that's better faced head-on."

Willow forced a smile onto her face. "I think I'll do that. Thanks, Sam."

As she expected, there didn't happen to be any extra Boggarts hanging around the castle. Professor Lupin did promise, however, that Willow would be the first in line if another happened to pop up. Feeling better that she might figure out that stubborn question, she lightly walked down the corridor towards the library, remembering that she had agreed to meet her friends for a round of studying in the library. They were already struggling to organize their days and study materials with the extra classes now weighing them down. Sue and Lisa sighed with relief when she sat down at their table.

"Thank Merlin, we were already having a panic attack over Ancient Runes," Sue said. "You're strangely good at this stuff, Willow. How do you think we should organize all our study materials?"

"Strangely g- hey, I may be a Gryffindor, but that doesn't mean I can't be organized," Willow retorted. "I think you should create some folders and arrange them in alphabetical order by class. When they start overflowing, stuff them under your bed in piles, each according to class, and if you can, make it chronological so you're not sifting through a hundred papers for a single lesson note."

"Oh- that's much simpler than my design," Lisa said, crumpling up a complicated-looking piece of parchment. "I tried to combine chronological, subject, and lesson unit into one study device, but it wasn't working out so well."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "I'm...sure it would have worked?"

Mandy shook her head at the end of the table. "No, I was going to tear my hair out by the fifth time she tried to explain it too me. I don't want to do any more thinking when I'm already trying to study for stupid Astronomy."

Lisa shrugged. "Yeah, I can see why the design failed now. We're using yours."

Over the course of the next hour, Willow helped her friends create an organized, colour-coded folder arrangement. The Smith twins, Cypress, and Oliver eventually showed up and copied her idea. Finally, satisfied with their work, they started in on their homework, most of them instantly getting on top of their Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment. Willow was done within a half hour, and after shaking out her cramped-up hand, she tended to Sam and Sally, who were struggling to come up with enough to say on Boggarts.

"How did you finish so fast? You didn't even pay attention to what Professor Lupin was saying today!" Sam complained.

Willow scoffed. "Are you questioning my ability to B.S. my way through life?"

"YES!" Sally exclaimed in frustration.

Willow chortled. "Guys, I literally opened my textbook and made sure to not copy it word for word, but close enough to it that I can't get it wrong. It's paraphrasing, just without much effort."

Cypress high-fived her. "Exactly how I get through Transfiguration papers."

"You guys are terrible. Don't you want to learn at least something from our subjects?" Sally asked.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm learning plenty. I'm just taking it easy for now because I'm avoiding the workload that's about to be dumped on us from all these dang classes," Willow said.

"Why do they have to give us so much homework? I want to be able to see my friends for more than two minutes a day," Oliver said.

"I guess we've just got to settle in and get ready to work our butts off until...December, ugh," Mandy groaned.

Lisa fell out of her chair, eyes closed. Everyone laughed. The timing of it was perfect. Lisa must have been working on her jokes, Willow thought to herself. Mandy, still chuckling, picked her up and set her back into her chair.

"That was a good one, Lisa, you actually made me laugh pretty hard," Mandy said. Lisa still went limp and fell out of the chair again. "Oh come on, silly, the joke's over, don't push your luck." Lisa didn't move. Mandy furrowed her brow. "Lisa? Seriously, you're scaring me now, what the heck are you trying to do?"

Willow shot to her feet, her brain suddenly exploding with electrical signals. "Something's wrong." She crouched down by Lisa, hand on her head. She summoned her healing powers. Hands glowing, she gently compressed her powers and sent them into Lisa. But the honey-warm glow did not transfer to her. Lisa remained unconscious, unresponsive, and extremely pale. Willow placed her finger on Lisa's neck to check her pulse. It was unnaturally slow. Willow tried to heal Lisa again, but nothing happened.

"What the...she hasn't been showing signs of anything lately, not even a cold," Sue said.

*PLEASE NOTE!!!!! THERE ARE TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THE CONTENT BELOW!!! If you have had an eating disorder, this may be especially painful to read, so please avoid it if you think this may harm you!!!*

Willow noticed something odd about the shape of Lisa's shirt. Gently lifting it halfway up Lisa's abdomen, she snapped her hand back, staring at Lisa's stomach in horror. Her friends gasped and cried out around her. Willow could count each of Lisa's ribs, they were so visible. Her hip bones jutted out so far that Willow wondered how her skin was even covering it. Lisa's body was nearly to the point of being a walking skeleton, skin stretched taut over her visible bone structure. Willow's blood ran cold when she realized exactly what was happening.

"Guys, Lisa's been starving herself. She's dying. We've got to get her to Madam Pomfrey, NOW!"

Oliver and Sue were holding onto each other and sobbing so hard that they could barely function. The Smith twins and Mandy were so horrified that they were rooted to the spot, staring at their friend with hollow, troubled eyes. Cypress was the only one that shook himself out of his terrified trance. Together, he and Willow managed to lift Lisa between them and run to the hospital wing. She was lighter than a feather. Willow's heart hammered against her ribs, which hurt worse and worse as the image of Lisa's decimated body swam in and out of her vision. The blood roared in her ears as her feet pounded the castle floor. Cypress and she received many concerned expressions as they sprinted through the corridors, but they hardly even noticed. All Willow could think about was Lisa's deathly, ghostly form, already beginning to waste away into nothing. Madam Pomfrey nearly shattered a flower vase when they kicked down the doors.

"Lisa is dying- she's starving herself- already passed out- she's dying- " Willow panted. "Help her!"

Madam Pomfrey was on her immediately. The blood drained from her face at the sight of Lisa's abdomen. "Move her here, quickly, then get out of here, because I don't want you to see this."

"What- no, I'm staying here, I can't leave her!" Willow insisted.

Madam Pomfrey turned to her with sad eyes. "Wait outside, please. Everything's going to be okay."

"No, I need to stay here, please, let me stay!" Willow persisted.

"Willow, we have to go," Cypress whispered, pulling her back.

"No, you can't make me leave!" Willow screamed, yanking her arm out of Cypress's grip. She kneeled next to Lisa's bed, glimpsing her friend's pale face once more, her stomach clenching itself as if she'd been run through with a spear.

"Willow, we have to leave her here!" Cypress said, regaining control of Willow. "She's with Madam Pomfrey. It's going to be okay now."

"No! I'm not leaving her!" Willow yelled, fighting for all she was worth.

"Willow, stop- we have to-" Cypress nearly lost control of her again. He yanked her back again with all the strength he possessed. "WILLOW! LOOK AT ME!" he roared.

Willow finally stopped fighting, noticing for the first time the stormy sheen in Cypress's eyes. There were no electric sparks left in his icy blue irises. They'd darkened to an unhappy hue that Willow had never seen before.

"Leave her," Cypress pleaded. "We can't help her now. Let Madam Pomfrey help her. Please."

Willow's mouth dropped open. Her will to fight sapped. She hung her head, slowly nodded, and let Cypress guide her outside. The rest of her friends were out there, most already in tears. Sam and Mandy had sunk to the floor, expressions unreadable as they stared at the wall, eyes sunken and defeated. Oliver threw himself into Cypress's arms and cried into his shoulder. Cypress hugged him tight, and for a split second, Willow almost thought she saw tears in his eyes, but he simply closed them, supporting Oliver as he struggled to cope with the situation. Sue and Sally were squeezing each other's hands with white knuckles, silent tears streaming down their faces. Willow forced herself to stop looking at all of them. She breathed in for a few counts, then exhaled for a few counts. She couldn't break down now. The situation was dire, but her friends needed her to stay strong. They needed someone to be strong for them. She had to be their rock to hang onto in this hurricane.

"Wisp, is that your friend in there?" a voice drawled. "Wow, you did a great job protecting them this time around, didn't you?"

Willow immediately fired off a spell in Malfoy's direction. There was a small yelp cut short by the collapse of the ceiling above where he was standing. She sifted through the rubble, rage driving her forward. She threw brick after brick over her shoulder until she found him, pulled him up by his ear, and punched him in the chest so hard that he flew into the wall.

"How dare you!" Willow shrieked, kicking him and planting her foot on his chest. "Lisa is dying, and it's all my fault! I should have known! I should have confronted her! But I didn't, and now she's dying because of my stupidity! So go ahead, toy with me all you want, it won't make a damn difference in the fact that I let my own friend almost die!"

Draco managed to get to his feet and tore down the corridor, every once in a while shooting a terrified glance back at Willow. She breathed heavily as he disappeared, aware of her friends staring open-mouthed at her, but still so wrapped up in her own pain that she couldn't feel anything else. The prophecy began stealthily invading her mind once more. She covered her ears to block out the voice, but nothing could stop it. Willow cried out in agony as the voice thundered in her ears.

The One born of powers...Receive the burden of the coming war...

"Willow? What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"Don't come anywhere near me!" Willow warned.

Never succumb to fate...But friends, family, lovers, and besides...

"Willow, you don't have to face this alone, we're all here for each other," Mandy said. "Yes, we all should have noticed Lisa's condition, but this is in no way anyone's fault."

"I- I know, but- " Willow gasped. "Please, stay back!"

These lives she will most certainly suffocate.

"Willow, you have to tell us what's going- " Sam began.

"Just- just leave me alone!" Willow screeched.

Without warning, her powers took over. Willow found herself transforming into a falcon and was zooming out the nearest window before she could stop it. She shot towards the tree line of the Forbidden Forest and crash-landed in a tall tree. She fell through the canopy, bounced off multiple branches, and thudded onto the forest floor, a rush of air escaping her. Willow coughed and slowly sat up. Her mind felt like a thick cloud of foggy pain and anguish. She could almost feel it weighing down on her shoulders.

Is the prophecy already taking effect? she wondered with a pang of guilt. Is there nothing I can do to stop it?

Willow's heart sank when she got no answer. She'd forgotten that she'd sent Cebba away for a while. Willow held her shoulder, loneliness punching her in the gut. She'd also forgotten how much Cebba meant to her. Cebba was always there when she was completely abandoned, alone, or isolated. She was always ready to give Willow a kick to jump-start her day. What kind of person was she to send someone so important in her life away, Willow asked herself? There was hardly anything holding her together before; how was she supposed to cope now that one of her best friends was possibly dead?

Apparently, her powers had an answer. Willow glanced up to see trees growing thickly around her. They were so close, in fact, that they formed a sort of rectangular wall. Vines swooped overhead to tie their branches tightly together as a sort of leaf roof. Windows were carved out of tree trunks, a door swung open from beneath the hard bark, and furniture grew itself right out of the ground. Willow scoffed.

"Great, so now you want me to run away?" she asked no one in particular. "You think I should hole myself up and live my life out as a hermit? How is that supposed to help my friends?"

Almost in answer, letters shaved themselves out of the tree bark above the door. Willow walked closer to peer at the final product.

"'Power House'? What's that supposed to mean?"

Getting only silence as an answer, Willow frustratedly sat down on a log-chair, gazing at her surroundings. There were berry bushes in one corner, a couch along one wall, an empty space in the middle, some random chairs, and a pen that seemed to be for an animal. Suddenly, Willow shot to her feet.

"Wait...this is a place for me to practice my powers, isn't it?" she said. "It's got everything...every aspect of my powers...oh my God, there's even a shelf for whatever books I come across! Powers, you're awesome! It's like you want me to figure this out!"

Willow stared at her hands, which were glowing in response to her praise, but it suddenly faded as she remembered how they'd failed her earlier.

"But...unless I figure out this prophecy, I'm not going to be able to save my friends," she whispered.

Staring at her hands once more, Willow recounted all the danger she'd put her friends in because of what was within her. She closed her eyes and placed her arms behind her. Enough was enough. The time had come for her to make a decision, and she wasn't about to make one that would put a single soul in jeopardy. Willow exhaled, running a hand through her hair, then stood up.

"Well, I guess I better decorate this place how I want it to be, because I'm going to be spending a lot of time here."

Willow began growing plants and creating signs. She had to protect her friends from this prophecy. If she couldn't work her way through it, then there was only one option left that would keep them safe: get them out of the picture entirely. Willow struggled not to cry as she covered the book shelf in colourful flowers. She was going to struggle. It was for their own safety, but it was going to tear her apart. She loved her friends more than life itself.

But if they weren't her friends anymore, then the prophecy couldn't hurt them.


	46. Year 3: Chapter 4

Willow slowly woke up to blinding light. Her eyelashes filtered the insensitive sunlight as she opened her eyes. The room gradually came into focus, though every time she blinked, it sparkled and blurred slightly. Willow rubbed her eyes until they finally adjusted to the darker room she'd woken up in. Bright sunbeams filtered through her window where she'd been laying on her couch all night. Willow yawned, then groggily stood up. Had she actually slept through the majority of the night?

No, she remembered, she hadn't. She'd had the same nightmare she'd been having for weeks, and it kept her up well past midnight. Willow sighed. Was it too much to ask to get a full night's sleep anymore?

Shaking off her disappointment, Willow threw on a pair of soccer shorts and her favourite jersey, then picked a few raspberries off the bush in the corner of the Power House. She peered outside, estimating that it was about half past six in the morning. Today was as good as any day to go for a run and play some soccer. Hastily throwing her hair in a ponytail, Willow found her running shoes, tied them tight, and jogged out the door.

The Forbidden Forest had become very homey around the area where the Power House had popped up. A trail had been carved out already from the amount of times Willow used the same route to get to the castle for her classes. She used that trail this morning, following it all the way to the main path behind Hagrid's house, the one she preferred for her morning runs. Willow jogged along, her breath becoming mist in the cool air. Fallen leaves pleasingly cracked and crunched under her feet. The birds twittered in the trees, a few magical creatures squeaked as they played deeper within the forest, and the gurgle of a nearby stream carried away Willow's stress. The scent of wild onions and tree sap washed over her senses. Willow would have described the sensation as her soul being cleansed. If only her heart could do the same thing.

Willow ended her run deep within the forest, but simply transformed into a falcon, flew back over the trees, and landed in the middle of the field beside the castle. For once, she didn't trip and fall on her face. She was getting much better at sticking her landings. Willow untied her shoes, peeled off her socks, and found the soccer ball she'd hidden in the tall grass. She quickly grew a pair of trees strung together with a strong tufts of grass as her goal, then went about her usual soccer routine. Willow got thousands of touches on the ball. She did skill moves, did speed drills, weaved in and out of patches of grass, and shot so many goals that her legs ached. Mornings were always the best for soccer. Everyone else was in the castle, sleeping away, but she got to have her alone time with the only company she preferred: her soccer ball. Willow was able to forget about her heartache for a little while. Soccer picked up her worries and threw them aside, for however short a time. She wished it could completely solve them for her, but she knew in her heart that her situation could only be solved by her own actions.

Checking her watch, Willow realized it was already eight in the morning. There were bound to be teachers about if she didn't pack up soon. Willow kicked her soccer ball back into the tall grass, retracted the plants she'd grown, put her shoes and socks back on, and flew to her Power House. She changed out her shoes, making sure to leave her running shoes outside where they wouldn't stink up the house. Willow decided that putting her robes back on would be better than detention and begrudgingly threw them over her T-shirt. Grabbing her wand and textbooks, she took the trail she'd made to Hagrid's house, then veered off to go to the paddock where the hippogriffs were kept. Willow wasn't surprised to find Hagrid there.

"Hey, Hagrid!" Willow called.

Hagrid turned around and grinned, but a somber expression still remained on his face. "Hello, Willow. I'm jus' visitin' Beaky again, 'at's all."

Willow bowed to Buckbeak, who bowed in response. She stroked the feathers along the back of his neck. "Beaky's a good boy, aren't you, Buckbeak?"

Buckbeak flapped his wings in approval. Hagrid half-smiled.

"He's the best I got, Beaky is," Hagrid said. "I reckon they're after him now, school gov'ners and such."

Willow sighed. "Well, they're not getting Beaky. I'd like to see them try to come near him. Lucius Malfoy can use that silver tongue of his to trick everyone into going against Buckbeak, he can get a council's approval to remove him and all that other official rubbish, but the one thing he can't do is actually move against Buckbeak. Beaky defends himself well, don't you, good boy?"

Although Buckbeak seemed to agree with that, Hagrid shook his head. "They'll do whatever they gotta do ter get rid o' him when they make up their minds."

"Well, until then, Beaky doesn't have to worry about a thing, and neither do we. We've got time." Willow tapped her foot. "Hagrid, do you think we'll be doing something other than Flobberworms soon?"

Hagrid heaved a sigh. "I don' know, I'm waitin' fer the gov'ners to approve summat."

Willow shrugged. At least she'd tried to get him to do something different. "Well, I've got to get to class. I'll see you tomorrow, Hagrid."

Hagrid waved goodbye. Willow ran through the tall grass and made it to the Entrance Hall in record time. She grabbed a piece of toast and an apple from the Great Hall, then ate it on her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. She walked into class with five minutes to spare, a new record for that month. Her stomach flipped when her Gryffindor Sisters waved at her, patting a seat next to them. She pretended she hadn't seen them and simply found and empty seat in the back corner of the class. Willow felt like a coward for not even looking at them afterwards to see their disappointed reactions. She deserved whatever hate they were about to throw at her now. Unfortunately, an unwelcome distraction directed her attention elsewhere.

"How could Dumbledore hire such a slob? I can't believe the state this school's heading towards, hiring people like him," a familiar blonde sneered.

Willow seethed quietly as Draco continued to very loudly cast his opinion about the room. Even though the prophecy could still affect him, her possibly being friends with him and all, Draco was the one person she didn't actively avoid. His safety was not her concern anymore since she didn’t consider him a friend at the moment. Willow promised herself, though, that the moment he showed signs of illness or otherwise, she’d cut him out of her day even more than she naturally did. A wake up call would be necessary for him, but she wouldn't let him die. Throwing Draco at death wouldn't make him think any differently; it would just make him dead, and Willow didn't know if she could forgive herself for an act like that.

"Are you sure those are even robes? He couldn't even have gotten them from Madam Malkin's with the amount of rips in them."

Willow squeezed her fists so tight that she almost broke her quill. Crabbe and Goyle grunted in what she guessed was supposed to be the dumbest laugh she'd ever heard. Draco smirked and soaked up the attention, casting around to see if any other Slytherins had paid any attention to him. Some lost souls were giggling to themselves. Willow forced herself to look away. She ended up sitting on her hands to prevent herself from clamping them around Draco's head.

"...probably not even qualified to be a teacher. I bet he's the first bum they picked up on the street that knew a single thing about certain magical creatures."

"Okay, that's it," Willow snapped, getting up so fast that her chair crashed backwards. She whipped out her wand and strode towards Draco as multiple students looked on. He yelped and sunk into his seat to avoid her outstretched wand, but she pushed forward until the tip of the rowan wood was pressed against Draco's throat.

"What were you saying about Professor Lupin, again?" Willow asked patronizingly.

"All good things, obviously," Draco spat.

Willow rolled her eyes. "And I thought I was bad about using sarcasm. Seriously, what's your problem with Lupin? Do you not care that he's the only decent one of the professors we've had so far?"

"Decent? How can you call that homeless lunatic decent?"

Willow pressed her wand even harder into Draco's windpipe. "Do you still stand by that statement?"

Draco's eyes flashed silver. "Like a statue."

Willow now applied even more pressure so that Draco gasped in pain. "Are you absolutely certain about that?"

Draco winced. "Ow, ow, ow, okay, jeez, Wisp, I take it back, I take it back!" he cried. Willow retracted her wand, allowing Draco to take a few gasping breaths. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"The heart of the person that's trying to save your soul," she muttered, just loud enough for Draco to hear.

Draco opened his mouth and was about to argue, but at that exact moment, Lupin appeared at the top of the stairs from his office to begin class. Willow sat down and ignored the icy glare burning into the side of her head.

Lupin swiftly began the lesson by unveiling a glass enclosure on the window side of the room. Multiple students gasped at the sight of the creature on the other side of the window. Semi-camouflaged by the reedy, muddy pond environment was a scaly monkey-like creature with a sort of bowl on its head. Willow had never seen anything like it. Lupin invited the class to gather closer.

"Does anyone recognize this particular creature?" he asked.

Hermione's hand shot up, so Lupin called on her. "It's a kappa, Professor. They're water demons from Japan."

"Very good, Hermione. Five points to Gryffindor." Hermione glowed with pride as Lupin pressed on. "Kappas are given a quadruple-X rating by the Ministry of Magic for a good reason. They feed on human blood. Kappas are known for inhabiting shallow ponds, where they will strangle unwary Muggles and wizards alike that pass through."

A good number of students stepped back, now casting wary glances at the kappa. Willow, however, stepped closer, peering curiously at the magical creature. Its beady eyes flicked from student to student, but it didn't appear threatening- yet.

"Thankfully, there are two known ways to defeat kappas," Professor Lupin calmingly continued. "The source of a kappa's strength comes from the depression on the top of their head. Do you see that water inside it? If you can trick the kappa into bowing, the water will spill out, and the kappa would be left too weak to cause harm to you. The other method to defeating a kappa is rather silly, however. To humor the creature, you can carve your name into a cucumber and toss it at the kappa."

A ripple of laughter washed over the classroom, brightening the mood. Lupin smiled at the group.

"Today is only the first day of many that you'll have a chance to challenge the kappa. If you're not confident to take them on today, or want to see someone else go first, there will be multiple other occasions in which you can face it. We do, however, need someone to go today. Are there any volunteers?"

At first, the class took a single step backwards, pulling Willow with them. Then, to everyone's surprise, a single, trembling hand rose above their heads, and Neville shyly stepped out from behind Dean Thomas.

"I-I'll do it," he stuttered.

Lupin beamed at him. "Well done, Neville, well done! Come stand over here, if you would, please."

Neville walked to a spot next to the enclosure where a rather large door was locked shut. Professor Lupin unlocked it with a wave of his wand, but still kept his hand on the handle.

"So, Neville, which method do you prefer?" Lupin asked.

"The cucumber, please, Professor," Neville said, which drew a few nervous chuckles from the students behind him. Lupin grinned at him.

"One cucumber, coming right up." After handing Neville a cucumber, Professor Lupin peacefully pulled out his wand. "There's a fairly simple gouging spell used to carve your name into objects. Simply wave your wand- like this- and say, 'Defodio,' then focus on moving your wand as if you were writing your name. Now, you try it."

Neville's hand almost imperceptibly shook as he raised his wand, whispered, "Defodio," and watched in amazement as his wand magically carved out pieces of the cucumber wherever he moved it. After crudely gouging "Neville Longbottom" into the vegetable, he expectantly looked to Professor Lupin. Lupin simply opened the door to the glass enclosure.

"Alright, wait for the kappa to come to you, then toss him the cucumber," he instructed.

Neville took a deep breath, then gradually slipped his wand back into his pocket. The kappa perked up at the click of the door opening. Moving on all fours, the creature crept towards Neville, peering suspiciously at him. Neville seemed to struggle sitting still, his hand twitching towards his pocket every few seconds. The kappa slowed to a halt when he was a mere five feet away from Neville. Sniffing the air, the scaly creature licked its lips, staring at Neville's wrist. His hand trembling slightly, Neville gently tossed the cucumber at the kappa. The kappa stiffened when the vegetable landed in front of him. The class watched with bated breath as the creature picked up the cucumber, scrutinized the lettering, and finally grumbled to himself, crawling off towards his pond with his prize in hand. Neville smiled in relief as Professor Lupin shut the door and the class burst into applause.

"Well done, Neville!" he praised. "Ten points to Gryffindor for an outstanding performance."

Neville blushed scarlet. He quickly retreated to where Sam, Dean, and Seamus were standing, waiting to clap him on the back. Ron and Harry managed to push their way through the crowd to congratulate him too. When the excitement finally simmered down to a few joyful whispers, Lupin addressed the class once more.

"Is there anyone else that would like to have a go?" he inquired.

Willow immediately raised her hand, simultaneously pushing down Draco's arm. "I'll do it," she said, glaring at him.

Lupin shuttled her to the door where Neville had been moment earlier. "Which way would you prefer?"

"I'll do the other one, the bowing thingy," Willow replied, earning her a snort of disapproval from Draco and company. She simply pretended she hadn't heard it and rolled up her sleeves.

"Wand at the ready, Willow, just in case he decides to make this difficult," Lupin reminded her. Willow pulled out her wand. "On my three, I'll open the door to let you inside. One...two...three!"

Lupin unlatched the door, and Willow quietly stepped inside. The kappa immediately rose out of the pond and faced her. Willow took in her opponent. His claws and teeth were rather sharp, and his scales looked like an off-colour suit of armor. She wouldn't get anywhere in a fight. It didn't look like she had a choice, though, as the kappa wasn't looking for any amount of talking. The kappa advanced and growled at her with each passing second. Willow set her feet and kept her wand aimed directly at the creature's chest. She already had a defensive spell prepared if there was to be a fight. If all else failed, she knew that Professor Lupin would never let anything happen to her, either. She really hoped she could trick the creature into bowing and get out of there as fast as possible.

The kappa showed his teeth and brandished his claws. Willow swallowed hard to keep the fear from entering her expression. When he fully stood up to make himself look bigger, however, Willow gasped, and not with terror.

The kappa was skinny as skinny could be. His eyes appeared more rabid for food rather than bloodshed. The muscles were beginning to disappear on the creature, almost before Willow's very eyes. She shut her eyes tight to squeeze out the memories of Lisa's decimated body. Now was not a great time to have a panic attack; she was being watched by half of the third year! Thankfully, Willow's attention was diverted by the swipe of a lethal set of claws, scratching out anything she was thinking about before. She quickly ducked and rolled out of the way.

"Hey- whoa! That is not nice!" Willow yelped. "You didn't even let me get a word in!"

The kappa snarled and lashed out once more, this time catching Willow on the underside of her forearm. She gripped it with her hand to stop the bleeding. Preparing herself to attack, Willow faced up the creature once again. But the kappa froze, staring at Willow's arm. She saw a hunger burning in his eyes that one only ever saw in the irises of a starving soul. It suddenly dawned on Willow what she could do.

"Hey, I'll make you a deal if you stop being a bully," she offered. "You get to have some of my blood, but you stop when I tell you to stop, okay?"

The kappa ignored her, only staring at Willow's forearm. She sighed.

"I must truly be going insane," she muttered.

Willow slowly peeled her hand off her sticky skin and allowed the wound to bleed freely. Gently inching towards the kappa, she allowed the creature to slowly come closer, then went rigid as the kappa dove for her arm without warning. The class screamed outside. Lupin went to open the door, but she held out a hand to stop him.

"Wait!" she cried. "It...it doesn't even hurt that bad."

Everyone watched with wide eyes as Willow allowed the hungry kappa to drink the blood from her veins. She had to admit, it felt weird, and the way the kappa's eyes were wild with the glee of finally tasting blood was slightly concerning, but it barely felt like a prick. Willow smiled as the kappa's complexion brightened. When he was finally looking a more natural shade of brighter brownish-crimson, she gently tipped the kappa's head forward, spilling the majority of the water there. The kappa visibly lost all strength, but didn't stop eating.

"Alright, you've had enough," she said, pulling her arm away. To her surprise, the kappa didn't resist, simply sitting down and staring at her. Willow shrugged and walked back outside, locking the door behind her. The entire class of third years stared at her with shocked expressions. Lupin, however, was grinning from ear to ear.

"I'd say we've discovered a third way to defeat kappas, haven't we?" he said. "If you're so inclined towards magical creatures as Miss Guerrero is, you may find a way to make any creature harmless. Well done."

Hesitant applause followed this pronouncement. Lupin called for more volunteers, and although it took a while, the class eventually stopped staring at Willow as if she were some mentally insane alien and continued enjoying the lesson. She tried multiple times to sneak out of class while her Gryffindor Sisters took turns chucking poorly aimed cucumbers at the now subdued kappa. Hermione, of course, wouldn't let her. Willow had to wait until Draco had finished his dramatic show of tricking the kappa into spilling the water from his head before the bell mercifully rang. She practically sprinted away from the stares and wide-eyed wonder of her classmates. Unfortunately, she didn't make it far, as she ran into a holdup.

"Ah, there she is!"

"We've been looking for you over the past few weeks!"

"Haven't had much luck, but glad you finally showed!"

"It gets awful gloomy when you miss a few operations, doesn't it?"

Willow's heart stabbed itself with an incredibly sharp knife. "Hey, guys! Um...sorry...I- uh...I haven't been- around...much? You know, adjusting to new classes, all that stuff?"

Fred rolled his eyes. "Sure, Willow Guerrero's always needed months to adjust to being back at the place she calls her second home."

Willow winced. "Well, third year threw some curveballs at me."

George put his arm around her. "Yes, we know, we've been there. Somehow, I don't recall us moving into the Forbidden Forest, avoiding friends, or suddenly finding ourselves caught up in as much homework as you claim you have."

Willow very unconvincingly smiled. "What are you talking about? I haven't moved into the Forbidden Forest. It's forbidden, duh. And I'm not avoiding my friends, I just have that much homework!"

Fred spluttered and stopped without warning. "It's forbidden? Since when has that been an excuse for you not to do something, ever? You run off to the Forest all the time!"

Willow sighed. "Am I that bad at lying?"

"YES!" the twins chorused exasperatedly.

Willow tried to shrug off George's arm, but he held her firmly, not allowing her to leave. "Can I at least go to lunch, guys? I promise I'll see you at quidditch tonight."

"You see us at quidditch every night, and you still disappear directly afterwards, and no one knows where you go- except for us, of course," George said. "That still doesn't change the fact that you don't show up for our plans anymore."

"I- I can't," Willow said. "I've- got lots to do. Griffin's becoming a full-blown adult, you know, so he's a piece of work, and now these powers are driving me crazy- oh, and don't forget the ridiculous amount of catching up I've got to do on Divination, I haven't been going to class since the first day- so, yeah, I think I've got a valid number of excuses."

"Does that really excuse you, though?" Fred said. "Blimey, Willow, you used to skip Potions to do these operations, and we all know how horrible Snape is. What's gotten into you?"

"I don't know, Fred, maybe you should figure it out yourself, being the smart person you are," Willow snapped. "You seem to know exactly what I should and shouldn't be doing, so go on, tell me a little more about what I'm doing wrong with my life!"

"Hey, we're the ones trying to help you out here!" Fred retorted. "There's no need to get snippy with us!"

"Oh, so now that I'm angry, and you don't want to deal with me, it's all my fault!" Willow shouted.

"No, it's just- Willow, you're not yourself at all!" George said.

"I wonder why, George? Since you think you can figure everything out about me, why don't you explain to me exactly why I've been protecting you guys? Tell me, George!"

"Protecting? What do you mean, protecting?" Fred questioned, suddenly serious.

"I- it's nothing," Willow lied, turning to walk away.

"No, Willow, it's not nothing, obviously," George said. "Tell us what's going on, or you're getting thrown into our next prank whether you like it or not."

"I told you, it's nothing!"

Fred moved to block her progress. "Willow, what's going on?"

"NOTHING!" she yelled, shoving him to the side. "If I really thought you guys were in trouble, I'd tell you, but- " Willow swallowed hard. "You don't deserve to be like this."

"Like what?"

"LIKE ME!" Willow screamed, whipping around to face them. "Living life second by agonizing second, actively avoiding everyone that was holding you together before, just for the sake of letting them live in peace. No one deserves to live like this. I- I'm not okay, and there's nothing I can do about it now. Just- forget about me, and please, for the love of God, have some fun without me so I might at least smile once a week."

Fred and George stood in a stunned silence as Willow walked away. She did her best to cool her face, breathing deeply to control her emotions. She would never live down bursting into tears in the middle of the Great Hall. After grabbing a roast beef sandwich, Willow left the mass of merry students and opted for the currently abandoned courtyard. She climbed up her usual tree and ate her food in solitude, reflecting on her outburst. She wished she hadn't done that. Now the twins would pester her and prank her and tease her to no end until they managed to make her open up or be happy. She needed to be more careful of her encounters with her friends. If she couldn't manage to make them stay away, then she would have to resort to drastic measures to keep them away.

"Hey, Pouty Face! What the heck are you doing, eating lunch in a tree? You do know we're not monkeys, right?"

Willow was frightened so much that she nearly fell off her perch. She barely managed to hang onto the tree branch with her legs, swinging helplessly upside down as a familiar face sauntered towards her, struggling to hold in a bout of giggles.

"Wow, your hair really is long," Paige said, pretending to measure Willow's hair with an imaginary ruler. "Hm, I better chop a few inches off, or you're going to be drowning in it. Let's see...eight inches good?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "No, Paige, I can manage whatever length of hair I choose."

"Sure, because just putting a brush through it every day is definitely managing long hair."

"You do the same thing!"

Paige smirked. "That's different." She ignored Willow's disbelieving scoff. "What are you doing out here, anyway? The twins weren't speaking to Lee at lunch, which is weird, considering they always have something to say to him, so I take it you did something stupid again?"

"What- no, I didn't, actually, unless you count what happened during Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Yeah, you're always doing something stupid, so get on with it," Paige said, flicking Willow's hair into her face. "Come on. I'm not going to leave you alone until you own up to yourself."

"That's completely unfair."

"Owning up to yourself is unfair? I'm pretty sure it's more unfair to the people around you."

"Ouch."

Paige shrugged. "You know unfiltered honesty is my policy."

"I know, it's just- ugh, that hits a sore spot," Willow admitted. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at the twins, so can you tell them that? I don't think they'd like to see me at this particular moment."

Paige peered at her. "Are you trying to trick me into leaving you alone?"

"No."

"That was way too fast of a response. Yep, you're hiding something," Paige concluded, poking Willow in the stomach. "Where have you been going? I heard that you haven't actually stayed overnight in the Gryffindor common room since the beginning of the year. Seriously, if you've got a secret hideout, that's cruel to hide it from me, because I've got some pretty cool stuff that I could do if I had a proper hiding place."

"Like what?"

Paige smirked. "Do you want the original answer, or the dirty one that just popped into my head?"

"What- oh, Paige, no!" Willow groaned. "Please, I'm innocent still, I probably won't even understand what you say."

"I have plenty of time to explain it."

"God no, just forget about it," Willow pleaded. She pretended to check her watch. "Look, I've got to go get some Divination work done before Professor Trelawney kills me. Am I off the hook?"

"No, because from the last thing I've heard, you're two weeks ahead in Divination, using the textbook properly and all that overachiever crap. Are you going to tell me what's going on, or do I have to force it out of you?"

"Where are you hearing all this stuff about me?" Willow said.

"Multiple sources. Anyway, it looks like you're not going to simply hand over information, so I guess I've got to resort to drastic measures...Which pictures of you in those dresses turned out the best, by the way?"

"What- no! Paige, don't you dare! I'll give you what you want!" Willow promised very quickly. Paige raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I'll tell you what's going on, but if you tell anyone else, you're dead."

Paige smiled. "Ooh, a secret! I love tormenting people with these. Go on, please, I beg you," she said dramatically.

Willow sighed. "I hate you sometimes. Well, there's been this really big, and I mean huge bombshell about my powers that Cebba decided to drop on me. I don't know how to deal with it all that well, so I've been...uh...avoiding- pretty much all of humanity. Until I figure it out, everyone related to me, whether by blood or friendship, is in mortal danger. So...yeah. It's kind of a mess."

Paige snorted. "And you expect me to be afraid of mortal danger?"

"Not normally, but this time, yes," Willow said. "It's unavoidable. If I don't figure this thing out, then everyone I know and love is going to die, and there's no way I can prevent it once it takes effect."

Paige nodded. "Sounds like a typical day in the life of Willow Guerrero. You'll figure this one out."

Willow blinked at her. "That's...it? No advice? No words of wisdom? Just...'you'll figure this one out'?"

"Yep."

Willow slide her hands down her face. "This is going to be a very long day."

After a rather dark, muddy, and exhausting quidditch practice later that week, Willow was almost half-smiling by the time she finished showering the dirt and grass off of her legs back in Gryffindor Tower. She was in such a good mood for once that she even gave Griffin extra-long belly rubs. Of course, as all good things do, Willow's happy evening abruptly ended at the sight of Professor McGonagall standing in the middle of the Gryffindor common room- staring right at her.

"Miss Guerrero, my office, please," she said briskly.

Willow's stomach flipped. She hurried after her Head of House through the portrait hole, down several corridors, and finally into her office. Professor McGonagall sat down at her desk and motioned for Willow to do the same.

"It has been brought to my attention by Professor Trelawney that you have been of low attendance in Divination lately," she began. "According to her, you haven't attended a single class since the first day, and it's nearly Halloween, I may remind you. That's two months. If you do not wish to take Divination any longer, that is a matter we can discuss after the Holidays, but for now, I do not wish to keep you in line by means of detention and house points."

"Professor- I've been keeping up- been doing the work on my own- " Willow stammered.

"That does not excuse you from physically attending the class, Miss Guerrero."

"But Professor, I really have been doing well, I'm able to keep up without attending the class- "

"This is not up for discussion. You will attend Divination, like it or not, or there will be consequences!" Professor McGonagall thundered.

Willow opened her mouth to protest, then frustratedly shut it, slumping back in her seat. "Yes, Professor. I- I'm sorry that I haven't been going. I promise, I have a good reason, it's just..." She sighed. "Nevermind."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "If there is a valid reason, you will be excused from class, Miss Guerrero, but it must be a very good reason."

Willow struggled to come up with a convincing lie. "I...I struggle to focus in her classroom, Professor. It gave me a severe migraine the first time I stepped into her tower, and I don't think any amount of pain medicine can prevent it. I can't focus with my head pounding."

"Well, you aren't the first one to come to me with complaints of the perfume she brews," McGonagall sighed, apparently struggling to keep a neutral expression. "That does not, however, excuse you from class. Madam Pomfrey has numerous remedies for migraines and other pains. I suggest asking her about accommodations. Until you come to me with a better reason for skipping, you will be required to show up to Divination as scheduled. There will be detention for each future infraction. Have a good evening, Miss Guerrero."

Her good mood completely evaporated, Willow curtly nodded and left McGonagall's office. She slowly made her way back to Gryffindor Tower, feeling like Griffin might be able to fix her mood, but forgetting all about a very important group of people that happened to haunt the Gryffindor common room every evening. Willow crawled through the portrait hole only to be literally smacked in the face by a Sister. She gasped and toppled into an armchair, the brush harmlessly bouncing onto the floor. Willow raised a hand to her throbbing cheekbone.

"What the hell was that for?" she groaned.

"HOW DARE YOU! I THOUGHT YOU WERE ONE OF US!" Lavender shrieked.

"I am one of you! You just won't see reason!" Hermione retorted.

Willow furrowed her eyebrows. "What's going on?"

"YOU! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Mia shouted.

Grasping her by the arm, Mia yanked Willow into the middle of the common room, where essentially all of the Gryffindor Sisters were pitted against Hermione. Willow was dropped directly in front of Hermione's table of sprawling textbooks and homework assignments. Both sides were glaring daggers at each other, on their feet with wands poised against each other.

"Willow, Hermione's been ridiculously insensitive lately, and we're putting an end to it!" Fay decreed. "She was completely and utterly rude to Lavender about the news of Blinky’s death. She didn't even care that Lavender was grieving!"

"Wait, Blinky died? Your baby rabbit?" Willow asked. Lavender teared up in response. "I'm sorry. That sucks."

"Oh, so now you care!" Sally said, turning the heads of multiple Sisters. "You pretty much leave us for weeks, letting us fend for ourselves, not taking a single second to think about how we're doing, but now that someone's hurt, you suddenly show up to offer some pity? Not cool, Willow!"

"Hey, hey, that is not what this is!" Willow said.

"Really? You never even came back to ask if Lisa was okay, Willow! We thought you'd gone off and- and- " Sally swallowed, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter anymore. You've made it clear that you don't care about anyone except yourself."

"What- no, that's not- " Willow's struggled to form a coherent sentence. "I care about you guys more than my well-being!"

"Tell that to the person you almost let die because you couldn't be bothered to pay attention!" Sally shouted.

Willow clenched her fists. "You're really going to take it that far?"

"Hey, excuse me, we were in the middle of something more important than your little squabble!" Parvati said. "Willow, should we kick Hermione out of the Sisterhood?"

"What- no! Just because she's a little insensitive doesn't mean she deserves to be left stranded!"

Fay and Mia gasped. "But- she insults Professor Trelawney constantly! Trelawney is the only reason we've got an Exceeds Expectations this year! How can you stand to let her mock such a goddess?"

Willow spluttered. "A goddess? You're going as far as to call her a goddess?"

That was the wrong thing to say. Willow's Gryffindor Sisters instantly turned on her. Lavender and Parvati began explaining in very loud and demanding voices exactly how Professor Trelawney was a goddess that changed their lives. Mia and Fay insulted her left and right about how she was never following through on her promise to help set them all up with dates, how they were suffering academically because she wasn't there to help, and how she was hurting them very deeply. Worst of all was Sally, facing her down with an icy gleam in her eyes.

"You think that we didn't notice your disappearance?" Sally said. "We've been trying to reach out to you for weeks, but all you do is push us away! Mandy's been worried sick between you and Lisa, and now Sue is struggling to hold herself together. Cypress and Oliver haven't visited us in weeks. We're a mess because of you, Willow, an absolute wreck! It's all your fault! You left us to our own devices! How are we supposed to help each other if we're constantly splitting apart because of you?"

"What- you haven't still hung out with each other?" Willow said. "Why?"

"Why do you think, Willow? You were the one that brought us together! Without you, everything goes to crap!" Sally yelled. "Why can't you just suck it up and be a good friend for once?"

"I am! You wouldn't understand!"

"Oh, I understand perfectly! You couldn't help your selfishness, so the moment Lisa went downhill, you ran away to make it easier on you! I'm here to tell you, Willow, it may have made you feel a whole lot better, but all it did for the rest of us was make us suffer!"

"I- I didn't know! I'm sorry!"

"No you're not! You were ready to let Lisa die, and you know it!"

A rage like Willow had never felt before suddenly spilled over. The pressing voices of Mia and Fay's insults, Lavender and Parvati's superior tones, and Sally's reckless accusations all piled up into an uncontrollable monster within Willow. Electricity crackled through her veins. A faint honey-coloured glow ran up and down her arms. Her powers reacted before she could stop them. The floor cracked open, and from the small amount of soil underneath it, a thorny vine bush grew. Her roommates screamed as the spiky plants wrapped themselves around them, lifting them off the floor and preventing them from being able to use their limbs. Hermione stood up so fast that her table flipped over.

"Willow, stop! You're hurting them!" she shrieked.

Willow gasped when she realized that tiny dots of red were spreading all over her friends from where the thorns were jabbing into their exposed skin. She immediately began to reverse the effects of her powers. Crying out with the effort it took, Willow managed to return the thorn bush back into the soil until there was nothing left but a massive crack in the floor. She fell onto her back and coughed, her hands still glowing, the electricity buzzing in an almost angry way. Willow managed to sit up and look at her friends.

"You...you hurt us," Parvati said, examining the cuts on her arms. "You promised you'd never do that."

Willow stared in horror at the thin lines of red now streaming across each one of her Sisters. Glancing around in a panic, she noticed that other Gryffindor students had been watching the entire time. Willow looked at her hands again, which were still glowing, and squeezed her fingernails into her palms until they hurt. She'd injured her friends. It wasn't even on purpose. What kind of monster was she?

"You promised never to hurt us," Mia said. "How could you go back on that?"

Willow stood up super fast. She whirled around and around in a panic, agonizingly aware of an increasing number of people that had been watching her obvious presentation of her powers. She was going to be discovered! Her heart beat unnaturally fast as she desperately cast around for an escape route.

"You know what, Willow?" Sally whispered, making Willow’s heart jump. "You've broken one too many promises. I'm done. You're not my friend anymore. I'll see you hopefully never."

That did Willow in. Her heart shattered, her mind broke, and her body no longer listened to her. Willow's legs seemingly carried her out of the Gryffindor common room of her own accord. She ran farther, and farther, and farther, until she was out on the Hogwarts grounds, then on the Forbidden Forest path, then onto the Power House doorstep, and finally collapsed onto her couch, breathing harder than she ever had before. Willow tried to catch her breath, but nothing worked, and she was suddenly plunged into darkness, falling, falling, falling, until she had nothing left to hold onto, and she was prisoner to the dark depths of the life that had given her no choice.

Willow gasped awake to something cold pouring over her face. She coughed and rolled over, sending some water into her right ear. Willow groaned and laid back down, rubbing her eyes to clear them. Her brain felt awfully foggy and dysfunctional.

"Scree!"

Willow jumped to her feet. "Merlin's beard, Griffin, don't scare me like that!"

Griffin flapped his wings and pranced around, every once in a while nudging her with his beak as if he were making sure she was moving. Willow glanced around the room she was in and recognized it as the secret room off the Gryffindor common room. Wait...hadn't she run all the way to the Power House last night? How did she get here?

As if in answer, Phoebe swung down onto Griffin's back, chattering at her, pointing towards the window, and waving her arms in the general direction of the Forbidden Forest. Willow sighed and ran her hands down her face.

"You guys literally rescued me from the Power House?"

Phoebe nodded, happily hanging from Griffin's back from her feet. She picked up a bucket as they went past it and she dumped the rest of its contents on Willow. Griffin and Phoebe seemed to laugh as Willow shivered from the cold temperature of the water.

"Hey! That was completely unnecessary!" she scolded.

Phoebe only chattered to herself. Willow gave up trying to talk sense into her creatures and cast her now soaking-wet robe aside, opting to throw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt she always kept in the secret room. She was most likely going to get in trouble for wearing them to breakfast, but that didn't matter at the moment. Willow checked her watch and jumped nearly a foot in the air.

"What- I've been out for 22 hours?" she squeaked. "Jesus, it's nearly dinner! Oh my God, and it's Halloween, I've missed the Hogsmeade trip! Professor McGonagall's going to kill me! Uh- thanks, guys, but I'll have to give you extra treats later, I've got to go!"

Willow dashed out the door and into the common room, which, unsurprisingly, was deserted. Nearly everyone from the third year and up would have gone on the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, and everyone else would be heading down to the feast. Judging by the time, the students should be arriving back from the trip, and the feast would be starting any minute. Willow ran through the portrait hole and was about to turn the corner when something stopped her. Her head spun and buzzed with light electrical signals. Willow placed a hand to her temple, thinking it was a headache, but it became something a little more important than that. It was the faintest of faint warning signs. Something bad was about to happen. Willow spun around, trying to see an intruder, but all she saw was a kitten running in the opposite direction she was heading. What were her powers trying to tell her?

Suddenly, an unmistakable scream shot through the quiet corridor, tearing at Willow's eardrums. She struggled to block out her senses and stay on her feet. Was that...the Fat Lady? Willow started towards the woman's portrait, transforming herself into a cat just in case there was trouble. Her heart leapt into her mouth as she approached. The Fat Lady's screams traveled farther and farther away until she apparently found another corridor full of paintings to run through. Willow prepared to pounce around the corner. If there was to be a fight, she knew exactly which spell she was going to use to disarm her opponent. She didn't know what she was up against. Tensing up her muscles, Willow shifted on her hindquarters, size up the distance, and launched herself towards the portrait hole.

Without warning, a sizable black dog crashed into her midair, and the two of them tumbled onto the stone floor. Willow ended up transforming back into herself, holding her head. Then, to her great surprise, the dog grew taller, the fur disappeared, and a bedraggled man appeared in front of her. Willow's eyes widened farther than humanely possible. For a moment, the pair stood there in the corridor, staring at each other in shock. Willow finally got a grip on herself and grabbed her wand before the man could attack.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

The man's body seized up, and he fell backwards onto the castle floor, completely disarmed. Willow found a knife in his hand and kicked it away, sending it clattering harmlessly down the corridor. She kept her wand aimed at the man as she examined the Fat Lady's portrait. Slashes and gauges littered the canvas, some of it already crumbling to the floor. Willow slowly turned back to the man, her voice refusing to work, her hands trembling. She cast around for a broom closet, then quickly drug him inside one.

"Lumos," she whispered, a small glow lighting up the man's face. Butterflies chaotically invaded her stomach. Willow managed to move the man's body into a sitting position. He stared at her almost pleadingly.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right here," she said.

"I'm...innocent," the man rasped.

"No you're not. I know who you are. You killed thirteen people with a single curse. You've been in Azkaban for twelve years. You're Sirius Black, mass murderer, and the biggest fugitive in the Wizarding World for the past few months."

"I'm...not...denying it," Sirius said. "But...I didn't kill...those people."

"Sure, and Voldemort is waiting for you with a bouquet of flowers," Willow said. Sirius winced at his name. "Why would his name bother you? I'd think it would give you something to look forward to."

"I never worked for that murderous bastard!" Sirius hissed.

Willow clenched her fists. "Then why did you kill all those people? Why did you laugh when the authorities came to get you?"

"Because they had the wrong man, and I lost everything in a single night! I didn't kill a single person! It wasn't me that did all those things! James and Lily...they were supposed to be safe, but they- they were betrayed."

"By you!"

"Not me! They were betrayed by my friend, Peter Pettigrew!"

Willow blinked. "Isn't he...dead?"

"No," Sirius said. "He's alive, and he's the reason the Potters are dead."

Willow stared at Sirius for a long time. Her senses were screaming, they were receiving so many emotions from Sirius. There was grief, intermittent rage, sorrow, pain, and...the tiniest bit of hope. Willow didn't even need to use her powers to sense his overpowering emotions. She could see them clearly in Sirius's eyes.

"Can you prove it?" Willow asked.

"I- I can't," Sirius admitted. "Not yet. But you have to believe me. Lily and James died because of Peter, and I have to avenge their deaths. I can't prove that Peter did it if they hand me over to the dementors."

Willow shuddered at the mention of the dementors. "Obviously, but why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't, because you have no reason to."

Willow looked at Sirius in disbelief. His gaunt face, his torn, greasy clothes, and his straggly hair all but understated the man underneath it all. She didn't know why, but something told Willow that Sirius was telling the truth. He didn't look like a man that was running from his mistakes; he looked like a man running towards the only hope he had left in his life. Willow swallowed hard. Allowing Sirius Black to leave without telling anyone was very, very illegal, and if she was caught...well, she wasn't going to leave prison until she was well beyond her seventh year. But deep down, Willow had a feeling this was the right thing to do.

"Are you going to hand me over now?" Sirius whispered, appearing defeated by Willow's delayed response.

"No." Sirius stared at her in disbelief. "I almost lost a friend because I couldn't pay enough attention to her to know that something was seriously wrong. I'm sure you know that all too well. We all make grave mistakes at least once in our lives, but we don't deserve to die because of it. I believe you should have the chance to redeem yourself, Sirius, so I'm going to let you go. I can assure you, though, that if you cross me, take this for granted in any way, I will not hesitate to turn you in."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Sirius said excitedly.

"Okay, I'm going to perform the counter-curse, and when I say the coast is clear, you need to take your animagus form and run as fast as you can, got it?"

"Got it."

Willow released the body-bind curse, whispered, "Nox," then cracked open the broom closet door just enough for a cat to fit through. She shape-shifted into an unassuming black cat and peeked outside. Not a soul was nearby. It appeared that the feast was still going on. Willow flicked her tail to signal Sirius, and within second, a shaggy black dog stood in his place. They bounded down the corridors together until they reached the Entrance Hall. Willow paused, her stomach rumbling at the smell of the delicious food. She shook her head to focus and crept past the open doors of the Great Hall out onto the grounds. Sirius followed her through the tall grass, staying low to remain hidden. Willow led him into the Forbidden Forest, onto the path, and all the way to the Power House. She transformed into herself once more and motioned for Sirius to enter.

"This is my hideout of sorts," Willow explained as Sirius, now himself, walked inside. "If you ever need a quick place to hide, you can stay here. I'm here pretty much every night for now. There's some decent defense mechanisms I've set up just in case, but I haven't needed them so far. You'll be safe here."

"Thank you," Sirius said. He peered at her in an odd way, almost nostalgically. "Are you an unregistered animagus too?"

Willow shrugged. "Of sorts."

Sirius smiled wistfully. "Well, have fun with it. You'd be surprised the amount of things you can do right under Flich's nose."

All of a sudden, blaring alarms went off in the castle. Sirius winced.

"That...would be my doing. Sorry about that. I never meant to hurt the Fat Lady, I was just trying to get into the common room, where I thought Peter was." At the confused expression on Willow's face, he added, "I'll tell you after I've figured this all out. You should get back to the castle before they miss you."

"You're right." Willow turned to go, but remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot, I picked this up for you," she said, handing Sirius the knife he'd been holding earlier. "Don't you dare use that for anything but defensive purposes."

"Only defensive purposes," Sirius promised. He smiled at her. "Thank you, Willow. Your kindness is unlike most people."

Willow grinned. "I'm not most people."

Transforming into a falcon, Willow took off towards Gryffindor Tower, where she thankfully found a window to drop in. Throngs of students were just passing by. Willow nearly had a heart attack when one of them looked at her, but they passed her off as a lost falcon. She flew around the corner and, making sure the coast was clear, she shape-shifted back into herself. It came in the nick of time, as Professor McGonagall rounded the corner the moment she was standing on two legs again.

"Miss Guerrero! There you are, we were wondering if you'd been left behind," she said. "Run along to the Great Hall, now, I must patrol the corridors."

Willow's heart rate spiked as Professor McGonagall walked away. That was too close. She'd almost gotten caught using her powers and being up to no good. Willow thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't getting expelled tonight. Jogging down the corridor to catch up with the herd of Gryffindors, she found Harry, Ron, and Hermione towards the back.

"Guys! Are you okay?" she panted.

"Willow! Where were you? We couldn't find you at the feast, and we thought Sirius Black might have gotten you!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I'm fine, it's okay, I was just- not feeling so well today, that's all," Willow said. "I might have a bit of a cold."

"As long as you're okay, that's all that matters," Hermione said.

"Wait, were you in the common room when Sirius Black attacked? Did you see him?" Ron asked excitedly. "Was he the same as the Daily Prophet is saying he is? Does he really have a mad gleam in his eyes?"

Willow swallowed her guilt. "No, I didn't see him, and thank goodness, because I wouldn't have lived to say what his eyes look like."

"True," Ron said, slightly disappointed.

They reached the Great Hall, where hundreds of students were packing into the spacious room. Worried faces cast around for their friends, relief spreading over their expressions when they found them alive and well. Some first years were crying. Willow bit her lip to stop the guilt from showing on her face. Every mention of Sirius Black's name put her further on edge. Dumbledore broke up the tension a bit by providing them pillows and sleeping bags, but the electrified whispers never ceased.

"Do you reckon he was after me?" Harry asked.

"We're lucky it was Halloween; you would be good as dead if he found you in that common room," Ron said. "First he betrays your parents, then he kills his friend, and now he's after you...I wonder why he does it?"

Willow felt like her stomach was stabbing itself.


	47. Year 3: Chapter 5

Willow's stomach grumbled. It had been at least twenty-four hours since her last meal, possibly even more. Willow checked her watch and realized only two minutes had passed since Dumbledore left. She groaned and fell back onto the stone floor, throwing her pillow on her face. Her guilt was eating away at her so much that it must be eating into her internal time clock, too. Willow shut down her senses to spare herself from the buzz about Sirius Black still raging through the Great Hall. Why was everyone being so nosy about it? Couldn't they just leave her alone and talk about how cool it was that all four houses were sleeping in the same room?

No, they couldn't, she reminded herself, because this was way too exciting of a turn of events to ignore, and she was selfish for wanting people to shut up for her sake. Willow sighed and stuffed her pillow under her head, staring at the stars in the ceiling. It reminded her of the times she would sleep outside when she was younger. Her entire family would roast marshmallows, have some s'mores, chase fireflies in the backyard, then drag their sleeping bags outside onto the lawn to stare at the stars. Willow traced the constellation of Orion the Hunter with her finger, just as she used to do four short years ago. She remembered the cool night breeze through her hair, the prickle of the grass on her back, the pine wood aroma, his laughter next to her...Her heart became heavy and sat like a lead weight on her chest. She realized her face was growing hot and blinked hard to drive out the threat of tears. Willow tried to shove the memories away, but she kept seeing them in her mind's eye, torturing her with laughter and smiles from her past. Stubbornly refusing to give into her dumb emotions, she seized her sleeping bag and pillow and dragged them into an empty corner.

Percy called out for everyone to go to sleep, but Willow had no intention of following his orders. She couldn't stay in this now stuffy room full of mutterings that plucked at her heartstrings any longer. Making sure no one was looking, Willow transformed into a black cat, padded up to the massive doors leading into the rest of the castle, and slipped out into the Entrance Hall. She bounded up the stairs with no idea where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get out of there. Willow ran farther and farther, ascending countless staircases, until she bounced off a wall blocking her way. She automatically lost her form and transformed back into herself, holding her head where a new bruise was bound to be blossoming.

"Ouch...idiot..." she groaned.

"Oh, come on, I didn't even do anything this time!" a voice complained.

Willow nearly jumped out of her skin. "Fred, George! Merlin's beard, you scared me! What are you doing here?"

"More importantly, how did you get here?" Fred asked. "There's an entire trapdoor and ladder that you have to use to get up here. How did you bypass that?"

Willow glanced around, realizing she had wandered right into the twins' pranking hideout. "Um...I honestly don't know. Wasn't even paying attention to where I was going. Anyway, how did you get past Head Bigshot?"

George rolled his eyes. "Percy didn't even see us sneak out. For all he knows, we're asleep in the Great Hall. How did you get out?"

"Powers, duh," Willow said.

"Ah! That makes sense. I'm sure you've had loads of time to practice them lately, seeing as you don't spend any time in the castle anymore."

Willow flinched. "Guys...I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. You didn't deserve that. I shouldn't unload on you guys like that. Friends don't burden friends with dumb problems."

"I wouldn't call them 'dumb problems' after the way you exploded, but apology accepted," Fred said.

"One thing, though," George said. "How fast do you dry off?"

"What?"

"Eh, you can fly, you'll be fine."

Without warning, George pulled something out of his sleeve and threw it on Willow. Water exploded from the tiny pod, and she was even thrown back a bit by the force. Willow, along with a waterfall, cascaded out the window and down the side of the tower. She quickly transformed into a hummingbird and fluttered her wings as fast as she could, thankfully drying off within a few minutes. Fred and George were still laughing when she landed on the windowsill.

"You have to admit, you deserved that," George chuckled.

Willow shape-shifted back into herself. "Yeah, I probably did. What's that called? Is it new?"

Fred grinned. "This is our newest invention, the Puddle Pod. As you found out first hand, it's quite powerful, and there's a large amount of water in it. We're planning to dump this on Marcus Flint when he walks out of the Slytherin locker rooms. It can have more interesting uses, too, but we're starting small as we keep testing it."

"That's awesome, guys!" Willow exclaimed. "You should add another element to it, though! What if you charmed it so that the person couldn't dry off for several hours?"

Fred and George looked at each other, eyebrows raised. "That's brilliantly evil. Let's do it."

For the next couple hours, the twins and Willow worked on the Puddle Pods, trying countless combinations of charms and curses and jinxes until they got it almost perfect. Willow remained their test subject. By the sixteenth test, she could feel the hummingbird wings taking their toll. George finally yawned, too.

"I suggest we nod off. That okay with you, Freddy?"

"As long as we continue first thing in the morning, I'm perfectly fine with it. Good night, then."

Fred retreated to the back of the tower room and laid down, falling asleep almost immediately. George and Willow, however, sat by the window for a little longer, staring in silence at the night sky. It was even more beautiful than it appeared in the Great Hall. Whether that was because of the different atmosphere, or the darker sky, she didn't know. Willow's emerald eyes reflected the stars, shining like her soul was on the surface. She didn't realize that George was staring at her the whole time. He drank in her appearance, wishing he could string the bright stars into her hair. Willow almost forgot George was even there, however, until she saw him flick his wand out of the corner of her eye.

"There, now everyone knows how bright you are," he said, smiling at Willow's appearance.

Willow gazed into a puddle of water left over from testing the Puddle Pods. She stared, enraptured, at her reflection, astounded by how beautiful the decorations in her hair were. Star-like orbs of light hung in her hair, reminding her of the night lights strung above backyard gazebos. Her face shone angelically in their presence. Though her skin tone lightened ever so slightly, her dark features remained, and Willow's eyes were the brightest of all. She couldn't get over how green they were.

"A thank you would be nice after you're done staring at yourself, you little narcissist," George teased, shifting Willow's attention.

"Oh, sorry! Thanks, George, it's awesome," Willow said sincerely. "How long would this stay?"

"A few hours, give or take."

"Might as well make the most of it."

George chuckled softly. "You go ahead. I'm exhausted. And as punishment for being rude, you're now my pillow."

"What? No way!"

"Yep. You have no choice."

Willow sighed and allowed George to lay down, placing his head on her lap. She settled in against one of the walls and found herself nodding off a bit, then caught sight of George's face. He had fully fallen asleep already. In the light of the moon, his face was almost angelic, glowing softly from the gentle rays. His slight freckles were brought out just so to the point where they made him a little...cute. Playful. Like he was smiling from the inside out. Willow smiled to herself. She missed being in the company of this prankster and his twin. Willow missed being care-free, skipping class to cause some trouble, causing laughter and grinning at mean peoples' expense. She wished the prophecy would just disappear, because sitting there, George asleep next to her, she realized she couldn't live without his laughter in her life.

Willow woke up to a quiet clicking sound. She slowly opened her eyes to find Fred pointing a camera directly at her, snapping photo after photo, a mischievous grin on his face. He'd stolen her camera- again.

"George is going to be pissed, you know," Willow warned, yawning and stretching her arms.

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be worth the hours of revenge. He's never going to live this one down," Fred whispered. "Pretend you're asleep again, will you?"

Willow rolled her eyes, but complied. It was a good five minutes before George finally stirred. Willow couldn't help but giggle when she heard him roar at Fred that he was going to kill him. Fred dropped the camera and darted out of the tower, George close behind. Willow broke out into fits of laughter as George caught up to Fred and tackled him to the ground, a wrestling match ensuing between the twins, in which Fred ultimately won. George promised revenge.

"Yeah, sure, anything you do won't even come close to helping you outlive this one," Fred said.

"Where is that camera? Don't you dare print those photos all over the school, Freddy!"

"Thanks for the idea!"

"Fred!"

Willow calmly descended the ladder, camera safely tucked away in her robe pocket. She crept past the fighting twins and disappeared down the nearest corridor. The last day or two had been both a nightmare and a heaven. She'd hurt her friends, but also spent quality time with the twins. She'd helped Sirius Black escape, but now she had someone to talk to that wasn't a friend or family member. Willow hoped that an actual breakfast might clear her head. She made for the Great Hall, finding it bustling with the entire student body, the teachers just beginning to restore the tables to their proper places. Willow tensed up at how crowded the room was. She hadn't spent a lot of time in large groups in weeks.

"Willow, come with me," a voice whispered.

She turned around to find Harry standing behind her, eyes locked on someone in the crowd. Willow noticed that Percy Weasley was sauntering among the students, casually glancing in every direction, appearing as though he were searching for someone. She instinctively stepped in front of Harry to obscure him from view.

"Where to?" she whispered.

"The Owlery, I haven't seen Hedwig in ages."

Willow nodded and followed Harry out of the Great Hall, back across the castle, and up far too many flights of stairs. They finally reached the top of the spiraling staircase that dumped them into the Owlery. Hedwig and Iris immediately swooped down from the rafters to greet them. Willow held out her arm, and Iris skillfully landed on it, being careful not to dig her claws into her arm. Iris nuzzled her face against Willow's cheek, hooting softly.

"Sorry for making you miss breakfast. Percy's been following my every step since I woke up this morning," Harry explained.

"It's seriously okay, I understand," Willow said. "Have you gotten any letters lately? For some reason, my family's been strangely quiet, but I guess that's a good thing, considering they only send letters to reassure me that everything's fine back at home after a mishap."

Harry shook his head. "Nope. Apparently, I'm now at the level of disappointment to my aunt and uncle that they won't even speak to me. I've been hoping they would get there for a while."

Willow laughed. "That's awesome."

Harry sighed, sadness creeping back into his aura. "I have a feeling this Sirius Black character is going to mess up my day. They're already guarding me like a sacred treasure from some ancient kingdom. Do you think they'll catch him soon?"

Willow was punched in the gut. "I...I don't know. I hope they do, for your sake."

"Thanks." Harry gave Hedwig a treat. "That was really cool, what you did with the kappa the other day. Don't get me wrong, it was slightly morbid, a little terrifying, in the least, and possibly insane, but it was still really cool. How did you get so good with magical creatures? Do you spend a lot of time with them? I can't think of anything else you'd be doing when you disappear."

Willow shrugged, though she internally winced from the reference to her absence from the castle. "I do have a gang of magical creatures under my care. There's six of them, now: Phoebe, Griffin, V, Felicity, Patch, and Fidget; well, seven, technically, if you include Achelous."

At the mention of his name, Fidget popped his head out of Willow's robe pocket. He climbed on top of her head, hanging off her bangs, blowing raspberries just for the fun of it. Harry smiled and moved closer to the bowtruckle, waving Hedwig away as he did.

"I guess taking care of all those guys pays off," he said, admiring the way Fidget was humming to himself.

"Yeah, they're pretty cute, which means they get spoiled all the time. Fidget gets a front-row seat on all my adventures, Griffin and Phoebe are always adjusting the rules, Felicity is always giving me the puppy eyes, so he gets new and softer nests all the time, and the rest are basically the ones commanding me, their personalities are so strong. You can learn a lot about a creature by simply spending time with them."

"I can see that," Harry chuckled as Fidget attempted to swing himself onto Harry’s hand via Willow's hair. "You're going to be a great Magizoologist one day, Willow, I know it."

Willow blushed. "Thanks. I'm hoping so."

Fidget yawned and climbed back into her pocket, giving up on his adventure. Willow tucked him in carefully so he wouldn't fall out. Then, she scaled one of the wooden beams, hoisted herself up a vertical one, and clambered over a few planks until she was in the center of the Owlery, a good fifteen feet off the ground. Harry watched her with raised eyebrows.

"Do you always like high places?"

"Yeah, they help me avoid some situations, and almost no one bothers to look up, so I'm usually alone."

"That's nice, if you like that sort of thing."

Iris gracefully landed on Willow's head, sitting comfortably on her hair. Willow beamed. "I do like this sort of thing. You would be surprised how many incredible things you see when you're up high."

"Eventually, you do have to get your head out of the clouds, though, and climb back down," Harry said, looking pointedly at her.

"Ouch. Was that a shot at my disappearances?"

"Of course! You can't avoid anyone forever, especially when it's stubborn Gryffindors. Please, for the love of God, talk to Lavender and the rest of that lot before they drive me crazy. It's like they worship Trelawney."

"Oh my God, you have no idea. They hit me with their insanity the other day," Willow said, a twinge of pain wrenching her heart as she remembered the other events of that evening. "But as bullheaded and stubborn as they are about Divination, they're ten times that in kindness. They fiercely defend one another- despite it being unnecessary and their fault half the time- and I love them even more for it. Don't get me wrong, they're the most overbearing, annoying, absolutely rash girls I know, but they cared about me more than any other friend I'd had in my life from the moment they met me. I'll never forget that."

"I...can understand that," Harry said. "The Gryffindor boys in our year seem to have done the same thing to me."

"It must be a Gryffindor thing. We take people and accept them into this wonderfully crazy family, supporting each other in any way we have to, never taking no for an answer. It's everything I'd always wanted from a friend."

"Me too." Harry checked his watch and sighed. "It's nearly time for class. I will see you at quidditch tonight, right?"

Willow laughed. "Yes, Harry, I'm not skipping out on quidditch, of all things. I think Wood said something about pitting us against each other for a Snitch drill tonight. I wouldn't miss that for the world."

"You're on. See you later, Willow."

Harry left the Owlery, leaving Willow alone with the hoard of owls flying and sleeping around her. She had realized something earlier when she was talking: she missed her Gryffindor Sisters. Like, really missed them, to the point where it physically hurt. She missed her out-of-house friends. She missed the Weasley twins, Paige, and Lee. She missed everyone. But she had to keep her distance. She'd already seemed to finish her friendship with Sally, so it wasn't long before her out-of-house friends heard about the incident and parted ways with her, too. The thought of Oliver, though, sitting in the Slytherin common room with Cypress, crying his eyes out because he thought she was turning into a horrible person...it was too much to bear. Willow didn't know how much longer she could survive hurting her friends like this, because as much as it hurt them, it was hurting her so much more.

The rainy season of Hogwarts was ushered in with dire consequences. Howling wind whipped against the windows so fiercely that some professors had taken to using the amplifying charm when lecturing to be heard over the din. The dark clouds raced across the sky like a swarm of air force planes, dropping bombshells of fat, heavy, pounding raindrops that never seemed to end. Willow was nearly blown over at quidditch practice within a few days of the steadily-worsening weather. She was yanked off her broom midair multiple times throughout practice, and although she always managed to hang on, Fred and George were furious with Wood for letting her continue. Willow persisted until she couldn't fly into the wind anymore, then finally allowed Fred and George to fly her back to the locker rooms.

"Bloody hell, what's with this change in whether?" Fred grumbled. "Couldn't it wait until after our match?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say it's somehow Slytherin's doing," George said. "I'd bet you anything they tried to figure out a curse for making the weather horrible- you know, since they weren't planning on playing us in the first place."

"What? We're not playing Slytherin?" Willow gasped. "But we've practiced everything expecting Slytherin! Who are we playing now?"

"Hufflepuff, and Wood's going mad over it."

"Well...at least they won't try to knock us off our brooms," Willow said. She brushed the water off herself and stepped inside the locker rooms. "Thanks, guys. I'll see you in the common room."

"You better not ditch us again!" Fred said over his shoulder as he and George pelted away.

Willow rolled her eyes. She'd broken a few promises that weren't even promises over the past handful of weeks, of course, but she wasn't even planning on what she said because she had to stay away for her friends' own good. Willow undressed, threw her t-shirt and shorts back on, as she wasn't planning to stay in the castle all night, naturally, and stored her broom in her locker before walking into the castle. She didn't even make it two corridors before she ran into a familiar face.

"Hey, Wisp. I'm assuming you got the news?" Draco sneered.

Willow's blood boiled. "You disgusting, pitiful swine! How dare you use your fake injury as an excuse? You know exactly why you did it, so don't lie to me! I always knew that Slytherins like you couldn't get rain on their precious quidditch robes!"

Draco scoffed. "I don't mind a little rain."

"Oh, really? Then why did you cancel on us like that? And don't give me that crap that your arm is still injured. I know for a fact that it healed up weeks ago. Madam Pomfrey is a formidable healer."

"Of course you'd know that."

"Is that supposed to insult me? That doesn't hurt at all, actually. I'm glad to have done something courageous and selfless in my life, even if it ended in me going to the hospital wing, unlike you, you selfish little git!"

"I am not selfish!" Draco protested. "I'm just not stupid enough to confuse selflessness with suicide!"

"Oh, please, spare me the heartache of watching you go on and on about your perfect intentions," Willow said sarcastically, walking around Draco. "I don't plan on seeing it through your eyes; all I'd see is darkness."

"If you're implying that I'm blind, you should look again."

"And that right there is why I'm not going to, Draco!" Willow exclaimed, whipping around. "All I do is chase my tail around and around, thinking you're going to get better, but you don't! It always ends in a landslide for me! You have these ups and downs of your moral conscience, but in the end, you never change! And the worst part is, you don't even see that! How am I supposed to help someone that won't help themselves?"

Draco glared at her. "You're wrong."

"I might be wrong, but you couldn't be farther from being right. Why do you think we're not friends anymore, Draco? Why do you think I don't go out of my way to talk to you?"

Draco burned a hole through his shoes with his eyes. Willow took a deep breath.

"Look, if you want to turn it around, I'm fine with that, because I'll still be waiting. But if you're going to continue terrorizing Muggleborns, sneering your prejudiced views across the Great Hall, and being an overall bully, I'm letting you go. Do you want to be my friend or not, Draco? I really want to know, because I can't keep living like this."

"I- I do want to be your friend, Wisp," Draco muttered.

"Then why don't you change?" Willow whispered.

"Because I can't," Draco said, his grey eyes burning into Willow's, speaking a thousand words.

Willow stared right back at him. She read the emotions blazing within his stormy irises: loathing, pain, regret, sadness...and fear. Willow wondered, was a result of her, or something else? She would never know, though, because if Draco couldn't change, then he couldn't be her friend anymore. Willow closed her eyes, wishing she could stop caring about him. She turned away and made to leave when his voice quietly called after her.

"Willow...if you aren't my friend anymore, then why do you still wear that Slytherin pin that I gave you?" he breathed.

Willow turned back to look him in the eye. "Because I can’t give up on anyone."

Draco stood there in silence as she walked away. Willow wordlessly marched back to Gryffindor Tower, her heart swirling in a mist of confusing memories and feelings that she couldn't sort through. Her head swam with rational and desperate thoughts alike, intermixing and fusing together until they set off a bomb. A fresh wave of emotions hurled through Willow's body from head to toe. She could literally feel the pain of her strained friendship. Why was saving Draco so important to her? What about him was causing her to care so much? All he'd done was hurt and push her down left and right, and every time she staggered to her feet, she'd be shoved flat on her face again. So why was she letting him do it? Willow glanced down at her Slytherin pin. Was there really that much hope that he'd change?

Willow was in such a state that she ran headlong into Sir Cadogan's painting. The stout little knight gave a cry and unhorsed himself from his fat grey pony. Willow jumped backwards, apologizing profusely.

"Who are ye that charges Sir Cadogan so earnestly? Does ye wish for a fight?" he cried.

"No, Sir, sorry, just want to get into the common room- " Willow began.

"Cadogan, shut it already! Mangy cur, and don't make me say it again!"

Sir Cadogan unwillingly swung his painting open, glaring at the newcomer the whole time. Willow gave a start when she recognized her as Paige. The older girl winked at her and crawled through the portrait hole, Willow following her in a daze. Paige begrudgingly sat near the Weasley twins, as everywhere else in the common room was full, and Willow found a spot next to her. The twins' hair were still sopping wet from quidditch practice.

"There you are! We thought you'd sneaked off again," Fred said.

"Earning your honestly back, I see."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut it, I don't lie that much!"

"Unless you count stretching the truth, in which case, you lie a ton," Paige said. She waved at Fred. "Hey Fred."

"What, I don't get a hello?" George protested.

Paige shot him a look. "We're not there yet."

Fred and Willow exchanged expressions. She thought that Paige and George would grow up already and get over their dumb squabble, but it seemed to be stuck right where it left off. Was her presence hindering their relationship, or was it helping it, she wondered?

"Well...George and I were planning to pull something off on the Slytherin common room soon, so do you want to be in it, Willow?" Fred said, not diffusing the awkward tension in the least.

"Uh...sure, just let me check my schedule," Willow replied.

George stood up. "I'm going to do homework. I'll see you later, Freddy."

George marched up the boys' dormitory stairs. Fred sighed and followed him, managing to catch up to his twin at their landing. George still slammed the door after they disappeared inside the fifth year dormitory. Paige rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Willow.

"So, what have you been up to, other than being mysterious?" she asked.

"Apparently ruining friendships."

Paige scoffed. "You think this is your fault? No, no, you might be the cause- not that that's any fault of your own- but this is all between George and I. He's being a big baby, and he needs to get over himself."

Willow shrugged. "Everyone has moments like that."

"Yeah, but this time, he's way out of line. There's no need for him to act like an idiot."

"True..."

"Hey, don't blame yourself," Paige said, drawing Willow onto her lap. "I know you. Whenever you find a problem, you fix it, and when you can't fix it, then it's not your problem to fix. This is one of those that you can't fix yourself. George has to find it within him to stop being such a butt and get a move on, because I miss pranking as a team."

"Yeah, me too," Willow sighed.

"It'll get better. People are just weird. Especially people like you."

"Hey!"

Paige smirked. "You had to see that coming."

"It didn't mean you had to say it!"

"But didn't it?" Paige questioned. She smiled when Willow rolled her eyes. "You're the most adorable weirdo I know. Don't ever stop being weird. And please don't ever stop speaking Spanish. It's so hot."

Willow hid her blush by pretending to be offended. "That's not hot, it's just another language."

"It's hot."

"I'm not going to change your mind, am I?"

"Nope."

Willow grinned. "And a stubborn will to never let anyone make you think differently is also hot." She checked her watch. "Oh, would you look at the time! I've got to go catch up on Divination- again. See you later, Paige!"

"Wait- did you just- you little- !" Paige called after her, slightly flustered.

Willow giggled to herself as the muffled curse word came through Sir Cadogan's portrait. She skipped happily away through the corridors, ignoring Sir Cadogan's challenges for her to duel. Transforming into a falcon, she flew out the nearest window when the coast was clear, heading straight for the Forbidden Forest. The Power House was still invisible to the untrained eye; Willow, however, knew how to look for the tiniest glow between the trees, and landed right on the doorstep.

“Willow? Please tell me that’s you,” a voice whispered.

“If I was a dementor, or an auror, for that matter, would I respond?” Willow said.

Sirius chuckled. “Always a smart response with you. I do believe sass is a requirement to get into Gryffindor anymore. How was quidditch?”

“Not great,” Willow sighed, throwing her textbooks onto the table. “The wind’s getting to a point where I can’t fly in it anymore. I’m too light, unfortunately. I should probably start putting on some more muscle…anyway, Slytherin pulled a mean trick on us. They decided not to play at the last second because of the weather- you know, since they’re crap even on sunny days- and they’re blaming it on Draco’s ‘injury’ when they know full well he healed up weeks ago. Now we’re facing Hufflepuff with no preparation for their style of play. Wood's likely to tear his hair out.”

“I’m not surprised. Slytherins do anything to give themselves the advantage in any situation; I see where they’re coming from, but that doesn’t make it right.”

Willow glanced at Sirius. “You sympathize with them?”

He nodded. “My entire family was Slytherin- except for me. Regulus, my brother…he was a handful, always pulled towards dark magic, but I still saw the good in him. Not all Slytherins are bad.”

Willow was dumbstruck. “My entire mum’s side of the family was Slytherin, too, and I seem to be the only one that understands them!”

Sirius’s face darkened. “Did she cast you out, too, then?”

Willow scoffed. “I would have left of my own accord before I let her get to that point. No, she did something horrible and lost her place in my family long before I went to Hogwarts. My dad’s side is proud to have a Gryffindor in the family.”

“Good for you. Don’t let anybody throw you out because of their own personal problems.”

“I won’t.”

Sirius stared out the window, his threadbare clothing rustling in the evening wind. “I’m thinking about going to the match tomorrow. I’ve always wanted to see Harry play quidditch.”

“What? You’ll get caught! The dementors- they’ll find you!”

Sirius grinned. “They’ve tried and failed to see through my animagus form. They won’t even see me this time. I appreciate the concern, though.”

Willow looked at him. “As long as you’re sure…”

“I’m certain.”

Willow sat on her couch, then yawned. “I think I’m going to go to sleep…big match tomorrow, not that I’m going to get in it…I’ll talk to you in the morning, Sirius.”

“Good night, Willow.”

As she drifted off to sleep, the last thing she saw was Sirius staring at the full moon, a melancholic expression on his face. She vaguely wondered what he was thinking about, but she was too tired, and soon was fast asleep.

It was still pitch black outside when Willow woke up the next morning. She yawned and stretched, assuming that the weather was still turning day to night, but when she checked her watch, she realized it was only half past three. Willow furrowed her brow. What had woken her up? It couldn't have been a nightmare. For once, she hadn't woken up in a cold sweat, instead dreaming about...was that Paige, the Weasley twins, Draco, or a combination? She couldn't remember.

A loud thump! made Willow jump nearly a foot in the air. She shot to her feet, senses scrambling for a grip on the situation. There was something moving outside, something big. Willow glanced around to see if it was Sirius playing a trick on her, but to her dismay, he was curled up in the corner of the room, still in the form of a great black dog. Had someone found her? Willow concentrated, placing her foot firmly on the floor and pulsing. The waves that retreated back to her certainly didn't paint the picture of a human. It was more of a large creature that she didn't recognize. What was that thing?

Cr-eak! The hair rose on the back of Willow's neck as the door began to crack open. Every instinct told her to run, that she was about to get into a fight, but Sirius was weak and would never make it. She took up a defensive position in front of his sleeping form, transforming herself into an amateur welsh green dragon, which took up the majority of the remaining space in the Power House. Willow brandished her claws, preparing for a sudden attack. A low growl sounded from directly on the other side of the door. Her heart hammered against her chest. Despite her now protective form, she still had a horrible, roiling sensation in her gut that made her fear the worst. The door inched open, centimeter by centimeter, until it fully revealed the intruder. Willow wanted to scream.

A fully-formed werewolf was framed by the moonlight in the doorway. He was as tall as the Power House itself when on his hind legs. Willow noticed the sharp teeth between his jaws and the muscles rippling within his legs. Her heart and lungs froze over as if an icy breeze had ripped through her. She was no match for an adult werewolf like this one. What if it decided to attack? If she got bit, there was no going back; she'd be stuck as a werewolf forever!

The werewolf, however, did not seem interested in attacking. Its eyes stared directly into Willow's, then traveled down her powerfully equipped defenses. He wanted no part of that. Willow was startled to see bright hazel irises shining in the moon beams when he moved further into the room. Werewolves didn't normally retain their eye colour when they transformed...did they? She could have sworn learning that they were thoroughly black as the dead of night. Was this even a werewolf, then?

Without warning, Sirius stepped in front of her, arms outstretched to keep Willow behind him. He stared down the beast with an almost impenetrable sadness.

"Did you take your potion tonight?" he whispered.

To Willow's enormous astonishment, the werewolf nodded in reply. Sirius's stance never wavered, however, and he took special care to retain eye contact with the werewolf.

"Go, then, before someone spots you. There's a wonderful clearing about a kilometer south that you'd be safe in."

The werewolf stared at Sirius, hesitating for a single moment. Was that...melancholy in his eyes? Before Willow could get a good reading, though, the werewolf simply walked outside, then bounded away into the forest, apparently heading for the clearing Sirius had told him about. Willow transformed back into herself when the werewolf was gone, panting lightly.

"What was that?" she demanded.

"A werewolf, obviously. Has your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor taught you nothing?" Sirius replied smartly.

Willow exasperatedly rolled her eyes. "No, Professor Lupin has done an outstanding job so far. I know what a werewolf is! What I meant was, what the heck was that? You know, talking to the werewolf? You could have gotten yourself killed!"

Sirius appeared stunned at first, then shook himself. "That werewolf had taken the Wolfsbane Potion. Did you notice how he had human eyes?" Willow nodded apprehensively. "He was in his werewolf form, but he still had his human mind. No werewolf in their right mind would hurt someone on a full moon. Werewolves don't need any more stigma around them."

"But- it seemed like you knew that person. Who was it?" Willow asked.

Sirius's expression clouded. "I think it was someone I've known for a very long time, since Hogwarts. It was my best friend."

"Your best friend was a werewolf? That's...kind of awesome, actually."

Sirius shot Willow a look. "He didn't have the Wolfsbane Potion back in school. So, every full moon, he would be forced to become an aggressive, murderous beast beyond his control, and every morning he'd have to suffer the consequences: getting sick, missing classes, and worst of all, finding out whether he hurt anyone."

"Oh...not awesome."

"Him being a werewolf was the reason I became an animagus, you know," Sirius admitted, staring over his shoulder at the full moon. "A couple friends and I were most likely the youngest unregistered animagi in the country, if not the continent. We were bloody fools, trying to do something so complicated on our own, and risking our lives to boot, but it was worth it. We were able to make sure he never hurt himself or anyone else the rest of our Hogwarts years."

"That's incredible." Willow bit her lip. "I really hope my friends don't get any bright ideas..."

Sirius let out a laugh, something she rarely heard from him. It reminded her of the feeling she got after trying honey for the first time. "Don't worry, you're not in as dire of a predicament as he was. You can take care of yourself fairly well."

"That's slightly comforting." Willow checked her watch. "So...if there aren't any more werewolf friends of yours that plan to stop by, I'm going to go back to sleep. Big match tom- today, actually."

"Rest up, Willow. I'll stay up to make sure he stays deep within the forest."

Willow laid back down on the couch, listening to the pounding of the rain on the roof. The patter reminded her of home. Her mansion had several glass skylights that, when it rained, would create a distinctive tapping sound. Willow's heart ached to be back at home, listening to her uncles arguing, watching her grandparents bake a cake, reading with her father in the library, hanging out with Oliver in the greenhouse with all her magical creatures...

Oliver! She hadn't seen him in weeks! Sally said something about him and Cypress never leaving each other's sides anymore, always hanging out in the Slytherin or Hufflepuff common room, asking whether any of her out-of-house friends had seen Willow or not every day. Her heart tore itself in half. Oliver was her brother! Avoiding him was like kicking him out of the family! She couldn't imagine the pain she'd put him through, being all alone. Had Abuela sent him some letters? She usually did that, right? Willow felt herself panicking as she imagined Oliver, curled up next to Cypress, asking him if he was really a Guerrero, if he'd ever be. She tried to get a hold of herself, but couldn't. The images flooded in from all sides. She was trapped.

Stop, calm down, STOP! Willow shouted at herself. Feeling sorry for yourself won't get you anywhere! Oliver is part of the family whether the universe accepts it or not. He's going to be okay when he realizes why you've been staying away. He'll understand one day; they all will, hopefully.

Willow took a few deep breaths. It was okay. She was alone, but that meant everyone was okay. And Sirius- he was safe, because he wasn't truly a friend yet, right? Yeah, he still wasn't opening up to her. Sure, he'd told her about his werewolf friend, but that couldn't have been too much, everyone had a few childhood memories that they like to share to everyone- aside from the illegal animagus part, of course. He only told that to her because she knew about his animagus form already. Sirius wasn't telling her his mission, exactly what happened to land him in Azkaban, and what the hell was going on in general. That meant he wasn't a true friend yet. She could stay around him. Yes, she could stay around one person, so she wasn't alone entirely.

Willow relaxed and closed her eyes. She hated hurting her friends more than she hated the prophecy, and that was saying a lot, because the dang thing was ringing in her ears and terrifying her all over again every five seconds. But it would be okay. It would all be okay. Everything she was doing was so that her friends wouldn't get hurt. She was saving their lives in exchange for a little blip in her happiness. Well...if she was being honest, it was a tear in her heart, but it was worth it to save those who had kept it beating all this time. Willow sighed and let herself drift off to sleep. She hoped to at least dream about them...

But she did not dream about them. In fact, for the first time in what felt like forever, she didn't dream at all. Willow blinked awake what felt like seconds later to a slightly lighter grey sky. She groaned when she saw that it was time to head into the castle for a bit of breakfast before the match. Willow hated herself for not wanting to play- some people would give their left leg to play on the Gryffindor quidditch team- but considering the fierce wind and ferocious rain pelting down outside her window, she figured she wouldn't even be able to fly, being as light as she was. She cursed her soccer frame for being so lean. After saying goodbye to Sirius, and thoroughly warning him about the danger of going to the match, she transformed herself into a dog and ran towards the castle. She shook herself off the best she could in the Entrance Hall, but still was sopping wet by the time she shape-shifted back into herself.

"Willow? Is that you?" Wood asked, appearing from the top of the marble staircase. "Why are you soaked? Did you seriously go outside already? Not that it matters...we'll be out in this deluge in an hour anyway...just be ready for anything, because in this weather, someone might get struck by lightning, and you'll have to go in."

"Oh! Uh...I'll stay on my toes," Willow said uncertainly, the prospect of navigating her Nimbus Two Thousand and One through this wind making her stomach churn.

"You better eat some breakfast. Got to be at our strongest...if that's even enough..."

Willow followed the uncharacteristically somber and quiet Wood into the Great Hall. The rest of the team was already there. Willow wanted so badly to sit next to Harry and the Weasley twins, but reminded herself that it was for the best to stay away. She ate her toast and eggs in a numb silence, a good three feet away from Alicia. Willow knew that Harry and the twins were shooting her pleading looks. It hurt when they grew frustrated and ignored her presence, but she had to stay away. She'd been letting her guard down and undoing weeks of disconnection each moment she spent with her friends. Paige and the twins had especially seen her a lot lately, which was concerning. She couldn't seem to stay away, no matter how many times the dumb prophecy rang in her ears, and it was hurting her beyond belief. Willow's chest tightened at how happy she'd been when she (sort of) made up with the trio. It made both parties happy to be with each other, but how betrayed would they be when they found out they were dying because of her? She had to be more careful.

At long last, Wood announced it was time for the match. Willow proceeded to the Gryffindor locker room along with the rest of the team. She managed to keep to the back of the group, where no one was bound to talk to her. Harry took matters into his own hands, however, and cornered her the moment she entered the locker room.

"What the heck? Why won't you talk to me?" he asked.

"I- I'm just tired, that's all," Willow lied, rather startled by the sudden outburst.

"You've been ignoring everyone lately! Neville is starting to get worried, and Sam's out of his mind! Look, I know I'm not observant, and I should have noticed it before, but you seemed fine when we were talking in the Owlery! What's happened?"

"I've had- some- personal issues."

"But...you know you can talk to any one of us, right?" Harry questioned. "I mean, I might give terrible advice, but Oliver always seems to know what to say. He's been super worried too, by the way. He always stops by the Gryffindor common room to hang out with Neville and I now- I think Cypress is pushing him to be more outgoing- but he still asks if we've seen you, like, every day."

Willow winced. "Can we talk about this later?"

Harry folded his arms. "Only if you promise to actually talk."

"Fine. I will. Now come on, we've got a massive storm to weather- oh, yeah, and a team to beat in the middle of it."

Ten minutes later, after a failed pep talk by a lock-jawed Wood, the Gryffindor team took to the field, warming up as best they could in the bone-chilling, driving rain. Despite the weather, fans from every house filed into the stands, pulling hoods down as far as they could to shield themselves from the pouring rain. A few umbrellas were flying around in the whipping wind already. Willow's gut broiled at the sight of Malfoy and his dumb body guards in the Slytherin section, laughing at the Gryffindor team from beneath a very large umbrella. She shook her head, promising herself that she wouldn't kill anyone today, and continued to warm up. A strong gust of wind stung her face with icy raindrops and nearly unseated her from her Nimbus. She carefully climbed back on amidst concerned gasps and flew towards the bench, where the rest of the team was gathering for a last-minute chat. Within a few minutes, the game had begun, and Willow watched, heart racing, as her teammates were swallowed up by the rain.

She had to enhance her vision with her powers to actually locate her teammates. Harry was long gone, high above the stadium, searching fruitlessly in the downpour for the Snitch. Alicia, Katie, and Angelina were having a heyday with the Hufflepuff defense, passing it around the players in quick succession and pelting their poor keeper with numerous shots. Fred and George high-fived each other for smacking the bludgers far away from the stadium in unison. Wood, though mostly inactive, was white in the face, veins popping out with the amount of tension wracking his muscles. Why was he so concerned? Hufflepuff wasn't a pushover, of course, but they weren't dirty like the Slytherin team. No one was going to get hurt unless something out of the ordinary happened.

Only a little while passed before Gryffindor was up fifty points. After Wood called a time-out, Hermione darted down from the stands and fixed Harry's glasses so they wouldn't get covered in water droplets. God, she missed picking that smart-alec’s brain. Willow continued to watch the game in nervous anticipation. Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, and the smell of mud increased as the field flooded. With each lightning strike, Willow could see a little more of the stands. Her friends were all gathered in one spot in the stands, huddled together under a roped-down umbrella. Willow's heart throbbed at the sight of Lisa, still thinner than usual, curled up next to Mandy and shivering. She wished she could run straight up there and give her a hug. She would have given anything to run right into her friends' arms, cry into their shoulders, spill everything that had been on her mind for the last several weeks, tell them she was sorry for so many things. But she couldn't. Willow wrenched her eyes away from them, forcing her mind to focus on the game, her heart still heavy from the sight of her friends.

Alicia accidentally slammed into one of the Hufflepuff players, knocking him off his broom. She quickly dove down, saving him from plummeting fifty feet, and threw him back on his broom. The quaffle that had been in her hand darted towards the ground. Angelina was right there, however, and expertly scooped it up. She executed a perfect one-eighty and shot towards the goal. Katie went shoulder to shoulder with a Hufflepuff chaser, successfully keeping them from getting to Angelina. Angelina approached the goal, raised her arm, and threw the quaffle, drawing some excited squeals from the crowd. The Hufflepuff keeper materialized out of thin air, it appeared, and dove, making an incredible save. Cheers from all stands went up, even the Gryffindors. Willow herself clapped. It was a great match-up so far. Hopefully Harry would make it to the Snitch soon so they could win and get out of the rain.

All of a sudden, the cheering abruptly stopped. The lightning ceased. The thunder paused mid-boom. Even the wind quieted itself to an inaudible decibel. Willow tapped her ears, thinking her senses had shut down on her. When she glanced into the stands, though, students were looking at each other in confusion, wondering what happened. Willow snapped her fingers and realized she could still hear their click. Her stomach began to bottom out. Something bad was happening. She could feel it in the atmosphere. The air temperature sharply declined, her breaths became mist, and she immediately began to shiver. An icy claw of fear dragged its way down her spine. Something horrible was definitely happening.

Without warning, electrical signals bounced around in her head. They hurt beyond the usual danger signs. Willow almost recognized their frequency, but was too preoccupied by her now pounding head to explore it. She noticed her cheerful mood had evaporated almost as fast as it had come. The puddles on the ground froze over, and icicles formed around her hair where it was previously dripping with moisture. What was going on? Willow looked to the crowd once more to see how they were reacting to find them entirely rigid, eyes locked in horror on something just out of her sight line. Ignoring the rules, Willow hopped on her broom and pushed off, floating several feet towards the center of the field. When she saw what they were staring at, she clapped a hand to her mouth to muffle a scream.

A black cloak of what seemed like death was floating towards them, every so slowly. It was the dementors. There were at least a hundred of them. Their dark cloaks swayed behind them, menacingly calm. Clouds darkened even further above them. Decaying hands reached out from under their cloaks to grasp upwards. Their hidden faces were all staring at something. Willow followed their gaze with her own eyes. Her heart leapt into her throat, and horror drove a deep, sharp pain into her very bone marrow. The dementors had fixed their target on a single person, obliviously floating a hundred or so feet above them: Harry.

Willow shook her head and forced herself to move. If they got to Harry, they would overwhelm him, and not even Dumbledore would be able to save him then. Willow shot off in the direction of the dementors, aiming for the very center of their gathering.

"Hey, losers, remember me? There's someone with plenty of happy memories coming right at you!"

The dementors barely turned to face her before Willow blasted directly into them, shoving some of them several feet away. When she'd cleared the other side of the mass, Willow went back in, knocking more dementors aside. They finally got aggravated enough by her third run to chase after her. Willow's insides burned with an icy terror, but she pushed it aside, tipping her broom upwards and aiming for the sky. She waited until a great enough group was close, then darted straight up into the sky. Willow glanced behind her several times only to recoil in horror. Dementors were fast when they wanted to be. She pushed her broom to go faster, faster, faster, until she was completely above the storm clouds. The unwary dementors followed her into the bright sunlight. When it hit them, they hissed and screamed in agony. It was the most hideous noise Willow had ever heard in her life. She covered her ears, trying to block it out. It was worse than even nails on a chalkboard, grating on her eardrums. When the last of the dementors were caught in the sunlight, Willow took the opportunity to dive back down towards the pitch, hoping nothing bad had happened to Harry while she was gone.

She was extremely disappointed. The moment she got within a few hundred meters of the quidditch field, the dementors had surrounded Harry from underneath him. He was trapped. Students screamed, some first years cried, and teachers were gathering together, desperately trying to come up with something to save Harry. Willow's heart drummed in her ears, pounding against her ribcage. Without warning, Harry passed out, and with a sickening sensation in her gut, Willow watched as he slid sideways off his broom.

Willow tried her best to shut out the shrieking. She pointed her broom straight down and darted after Harry. Three hundred meters...two hundred fifty...she was closing in fast, but Harry was falling even faster! Two hundred meters...one hundred fifty...Willow pushed her broom to go faster than it ever had before. One hundred meters...fifty meters...Harry was completely limp, falling through the hoard of dementors, some getting knocked out of the way. She was getting so close...but Harry was closer to the ground! Twenty five meters...fifteen...ten...heart in her throat, Willow reached out, grasping hopelessly for Harry, but he was too far, he was going to hit the ground any moment....

Suddenly, Harry's body halted midair, five meters from the ground, and slowly lowered itself, harmlessly sinking into the mud. Willow landed hard on the ground only a second after him, cradling Harry's body.

"Please don't be dead...please don't be dead, dear God...I couldn't live with myself..." she said, trying to find a pulse.

Warning bells went off in her head again. Willow managed to find a pulse on Harry at that exact moment, so she didn't know what on Earth her powers were trying to tell her now. Glancing around, her head increased in pain when she was looking at the stands. Willow rubbed her temple to try and remove the pain. The fans were fine. Why would her powers be trying to warn her about them? Then, when she finally brought the stands into focus, it became very clear to her why the fans were in trouble.

A group of dementors had broken off from the rest and were terrorizing a very familiar section of the stands. Willow clapped a hand to her mouth in horror. Her out-of-house friends, including the Smith twins, were being cornered by the dementors. They were backing up slowly, step by step, but they only had one left before they would have to jump off the stands entirely. Willow's heart raced out of control. She instinctively dropped Harry, mounted her broom, and soared into the sky, aiming directly for the dementors. When she arrived at the scene, however, the dementors were ready for her this time.

Willow watched in horror as the dementors danced out of the way in the nick of time to avoid her fly-by. She tried again, and failed again. The third time, she still missed, only managing to tick off the dementors even more. They closed in on her friends, forcing them onto the very last step. Willow swallowed her fear. She had no choice. She knew exactly what she had to do now. Landing her broom on the stands, Willow sprinted towards her friends, throwing herself in front of them, extending her arms protectively to keep them behind her.

"You have no business here. Leave!" she growled, though her voice was swallowed up by the wind.

The dementors refused to comply. They pressed on ever so slowly, tortuously closing in on them, freezing them from the inside bit by bit. Willow could feel them invading her mind, drawing out the last bit of happy memories until she was empty. Lisa trembled behind her.

"Willow, are we going to die?" she whimpered, shivering aggressively.

"No. No one's going to die as long as I'm here," Willow said, her voice hoarse.

Oliver and Cypress gathered closer together. Mandy held onto Lisa and Sue with a firm grip on either side of her. Sally and Sam hugged each other tight, refusing to let go. The dementors still closed in, getting closer and closer to permanent damage.

"I said leave!" Willow demanded.

But the dementors did not comply. They only grew increasingly too close for comfort. Within seconds, Oliver collapsed. Then, Mandy fell into Sue. Sally and Sam fainted next, limply falling onto a bench. Cypress, Lisa, and Sue were the only ones left standing. They refused to back down, only shuffling closer to one another, drawing their passed-out friends into the center of their little huddle. Willow stood in the front of all of them, hand outstretched, wishing she'd brought her wand with her. She could feel the dementors invading her mind as they towered over her, intimidating as ever. Willow fell to one knee when the voices crackled through her head.

Father, I can't do this!

You're a disgrace to this family! You have to earn back your place!

I- I can't!

The voices that weren't anything like her own ripped through her very soul, charging it with lightning-force energy that split her heart into pieces, tearing through the fibers of her being. Willow gasped, trying to keep herself in the present, but the past was chewing away at her soul. She yelled as she was forced back into the memory.

I'll do it for you, then!

Father- !

No! Fawley, you can't do this!

Willow felt tears streak down her face. It was too painful. She could see him laying there, helpless. Him, the one she hadn't seen in forever. Why didn't she save him? Why was she such a coward? Why couldn't she have stopped her mum?

Do it now!

Av...Avada...Ke-Kedavra...

GRACE, NO!

Willow forced herself back into the present, screaming in pain. She rolled over on the bench, coughing, wheezing, trying to get rid of the pain, but it manifested itself the more she tried. Everything she could have done...everything that could have been different...everything that she didn't do...

It was all her fault.


	48. Year 3: Chapter 6

Willow gasped awake. She sat bolt upright, grasping her chest, calming down her breathing. Willow noticed the different feel of the ground underneath her. It was much softer than the quidditch stands...

That's when she realized she wasn't in the quidditch stands.

Her surroundings gradually came into focus. She was laying on a couch, which had some soil trails on it. The walls were made of tree trunks, the furniture was carved from bark that had grown right out of the ground, and everything was decorated with live plants. Willow blinked hard and recognized some of the titles on the book shelf, such as Lord of the Rings and The Iliad and the Odyssey. Clarity slapped her in the face so hard so rolled over and fell right off the couch with a grunt of pain.

"Willow!" a voice exclaimed.

She groaned, her entire body shivering in the chilly breeze. She'd never felt so weak, so drained. Even moving her arms felt like she was attempting to pick up the world. She tried to push herself off the ground, but her muscles strained, then gave out, landing her back on the soft-soiled floor. To her surprise, a pair of arms wrapped around her, lifted her up, and set her back on the couch. She groggily rubbed her eyes, her arms burning with the effort. A person lethargically came into focus.

"...Sirius?" she whispered.

"Yes, it's me," Sirius said, eyes glimmering oddly as he felt her forehead. "You're still blazing hot, you must have a fever. Those damn dementors...Don't move, your body isn't going to support you right now."

Willow furrowed her brow as he whisked himself off towards a cabinet. "How did I get here?"

"I got you here, how else?" Sirius replied over his shoulder, the sound of water being poured trickling into Willow's ears. He returned moments later with a cold washcloth. Sirius gently placed it on her head, taking care to brush her extra strands of hair out of the way. Willow shivered at the initial cold shock. It soon became clear to her that the water was lukewarm, and she was simply that feverish.

"Merlin's beard, you almost look white in the face, you've lost all your colour," he fretted. Sirius grabbed a nearby blanket and cast it around her. Willow immediately felt warmer, the November chill no longer icing over her skin. "Better?"

Willow nodded. "Did you see what happened at the game?"

"I saw all of it. Nearly gave me a heart attack when those bloody dementors showed up. Then Harry falling off his broom, and you, Willow, chasing them away like that...it was bloody stupid of you, but stupidly brave, I'll admit. If you could stop trying to get yourself killed in the end, people might actually write stories about you someday."

Willow weakly smiled. "I do some pretty dumb stuff."

"But has anyone ever told you that your heart's in the absolute perfect spot?" Sirius said. Willow looked at him questioningly. "Even though you know the dementors affect you- Merlin knows why- you still jumped in front of them to protect your friends. There were enough of them there, they could easily have sucked out your soul. But you did it anyway. That's extremely selfless of you, Willow."

She sheepishly smiled. "Mandy would call it self-destructive, but I like the way you put it better."

Sirius sighed. "It's a shame you lost the match, but what's most important is the fact that everyone's okay."

Willow gasped. "I didn't even ask about that! Is Mandy okay? Is Sam okay? Is Sally alright? What happened to Oliver?" Her heart leapt into her mouth. "Sirius! You could have been attacked at the match, too! Oh my God, why did I let you go? You could have been hurt, you could have been imprisoned, they could have sucked your soul out- "

"Willow! Everyone's fine, it's okay! I'm here, nothing happened to me!"

"But anything could have happened!" Willow's stomach rolled over within her gut. "Did you have to fight off those dementors? They could have affected you! Merlin, you put yourself through so much trouble for me, I'm not worth that, don't ever do that again- "

"Hang on a second, did you just say you're not worth that?" Sirius said. Willow froze. "What absolute rubbish! Did I not just say you're incredibly selfless?"

"Yeah..."

"So you are absolutely worth that Willow, one hundred thousand percent worth it!" Sirius emphasized. "Sure, the dementors hurt, as they always do, but everyone felt them at that game, everyone! I've been around them for twelve years, Willow, and they will never hurt me like they did in Azkaban. They're not outside my cell door day and night anymore. They can't get so close that they drive me mad anymore. They can't hurt me anymore!"

Willow stared at Sirius. "They...they were really around you day and night in Azkaban?"

Sirius looked away. "Yes. They were bloody awful, always making me relive my worst memories..." He shuddered, then turned back to Willow. "I couldn't let them do the same to you any longer. So, yes, it was good I was at the match. I could save another innocent soul from falling victim to a crime they didn't commit."

Willow's heart throbbed with remorse as her worst memories lightly scraped the surface once more. She shoved them down, however, focusing in on Sirius. "I'm sorry that happened to you all those years. No one should have to go through that."

Sirius shrugged. "You're right, but it happened. I can't change the past."

"But...you lost all your friends. Then, on top of that, to relive your worst memories for twelve straight years, with no one to lean on...it has to hurt that they're gone."

"Not all of them are gone, but the ones that still live wish me dead." Sirius stared nostalgically out the window, then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I went into that prison with no support, and I came out just as lonely. Then, without any good reason, you came along, Willow. You showed me kindness while the rest of the world still bared their teeth. Now I'm not alone, Willow, because you've been a good friend to me...and I hope to one day repay you as the friend I hope I've become."

Willow's heart skipped a beat. Friend was not allowed. The prophecy would never allow Sirius to live. But something deep down, something deep within her very soul was telling her that this was meant to be. Sirius, with his bedraggled hair, threadbare clothes, and mischievous, twinkling eyes, was meant to be her friend. His true colours shone so brightly through his appearance. He was really an incredible human being. His past was troubled, his present even more so, but in the end, it was not his fault. When Willow thought about it, she realized he was exactly like her. Her past sucked, and her present was weighing down on her like the mass of the world had been dropped on her shoulders, but nothing, not one bit of any of it, was her fault. As much as she wanted to blame herself and kick herself and tear herself down, she knew that what happened with her mum was not her fault. Willow swallowed her self-pity with a new resolve. She had to try to stop blaming herself. She had to, not only for herself, but for every other person in her life, too. They deserved to see her happy.

"You have become my friend, Sirius," Willow said. She gripped his hand. "Thanks for being here for me."

Sirius grinned, eyes clouding and sparkling all at once. "I wouldn't dream of running away."

Willow took a deep breath, settling her mind. "You know...since you shared something rather personal, I should, too." Sirius raised his eyebrows, about to interject, but Willow cut him off. "No, it's okay, I'm comfortable sharing this now. The whole reason I'm even out here every night is because of a weird prophecy I'm caught up in. You've noticed by now that I can shape-shift into multiple animals and mess with nature in general. I have these powers, and they're supposed to sway a coming war to one side or another, but that's beside the point." Sirius choked on his own air and looked like he was about to say they were most certainly not beside the point, but Willow pressed on. "Anyway, this prophecy is stating that the War Child- that's me- has a big huge quest to go on, or my friends, family, and even magical creatures are going to die. I've been hoping that I could bypass it all by cutting my friends out of my life, but I'm slowly realizing that it's not working. Besides, my family can't stop being my family, so how am I going to get around that?" Willow bit her lip, guilt pressing in on all sides, making her blanket suddenly seem suffocating. "I've been struggling with it over the past several weeks, and now this is all being dumped on you, since you're my friend, so I'm sorry that this might affect you. It's just...I can't stop caring about the people that care about me, you know? It seems selfish to turn my back now."

Sirius stared at her, his expression a mix between horror and curiosity. He blinked slowly, then said, "Let me get this straight: your friends, family, and magical creatures are going to die?"

Willow lowered her gaze. "I should have warned you sooner...I thought it might scare you off..."

Sirius hook his head. "You're right, you should have told me sooner, but it wouldn't have scared me off. Why on Earth have you been running from this for so long? Did you not say the other day that you would give anything to go on an adventure every single day for the rest of your life?" Willow nodded. "Then go on the quest! Figure everything out! There's another option, so why on Earth would you run away from it?"

Willow gasped. "Oh my God, that never even occurred to me before! I was so overwhelmed by the suddenness and the terrifying prospect of losing my loved ones, I never even bothered to think..." Her gaze saddened. "But it's no use. I can't figure out the first few lines of the prophecy."

Sirius sighed. "Well, if you ever need help, let me know, because I don't exactly have anything exciting to do around here."

Willow half-smiled. "Thanks, Sirius. I wish there were more I could do."

"It's not your fault, Willow. None of this is. You didn't ask to be cursed with these powers." Sirius took the washcloth off her forehead. "You're still burning up. It might do you good to visit Madam Pomfrey...but not right now. Wait until you've got some strength back."

Willow shook her head, struggling to her feet despite Sirius's exasperated protests. "I should go sooner rather than later."

"But you'll get there extremely late if you don't make it there at all!" he said.

"I'll be fine. It's just to the castle and eventually back, right?" Willow reasoned.

Sirius crossed his arms. "No. You'll make it worse. We don't have any chocolate, so it's going to be a while until your strength comes back. Just wait it out for an hour or two. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will still be there during dinner time."

Willow looked pleadingly at Sirius. "Please let me go? I can't stand feeling this crappy."

Sirius wrenched his gaze away from hers. "No, no, you will not convince me with those puppy eyes."

Willow batted her eyelashes. "Pretty please?"

Sirius snuck another glance at her, then threw up his arms. "Ugh, fine! Those damn puppy eyes get me every time..." He shook his head. "You're a piece of work, you know that? I'll take you up to the castle, but from there, you have to get yourself to the hospital wing. I swear to Merlin, if you get even worse, you are in so much trouble..."

Willow beamed. "Thank you!"

Sirius huffed dramatically, then transformed into a dog, patiently waiting on the floor. Willow focused her foggy brain. She found herself shrinking, fur covering her bare skin, and was suddenly a kitten. Sirius picked her up by the scruff of her neck and bounded out the door of the Power House. He carried her through the Forbidden Forest, across the grounds, and into the Entrance Hall. A few dementors neared their position, but didn't attack. Willow thanked Merlin that Dumbledore was able to keep them at bay. Sirius barked, then turned tail and fled, streaking towards the Forbidden Forest once more. Willow checked to make sure no one was around before transforming back into herself, the icy chill once again burning her skin. She drew her robes closer around her and marched at a slower pace than normal through the castle. Her muscled ached and her lungs were on fire, but she was able to make it to the hospital wing, if only through sheer force of steel will. Madam Pomfrey opened the door to her knock.

"Merlin's beard, you're alive!" she exclaimed, taking great, gasping breaths, placing her hand over her apparently palpitating heart. Willow's eyebrows shot up in question. "You disappeared for two hours! How dare you run off like that? Professor McGonagall was out of her mind because of you! Thought she was going to have to send a letter home, all ghostly white and shaking...You will surely be receiving detention for this!"

Willow winced. "Madam, I'm sorry, it's just- "

Without warning, Willow's legs gave out. She frantically grasped the door handle and caught herself in time. Madam Pomfrey appeared as though she were going to have a heart attack. She quickly grabbed Willow and hauled her into the nearest bed, forcing her to lay down.

"Do me a favor and stay put!" Madam Pomfrey shrilled, gathering supplies at the speed of light. She came back with a few potion vials and a familiar hunk of chocolate. "You've probably got a fever, going so long without chocolate after those horrid dementors attacked you...Maybe even something worse...I'd hope not though, your immune system is incredibly strong...Here, take this."

Madam Pomfrey handed Willow an acid-yellow vial. Staring at it suspiciously, Willow tipped the bottom up and nearly choked on the disgusting substance. It was almost like she was drinking a cross between urine and spoiled milk. Screwing up her face, Willow coughed and set the vial down on the bedside table. Madam Pomfrey thankfully left the other vials alone and simply hacked off a piece of chocolate. Willow gratefully savored the sugary-sweet segment of heaven. Her body gradually unfroze, warmth seeping into her very bone marrow. She smiled slightly as her happy memories returned to the forefront of her mind. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Willow's happiness was extinguished by the sight of the other patients in the hospital wing, however.

"Are they all okay?" she asked, eyes trained on Oliver's now skinny-looking frame.

Madam Pomfrey glanced in that direction. "Yes, they're all fine- thanks to you, I've heard."

Willow frowned, storm clouds crawling over the atmosphere. They would be perfectly fine had they not involved themselves with me. She hated how much danger she'd put all her friends in. She was an occupational hazard at best, yet she'd taken all her friends with her on this exciting, extremely dangerous journey that was her entire life, even at the worst times. She'd put them in unspeakably perilous positions without warning. What kind of friend was she for doing that? Willow's gut twisted sharply. The guilt was closing in once again. She could already hear the verses of the prophecy whispering in the back of her mind, teasing her relentlessly. Willow squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and opened them, forcing her mind to clear itself. She decided to focus on the glass of water on her bedside table. If she watched it closely enough, she could see it slightly sloshing from side to side from Madam Pomfrey's movement. Focusing on something else would help her forget her guilt, right?

That was not so. Every time Willow looked at her friends, she was swept up in a tide of shame. Sam's gaunt face reminded her of all the years of abuse she could have saved him from. Mandy's tangled hair told her of the familial issues she could have helped her solve. Sally's wind burnt cheeks spoke of all the times they could have set the world on fire together. And most of all, Oliver's angelic complexion, pure as could be, brought back in excruciating detail all the times she'd hurt him, all the times she could have welcomed him to her family, all the times she could have supported him when he needed her the most, if only to remind him that he was truly a Guerrero. Willow's heart slowly began to tortuously rip itself apart. She was so close to her friends, but so far. She could reach out and touch them, but she had to hold back. Willow blinked hard to drive the tears from her eyes. How much longer would she be able to hold on? How much longer would she be able to live with herself, knowing she could have done more?

"WILLOW GUERRERO!" a voice boomed.

"OH my God," Willow said, clutching her chest.

"How dare you leave that quidditch match?" McGonagall thundered. "How dare you leave without a trace? We sent out search parties for you, we looked up and down every corridor, and still found no trace of you, yet you have the audacity to show up here after two hours!" McGonagall's nostrils flared as she bore down on Willow, who sank further into the bed. "You could have been killed! You could have been hurt! You could have- "

"Professor, I'm fine! I was scared, so I ran, but I'm here now!" Willow said.

"Detention, Miss Guerrero! Twenty points from Gryffindor!" McGonagall continued, much to Willow's dismay. "You will be serving detention with me for an entire week starting Monday. Seven o'clock, on the dot. I will inform Wood of your reasoning for skipping quidditch practices in the evenings." Willow's heart sank. "You nearly caused me to send a letter home to your father! What if he'd lost his daughter tonight, Miss Guerrero? Do you have any idea how heartbroken he would be?"

"Yes, Professor, I do!" Willow said. Devastation was written in the creases on her forehead, her trembling lip, and her colorless face. "I'm sorry, Professor, I really am! It won't happen again!"

Professor McGonagall took a few soft, yet audible breaths, then seemed to finally calm down. "You're absolutely right. It will never happen again. Do I make myself clear?"

Willow nodded vigorously. "Crystal, Professor."

McGonagall sighed, then threw her hands up in the air. "You children and your running off to the next near-death experience! I will not have Gryffindor evolve into a bunch of blithering idiots. You will do everything Madam Pomfrey says, Miss Guerrero, and if I hear one peep, one single peep that you have crossed the line again, you will be serving detention for the remainder of the term."

"Yes, Professor."

McGonagall nodded shortly. "Poppy, how long will she be staying here?"

"The rest of this day and the next," Madam Pomfrey replied, casting a glance at Willow that dared her to argue. Willow wisely shut her mouth. "I'll keep a very close eye on her Minerva, don't you worry."

"I know you will, Poppy. Good evening to you."

"Get some rest, Minerva."

Professor McGonagall quietly walked out of the hospital wing, shutting the door behind her with a slight bit of force. Madam Pomfrey immediately found Willow's eyes.

"You may not move from that bed except to use the restroom, you hear?" she said. "You need rest. You need to recover after an incident like that."

"Madam, please, I have to get back, there's something urgent I need to do- " Willow pleaded.

"Nah, ah, ah! No ifs, ands, or buts about it!" Pomfrey tutted. "Now lie down and close your eyes. You need your rest. You look something dreadful."

"Madam, please, I'm never going to shut it if you don't let me go," Willow said. "If you would just give me a few hours, I'll spend the night here, I promise, you just have to let me go for a moment."

"There will be no such thing! You children never follow through on your check-ups, let alone promises to come back here for the night."

"Madam, I never break my promises. Even you must know that."

"There's a first time for everything, my dear. You have to stay here!"

Willow winced. "I'm sorry...I can't."

In one fluid motion, she threw off her covers, hit the floor, and sprinted towards the door. Madam Pomfrey yelped and fumbled for her wand. She easily caught up to the shaky-legged Willow, but Willow was stronger, both in muscle tone and in sheer force of will. She yanked open one of the doors and ducked out of Pomfrey's grip. Before she had a chance to intercept her, Willow took off in one direction, disappearing around the nearest bend just as a full-body bind curse came flying towards her. She tried to move her legs faster but was only able to proceed at an uncoordinated jog. Her legs were jelly, and her balance was thrown off by vertigo. The whole castle swayed when she continued to move. Willow couldn't remember what wing she was in. Had she seen that suit of armor before? What floor did that painting belong to? Was the Fat Lady somewhere around here? Willow was so confused, so very confused. At least her friends were okay. She knew that much.

Without warning, Willow's legs gave out again, and she tripped, falling hard onto the stone floor. She groaned and rolled over, kneecap throbbing. Willow wanted to get up, but she felt like gravity was pressing down on her, pushing her into the very floor. The room blurred in and out. She shook her head to clear it. Pomfrey and McGonagall were sure to be after her now, and she knew neither one of them was bound to give her a head start. Willow grabbed the brazier holding a torch, managed to pull herself up onto shaky legs, and continued running down the now maze-like Hogwarts corridors. She took multiple turns and staircases, hoping to throw off her pursuers. Willow finally couldn't run anymore somewhere close to the ground floor and collapsed in a heap next to a familiar-looking door. She couldn't place what room it was, though, and simply laid there, panting quietly. Willow rubbed her temples. Was this what it felt like to be drunk, she wondered?

"Willow? Merlin's beard, you look like you had a rough game," a raspy voice whispered.

Willow looked up to find herself staring at a familiar figure. "Professor Lupin?"

Lupin smiled kindly at her. His eyes appeared extremely bloodshot, and his clothes more baggy. He even had a scratch on his face. Willow wondered where he'd been to be reduced to this kind of state.

"How did the game go? Did Gryffindor win? Not that I'm supposed to take sides," he added quickly.

"I- I think we lost, actually," Willow said, slowly sitting up. "Harry was attacked by dementors and fell off his broom. Someone saved him, but I'm guessing Cedric Diggory got the snitch while Harry was out. The dementors...they attacked me, too, and some of my friends."

Lupin raised an eyebrow. "And Madam Pomfrey isn't keeping you in the hospital wing?"

"Why do you think I'm here, laying on the floor?"

Lupin chuckled to himself. "I'd get into all sorts of trouble for not turning you in, you know. But I understand. Not everyone wants to be watched like a hawk when they're ill."

He disappeared into his classroom. Willow furrowed her brow. "Professor? What are you doing?"

Lupin reappeared with something in his hands, handing a piece of it to Willow. "Madam Pomfrey would be disappointed if I didn't at least give you some chocolate. Here, have some, it'll give you your strength back."

Willow accepted the gift. She hoped it would work better than the last piece she'd had, as it wore off before McGonagall even burst into the hospital wing. Willow took a small bite of the chocolate. A familiar warmth spread throughout her insides, from her head to her toes. Her mind cleared up, the happy memories returned, and her legs felt semi-functional once more. The emptiness finally dissipated.

"Wow, thanks," Willow mumbled through her mouthful of sweets. "What is it about chocolate that does that?"

Lupin shrugged. "Chocolate makes us happy; when your happy memories are taken away, you need something to kickstart their return."

Willow nodded slowly. "That makes sense."

Lupin's expression suddenly brightened. "Ah! I almost forgot, but you reminded me: I found another boggart hiding in Professor Flitwick's desk a few days ago. You can stop by any time to challenge it."

Willow's entire body raced with a surge of energy. "Can I try it right now?"

Lupin frowned. "Are you sure you're in a fit state for it?"

Willow nodded. "Professor, I've had a rough go of it lately. My friends are in shambles, I'm acting like a complete idiot, and if I'm being totally honest, I'm not too mentally stable myself. I need to find out what's throwing my life into disarray. My worst fear is lurking somewhere inside me, and I want nothing more than to find it, fight it, and master it."

Lupin peered at her oddly. "Wise words from a third year. Well, if you insist...I've got him shut up in a box in my office. I'll bring him into the classroom, and if you could move some desks aside, you can have at it."

Willow gave Lupin a thumbs-up. As he half-limped, half-walked up the stairs to his office, Willow pushed a few desks aside, creating a semi-circle around the platform Lupin lectured from. Lupin returned moments later with a rather ornery box. It rattled and shook and even growled at one point, nearly cascading from Lupin's hands every two seconds. He finally set it down on the ground. Willow stared at it, trying to prepare herself for what was to come.

"Do you have your wand on you?" Lupin asked.

"No, I just wanted to see what my fear was, nothing more," Willow said. "I'm not a die-hard for extra credit."

Lupin nodded. "And you don't want me to intervene?"

"Only when I say so, please."

"Alright, prepared yourself, then." Willow adjusted her stance, attempting to calm her stormy mind. "On the count of three, I'm going to open the box, and the boggart will take on the form of your worst fear. I promise to stay back until you give the word. Ready?" Willow nodded. "One...two...three."

With a flick of Lupin's wand, the box burst open, and Willow was suddenly engulfed by darkness. She blinked her eyes to adjust to the light, then gasped in horror. Her mother was standing in front of her, grinning madly, holding the family heirloom- the diamond-encrusted locket- out in front of her, as if teasing Willow. Without giving her any time to react, Grace was upon her. Willow was tied up with ropes. She was struck with the full-body bind curse. She was thrown face-down onto the ground. She was rolled over and kicked in the stomach. Then, she was propped up against a desk, and Grace disappeared.

In her place was an entirely new scene. Her friends were lined up, one by one, all facing Willow. There was Oliver and Cypress, Mandy, Lisa, and Sue, the Smith twins, Harry, her Gryffindor Sisters, Fred, George, Lee, and Paige, and in the background, her family. Their faces were ashen, covered in soot. Some had tear stains trailing down their cheeks. Willow's heart jolted as if struck by a lightning bolt. What was going on? Were they hurt? Were they okay? Was someone torturing them? She had so many questions, but none would be answered, as her mouth was sealed shut. A group of Death Eaters paraded into the scene, their cloaks obscuring their faces. They approached her friends quickly, one per person, and stood in front of them, wands raised.

"Willow, help!" Sue cried. "Help us!"

"Willow! Please, help!" Lisa sobbed.

Willow struggled against her bonds, invisible and physical, but couldn't move, nor make a sound. The Death Eaters grew closer and closer to her friends- wands aimed directly at their hearts.

"Willow, help us! We're trapped!" Fred and George called out, being surrounded by their own lethal circle of Death Eaters.

"Willow? We need you!" Tío Leonel yelled.

Willow's throat made an odd choking sound. She strained and drew all the strength she could from her powers, but she was pinned down. The Death Eaters were now inches away from her friends and family.

"Willow? Where are you?" Mandy shouted.

"We need you right now!" Lavender shrieked.

Willow made one final effort to claw her way to freedom, but all the good that did her was pop her veins out so far that she was sure she had obliterated a blood vessel. She was trapped by the full-body bind curse and the ropes. There was nothing she could do.

"Willow, how could you leave us when we need you the most?" Carlos said.

Without batting an eye, the Death Eaters attacked. They threw jinx after curse after hex at her loved ones. Willow cried out and screeched in agony, sounding like she was muffled by a piece of duct tape all the while. Mandy screamed in pain as the Crutiatus curse sent her into fits of terrible torment. Lisa and Sue were engulfed by a fire ring that drew ever closer to them, their skin already burning bright red. Oliver was pummeled by cuts, bruises, and heavy blows from all sides. Cypress threw himself in front of Oliver but was thrown aside, receiving kicks and deep gauges from smashed potion vials raining down on him. Fred and George were overwhelmed by a quadruple attack. Lee and Paige fought back but were consequently annihilated. Carlos and the rest of her family disappeared beneath a tidal wave of water. Her Gryffindor Sisters were wrapped in brambles and slowly squeezed to death, thorns pricking their skin. Parvati and Mia shrieked in pain the whole time. Sally and Sam were beaten and bloodied by spell after spell, then raw strength from the Death Eaters' fists.

Willow watched all of this in a horrible pain. Her ears bled from the intensity of their screams. The scent of blood sent her senses into chaos. Her eyes were forced to see her friends lying on the ground, taking hit after hit. All of it was because she couldn't be there. She had been failing. She was failing. She'd failed her friends. Their limp bodies were cast at her feet, the laughter of the Death Eaters ringing in her ears. Willow was absolutely mortified. Her mind engraved the scene in her brain forever: Oliver's face beaten to a pulp; the Smith twins' pale faces; Cypress's defeated frame; Mandy, Lisa, and Sue's torture-racked bodies; Lee and Paige's last desperate moments written in their facial features; Fred and George's barren expressions, devoid of all laughter; her Gryffindor Sisters, punctured, torn apart, and decimated; and finally her family, drowned beneath the receding waters from a Death Eaters' wand. Only one survivor remained- it was someone she hadn't seen before the chaos started, someone she never thought she would see crawling towards her from the wreckage, begging for her help. It was Draco, his blonde hair matted, his robes viciously ripped, his leg twisted at an awkward angle. Worst of all, his stormy gray eyes were burning out, slowly becoming lighter and lighter until they glassed over completely. Draco collapsed and lay dead at her feet. Willow's throat burned with the strain of her cries.

"Where were you when we needed you most?" he rasped, his whispery voice echoing in her head. Draco's starry eyes stared right through her. "Where were you? You failed me. You failed us all..."

Willow's entire body exploded into pain. She couldn't take the sight anymore. She couldn't take the gut-wrenching horror anymore. She couldn't take the fiery pain anymore. Willow screamed out all of her agony, her mouth finally undoing its bindings, allowing the sound to ring out in its full proportion. She screeched in anguish, letting all of her suffering out in one single, heart-tearing note. She'd finally done it. She'd failed her friends and family, once and for all. The prophecy had taken effect at last. She couldn't help herself. She'd gone and been greedy for their love, and now they were dead. It was all because of her. It was all her fault. She'd failed. She'd finally failed, and now her loved ones were gone forever. She'd failed.

Then, all of a sudden, the scene was gone. Willow fell to the side, the bindings gone. Professor Lupin shouted, "Riddikulus!" and the light returned to the room. Willow looked up to see an explosion of dust settle on the floor. She scuttled backwards when Lupin kneeled beside her, her mind still in a chaotic vortex of fear, agony, and guilt. Her heart jumped when he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Willow? Are you okay?" Willow squeezed her eyes shut tight, making an effort to wrench her mind away from the boggart's terror. Her heart beat against her ribs, sweat trickled down her forehead, and her mouth went dry. She hadn't failed...but she just did...her friends were suffering...but they weren't, were they? Had that all really happened? Was it going to happen in the future?

"Willow, you're okay, the boggart is gone," Lupin said soothingly. "You're safe now."

Willow placed her head in her hands, breathing slowly to control herself. She couldn't break down. She had to keep it together. Her friends depended on it. Her family depended on it. Her magical creatures depended on it. The world would come to depend on it. Willow swallowed hard. She was strong. She was determined. She was tougher than anything this world could throw at her, because every time she hit rock bottom, the only way she could go was up. She had improved. She was a fighter. No matter what happened to her, she could always fight back. She was never bound by the bonds of the prophecy- or her powers for that matter. She'd trapped herself.

Willow found her lungs loosening and her heart settling. She wasn't tied down to some fate or destiny anymore. Now she truly knew what she was afraid of. She wasn't afraid of failure. She wasn't afraid of losing the battle to this quest she'd been cursed with. She wasn't even afraid of dying. No, deep down, Willow Lucía Guerrero was only afraid of one singular, terrifying thing: holding herself back when the world needed her most. She was absolutely horrified by the prospect of letting everyone down when she had so much left to give, and it almost gave her a panic attack just thinking about it.

No. She was not going to give in. Her life was pressing down on her on all sides; so what? She was so much stronger than she ever could have been before. Yes, she'd been hurt. Yes, she'd been beaten. But there was one thing she never would be, and that was defeated. No one, no one could break her spirit. Willow gritted her teeth and began to rise to her feet. She was a warrior. Her last name said so. She was a fighter, but not for herself. She fought for those who couldn't fight for themselves, who wouldn't fight for themselves, who would just as soon succumb to their fate. Willow was a protector, but not of one definable thing. She protected love. Willow smiled a little to herself as she remembered one of the lines from the prophecy. Never succumb to fate...It was right. She wouldn't let fate decide her actions. She was going to fight. She was going to fight until every last breath escaped her body, and even then, she was going to make sure she took the emptiness that was her enemy with her. Willow stood tall and proud, squaring her shoulders against the dust pile. She was a Guerrero. She was proud to be her. And she was never, ever, going to let anything come between her and her loved ones ever again.

"Willow, are you sure you're okay to be standing?" Lupin questioned frantically.

Willow smiled, which seemed to shock Lupin to no end. "Yes, Professor. In fact, I think I'm better off than before."

"Better off- what?"

"Sir, please don't make me explain, it would take ages, and I'm not really in the mood to tell my life story," Willow said. "Besides, I'd get you fired if someone found you harboring an escapee from the hospital wing."

Lupin stared at her for a long moment. Willow could almost feel his disbelief coursing through his system. Then, Lupin ran a hand through his hair, sighing, and the old twinkle returned to his exhausted eyes.

"I suppose you better be returning to your common room, then," he suggested. "And next time you face a boggart, make sure you bring a wand with you. It's difficult to judge when to step in for someone."

"Oh, sorry about that, I was kind of busy being unable to speak," Willow said.

Lupin shook his head. "Sarcastic as most Gryffindors are these days. My old friend would have loved you, you know. He always claimed that sarcasm and sass were the two requirements to getting into Gryffindor."

Willow furrowed her brow. Had she heard that recently from someone? She couldn't place it right away, so she filed the information away for later. "I have to agree with him."

A twinge of sadness entered Lupin's expression, but he quickly hid it. "Do you need help finding your way back to the Gryffindor common room?"

"I think I can manage now." Willow brushed herself off. "Thank you, Professor, for the chocolate- and for not turning me in. I don't know if I could deal with Pomfrey throwing potions at me right now."

Lupin's eyes twinkled. "She just cares a whole lot about you, that's all. Have a good evening, Willow."

"You too, Professor."

As Willow was walking away, something about that interaction was nagging at her. It was some small, little detail, something that normally she would have missed, but noticed in her now lofty state. It was something about Lupin. She couldn't place it...was it his clothes? No, it couldn't have been. They were the same as always. Was it his hair? No, it wasn't that either! He always had the same colour hair-

Wait.

Lupin's eyes. She'd seen them before. Their colour, it was something she'd seen before. Were they blue? No, they were too dark to be blue. Were they green? No, that was even lighter than blue...So that must have meant they were brown...but they weren't the regular kind of brown. They weren't dark brown, they weren't light brown, they were-

Hazel.

Did that mean...? No, that couldn't possibly be connected. Willow shook her head, disgusted with herself for thinking such things. Lupin was not a werewolf. Sure, he disappeared every so often, and sure, he had a rather ragged appearance, but that didn't mean anything! Who was she to assume things about people? Willow scolded herself for being so rash and marched down the corridors.

She didn't have time to think about this right now. She had a mission, and though she knew she really should be heading to the Gryffindor common room to let everyone know she wasn't dead, she didn't want to run into McGonagall or Pomfrey. No, she had to get back to the one place they couldn't be at right now, as they were likely out searching for her. Willow had to get back to the hospital wing.

She'd given it a few moment's thought, which was a long time for Willow. Her friends had been suffering from her absence quite dramatically over the past several weeks. They deserved to see her now, completely open, relieved, purified, free. She'd been holding them down, too, underneath her own invisible netting. They needed to know the truth. She was willing to lay herself out, put it all out there, offer her heart on a line, and was more than willing to let herself get hurt. Willow had learned something. If she wasn't willing to put her emotions on the line, wasn't willing to risk failure, heartbreak, or even relationships, then she wasn't going to get anywhere in life, and she was only going to pull others down around her. If she wanted to be where she was in her dreams, then she had to sacrifice the stable ground she stood on now to get there- well, as stable as that ground could be. The best way to start was to apologize to her friends.

Willow ducked behind a suit of armor. She checked that the coast was clear, then remembered all the way back to the fight in the Ministry of Magic. She'd been able to turn invisible then; she had to be able to now, right? Willow thought of Phoebe's ability to blend right in with the environment, to become part of the scenery. She focused on absorbing the colours around her. She was simply a window, transparent, completely see-through. Willow pulsed her powers, then shot the electrical signals all throughout her body. She gasped as they tickled her skin to an almost painful point. After a few moments, she looked down, only to clap her hand to her mouth, because nothing was there.

Willow was completely invisible to the untrained eye. She appeared as the scarcest, faintest outline on the suit of armor, barely visible even with considerable training in spotting invisible creatures. Willow settled herself down and collected her thoughts. She was in the classroom part of the castle. She needed to get to the hospital wing. So...she needed to follow the corridor to the right, then the left, then down the stairs to the first floor, and she'd find her way from there. Right. Piece of cake.

Willow snuck through the corridors, flattening herself against the wall whenever someone walked by. Though she was invisible, she didn’t want to take any chances, and she certainly wasn’t used to being completely nonexistent to the untrained eye. How Phoebe got used to it, she had no idea. Willow finally reached the corridor leading to the hospital wing and tiptoed the remaining meters, hardly making a sound. She slowly turned the handle and winced as the creak! of the door split the silent night air. Thankfully, no one stirred. Willow took a deep breath, double-checked her surroundings, and slipped inside the hospital wing, noiselessly shutting the door behind her.

"Boo."

Willow nearly jumped out of her skin. “Mandy!” she hissed. “Don’t scare me like that!”

Mandy grinned. “Aw, come on, at least let me have a little fun while I’m stuck in this stupid bed.”

Willow sighed. “I’m sorry this had to happen to you. Are you okay?”

“Why do you care? It’s not like you’ve been around to know that in the last- wow, has it been two months?”

“Not quite,” Willow muttered. At a look from Mandy, she quickly added, “But that doesn’t make it any less inexcusable. I’m sorry, Mandy, I’ve just- God, it hurts so much to do this, but I have to stay away from you guys.”

“Because you’re afraid you’ll hurt us with your powers, just like you did to Sally and the rest of your Gryffindor friends?”

Willow could have sworn somebody punched her directly in the chest with an iron fist. “She told you about that?”

“Yes, I did.”

Willow turned to the side to see Sally sitting up in the bed next to Mandy’s, her face still gaunt from her encounter with the dementors, but covered well by a livid complexion aimed straight at Willow.

“Sally…you know I didn’t mean that.”

“But you promised you’d never do it,” Sally whispered. “That’s what this whole thing is about, Willow. You went back on your promises. You’ve never broken our trust before. You used to always have our backs, always be there when we needed you, always be there for no reason whatsoever except to put a smile on our faces, if only for a moment…” Sally hid her face and wiped it with her sleeve, letting out an emotion-laden breath. “I just- I don’t understand what happened to that Willow. Where is she? What have you done to her?”

Willow’s voice was choked up when she replied, “She’s still here, Sally. She’s always been here, and she always will be. Right now, she’s just hurting, and she’s hurting an awful lot, but there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Can you at least tell us what’s hurting you, then?” Sam pleaded, staring at her from the other side of the room. “You owe us that much, at least. For everything you’ve put us through over the past several weeks.”

“I- I wish I could,” Willow said.

“You can,” Oliver said. Everyone turned to look at him as he got up out of his bed, walking to Willow’s side and taking her hand. “You’ve shown me that a Guerrero can do anything they put their mind to. Don’t tell me that you can’t even admit to your own brother what’s hurting you.”

That did it. Willow’s heart broke. She squeezed Oliver’s hand, her lip trembling as she fought back tears. Flashes of her worst fear replayed in her mind. Her friends breaking, bleeding out, screaming in pain because of her. Their utterly defeated faces thrown at her feet. The guilt overwhelmed her, swallowed her up, beat and battered her, until she thought her entire conscience would explode. Willow could almost feel the bonds that she’d tied herself down with ripping, tearing, destroying themselves with each passing second, and then she broke free of them all together, the tide that she’d held back within her very soul rushing out in one enormous maverick wave, unleashing itself at last.

“I- I’ve been- oh my God, I don’t even care anymore, screw secrecy, screw that damn prophecy, screw everything! I’ve been hiding something from you guys for a while now. There’s a dumb hiccup that comes with my powers. If I don’t figure it out in time, you’re all going to die, and it’s all because of me! I thought that by distancing myself, you wouldn’t want to be friends anymore, and the prophecy wouldn’t affect you. But I was wrong. No matter what I do, I can’t stop drifting back to you guys, because I love you all more than every other person on this planet combined. And now…and now you’re all going to pay for standing by my side.”

Mandy, Oliver, Sally, and Sam stared at Willow in silence, their stunned expressions letting on how much pain she was expressing to them at once. Willow bowed her head in shame. They had to be disgusted with her after everything she’d done, and rightfully so. She deserved whatever was coming her way. But then, without warning, Oliver tackled her in a fierce hug, tears rolling down his face.

“I had no idea, I really had no idea,” he cried. “I’ve missed you so much, if only I would have know- I could have helped you through that- you shouldn’t have had to be alone- “

“We all should have been there,” Sally said, crying herself. “We all should have figured it out and helped.”

“I knew something was going on for you to leave like that, but- how could we not act on it? You would have done that for us,” Mandy breathed, wrapping her arms around both Willow and Oliver.

Willow took deep breaths as she hugged her friends back, lifting her face to the sky to try and cool it off. “It’s okay, guys, you couldn’t have known. I know I hide what’s going on in my personal life pretty well, especially if it’s this bad.”

“But we should have done something about it!” Sally sobbed, getting in on the group hug. “We should have, right, Sam?”

Sam stood to the side, his face troubled. Willow looked at him, nonverbally begging for his forgiveness, hoping against hope that he would find it in his heart to forgive her. But if he didn’t, that was his decision. She barely had the right to ask at this point. Sam, however, was an incredible person. He blinked hard to drive away tears when the group parted from one another, looking hard at Willow.

“You’re an imbecile, you know that?” he said. “An absolute idiotic, bloody Gryffindor, taking on something like that alone.” He shook his head, then hugged Willow tight. “Don’t ever do that to me again. Please.”

“I won’t, Sam. I promise,” Willow said.

Oliver wiped his eyes. “How did you face that all on your own? You can’t be doing okay. It hurt enough to be separated from you for all this time, but to be separated from all of us…”

Willow thought of Sirius, but she couldn’t tell her friends about him just yet. She felt horrible for keeping one last secret from them, but it was for Sirius’s safety, and they would eventually understand when his name was cleared.

“I…I’ve been…entertaining myself, I guess? I play soccer- sorry, football- every morning. Quidditch helped. Studying day and night helped. But nothing truly made the ache of not seeing you all go away.”

“Where did you go? You never stayed in the Gryffindor common room, obviously,” Sally said.

“The Forbidden Forest. It was the only place where I felt distant enough that you guys were safe, but close enough to defend you if anything went wrong.”

The door to the hospital wing suddenly unlatched. Willow’s heart jumped as her friends darted for their beds. She dove behind a nearby curtain as Madam Pomfrey entered the room, performing her nightly check on her patients. Thankfully, Willow’s friends were great actors, and Pomfrey left without a clue that they were awake. They slowly crept back into the open in the minutes after she left.

“Look, I’d love to tell you everything right now, but I don’t want to get you in trouble with Madam Pomfrey, as she’s likely to put you on bed rest for a week if she finds out I was disturbing your sleep.”

“Then you’re meeting us in the Ravenclaw common room tomorrow evening at seven, sharp,” Mandy demanded. “If you’re late, we’ll send the entire staff of Hogwarts after you.”

Willow smirked. “I’d like to see them try, but I’ll be there.”

“You better.”

Willow left without a trace. She was grateful to the storm for keeping the corridors peacefully barren. Her heart was soaring, her morale was improved, and she'd finally thrown off the emotional weight that was breaking her back for the last several weeks. As much as she hated to admit it, she was emotionally affected by pretty much everything that went on in her life, from the tiniest issues to the biggest life-changing catalysts. She unwillingly wore her heart on her sleeve. Willow was content, however, as she practically skipped down the corridors, heart and soul light and aloof from her problems for the time being.

"Hey, weirdo, you've supposed to walk in the corridors."

Willow tripped and tumbled into the nearest wall. She popped right back up on her feet, dusting herself off, slightly flustered. "Paige! What are you doing here?"

The dark-haired girl crossed her arms. "Looking for you, obviously. You're supposed to be in the hospital wing right now. Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall stopped by asking for you. I told them I hadn't seen you since the quidditch game."

"Oh...sorry about that. It actually wasn't my fault this time."

"Bull." Willow couldn't help the guilty-as-charged grin that spread across her face. Paige rolled her eyes, but her expression lightened considerably. "You're a nightmare, you know that?"

"I've been told multiple times."

Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Paige quickly grabbed Willow and threw the both of them into the nearest broom closet just as Professor McGonagall rounded the corner, stamping down the corridor towards her office. Willow bit her lip. Oops. She should probably make it up to McGonagall for all the trouble she'd put the poor woman through. The Head of Gryffindor marched out of sight within a few minutes, her footsteps finally becoming inaudible. Willow turned back to Paige and suddenly realized how close they were.

"Wow, to think I was out and proud, only to be shoved back into the closet again," Paige joked.

"Shut up," Willow said, her cheeks burning.

"Your heart is beating faster. Am I scaring you?" Paige teased.

"Shut up! You do not scare me. I'm only scared of a select few things in this world, and you're thankfully not one of them."

"Hm, your heart rate seems to be telling me otherwise." Paige leaned even closer to Willow. "Am I scaring you now? Claustrophobia kicking in?"

Willow rolled her eyes despite the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach without her permission. "I don't have claustrophobia- so far. I actually don't know anyone that does."

Paige whispered, "Lumos," and her wand lit up the space. Willow cursed herself for internally melting into a puddle of mush. Paige's features were darkening as the sun grew less intense, highlighting her bright face. Her wavy hair was a warm dark chocolate colour. Her copper-toned skin was perfectly even. Her eyes- oh dear God, Willow couldn't look into her eyes for longer than a second before she had to look away. They were a dreamy chocolate brown, Willow's absolute favourite shade of brown. It was impossible to describe. Only staring into their depths of honest emotion would do them justice.

Willow forced herself to close her eyes, then opened them again, still unable to meet Paige's gaze. Merlin, why was she like this? Did she actually fancy Paige? The idea made her feel fuzzy inside, but so did looking at adorable puppies. She was questioning herself over and over and over. Why were her emotions so impossible to decipher? Then, Willow caught sight of Paige’s expression. The older girl was staring at her, completely entranced. Paige was mesmerized. Willow wondered how anyone could find her that interesting. Paige appeared as if she'd seen the most incredible thing in the world for the first time. Was she really that amazing to Paige?

Willow accidentally lost her balance and leaned forward into Paige, arms wrapped around her waist for support. She looked up to find the older girl in shock. Every centimeter of her that was touching Paige felt like miniature fireworks within her skin. Willow blushed and found herself melting into a puddle all over again. Paige's breath tickled her cheeks. She reddened even further. Willow's heart jumped when Paige gently touched her cheek. She had to stop herself from giggling, the touch was so sensitive. She'd never felt like that before when- actually, this had never happened before. Paige smirked at her.

"Yeah, you're definitely scared."

"Of the dark," Willow replied, though her voice was shaky.

Paige stared at her a moment longer, longing obvious on her face. Her eyes flickered to Willow's nose just once, then she closed her eyes, almost forcing herself to stop looking.

"Come on, let's come out of the closet. I'm sure no one will be surprised."


	49. Year 3: Chapter 7

Paige lingered only a moment longer with Willow, then headed off to the common room, armed with a full-proof lie to keep McGonagall calm and Madam Pomfrey satisfied. Willow's heart was still racing from their interaction. She stood rooted to the spot where she'd last spoke with Paige, fuzziness clouding her mind. She knew she should really get going, with Pomfrey on her tail and all, but she just couldn't bring herself to end that magical moment. Was this what it felt like to fancy someone, she wondered?

"Wow, I did not see that coming. Willow Guerrero is a lesbian. How long have you two been dating?"

"HOLY crap," Willow yelped, whipping around. Her heart beat even faster when she saw who was standing behind her. She was surprised she didn't have a heart attack, with everything that was happening at once. "Sirius! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, of course! You didn't come back very fast," he hissed, crossing his arms. "You made me worry! I thought you might have passed out and died somewhere!" He shook his head. "Let's get back to the Power House. And keep your voice down! I'm lucky I haven't gotten caught yet!"

"You're damn right you are! Go, go, go!"

Sirius shrank into his dog form as Willow transformed into a cat. They bounded through the corridors, frantically glancing over their shoulders every few seconds for staff members, even though they were unrecognizable in their new forms. Willow picked up the pace past the dementors and finally was able to relax when they reached the treeline. The Forbidden Forest welcomed them home with a strong gust of wind and a dark sky. Willow didn't mind the dark for once, however, as she preferred that to getting caught in broad daylight. They returned to their human forms when they got back to the Power House and kicked their shoes off outside, scraping off as much mud as they could. Sirius quickly ushered her inside and locked the door behind them, then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, that's not exactly the homecoming I'd expected," he joked.

"Sirius! Are you out of your mind?" Willow scolded. "You could have gotten caught! Why would you come after me like that?"

Sirius shrugged. "Had some energy to let off. Thought I might as well make it productive. I found you, we didn't get caught, and besides, now I've got ammunition to tease you with. What's her name?"

Willow spluttered. "What- she's not- Sirius, I'm talking about something much more important right now!"

Sirius scoffed. "Nothing's more important than true love," he teased, dramatically emphasizing the last two words. "Soooo, I'm still wondering, what's her name? How did you meet? These are important details, you know."

"De- Sirius, I'm trying to make sure you don't get killed!"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, spare me the spiel, you already did this yesterday. The past is in the past. I didn't get caught. I'm still waiting on my answer, by the way."

Willow was about to protest that he could easily get caught at any time, that he was bloody foolish, that he was stupid to go after her- Dumbledore was at Hogwarts, for Merlin's sake, nothing would happen to her- but she begrudgingly shut her mouth. She would have done the same thing for Sirius. She needed to stop being such a hypocrite.

"Well? What's her name?" Sirius asked.

Willow blushed. "Paige, but we're not dating. We're just friends. I don't know whether I fancy her or not."

"Oh, I'll help you answer that question. You do, and it's obvious to the entire world. I could have seen that from Mars." Willow reddened even further. "So, when did you meet? How are you planning to ask her on a date?"

Willow's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Date? Oh, no, that's not happening yet."

"The keyword is yet," Sirius said.

Willow rolled her eyes. "I met Paige when Fred and George did a prank in the Great Hall my first year. She and I just...I guess, became friends, and...yeah. Boring story."

"B-o-o," Sirius said. "Come on, you've got to make a pretty powerful move to make up for that boring of a meeting story. What's your style here? Flowers? Singing? Middle of a quidditch game? Ooh, you could do a visit to Hogsmeade and challenge her to a butterbeer drinking contest, and if she loses, she has to go out with you."

"What?! Sirius, I'm not asking her out!"

He huffed. "Fine, live a disappointing life waiting for the other one to make a move. It won't happen, by the way."

"Oh, you don't know Paige. She would be the first one to make a move. She wouldn't put up with never being able to live down being asked out first."

"Ah, so she's a top."

Willow choked on her own air. "Sirius! Okay, changing topics, I don't have anything more to say- " Sirius grinned victoriously- "I'm not avoiding my friends anymore. I just faced a boggart and realized my worst fear is holding myself back when the world needs me most. So, yeah, I'm officially taking on this stupid prophecy thing."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "I didn't see that one coming either. Are you sure you didn't hit your head recently?"

Willow gently slapped him. "Yes, I'm concussion-free, as Madam Pomfrey would have chained me to a hospital bed otherwise." She cleared her head to focus. "I need to start on this prophecy thing right away. I've got limited time to figure it out."

"I'll help, since I'm going to die if it fails anyway," Sirius said quickly, irises burning with an exhilarating type of excitement. "We need to talk to someone about this. Do you know anyone that could help?"

Willow thought for a moment, then suddenly shook her head ecstatically. "Cebba!"

"Who?"

Willow called out for Cebba, reaching deep within her to pull out the spirit. It didn't take much time at all. With a single internal cry, Cebba's presence once more filled Willow from head to toe, warming her up from the inside out, and without warning, the familiar pulling sensation yanked the spirit out of Willow's soul and into the open, and Cebba's ghostly form was standing before her once again. Sirius gripped his chest and sank into a nearby chair, eyes wide.

"This- what- who is this?" he gasped.

"This is Cebba, my...how would you describe our relationship?"

"Strained? Intolerant? Shaky?" Cebba teased, receiving a stuck-out-tongue from Willow. The ghostly woman smiled. "I missed our banter. It took you long enough to summon me again! What have you been doing all this time?"

"Uh...I'll explain that later."

"Have you been up to no good?" Cebba inquired, peering disapprovingly at Willow.

"No! Well, yes, per usual, but nothing noteworthy!" she protested.

"Hey! You never answered my question," Sirius said, crossing his arms. "Who is this, and why are you talking to her?"

Cebba walked over to Sirius, glancing him up and down. "Hm, you seem like the riff-raff sort, but if Willow approves of you, I guess you're okay...I'm Cebba, her ghostly guide to these incredible- well, incredibly annoying at times- powers."

"Just okay?" Sirius scoffed.

"Not now, Sirius!" Willow scolded. "Cebba, what was the first part of the prophecy?"

"The One born of powers will in eleven years' time-"

"No, the next part!"

"Receive the burden of the coming war-"

"No, you doofus, you know exactly which part I'm talking about! What's the part that's talking about my quest, you know, the first step to complete the prophecy?"

Cebba giggled. "I love riling you up. Unless she follows the descendant of Hogwarts' great; The trail blazing of a life born of joy is the path she shall take."

"The descendant of Hogwarts' great? What does that mean?" Willow asked.

Cebba shrugged. "I don't know everything, Willow, contrary to popular belief. And even if I did know, I couldn't tell you, because that's not how prophecies work. You can't outmaneuver them."

"Dang it, I was totally planning to get a prophecy for my life and do the exact opposite," Willow said, her voiced laced with sarcasm. Cebba lightly slapped her. Willow blew raspberries at her, then actually focused, tapping her foot. "Hogwarts' great...Weren't there four founders of Hogwarts?"

"Yes, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin," Sirius chimed in.

"But which one would be Hogwarts' great?" Willow wondered. They all glanced at each other, exchanging bewildered expressions. Willow groaned and rubbed her hands down her face. "This is going nowhere, then, until we find out more. I'll start searching the library tomorrow."

"Um...Willow? It is tomorrow," Sirius said, wincing. "I didn't get around to telling you that you were in the castle for quite a while. It's about two in the morning."

"Then I'll start searching the library today."

"No!" Sirius and Cebba chorused. They looked at each other, then at Willow, then back at each other, and finally said, "Not it."

Willow stared at the two of them, fighting giggles. "Are you two fighting over who gets to yell at me for being stubborn again?"

"No, I'm just going to forcibly make you stay here, because you've got no reason to go running off while you're ill," Sirius said. "Stay here and rest before you get even more sick."

"I'm not sick!" Willow insisted, then sneezed.

"Sure," Cebba said, shooting her a look. "I promise, I'll be ultra aware of your surroundings for you, so if I find anything, and I mean anything that might be helpful, I'll let you know. Until then, I'm returning to you, because I'm sapping your strength. Nice meeting you, Seriously."

Sirius rolled his eyes as Cebba disappeared, dousing Willow's insides with icy cold water. She shivered and sat back, relishing the warmth of her robes as Cebba's spirit merged with hers once more. She'd missed being able to feel Cebba's presence within her. It was a huge mistake sending her away when it turned out that was the time she needed Cebba most.

"Well, I guess we go to sleep now," Willow said, yawning.

"Yes, and don't you dare get up before nine," Sirius threatened. "You'll get a splitting migraine from all the sleep you're losing out on."

"Yeah, I'd rather not have that..." Willow murmured, leaning into the couch. A fuzzy thought popped into her head right before she dozed off, though.

"Hey Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"Will it make you mad if I start sleeping in the Gryffindor common room? You'll be all alone..."

Sirius grinned sadly. "No. I'd rather see you making others happy than ditch them for my sake. You should stay with them from now on. They need you."

Willow smiled. She laid down on the couch, stretching her stiff muscles. With a slight yawn, she curled up into a tight ball, then threw a blanket over herself. Sirius made sure she drifted off to sleep, then sat down in his usual chair and reclined it, sighing as he stared out the window.

"It won't be any different than before," he whispered.

The next day, Willow got up noticeably later than usual, around nine thirty in the morning. But when she opened her eyes, her heart was lighter, her mind was clearer, and she was so much happier than before. She received stares from some Gryffindors when she actually spent the entirety of breakfast in the Great Hall. Without skipping a beat, Willow spent the morning with the Weasley twins, who were obviously confused at this turn in events, but knew better than to ask. She was once again made into a test subject for multiple pranking devices. The Puddle Pod had finally been perfected. They were working on their newest invention that Sunday morning, though, and it was much worse than simply being drenched in water. The twins were rolling out their newest product, called the Robe Rearranger. Like the Puddle Pod, it was a projectile pellet, but when it hit the person, it immediately caused the robes to attack the person in a non-harmful way (at least, for the most part). Willow supposed she deserved a bit of rough-housing after all she'd put them through.

When the clock struck eleven, Wood summoned the quidditch team for an announcement. He appeared as if he'd been through some horrible nightmare. His eyes were sunken, his skin was colourless, and his usual manic spirit had evaporated completely. Wood didn't speak at all when they arrived and instead marched them towards the hospital wing. Willow glanced between her teammates, exchanging confusion, but they finally understood when the only patient left in the hospital wing looked up upon their entrance.

"Harry!" Willow exclaimed, running towards him. "How are you? Are you okay? Did Madam Pomfrey make you drink that horrible potion?"

"Whoa! Give him some space, Willow!" Angelina said.

"Sorry!"

Harry laughed half-heartedly. Willow could hear the hollowness in his voice. "It's okay. I'm awful lonely up here. It's nice to see someone without a disgusting potion vial."

"Gross, you had to take that too," Willow said.

"I'm never drinking it again."

"Me neither. I don't think I could even look at it one more time."

"Ahem, we'd like to see the famous Harry Potter too," George teased.

Willow rolled her eyes, but stepped back, allowing the quidditch team to chat with Harry. Fred and George teased him and joked with him to get his spirits up to only depressed instead of half-dead. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie made sure that he was telling them the truth about feeling okay, then Alicia promised to punch a dementor in the face for him, which alarmed the other two girls. Willow only smiled. She had to agree with Alicia. After what they did to Willow, Harry, and the rest of their friends, she would have very much loved to physically relieve herself of the need for revenge. Wood finally stepped up to say his last bit to Harry.

"Hey, I know we lost the game, but- " he paused for a moment, as if the memory of losing was too much to bear- "but you played really well, Harry. You would have caught the snitch in time had it not been for those dementors. It wasn't your fault."

Harry made an obvious effort to appear as though he believed him. "Thanks, Oliver."

Madam Pomfrey suddenly came bustling through the doors. "Out, out! You've had plenty of time to talk to him! Too much more of this and he's going to have a relapse! Out!"

The quidditch team left, but Willow dove under the nearest bed, watching their slow, lethargic footsteps take a right and disappear down the corridor. She felt horrible for not going with Wood to cheer him up, but it was even more important that Madam Pomfrey did not see her. Pomfrey couldn't be very happy with her at the current moment. Willow waited in a tense silence, biting her lip, until Pomfrey left, then gradually reappeared, much to a grinning Harry's delight.

"Thank you for that," he said.

"Well, it's more of a selfish reason, but I wanted a moment longer with you, too," Willow explained.

Harry sighed. "Let me guess, you went after the dementors, they attacked your friends, then they attacked you, so you passed out, disappeared, weirdly ended up here an hour or so later, and bust out when Madam Pomfrey threatened a weekend of bedrest."

Willow thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Yeah, that sums it up perfectly. Who told you?"

"Oliver, before he left this morning."

Willow smiled. "I'm glad. I was not about to recount the entire story. It's exhausting and way too long."

"You know, you still owe me an explanation," Harry reminded her. Willow shot him a quizzical glance. "Remember? Before the quidditch match, you promised to actually talk afterwards. Well, it's after."

Willow nodded. "Yeah, you're right." She paused, then shook her head. "Looks like I better get used to long and exhausting stories. So, it started during the first Divination class of this year..."

Willow went on to tell Harry everything, beginning to end. She told him about the prophecy, how she tried to figure it out, failed, and fell into a terrified state. She told him about the Power House- leaving out Sirius, of course- and then the previous night. She told him about how her worst fear made her realize she had to suck it up and be strong for her friends, so she's not hiding anymore. Harry's jaw was hitting the floor by the time she finished.

"You dealt with all of that alone?" he said in disbelief. Willow nodded. "Wow, Oliver was right, you are bloody stupid at times. I know, I know, I'm being a hypocrite, but what made you think that was ever going to work out in your favor?"

"Uh...I didn't think, most likely," she replied. "At least, I didn't put enough thought into it. I jumped to conclusions."

"You're even worse than me."

"Yeah, and I'm willing to admit that I need a little help now," Willow said. "I'm going to meet with my friends in the Ravenclaw common room to sort things out and apologize. Hopefully it goes well."

"It will. If they're all anything like Oliver, they'll be happy for you."

Willow half-smiled. "Thanks. I hope so too." She caught sight of Harry's cloudy eyes, her senses immediately picking up on a jumble of negative emotions. "What's bothering you?"

Harry furrowed his brow, feigning confusion. "What do you mean? I'm fine."

"Harry, you do realize I have magical powers that can sense people's emotions, right?" Willow said, lightly chuckling. Harry knowingly half-smiled. "And I don't need them to read someone's eyes and know they're hurting."

Harry stared at her for a second, then leaned back in his bed, running his hands over his face. "Alright, fine, but I'm only giving in because I know you'll pester me to no end for an answer."

"You know me too well. Now spill."

Harry sighed. "I keep having nightmares about those stupid dementors."

Willow sat bolt upright. "You do?"

"Yeah, I keep remembering the one on the train, when it attacked me. I saw its hand when it unlatched the door. It was absolutely disgusting, but terrifying at the same time."

Willow put her hand on Harry's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay to have a fear of those things. I'm pretty sure it doesn't get any scarier than a decaying, revolting creature that literally feeds on your happy memories while forcing you to relive the worst ones. To be honest, I'm pretty terrified of them myself. You've got to have an absence of fear itself to not freeze up when one is near, and I don't trust anyone who doesn't fear something. You're pretty brave if a dementor is what you fear the most."

Harry considered her point. "I guess you're right."

Willow ruffled his hair. "It's okay to not be okay, Harry. I've learned that over the past few days."

"You know only too well you're going to say that, then turn around and not believe a word of it when you're not okay," Harry said, of which Willow didn't deny, only smiled knowingly. "But thanks nonetheless. It makes me feel a little better, at least."

"Anytime. Just send word, and I'm here, whether Pomfrey likes it or not. Speaking of the devil," Willow said, enhancing her auditory senses, "she's coming right now. I've got to get going before I have to serve more detention...I'll see you around, Harry, okay?"

"See you."

Willow darted into the corridor and turned the nearest corner, thankfully before Pomfrey had a chance to spot her. She tiptoed through the castle all the way to the Gryffindor common room, where a large group of people had gathered, as it was still rainy and dark outside. Willow couldn't find anyone she knew, so she sat down on a random couch, entertaining herself by watching the crackling fire. The warmth of the flame soothed her aching back, which had become sore from sleeping on a couch so much. Some first years to her right were chattering excitedly about a new charm they'd learned. A few sixth years were whooping and hollering about an article in the Daily Prophet. Willow smiled inwardly. She'd missed just spending time in the Gryffindor common room, doing nothing but watching other people go about their daily lives, their joy radiating off of them in waves. Combined with the scent of pinewood burning on the fire grate, Willow felt a sort of elation bubble up in her chest that she hadn't felt in a long time. It was care-free happiness. She missed being able to discover new nooks and crannies of the magical world with her fellow Gryffindors. It had been a long time since she'd let the worry of her destiny off her back.

Speaking of her fellow Gryffindors, Wood and Percy had reappeared from their dormitory, arguing loudly at the top of the stairs. Willow groaned and covered her ears with two pillows, but she was so relaxed that her sensory powers were at their peak. She could clearly hear every word they said through the thick fabric. Percy was angry with Wood for destroying a project of his, and Wood was just all-around pissed about the match, so he had apparently broken several things in the dormitory. Willow wished that Wood would get a grip and get over it already. Yes, it sucked that they'd lost the match, but it was over and done with. They still had a chance at the quidditch cup so long as Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their coming match.

"You lied to me, Wood! You said you would never go near my Transfiguration homework!"

"I didn't lie to you! It was an accident!"

"You literally went up into our dormitory and smashed everything that wasn't glued down to bits!" Percy shouted incredulously. "How is that an accident?"

"I was mad!"

"You were mad? Everyone gets mad, Wood! Not everyone goes around smashing other peoples' homework in retaliation, though! Get a grip on yourself and get over it!"

"We lost the match! How am I supposed to get over that?" Wood yelled miserably. "We might have no shot at the quidditch cup now! Ravenclaw is good, but if they don't beat Hufflepuff by at least two hundred points, we're out of the race! This is my last shot at the cup!"

"It's a stupid trophy that you'll forget about in a couple years!"

Wood's face went slack. "Stupid trophy? Forget? How could I forget about the one thing I've been dreaming about since I came to Hogwarts? I would never stop smiling every time I look at it!"

"Wood, it's just a game!"

"No, it's not! It's everything!" Wood roared. "It's spending days in the howling wind and pounding rain just to get used to adverse weather. It's getting hit by a bludger and still playing, even if you're in the worst pain you've ever felt in your life. It's stopping a shot from the other team to the roar of the crowd. It's winning the game and tackling your teammates in a mud-covered hug. It's losing the game and- and- "

Wood suddenly couldn't speak anymore. Willow looked up to see him turned away from Percy, hands over his face as he sobbed uncontrollably. Her heart went out to her team captain. She'd never seen him so absolutely miserable in her life. He looked like he'd just received news of a family member dying, he was crying so hard. Was this what it was like for all the other quidditch captains when they lost a game? Did it actually hurt them that bad?"

Then, to her extreme surprise, Willow watched as Percy gently put a hand on Wood's shoulder, then brought him into a hug. Her jaw dropped to the floor. Percy, the snobbish Head Boy, was comforting Wood, the maniacal quidditch captain? She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, but the scene remained unchanged. Willow glanced around to see that multiple people were watching with raised eyebrows. Since when did Percy not care about who was watching him? The Head Boy simply murmured semi-helpful, positive encouragements to Wood until he was able to stop crying. They went into their dormitory together afterwards to talk it out in private. Willow raised her eyebrows. Could this day get any weirder?

"What the bloody hell was that?" George asked, he and Fred walking up beside her.

Willow spread her hands. "I have no clue, but I think someone kidnapped your brother and replaced him with a Hufflepuff."

Fred whistled. "You know, I'd like to say he's never going to live this one down, but I'm almost curious to see what would happen if we let him go. Would he do that again? I'd like to think not, but if he can calm down Wood, I'm pretty sure he could do just about anything."

Willow stared at the scene. "Yeah, I call throwing Percy at him from now on. Not it."

"Not it," the twins chorused.

"Can we at least steal his Head Boy badge and turn it into a Wood Management badge?" Willow asked.

George smirked. "Like that's even a question."

After getting chased throughout the common room by an enraged Percy Weasley, Willow and the twins finally escaped to dinner, where they met up with Lee and Paige. They had an incredible time. Willow finally gave in and let Lee copy some of her notes for selling purposes, as he'd already found half of them anyway. Paige and George were even civil with each other for once. Fred tossed mashed potatoes in Lee's face at one point, and a small food fight erupted between the boys. Willow and Paige watched with many giggles as the twins and Lee covered each other in buttered broccoli, corn casserole, and dinner roles. Professor McGonagall swept by and ordered them out of the Great Hall before a huge food fight could break out. When dinner ended, Willow told Paige she would be back before nine and headed to the Ravenclaw common room. It was exactly seven by the time she figured out the apparently complicated riddle. She walked in only to be slammed into the nearest wall.

"Ouch! What- Cypress! What are you doing?" Willow coughed.

"You lied to us!" he accused, blue eyes terrifyingly electrified.

"What do you mean?" Willow wheezed.

"You told Oliver and I that you had an argument with Cebba, but then you turned around and told everyone else that you had a migraine! What's going on, Willow? What's the real reason you had to go and lie to my face?"

It took a moment for Willow to remember that day after Divination. "I- I can explain!" she promised.

"Cypress!" Oliver exclaimed, appearing behind the blonde boy. He slapped Cypress's shoulder. "You don't need to hurt her! She was lying for a very good reason!"

Cypress suddenly released Willow, still glaring at her. "It better be a damn good reason then, because you know how much I hate being lied to, Willow."

She nodded. "Yeah, I know. I probably deserved that. Come on, let's get this show on the road so I can explain everything to you."

Cypress begrudgingly stepped aside to let Willow enter the rest of the Ravenclaw common room. Mandy, Lisa, and Sue had apparently cleared out the leftmost edge of the common room for them, as all the other Ravenclaws were sticking to the middle and far right. The three girls were sitting in window seats when she got there. They shifted their gazes to her when she stepped into the room. Sam and Sally were already there, too, though it took Mandy clearing her throat to get them to stop staring out the windows. Oliver gently guided Cypress to a seat, making him face Willow, and kicking him softly when he wouldn't meet her eyes. When everyone was settled and attentive, Willow took a deep breath, then began her spiel.

"Okay, so, I'm starting from the beginning. During the first divination class, I had a vision, and it was kind of confusing, kind of terrifying. At first, I was just stuck in the classroom. I wasn't really...there, though, if you know what I mean. Someone walked right through my like I was a ghost. Then, I was suddenly in Professor Lupin's classroom, and all I saw was him, rather beat up, as he was on the train ride here, so it didn't make any sense. Next, I was in Snape's classroom, and he was brewing something strange. I caught a glimpse of his notebook, but all it said was something about Sirius Black. I'm guessing he's trying to catch him. I hope he doesn't turn anyone in, though, because it said he was going to turn someone into Dumbledore if all goes well...whatever that means...anyway, I was finally whisked back to the North Tower, and I was on the floor, back in my regular body. But it wasn't long before some ringing prophecy came screaming into my head, and I haven't been able to get it out since. Basically..."

Willow lost her voice to a second. Was she really telling this to her friends? Taking a deep breath, Willow very painstakingly continued. "Basically, you guys, my family, and my magical creatures are cursed to die because I exist. Cebba explained it to me recently as a balance for the amount of power contained in me. It's not fair whatsoever, so the creator can go- " (she said something that made Mandy giggle). "So...yeah. I've been hiding from you guys ever since, trying to break our friendships in order to save you, but that's not how friendship works. I love you guys way too much for that to happen. I'm vowing to take on this prophecy, even if it kills me, because I'm not ready to let you guys die. And...I'm really, truly sorry, for the amount of crap I've put you through over the last two months-ish. You didn't deserve one second of it."

"We forgive you, Willow," Sally said.

"We can understand why you did it," Mandy added.

"That's...extremely bullheaded, idiotic, and completely stupid of you, but...I have a temper, and I hate being lied to, and I do over react, but I always apologize," Cypress said, uncrossing his arms. He looked at Willow rather meekly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted." He sighed and nudged Oliver. "Happy now, Ollie?"

Oliver blushed at the nickname, especially as Mandy and Sam raised their eyebrows at him, but he managed to reply, "Yes. Can we figure out the prophecy now?"

"Oh, yeah, that brings me to the initial problem that caused me to run away from it in the first place," Willow said. "The first two stanzas are stuff that has already happened. The next ones, though, all the way to the end, make absolutely no sense. I've got nothing for the next line. It goes, Unless she follows the descendant Of Hogwarts' great; The trail blazing of a life born of joy Is the path she shall take. Anyone got any ideas? Because I'm still stuck on the first part. Who the heck is Hogwarts' singular great?"

Mandy shrugged. "I don't pay attention in History of Magic."

"Me neither," Cypress replied.

"Maybe it's one of the four founders?" Sue suggested. "Wait, that might be a bit obvious...you've already tried those options, haven't you?"

Willow nodded. "There's no record of any descendants from any of the founders that I'm aware of. If they do turn out to have descendants, then I'll check it out, but until then, there's most likely another option."

"We'll start looking, Willow," Lisa promised. "I'll search every shelf in the library if I have to."

"I'll pitch in if I'm not falling behind on homework again," Sam said. "Oliver, you up for it too?"

Oliver nodded. "We've all got to try and help, right?"

"Right," Sally said. "I'll tell the Gryffindor Sisters what happened. When we're not busy- I'll make sure we pause the dating initiative- we're going to be scouring our textbooks for possibilities. We've got your back, Willow."

"Just promise us you'll never lie again?" Cypress said, staring pointedly at her.

Willow smiled. "Never again. Lying sucks."

"There's our Willow Guerrero," Mandy said, smirking. "Thanks for not being late for once. We're going to meet here every Sunday night at seven from now on, okay? There is way too much to discuss without collaborating."

"Agreed." Willow checked her watch. "Alright, I've got to get back to the common room before Paige murders me. I'll see you guys later."

"Let us know when she finally asks you out!" Sam teased.

"Guys! Stop it!" Willow chuckled, blushing on her way out of the common room. The laughter of her friends followed her as a melodic tune all the way down Ravenclaw Tower.

Monday was usually a good day for Willow, but it ushered in a Potions class that she would unfortunately remember. Snape seemed to be in a gleeful mood from the result of the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match- which meant, of course, that he was more than generous with his punishments for Gryffindors to rub it in. Willow walked into the classroom and could practically touch the sinister vibes hanging in the air. She glared at Snape, who didn't even look at her. When class began, she wasn't surprised to find him switching partners, purposely placing people together that had formed even deeper rivalries over the past few weeks, all of which she was sure Snape had been paying very close attention to for this very purpose. It sickened her to think that she'd respected this man two years earlier when he'd saved her. Why did she ever trust him, especially with sifting through her memories on last year's Halloween? The good soul she'd previously seen was now buried so deep beneath darkness and petty revenge that it was completely obscured from view.

Cypress, for his part, was thankful for the seat change. He'd been furiously ignoring Malfoy since the first day of school, instead opting to create new explosive potions on his own in hopes that he could "accidentally" drop one near his former partner. Cypress got paired up with Hermione, which was a strange turn of events. Willow decided that Snape was betting on the two smartest students in his class fighting for the number one spot. It wasn't going to happen, of course, as even Hermione commented on Cypress's potion-making prowess. They simply started their potion right away when Snape wrote down the ingredient list on the board. Snape watched the pair nearly the whole time, glowering when the most heated the conversation got was fast-paced whispering about whether or not to follow the steps in order. Willow shook her head. Since when were teachers pettier than students?

Willow envied her Gryffindor Sisters' assignments. They all got paired up with at least semi-competent Slytherins, albeit ones they individually hated for various reasons. Willow would have given anything to be back with Tracey. At least she would have been able to focus. Now, she was back with Draco, stuck against her will with a partner that was now at his peak annoyance. Draco commented loudly how incredible it was that Hufflepuff had managed a victory against Gryffindor. Willow saw Cypress break a potion vial out of the corner of her eye when Draco mentioned something negative about the Hufflepuff house. She grinned, hoping that the next potion vial would happen to break over the Slytherin seeker's head.

Her expression quickly evaporated, however, as Draco happened to be in an extra bold mood. He decided to celebrate having the full use of both arms again (as if he hadn't for the last several weeks) by reenacting Harry's fall on the quidditch field. Willow tried her best not to snap, but she was extremely close to throwing her entire cauldron at the idiot when her hand slipped and she spilled some of it on herself. She cursed loudly, drawing a few scandalized stares, then went to the stone gargoyle fountain to wash off her hands before the potion ate through her skin. She was just about to fix her potion when a small warning signal was set off in her brain. Willow glanced to her left to see Ron, infuriated, gripping a crocodile heart far too tightly.

"Ron, you know he'll try to get you expelled," Harry whispered to him anxiously.

"I'm not really sure I care at this point," Ron fumed. "At least I'll be far away from this obnoxious git."

"Ron, don't- !"

It was too late. Willow ducked just in time as a large, slimy crocodile heart sailed over her head and slammed into Malfoy's face. She couldn't help busting out into laughter as Malfoy freaked out, yelling at Crabbe and Goyle to get it off of him. Several Slytherin girls around Malfoy screamed and ran away. Harry and Willow, however, high-fived Ron, despite a livid Snape striding towards them.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor," he growled, wiping the elation off their faces. "Clean it up, Mr. Weasley, or I'll have you in detention for a week."

Ron rolled his eyes, but begrudgingly complied. Willow walked over to help him, as she suspected a fist-fight would break out if a mediator didn't separate the boys. Ron grabbed the crocodile heart as quickly as he could- sparing gentleness, of course- and threw it to Harry, who caught it and dropped it into Ron's potion, then returned to his own before Snape could find a reason to remove more points from Gryffindor. Malfoy glared at Ron, cheeks bright red. Ron scowled at him as well, refusing to back down. Willow stepped in between the boys and placed a hand on Ron's shoulder, turning him away and guiding him towards his cauldron, where there were plenty of towels to clean himself up with.

"Don't let him get to you," she whispered. "Trust me, it never makes you feel better in the end. All you're doing is stooping to his level."

Ron still stared at Malfoy with an icy expression. "How am I supposed to let him off without him walking all over me?"

Willow smirked. "Trust me, he's embarrassed out of his mind right now. You're not letting him walk all over you. Take this win and prepare yourself for the next one, because I doubt he's going to turn around and be all nice to you."

Ron huffed. "Fine. But next time, if Snape isn't watching, we're having a rematch from first year."

"I'll cheer you on the whole time- not that I'm promoting violence, but I would love to see that git get what he deserves. One of these days, Ron, you'll get your chance. The perfect moment will come. For now, bide your time, and let me be the one to get detention. Have fun finishing your potion."

"I won't."

Willow checked on her cauldron, adding the final ingredient, then made her way to the stone gargoyle once more, where Malfoy was washing off his face. He looked up when she stood in front of him. Willow noticed that the crocodile heart had left a small bruise on his left cheekbone. It was already beginning to purple, blacks and blues swirling into the colourful array. Multiple pieces of whatever the crocodile heart had been stored in still remained on Malfoy's face. He quickly washed them off, then wiped off the excess water with his sleeve. Willow silently watched his eyes as they became cloudier and stormier, lighter than the clouds outside, but fervent with electricity, lightning striking every time he blinked.

"Happy now?" Draco grumbled.

"Not necessarily," Willow replied shortly.

He stared at her a moment, then said, "You planned that, didn't you?"

"No, actually. I had nothing to do with it."

Draco looked away to where Harry was hard at work on his potion. His eyes darkened. "That imbecile deserved to fall off his broom. Parading around the castle every time he won...he didn't even work that hard. People practically jump out of the Chosen One's way."

Willow whipped out her wand and advanced on Draco, backing him into the fountain. "Are you really willing to continue that train of thought? Because I'd love to judge every word of it."

Draco took another step backwards, having to balance himself on the fountain with one hand, but clenching the other one into a defiant fist. His irises still crackled with fury. "Oh, I'd love to, seeing as it would cost you Merlin knows how many house points."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "You really think I care about a stupid cup?"

"I think you care about your reputation more than you let on," Draco growled. "And seeing as you hate being a disappointment, I'd hate to let you go down that path of failure."

Willow gritted her teeth to prevent herself from shouting obscenities in his face. "Fine, I see how you're going to play this. Let me explain to you exactly why I'd be willing to sacrifice house points. Do you know what I hear every time those dementors come near me? Screaming, Draco, absolutely terrified, heart-wrenching screaming. Do you want to know what it's from? That's my dad, yelling for my mum to stop, but she couldn't, because her family was horrible, and they turned her into the monster she is today. The Fawley family is the reason my mum did what she did four years ago, but my mum still went through with it. She tore apart my family with a single curse. I lost everything that night. And I get to relive that memory every time they come near me. I get to relive the guilt, the suffering, and the pain, in excruciating detail, and there's nothing I can do about it."

Willow's hands had begun to glow with the intensity of her rage. Draco's eyes flickered with fear, reflecting her furious expression. Willow saw it but didn't care.

"If you think that's bad, Draco, it's even worse for Harry. His worst memory is ten times worse than mine will ever be, because he lost his entire family. I only lost some of mine. He can't ever have his back. So when I tell you to back off about the dementors, you back off, because your pampered arse will never know the true pain that life can bring."

Willow backed up a pace from Draco, lowering her wand. He stared at her with a confusing array of emotions in his stormy grey irises. There were too many too read. Willow wished she could have had the time to sift through them and at least understand something that was going on in that imbecile's head, but Draco lowered his eyes, instead staring at his shoes.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, almost inaudible.

Willow set her jaw. "Do you really mean it?"

Draco looked at her for a very long time, then abruptly turned away, leaving Willow to wonder if she'd ever find the boy beneath all that hate.

The weeks began to pass exponentially quicker in a haze of bone-chilling rain. Willow, her Gryffindor Sisters, and her out-of-house friends all tried their best, but even after scouring the shelves, combing every section of the library, and even tricking Professor Binns into a few Restricted Section books (courtesy of Mandy and Cypress, of course), they'd come up with nothing. It increasingly weighed on Willow, but at the same time, it gave her hope in an odd sort of way. Maybe this whole prophecy thing was meant to come whenever it came. Maybe she wasn't supposed to throw herself into it, but it was supposed to throw itself upon her. She had a very good feeling that her time was coming to figure out this prophecy, that all she had to do was wait, and it would guide her along her predestined path.

Sirius was settling into life very well at the Power House. Willow had managed to grab him a few things from Hogwarts, such as extra soap and desserts, and she'd even located a nearby stream in which he could at least wash his face in. Sam had grown suspicious about the amount of Gryffindor robes disappearing from the boys' dormitory, but Willow bought some extras to replace them and managed to convince him that the house elves had simply lost them in the laundry. She had been spending a great deal of time with her friends to make up for the weeks she'd avoided them. This meant, of course, that Sirius was left alone more than ever, and it tugged on Willow's heart strings. She eventually found a compromise- she spent every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday evening with him, of which time she could easily claim she spent practicing her powers alone. Sirius was perfectly happy with this compromise and eventually grew healthier as Willow smuggled more food out of the Great Hall. She was surprised how easily she got along with the escapee. One time, she even chuckled to herself at the idea of owling her dad about spending her evenings with a mass murderer. His reaction would be priceless. She wasn't about to give him a heart attack, though, and easily kept the secret.

Ravenclaw absolutely annihilated Hufflepuff in their next quidditch match, which gave hope to the long-depressed Wood. The Gryffindor quidditch team resumed practices with a new determination. They still had a chance to win the quidditch cup after all. Things were looking bright by the time the clouds cleared with two weeks to the end of term. Willow was buckling down on her studies, especially with Divination, as she'd been physically attending classes now, but was still unable to focus during any of the classes for fear of a repeat of the first day. She and her out-of-house friends turned their seven o'clock meetings on Sundays into study sessions. They had made great progress and their spirits were high by the time the last Hogsmeade visit of the term rolled around. Paige and the Weasley twins promised to take her to the little village with them, as this was her first time. Only Paige was there, however, the morning of the trip.

"Where's Fred and George?" Willow asked, finding Paige among the crowd of students.

"Oh, they're going to be running a bit late, but they'll meet us there," she said with a knowing smirk. "In the meantime, I've been instructed to take you around the village and present to you all your options for the day."

Willow's face brightened. "Awesome!"

Professor McGonagall called for silence, then took attendance, gathering all the students on the front steps of the Entrance Hall. A blustery breeze whipped through the crowd while she was just finishing up. Paige stole Willow's Gryffindor scarf, much to Willow's amusement, as she'd brought it along expecting that very thing to happen. Soon, Professor McGonagall began to lead the way to Hogsmeade, down a worn, cobbled path that led directly to Hogsmeade Station. Paige shivered, her breaths becoming mist in the wintry air.

"Stupid cold," she muttered.

Willow laughed. "Do you need my extra robes?"

"You're never going to get me to say yes...but I wouldn't refuse if you happened to place them on me."

Willow rolled her eyes and unbuttoned her outermost robes, re-buttoning them around Paige, who finally stopped shivering. Willow smirked at the older girl, to which Paige stuck out her tongue. Snow began to fall in fat, heavy flakes around them. It piled up on the path and soon was crunching under their boots. Willow imagined that they were in a snow globe, the snowflakes obscuring the views around them so that all they could focus on was the scene directly in front of them. The snow swirled and danced above their heads, as if invisible, graceful dancers were wishing them happy Holidays. Willow caught a few snowflakes on her sleeve, enjoying their unique tiny patterns. She dumped multiple flurries in Paige's hair. The older girl playfully scooped up some snow and sprinkled it all over Willow's head. Willow laughed and threw some snow back at her. Paige didn't start an all-out snow war, thankfully, and simply stared at Willow with a content smile.

"You know, snow looks really good in your hair. It stands out against the dark brown," she said.

"It does for yours, too, now that I look at it," Willow noted, trailing her eyes down Paige's beautifully wavy hair.

Behind them, a voice whispered, "Can I please ship it already?"

Willow and Paige furrowed their eyebrows, glancing at each other in confusion. Neither one of them offered anything to the other, so they looked back at Mandy and said, "What?"

Mandy groaned and huffed dramatically. "Clueless Gryffindors..."

"I'm...not going to take that as an insult?" Paige said.

"Just go with it," Willow suggested.

They walked the rest of the way to Hogsmeade in a peaceful silence. Before they knew it, Hogsmeade Station faded into view, a vivid droplet of red paint against a pure white canvas. Some pine trees began to dot the landscape, then became thicker until they surrounded the path, providing a brief shelter from the freezing wind. With the snow now falling only gently, Willow could see farther down the path. She peered at the end of it, enhancing her eyes ever so slightly, and saw only a bright end to the tunnel of dark pine nettles. It was only minutes, however, before they reached the entrance to Hogsmeade, and Willow's eyes were blinded by the bright winter sunlight reflecting off the snow-covered ground. She rubbed her eyes, blinking hard, and ever so slowly raised them to adjust to the lighting. When her vision cleared, she clapped a hand to her mouth.

Hogsmeade sprawled out before her, quaint and incredible as it could possibly be. Row upon row of wooden buildings butted up against each other, but each seemed to retain their own sense of uniqueness. Some were lopsided, others appeared upside-down, and still others looked as if they were built for the Minister of Magic. Many of the houses were decorated with strings of colourful lives fairies. Their reds, greens, whites, and blues reflected off the snow, creating a beautiful combination of the festive shades. Most of the buildings had a chimney lazily puffing out smoke every now and then. Willow appreciated the snow buildup on each and every exposed surface, once again reminding her of being inside a snowglobe. It was the comfiest setting she'd ever seen.

Paige watched her awed expression with a slight grin. "Wait until you see the inside of Honeydukes. Your life will never be the same."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "In a good way or a bad way?"

"How can masses of every candy imaginable sound bad to you?"

Willow's eyes lit up. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Paige guided her through the streets of Hogsmeade, every once in a while lightly leaping to the side to avoid a sledding child. Multiple resident families were out on their front porches. They were amazingly friendly, waving with a rosy-cheeked smile at every passerby. Paige waved back at most of them. Willow couldn't believe the amount of magic casually employed around her. There were pots and pans washing themselves outside, shutters flapping all on their own to relieve themselves of snow, and floating arrays of all products imaginable in shop windows, some stuffed animals even giving a welcoming wave to the occasional passerby. Paige turned and opened the door to one such shop, one that was already packed with multitudes of students. It didn't take long for Willow to realize why.

Honeydukes' heavenly aroma encompassed her senses and melted her into a puddle of dreamy scents. There was the dark, velvety chocolate, the tangy sour lollipops, the sweet, smooth taffies, and much more. Willow's eyes were unsure where to look. Every nook and cranny of the shop was chock-full of delectable, colourful sweets. Willow saw the barrels of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, filled to the brim with every colour and taste imaginable. She noticed a portion of the shop dedicated to suckers of every shape and size. There were chocolate frogs attempting to escape their packaging on one hectic shelf and enchanted taffies glowing neon pink just below them. Willow couldn't take her eyes off the case of homemade toffees, fudges, and rock cakes that were likely to give Mrs. Weasley a run for her money. The sound of multiple students chattering, whispering excitedly, and squealing in delight reminded Willow of her childhood visits to the Muggle candy store. Regular candy, however, couldn't hold a candle to Honeydukes' array of magical delicacies.

Paige and Willow decided to splurge and sampled multiple holiday specialties, such as peppermint pops (which audibly popped inside their mouths) and chocolate chicks (magically animated chick-shaped chocolates). They challenged each other to try flavours that they knew they didn't like, such as mint (in Willow's case) and green apple (in Paige's case). The two drew many pairs of eyes with their laughter upon seeing each other's reactions to the "awful" tastes of the sweets. Paige was in the middle of dramatically pretending to be poisoned by a green apple caramel sucker when Fred and George inexplicably appeared. They joined in the fun, naturally, and even managed to find something that all four of them hated. George and Paige were being suspiciously civil with one another. Willow shrugged it off, hoping they'd managed to make up, at least for the Holidays.

The four traveled from store to store, their final shopping destination being Zonko's, as Fred and George relentlessly burned through their pranking supplies throughout the year- sometimes quite literally, as Willow had experienced firsthand, especially with the Filibuster Fireworks. Zonko's was just as bright, if not brighter, than Honeydukes. Every pranking need imaginable was taken care of by this single store. There was everything from nose-biting teacups to explosive textbooks. Fred and George chatted with Bilton Bilmes, the owner of the shop, for nearly half an hour. Bilmes almost talked them into the latest invention, a portable, self-levitating carrier that held multiple different pranking supplies. Finally, exhausted from shopping in the cold of December, they decided whether to head back to the castle or not.

"I'm done, since we've got all our supplies," Fred said. "How about you, George?"

"Ready to go when you are, Freddy."

Paige waved lightly at them. "Okay. I'll see you back at the castle. I'm taking Willow to the Three Broomsticks- you know, just in case she decides to die over the Holidays before getting to taste real butterbeer at least once in her life."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "There's a difference?"

"Come on, Willow, everything's better when it doesn't come out of a bottle," Paige said, nudging her giddily. "Madam Rosmerta- that's the main waitress- brings you a tankard of warm, freshly brewed butterbeer, so fresh that it's still foaming. You haven't lived until you've tried it."

Willow smiled. "Let's go, then!"

"We should probably go too, then!" George said quickly, Fred nearly running into him as he stopped on a dime.

Paige shot him a bewildered look. "I mean, you don't have to, but if you really have a change of heart, I'm not going to keep you from going."

"We'll definitely go! You can't take Willow all on your own, right? There's some random weirdos out here, aren't there, Freddy?"

Fred stared at his twin like he could have disowned him then and there. "That had to be the least smoothest transition I've ever heard in my life. You really need to work on that jealously."

"Yeah, because it's completely unnecessary at this point," Paige added.

George's grip tightened on his Zonko's bag. "Is that supposed to mean anything?"

Willow glanced back and forth between Paige and George. Why were they fighting? Was it because of her? They were fine just minutes ago, but now that they were talking about something lightly related to her, they were arguing. Why did that always have to happen? Couldn't they be friends and get along?

"Should I...go?" Willow whispered to Fred.

Fred shook his head, watching Paige and George argue with raised eyebrows. "Not yet, but if it gets too far, I'm leaving with you."

"Are they arguing over me?"

Fred sighed. "Do I really have to answer that obvious of a question?"

"Oh." Willow furrowed her brow, trying to think of a way to diffuse the situation, possibly even end it. She suddenly got an idea as she saw a fellow classmate walk by. Lightly elbowing Fred, she motioned for him to prepare himself. He stared at her confusedly, but Willow skipped towards her classmate, knowing that he'd figure it out.

"Hey, Neville!" she called.

Neville turned towards her, cheeks bright red and wind-burnt, but dimpled with a goofy smile, a Honeydukes bag in his hand. "Hey, Willow! Where are you headed?"

"The Three Broomsticks! Want to come along?" Willow asked.

"Oh- sure!" Neville said.

Looking back to wave goodbye at a furious Paige and George (Fred was keeled over, hysterically laughing), Willow linked arms with Neville and walked off to The Three Broomsticks. She knew for a fact, of course, that they'd angrily bust down the door to The Three Broomsticks and force her to sit at a table with them, but it was worth it for the priceless look on their faces. Holding the door for her friend, Willow entered the pub, spirits higher than they'd been in a very long time.


	50. Year 3: Chapter 8

Willow and Neville found a table near the back of The Three Broomsticks, where Dean, Seamus, and Sam were already laughing over enormous pints of butterbeer. They bought some for themselves from a stunning lady named Madam Rosmerta. Her glittery, festive heels sparkled in the bright lighting of a nearby Christmas tree as she brought them their freshly-brewed butterbeer. Willow clanked her tankard with the boys' and took a sip. Her eyes instantly lit up. Paige was right. The warm, savory, sugary taste was nothing like the bottled kind Fred and George smuggled into the castle. Her entire stomach warmed, and her spirits soared. She licked the foam off her lips and greedily drank half the tankard in a few gulps.

As she guessed, it didn't take long for Fred and George to tail her. They found a table two spots away from her and the Gryffindor boys. Willow gave it two minutes, but Paige never showed up. She furrowed her brow. Had the older girl left? Willow bit her lip, hoping she hadn't ruined Paige's entire Hogsmeade trip. Paige didn't deserve her Holidays to be ruined before she even left Hogwarts. Her family didn't even give her gifts...How could she be so selfish, Willow thought to herself, and not realize her joke was so insensitive? Her mood shifted violently, and even the butterbeer couldn't lift her spirits anymore. Sam noticed and pushed Willow's tankard closer to her.

"Come on, don't look so downcast, it's nearly Christmas!" he whispered. "Drink some more. It will make you happy."

Willow sighed, but complied, taking several more sips of the incredible drink. Sam was right in that it made her happy, but it was still that empty sort of happy, the kind of happiness that someone gets when they know they shouldn't be happy. Willow forced a smile onto her face despite her internal chaos, not wanting to drag down the boys, and watched in silence as they chatted animatedly, their Christmas spirits soaring. She began to lose interest, though, after Seamus wouldn't hush about his supposed Christmas present for his parents. Willow drew circles on the worn mahogany wood with the water droplets sweating off the side of her butterbeer glass.

The Three Broomsticks had a wonderful, cozy sort of ambiance. There was just the right amount of visitors for Willow's taste. A steady trickle of students, staff members, and locals alike populated the simply-decorated pub. Their excited, spirited conversations lifted the mood to a light-hearted chatter. Willow appreciated the fire burning pleasantly in its grate on the opposite side of the pub. Its occasional pop and crackle reminded her of the Gryffindor common room. The furniture was polished wood and harder to sit on than the plush furniture of Gryffindor Tower, but she liked that better, as she personally decorated the Power House with all sorts of wood. She made a mental note to come back here with all her friends next Hogsmeade visit.

Fred and George kept shooting furtive glances in her direction, then looking away the moment they made eye contact. Willow, for her part, watched them with a sad curiosity. They whispered back and forth about this and that, but she could never make out what they were saying, even with her ears enhanced, because the chatter filling the pub was thick enough to block their sound from only two tables away. Every once in a while, their conversation would get animated, then increasingly heated, until they both quickly looked at Willow, then went back to their argument. She couldn't help but wonder why they were so angry. Were that mad at her, at Paige, or at each other? It appeared that Fred and George were merely fighting with each other, but Willow reminded herself that she had no social adeptness and therefore couldn't make a proper guess.

The fact kept gnawing at her, however, that every time George and Paige were in the same place as Willow, they started fighting. She wished they would get over their stupid quarrel- whatever it was- and get back to being friends, because she missed seeing them laughing and pranking with each other. Fred, George, and Paige used to make such an incredible squad that Willow dared to call them a dream team. They used to come up with the greatest schemes together. It was an amazing sight to see them talking animatedly with each other in the corridors, frantically scribbling down ingenious ideas, then combining them to create even better ones. Now, George and Paige practically hated each other. Every time they came within ten meters of each other, they were glaring daggers at the other. What did she do, Willow wondered, to make them feel like that? What had she done wrong?

Willow was briefly interrupted by Dean to give her opinion on a matter of gift-giving, much to the lament of Seamus, and then was allowed to continue staring off into space, as Sam teased her. She watched Fred and George for a few more minutes, wishing they would go find Paige and make up already. A local couple sitting nearby got up and left, releasing just enough sound waves so Willow could hear through the din. She enhanced her hearing and honed in on the Weasley twins' table. She frowned when she was finally able to catch a few snatches of their conversation.

"Running off like she always does...your fault, you know...shouldn't have gone so far..."

"Her fault too, Freddy...shouldn't be playing her like this...messing everything up..."

"All's fair in love and war, George...Has just as much a right as you do...Don't need to be ending friendship for something stupid...should make up with her..."

"She has to make up with me first...Not letting her off that easy..."

Willow suddenly finished her tankard of butterbeer, left a tip for Madam Rosmerta, and shoved her chair into place, leaving The Three Broomsticks. The little bell tinkled in what would have been a friendly goodbye had she been in a better mood. The cold winter wind whipped Willow's face, burning her cheeks and throwing sheets of icy snow onto her robes. Willow drew them tighter around her and marched through the now piling-up snow. The wind howled in her ears, deafening against the silent landscape. She could barely hear the crunching of the snow underfoot as she bounded away from the pub, heart hurting, begging to release all the pain it was harboring. But Willow refused. She'd already let out so much lately; if she let out any more, would the dam burst, never to be repaired?

Willow ran all the way to the edge of the village, then down the sloping path, sliding in the mounds of snow. She skidded across patches of ice and cantered across meadows of pure white. Snow hares fled before her pounding feet. Willow didn't know where she was going or what her plan was; all she knew was that she had to get away from the source of her pain. She ran endlessly into the sheets of white. The cold pierced her robes, turned her fingers white, but she didn't even feel it. All she could feel was the heaviness in her chest; all she could hear was the screaming of the voices in her head among the howling of the wind; all she could see was an endless sea of blinding white, blurring the horizon that led to more nothingness on a barren landscape. She didn't know anything but the ceaseless emotional trauma that held onto her with a firm grip and never seemed to let go.

Finally, Willow collapsed into a pile of snow under a pine tree. She grasped the snow and squeezed it so tight that it melted within her hands. Willow closed her eyes to block out the scene. She shut down her senses so she couldn't hear. She curled up into a ball and let the numbness of the winter cold seep into her very bones. Why did she always have to cause so many problems? Why did she always have to bear everyone else's pain? Why was her own so vast that she couldn't contain it? Willow couldn't feel anything. Tears wouldn't release her emotions because they suddenly weren't there. She was empty. Paige and George were fighting because of her, but she didn't even care anymore. What was the point? She was just going to cause herself more useless negative emotions...

"Willow! Where are you?"

The voice sounded very far off, like it was calling to her from a dream. Willow didn't bother moving. She didn't want to move. All she wanted was to slip into a deep, numb sleep, far from being able to feel anything that was hurting her...

"Willow! Please don't be frozen to death already...I'm not using my fire bombs on you..."

Willow moved her head almost imperceptibly. The voice was much clearer this time. She recognized it...this was someone she knew...and it sounded like a guy. Had someone actually come to look for her? She didn't know why they would...she disappeared all the time and no one batted an eye...

"Willow! Oh, thank Merlin, you're alive!"

Willow's eyes groggily opened to find a familiar redhead running towards her. He kneeled in the snow next to her, turning her over to make sure she wasn't a complete icicle. He touched her hand only to recoil quickly.

"How are you not frostbitten by now? You feel like you've been thrown in a freezer!" he fretted. Willow felt herself being sat up against the pine tree, her body stiff and sore from being coiled in a tight position so long. "Are you okay? Professor McGonagall was worried, you weren't there for the head count, so I came to find you...Merlin, she's going to take away so many points from Gryffindor..."

Willow blinked slowly, finally coming to the realization that George was sitting next to her. She watched his face as he went on and on endlessly about how worried Fred and he had been, how terrified McGonagall was for her, etcetera. She didn't like him being worried. It didn't suit his normally joyful expression. He appeared paler than normal, his brown eyes full of a hidden terror, and his slight freckles disappeared. Willow's mind wouldn't work with her; it wasn't comprehending anything at the current moment. George peeked around their tree and quickly ducked back under.

"The snowfall's getting even heavier now. We're going to get snowed in...I suppose that's okay, I don't feel like walking back up that hill...the wind will die down if the snow piles up high enough, too..."

Willow could do nothing but watch as George talked to himself about possible routes up the side of the mountain, backtracking every few steps because of some ice or a roadblock. He eventually decided that they were going to stay there until the storm passed. George contacted Fred through his name tag, explaining the incident. Willow's eardrums rang with the worried pitch of Fred's voice long after George ended the call. She hated it when they were worried. They were supposed to be happy...she was making them unhappy...

"I guess we're just...waiting here...Can't go out in this storm...are you feeling okay? Of course you're not, that's why you're out here...stuck in this bloody storm..."

Willow was silent for a while, trying to remember how to form words, then mumbled, "I'm okay."

George chuckled, but it wasn't light-hearted as it usually was. "You only have enough strength to say two words, and it's trying to reassure me that you're fine when you're obviously not? Typical." George shook his head, then stared out at the snow, his expression nearly unreadable. "Willow...I'm sorry. We're stuck out here because of me. Fred and I have been talking, and...well, I've been a complete arse. I didn't realize that, but you running out here because of what I've done, possibly freezing yourself to death...that's saying something about me. You don't deserve that. I'm so sorry, Willow."

She looked up at George, his eyes slightly sunken, gravity pulling on his face. She'd never seen him so...defeated. Willow knew that he'd literally just said he was the problem, not her, but something in her still didn't believe him.

"I'm sorry, too...been causing some issues..." she said.

"No, no, I'm not going to let you take the blame this time," George said. "You have nothing to be sorry for. What's happening between Paige and me is purely my being a complete arse, and it's been affecting you in ways I never took the time to imagine. You've done nothing wrong, Willow. I'm admitting that this is my fault for once."

Willow studied George's face, noticing the visible marks of stress on his cheekbones and forehead. "But...I haven't been helping...could have pointed out..."

George shook his head. "No, this is something I should have known myself. Don't blame yourself where there's no room for blame, Willow."

She stared at him for the longest time. Then, her heart warmed, and she finally understood. She wasn't the problem. This was all a huge misunderstanding. George and Paige were going to make up now, and it was going to be okay. Her heart lightened and her body finally released the weight that had been crushing her very bones. Willow took George's hand in her own, which seemed to shock the other boy. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispered.

George leaned his head on Willow's, closing his eyes. "Thank you."

The pair sat there in silence, holding each other's hands in a truce, listening to the storm as it tore across the sky.

As expected, Professor McGonagall was furious with Willow, but simply ordered her straight onto the Hogwarts Express the next day, not wanting to deal out punishment during the Holidays. She'd lucked out for the millionth time, it seemed. McGonagall could be strict, but she was also fairly forgiving, especially towards her own house. Fred and Paige scolded her for running off like that and scaring half the castle that she'd been killed (rumors that Sirius Black had gotten her spread like wildfire). Willow found it entertaining to pronounce her living status to shocked crowds of gossipers that were certain that Black had buried her body in some far-off field. Having inside knowledge on the real whereabouts of the convict was rather fun.

George and she seemed to have grown closer because of his genuine apology. Willow forced him to apologize to Paige in front of both her and Fred, then threatened him if he ever did it again. After Paige left, Fred whispered something to George, then burst with exclamations, saying that he knew it, which left Willow very confused. George was still slapping his twin by the next day on their walk to Hogsmeade Station. Fred and George bade Willow goodbye, and she gave them each a hug, wishing them Happy Holidays. George blushed furiously for some reason (it soon dawned on her that it might have something to do with him fancying her, but she still doubted it) and boarded the Hogwarts Express. Willow grinned from ear to ear at the sight of Paige and Lee joining the both of them in their own compartment. She'd missed seeing them all together.

It was a hassle to get all of her magical creatures loaded up, but Professor McGonagall had unofficially provided her with the invisibility charm via a note on her supply box in the secret room of the Gryffindor Tower, making the trip much smoother. One of her creatures was staying behind, however, with Sirius, just so he wouldn't be lonely over the Holidays. Willow had said her saddened goodbyes to Sirius that morning, leaving Felicity in his care. He'd always wanted to get to know the jobberknoll, so she decided that since she hadn't been able to get him anything for Christmas, Felicity would be his makeshift present. Sirius enjoyed the jobberknoll's silent company. Even though she could tell he was depressed, Sirius still wished her a Happy Christmas, and Willow almost forced him to come home with her. She was going to miss his child-like company over the Holidays.

The Hogwarts Express pulled out of Hogsmeade Station, and soon the countryside became a blur of white. Willow watched through a crack in the caboose as Great Britain's landscape rose and fell ever so gently. The countryside's snow was so pure, so untouched, that Willow imagined a giant had woven a blanket of snow and draped it over the rolling hills. Trees waved at her in the gentle breeze. Herds of cows created blotches of dark brown against the blank canvas of their grazing fields. The cold of December breathed through the tiny gaps of the wooden caboose, but Willow didn't mind. It comforted her during the long journey. Phoebe, of course, didn't appreciate it, and chattered loudly until she covered the silly Demiguise with her extra robes.

Oliver and the majority of her friends joined her during the train ride. At first, they were super talkative, trying to use their last few hours of magical freedom to pour through the closest references to the Hogwarts founders' descendants they could find, but it was no use, and the work was quickly tiring them out. Willow was the only one awake within four hours. The corner of her mouth twitched upwards in a smile as she watched over her friends. They appeared so peaceful that they were almost angelic in their light-hearted holiday moods. She truly clung onto the hope that this prophecy would find her sooner rather than later, because she couldn't imagine her life without them. Their pure souls were the reason she lived and breathed to this day. She couldn't imagine a better reason to fight against the unfairness of her life than to keep the smiles on their faces, the blush in their cheeks, and their laughter that was always tickling the back of her mind.

At long last, the deafening sound of the train chugging along lessened, and the Hogwarts Express gradually puffed its way into King's Cross Station. Willow shook her friends awake, and they wished her a Happy Christmas, taking turns hugging her. She waved goodbye to all of her friends as they went to their parents, then wished her fellow Gryffindor second years Happy Holidays as well before re-charming her creatures and transporting them to her car with the help of Oliver. Their dad was waiting for them in the parking lot. Willow and Oliver ran up and hugged him, proclaiming how much they'd missed him over the past few months. Carlos chuckled and promised to catch them up as quickly as he could.

The car ride to the mansion, in Willow's opinion, was completed in record time, and before she knew it, she was sprinting into her grandparents' open arms. Oliver was greeted with broad hugs from Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel as well. Perrito ran and jumped into both of their arms, then chased his tail in circles around V, who did not appear delighted to see the crazy chihuahua. Willow and Oliver helped Phoebe, Patch, and Griffin into the greenhouse, then returned to the kitchen, where the scent of pasta and a delicious combination of meats entertained the idea of dinner. Willow and Oliver hastily helped set the table and pour the drinks in hopes of getting to eat even sooner. Less than ten minutes later, the Guerreros were seated at the table, catching up over spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread.

Over the past few months, Abuela and Abuelo had been tag-teaming multiple archaeological excavations revealing much evidence on the history of Charlemagne. They were close to receiving an actual award from the Queen, they were contributing so much research to English history. Carlos had been reassigned to more local jobs, which meant less headaches for him. Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel were back in Japan, examining the movements of a population of Zouwu, a couple of which had taken a liking to their cat toys that Newt Scamander had lent them.

When questioned about their time at Hogwarts, Willow and Oliver answered truthfully that the amount of homework was awful, but it was awesome nonetheless. They left out the bits about Willow almost dying, running off into the Forbidden Forest for a couple months, the prophecy, and other depressing topics. Abuela was disheartened to hear that Hagrid had lost his confidence after Buckbeak's "attack" on Malfoy. Tío Leonel made the comment that he'd heard far too much drawn-out conversation about the hippogriff from Lucius Malfoy when he visited the Ministry a few weeks prior. Tío Cisco had to restrain him on multiple occasions from hexing his mouth shut.

Then, unfortunately, the topic of Grace Fawley came around. Willow didn't dare to even think of that horrid woman as her mother anymore. Carlos was spying on the Fawley mansion through some of the magical creatures he took care of, and some of them had reported groups of shadowy figures showing up at her doorstep in no particular regiment of time. Grace was on the move. Death Eaters, former, currently-in-hiding, and new joiners were meeting with her for unknown reasons. The Smith twins' mum, Molly, was now living full-time in the Fawley mansion. Willow's blood boiled to know that the woman who had called Oliver such a filthy name and scarred Sally and Sam for life was being housed by the woman who had once known her love. She grasped her locket, staring at the photo of Grace. She had to stop remembering them as the same person; her mum was the happy, fun-loving woman in the photo of her childhood; Grace was the new persona poisoning, twisting, and disfiguring the form that once was her mum. Willow didn't love Grace Fawley. She never had.

After dinner, the darkness of night had settled, and both Willow and Oliver were already exhausted. They pitched in to do the dishes but collapsed on the couch soon afterwards. Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel laughed at their defeated forms and carried them up the stairs to their bedrooms. Tío Leonel kissed her goodnight on the forehead, shutting off the lights. Despite her exhaustion, it took a while for Willow to fall asleep. Her mind was still racing from their conversation at dinner. She resorted to looking out at the night sky to settle her mind. Watching the twinkling stars outside her snow-covered window, Willow finally drifted off to sleep, wondering if Sirius was watching the same night sky. She hoped he would at least enjoy her letters that Iris was already carrying to him.

Christmas morning came in no time, and Willow had never been more excited. She squealed with delight at each and every gift she opened. There were soccer cleats, a brand-new, state-of-the-art soccer ball, some fancy wooden fountain pens, and a beautifully designed notebook for her. For Oliver, there were plants galore, a newly-released herbology book written by the leading witches and wizards in the field, and lots of fuzzy jackets (from Abuela, of course). Willow's heart warmed when she realized this was Oliver's first Christmas where he actually received presents since he lost his parents. It was sad, of course, but she was over-the-moon excited to finally reclaim all those happy memories with him that he should have had over the past several years. They broke in all their gifts, ate mounds of food for brunch (much to Abuela's delight), and accidentally took a nap in the greenhouse, all before midday.

It was the middle of the afternoon by the time the siblings finally woke up. They gave Griffin extra treats that Tío Leonel had specially baked for the griffin. Phoebe was jealous, of course, and smashed a banana in Willow's face, leaving Oliver untouched, as she always did. Willow swore the demiguise favoured the Hufflepuff. She cleaned herself off and tossed Phoebe a candied apple to make her happy. They made their way into the living room after that, grabbing a totally healthy snack of white and milk chocolate truffles, and casually talked about what they hoped to eat for Christmas dinner.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Willow saw the fire pit change colours. She raised her eyebrows at the green hue that replaced the former dark orange flames. It dawned on her after a few moments that the Floo network was being accessed. Grabbing Oliver, she quickly danced out of the way just as a figure came tumbling out, landing in a pile of soot on her living room floor. The figure coughed and spluttered, waving enough soot out of her face to reveal who it was: Paige. Oliver and Willow looked at each other in surprise, then helped her to her feet, brushing off the excess ash from her shirt.

"Paige, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be- ?" Willow began.

"No time to explain," Paige interrupted. "Got to go."

"Wait, but you just got here, why do we need to go?" Oliver asked.

"Snuck into parents' office again- found a letter- been hiding it- " Paige ran out of air and was forced to stop and take a breath. Willow noticed for the first time the stress marks on her forehead. "My nana's in trouble."

"What?" Oliver said.

Willow's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

"I sent her a letter before school started, letting her know how I was, what had happened since she'd left, things in general, and I asked her to send word on what she's been up to lately. Well, my parents obviously confiscated the letter, but she sent one back, and it wasn't good. It was short and choppy. Her handwriting was all messed up, and I've read enough of her grocery lists when I was younger to know that her handwriting is normally pristine. She said something about in hiding, under attack, isn't safe to correspond, but she's living near her previous address. The worst part is, the letter was dated to three days ago. That means she's still not safe!"

Willow gasped. "We've got to help her!"

"What if someone's already gotten her, though, and we're running right into their hands?" Oliver pointed out. "We won't be much help if we get stuck in a trap, too."

Paige brandished her wand. "I'd like to see them try to come between me and the only adult that's ever loved me in my life."

Oliver raised his eyebrows. "Nevermind. We're safe. It's not breaking the Statue of Secrecy if we're defending ourselves, right?"

"I'll fight those useless politicians until they can't stand my whining anymore if that's what it comes to," Willow said. "We might be saving a life here, and Paige's nana is basically her only family. Family's family. Oliver, do you want to stay here, or are you coming?"

"I'm not much backup, but I'll try."

Willow ran upstairs to grab hers and Oliver's wands, throwing Oliver his when she jogged back into the living room. Paige stared at her with a mixture of gratitude and gnawing terror.

"Look, I don't want to get you into any trouble with your parents, they're going to kill me if I get you hurt- " Paige began.

"Paige, how many times have I almost gotten myself killed?" Willow asked. Paige paused in thought for a moment, then conceded the point. "Exactly. This won't be any different. They know there's no point in trying to rein in my stupidity. Let me be an idiot and hopefully manage to pull off a Christmas miracle."

Paige sighed. "Thank you. Let's get going before your grandma comes barging in."

Willow, Paige, and Oliver all grabbed handfuls of Floo powder. The two Guerreros looked to Paige for the place, and with a single word each, they were whisked off to yet another ash-covered fireplace. They tumbled out of the grate, wheezing from accidental dust inhalation. When they'd regained their bearings, they took in the place around them, marveling at how old the structure was. Photographs and paintings from all eras decorated the dark-wooded walls. Paige's nana had taste. Willow wished she had more time to stop and take in each decoration, but Paige's nana was in trouble, and that took priority. The three of them quietly tiptoed out of the house, leaving no trace behind except the ashes strewn across the hardwood floors.

Willow found her ears assaulted by the honking of nearby cars. Paige's nana had lived on a busy street. Bumper-to-bumper traffic lined the roadway, even on Christmas Day. She had to tune down her senses to nearly block all sound out to get rid of the ear-splitting screech of worn brakes, the blaring of a hundred impatient drivers, and an unsatisfying combination of classical and pop music blasting from several opposing speakers. Paige thankfully led Willow and Oliver away from the street, instead crossing a nearby tall-grassed field that came up to their chests. Willow watched with concern as the older girl searched desperately for any sign of her nana. She'd never seen Paige so stressed out, so openly cracking, so passively breaking down her outer defenses. It shouldn't be like this, Willow thought. Paige should have been allowed to live with her nana from the moment her parents fired her, but she'd been subjected to the worst example of parenting instead. The thought of all the happy times Paige could have enjoyed broke Willow's heart and filled her with a new determination to find and rescue Paige's nana.

After ten minutes of walking, Paige appeared so stressed that Willow was worried she would shatter. But just when she was beginning to lose all hope, something caught all of their attention. A single, dirtied, weathered ribbon, so worn it was barely a few threads held together by pure chance, was tied around a nearby tree trunk. Paige rushed over to it and undid the knot, frantically examining it. A paper fluttered out of the intact strings. She caught it, almost crushing it in the process, and began to read the scribbled words, face breaking into a relieved smile.

"Oh my God, she's okay, she's okay," Paige said. "She wrote, 'Pumpkin season over, time for the Holiday pines.' My code name when I was little was Pumpkin Patch. I don't know exactly what it means, but I recognize this fabric, and she obviously wanted me to find this. Holiday pines...she's probably moved towards the pine forests. She always wanted a house next to one."

Albeit very confused, Willow and Oliver followed a now-excited Paige further through the grassy fields, the old house Paige's nana had previously lived in disappearing behind them altogether. It was another twenty minutes of walking before the tall, skinny trees indicative of a pine forest rose before them. Willow's heart sped up. Was this a trap? Were they really going to find Paige's nana? What if she'd already been captured? Or, worse, what if she'd been assassinated?

Willow blinked in surprise at herself. Why the heck was she freaking out? There was nothing for her to fear. All she had to do was stay on her guard, and they'd be fine. Oliver wasn't even nervous yet. He was always the first one to question a situation. If he was fine, all was good with the world. But Willow couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was off as they approached the pine forest, dead nettles lining the ground where brush and vegetation should have grown. She did, after all, have a sixth sense that came with her powers. Were they being set off by the tiniest of warnings? Was that why she was nervous?

Willow shook her head. Focus. I've got to focus now, she reminded herself as a building rose before their very eyes. Paige led them closer and closer to it. When her eyes finally honed in on the structure, Willow realized it was a log cabin. It appeared to be very newly constructed. The majority of the wood was so glossy that Willow questioned if they'd been polished only hours before. There were no holes in the roof, the windows were pristine, and the front door still smelled of fresh paint as they moved downwind of the house. Willow raised her eyebrows at Oliver, but he only shrugged, passing a silent message. The cabin appeared safe enough. Some people have funny tastes, right?

Paige wasn't fazed by the odd appearance of the log cabin. Without skipping a beat, she marched straight up the wooden front steps, found no doorbell, and rapped on the door three separate, but solid, times. Willow and Oliver crept up the steps behind her, eyes peeled for any movement between the trees. Even with her senses reactivated, Willow sensed nothing. Her heart leapt into her mouth when footsteps suddenly echoed from inside. A light flickered on in the hallway, and a shadow moved across it, halting and suspicious. Willow's heart beat against her ribs. She could tell Oliver felt the same. There was a heavy footfall on the other side of the door. Paige stood stoically, though a bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face, defying the freezing, snowy weather. The door creaked, and a pair of eyes peered at them. Butterflies scattered within Willow's stomach. Were they about to be blasted off the face of the Earth? Before she could even consider the possibilities, the door swung open, revealing the person on the other side.

"Nana," Paige whispered.

A rather large woman filled the door frame. She froze when she saw Paige standing on her front porch. Her face paled as she audibly sucked in a breath, then slowly put her hand to her mouth. "Paige...? Is that- is this really you?"

Paige barely held back tears, nodding her head. "Yes, it's really me. It's Pumpkin Patch."

The woman let out a laugh, salt water pooling in her eyes. She cupped Paige's chin with her hands. "I can't believe it. It's really you. It's- you're really here, after all these years."

Paige smiled. "I never left."

Tears cascaded down the woman's face, and she wrapped Paige in a fierce hug. The older girl hugged back just as tightly, hardly containing her emotions as she let out years' worth of pain, suffering, and longing. Willow instantly knew that this was the woman Paige had been talking about. She was pleasantly plump, ruddy of face, and kind-eyed, exactly as Paige had described her. The woman's frame was wide enough the envelop Paige's. Willow couldn't help the bright grin that spread across her face. This sun dress-wearing woman, after spending so many years apart from Paige, still cared about her like she was her own child. Willow heard a sniffling next to her and saw Oliver crying happy tears, too. She wrapped her am around him, ruffling his hair good-naturedly. After a few moments, both Paige and her nana pulled away at arm's length, beaming at each other with a happiness Willow had never seen anywhere else in the world.

"Oh, it's been far too long," Paige's nana sniffed. She wiped her eyes on her shoulder. "I got your letter. I thought I'd never hear from you again, after your parents sent me off. Then your words came, and I- " She gasped, eyes widening. "Come inside, quickly, before you're seen! I don't want anything to happen to you either!"

Herding them inside, Paige's nana shut the door behind them, locking it with a series of bolts. She corralled them into the living room and sat them down on the couch, shutting the curtains. Willow and Oliver glanced at each other in confusion. What was going on that this woman was being watched?

"Nana, what- ?" Paige began.

"Listen, I've got limited time to explain, and then you must be off," Paige's nana insisted. She grabbed something out of her pocket, and without pausing or warning them beforehand, levitated a tray of tea towards them- with a wand. All three gaped at her. Paige's nana...was a witch? The woman grinned at their confused expressions.

"Tea?" she offered.

"What- you never told me you could do magic!" Paige exclaimed. "That would explain a lot, though, now that I think about it! Why didn't you tell me? Did you know I was a witch?"

Paige's nana shook her head, a twinkle in her eyes. "I knew all along, Pumpkin. It was a terrible secret to keep. All those fun times we could have had, messing with your- dare I call them parents?"

"I definitely don't call them that anymore," Paige snorted.

A look of pure loathing passed over Paige's nana's face, then the disgusted expression passed, exchanging itself for a neutral one. "Whatever happened is in the past. Now, I need to explain to you the current situation. Your past is not as simple as it seems, as is mine. You weren't an orphan, Paige. You had a mother. I...I knew her."

Paige raised her eyebrows. "You're serious?"

"Yes...she was my sister."

Paige gripped her teacup so hard that it shattered with a crack! that made Oliver yelp. Willow's heart stopped. Paige gaped at her nana, hands shaking, hardly daring to believe what she heard.

"You can't be serious. There's no way."

Paige's nana took her niece's hand into her own, making an effort to compose herself. "It's true, Sweetheart. I'm you aunt. My name is Deandra, and our last name is Terrell. Your mother's name was Audelia. She was the most incredible sister I ever could have asked for. She was kind, she was brave, she was empathetic beyond belief...I wish I had more time with her. You would have loved her. She had the most beautiful laugh of anyone I'd ever heard. The sound was purer than an untouched waterfall...purer than spring water atop an undiscovered mountain...I can still hear it in the back of my head, even now. I loved making her laugh."

Oliver was crying again. Deandra got up and got him a tissue, which he accepted gratefully. Willow rubbed his back, her heart simultaneously reaching for Paige, and also going out to Oliver, for whom the conversation topic must have been painful.

"Anyway, your mother and I attended Hogwarts together. We were both in Slytherin, but we always tended to hang out with the Hufflepuffs. It wasn't long after we graduated that your mother fell in love. She got married, and within a year, she had you. I'd never been prouder. Audelia named me your godmother immediately, and I accepted, honored. I only wish I could have protected you more from what happened next."

Paige's face had lost much of its colouring. Willow waited, fearing the worst. She allowed Oliver to squeeze her hand.

"You see, our family has a special secret, Paige, and it goes back for several generations...it's a very deep secret, so deep, in fact, that we went into hiding centuries ago. We've integrated into society with almost complete success. Unfortunately, in the last few decades, something went wrong. We've been hunted by a group of people who have been our rivals since the beginnings of our family name. You're not a pureblood, Paige, if that's what you're wondering," Deandra said, upon seeing her niece's darkening expression. "We're of all types of mixed blood, Muggle and magical alike. You're safe from pureblood mania for the time being."

"But...what's the secret?" Paige asked. "What's so terrible that you had to go underground?"

Deandra swallowed. "I can't tell you, Pumpkin. If I do, you and your friends will be in unspeakable danger. If someone from that wretched family gets a hold of you, and finds that information...I hardly dare to imagine the consequences. No, you're safer if you don't know. All you do need to know is that there is more magical power running through your veins than you could dream of. You're a special breed of witch, Paige, and I hope you take that to heart, because you might need it in the near future."

Willow, Paige, and Oliver shared confused expressions as Deandra got up to peek out the blinds, her face drawn out with anxiety. She sat back down, fingers still wrapped tightly around her wand.

"Well...you never finished telling me about my mum," Paige said, changing the subject.

Deandra stared at her niece for a long time, eyes clouded. At length, she sat back, sighing. "I suppose you deserve the truth, no matter how painful it is. Very well...your mum, her husband, and I were in hiding, as you know. It was very similar to the Potters. We moved to an obscure town on the outskirts of England and attempted to create a new image of ourselves, one no one could possibly connect to our old selves. But we were betrayed by our own contentment. We became complacent. Before we knew it, the- that family had found us, and...we were outnumbered."

Deandra wiped her eyes with a tissue. "I wasn't nearly as good at dueling as your mother and her husband. She- she placed you in my arms, kissed you on the forehead, and told me to run. She told me to run as far as I possibly could. I didn't even get to hug her goodbye. She jumped right into the middle of the fighting, and I hid as she fought them." Deandra blew her nose. "Your mother was so brave, Paige. You should have seen the way she held them off. They came at her, and she shot them down in droves, all with a single curse. But while she was the carrier of unbelievable power, her husband was not, and he was soon hit with the Killing Curse. You would have trembled to see the power that she wielded after that painful loss. A wave of pure agony was thrown from her, and it leveled the house. I apparated out of there just in time to save you."

Paige had a tear trailing down the side of her face. Deandra took her hand once more, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "She sacrificed herself for you...and for me. Life was never the same after that. My father- your grandfather- came to visit me, but it was only for a brief time, and then we were forced to go our separate ways and disappear. I was being followed, and I knew I had to find somewhere so deep into the Muggle world that they would never find me. That's why you ended up where you did, Paige. Your 'parents' were so nasty, so cruel, so undeniably the worst possible scum of the Muggle world that I could possibly find, that we would never be traced there. We were finally safe.

"But I was wrong. You were safe from the wizarding world, but the Muggle world was beating you into the ground. I never imagined those horrid people would hurt you so much. I can never forgive myself for the torment I put you through. Then, I got fired, and I couldn't be there for you anymore...That day was the hardest day of my life, only second to the day I lost your mother. I had to leave you, all alone, with those horrible people. I wasn't there to protect you anymore. I've- " Deandra paused, sniffling- "I've failed to be a good godmother. I'm so sorry, Paige. I wanted so badly to come back, but I had to go on the run again. I've been chased all across England. It's no excuse, though, and I will never be able to make it up to you. I'm sorry."

Paige's lip trembled. "It's not your fault. I haven't talked to them in years. I spend my time away from them now, and I've never forgotten you. I forgive you, and there's nothing you can do about it, so you better accept it."

Another tear rolled down Deandra's cheek as she let out a laugh. "You're still as stubborn as the day I left you."

"And you're still as incredible as ever."

Willow's mind felt fuzzy with the emotional gravity of the situation. So Paige did have parents that cared, but they'd sacrificed themselves, and her nana was actually her aunt, but she was being chased all across the country. It couldn't have been any more confusing than her own past, but something was still bothering Willow. It wasn't the fact that Deandra wasn't telling them why Paige's family had this phenomenal magical power. It wasn't even the question of what they were being chased down for. It was something else...

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I think you'll find my question important," Willow said. Paige, Deandra, and Oliver all looked at her expectantly, making Willow's voice catch in her throat. "Um...well...who's chasing you down, exactly? Am I allowed to know their family name?"

"Oh, you can know that part, but only if I remember the exact name...let's see...they're one of the sacred twenty-eight..."

"Is it the Malfoys?" Oliver suddenly gasped, his voice pitched.

"No, thank goodness, they'd be a nasty lot to contend with...I think it starts with an F...oh, yes, that's what it is, the Fawleys."

Willow sucked in a sharp breath. "What did you say?"

"The family chasing after us is the Fawleys, I'm sure of it," Deandra said. She furrowed her brow. "Why? Do you know them?"

Willow's blood ran cold. Her heart stopped. She was suddenly aware of the intensity of everyone's stares. They burned through her, seeming to pry open her very soul and spill out its secrets. Her chest tightened, and Willow could feel her pulse quickening. Oliver gently touched her arm, but she jerked it away, standing bolt upright as she did so.

"You must be joking," she whispered.

"No, I'm afraid this is no laughing matter," Deandra said gravely. She stood up and walked closer to Willow, peering into the younger girl's eyes. "Are you alright, Dear? You seem to be losing your colour rather fast. When's the last time you ate something?"

"I'm...I'm fine," Willow wheezed. She shakily took a few steps towards the wall, her left arm gripping the wooden beams for support. Her childhood came flooding back to her. The heirlooms in the family room...the trophies they'd hung up on the walls...the corridors dedicated to battles won against entire families...

"Willow, are you sure you're okay?" Oliver questioned.

"Yeah," Willow panted, gasping for air.

Her mum's face was swimming in front of her. Then, it was her grandfather's, then every single relative from the Fawley side was invading her space, pointing at her and shrieking that she was too weak to uphold the family legacy, crushing her beneath the weight of their cackling, laughing mercilessly at her failure. Her mum had always told her the Fawley heirlooms were rightfully stolen back from an evil family that had done them wrong centuries prior. Willow's airways suddenly closed off. If she had known...she could have stopped them...she could have stolen back what was rightfully Paige's...

"Willow, you're not okay," Paige said, her brown eyes gazing directly into Willow's. "What's wrong? And don't tell me you're fine, because you're not, and there's nothing you can say or do to convince me- "

"Stop!" Willow pleaded, falling to her knees. She covered her ears as the prophecy invaded it once more. She squeezed her eyes shut, barely managing to drown out the ocean of noise, but only bringing back the memories of the Fawley mansion in a more powerful fashion than before. Sickening images came harpooning into her brain, locking into her mind's eye with relentless ferocity, refusing to let go. Willow curled into a fetal position, pain racking her entire frame.

"Willow? Hey, Willow, come back to me," Paige said, her voice echoing strangely in Willow's ears. "Focus on my voice. Come back to me."

Willow reached out to Paige's voice within her head. It was like trying to grasp for a life raft twelve feet below the surface. Paige's voice came in whispery strands, varying in louds and softs. Willow focused in hard until she could clearly hear Paige's voice. She gripped onto its soft, low melody for dear life. The life raft was within reach. She wrapped her arms around it, desperately begging for it to take her back to the surface. She was pulled through the water, up and up and up, getting so close to the top- and there was Paige, waiting for her. The older girl was kneeling beside her, combing her fingers through Willow's hair.

"You're okay, Willow, you're here," Paige said.

"I'm okay," Willow said, her voice hoarse. She coughed. "Wait- just kidding, no I'm not."

"Do you need anything, Dear?" Deandra asked, her blurry face finally focusing.

"No, I'm fine," Willow sighed, sitting up. She wiped the cold sweat off her forehead and stood up before Oliver and Paige could accidentally crowd her. "I'm fine."

"You just said you weren't," Oliver fretted.

"The former statement is probably true, but that's beside the point," Willow said.

"What was that all about? Do you know the Fawley family?" Deandra asked. Willow flinched, which softened the older woman's gaze. "I'm sorry if it upsets you, but this is crucial information. We could all be in danger if you are in connection to that name."

Willow nodded, swallowing hard. "I know. I just...uh...have a lot of bad memories with them. You see, my name is Willow Guerrero, but I used to be Willow...Fawley."

Paige and Deandra stared at her as if she'd turned them to stone. Willow took a shuddering breath. "Look, I don't associate with those elitist pieces of crap anymore, but I- I can't help but feel awful that I was a part of the family that tore yours apart. Paige- all those times I walked through that mansion- all those times I should have known something bad was going on- all those priceless family pieces I could have given back to you- and I didn't. I'm sorry."

Paige looked as if she could have slapped Willow, but not out of anger. "Willow, you have to be the dumbest human being alive. You were nine when you last saw your mother. How were you supposed to understand what was going on, let alone get away with stealing things from your own- well, former family? I can't blame you for that."

"You're not a Fawley, trust me," Deandra reassured her. "You'd be dead if you were. I've put multiple spells around this house."

"Oh, how comforting," Willow chortled sarcastically. "Thank you, though, that means a lot."

Oliver wrinkled his nose next to her. "Sorry to change the subject, but do you smell that?"

Paige, Willow, and Deandra sniffed the air, suddenly tensing. Gasoline. What was someone doing with gasoline in the middle of a pine for- OH MY GOD, THAT IS NOT GOOD, CODE RED!

"Something's going to explode, isn't it?" Paige said.

Willow heard a flick out of the furthest edge of her hearing range. Her heart spiked.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!"

Willow jumped on Paige and Deandra as she screamed, pulling Oliver down by the wrist. She transformed into a dragon just as the biggest explosion she'd ever heard in her life burst the back end of the log cabin. Willow's wings sprouted in the fraction of a second before the fireball consumed the spot where they were laying. Even in her fire-loving form, the heat burned through her scales and viciously nipped at the skin underneath. Willow closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Oliver, Paige, and Deandra struggled under her weight, the latter nearly passing out from the shock of her transformation, but she had to keep them safe. The fire tore through the house, incinerated timbers, and blew apart furniture, but still Willow held on.

Just a few more seconds, it's almost over- hang on- just a little longer- breathe- you can do it- NOW!

The worst of the maelstrom blew over, and Willow suddenly flung herself out the nearest window, the other three in tow. She hit the ground and grunted in pain as some of the glass dug into her scales. It was only moments before her strength was sapped, and she found herself laying on the ground, cut up and burnt from her previous form being unable to handle the onslaught. Oliver managed to scramble to his feet in record time and dragged the three of them behind the building, his eyes wide and terrified.

"Are we going to die? Please tell me we're not going to die!" he cried.

"We're not going to die!" Paige shouted, stumbling to her feet. "Come on, nana, we've got to move!"

But Deandra didn't move. Her eyes were locked on Willow, mouth slightly parted. Paige kneeled on front of her aunt, eyes on fire, adrenaline already rushing through her system.

"Look, I know it's a shock. It was a shock to me the first time she did it, too! But you have to get over it! We're going to die if you don't get off your arse and help us, and right now! I know that you're still blaming yourself, but damn it, this is a perfect moment to redeem yourself in your own mind, so move!"

That seemed to do the trick. With a hard blink, Deandra shot to her feet, whipping her wand out of her pocket. She huddled the teenagers behind her.

"Stay back, and don't move a muscle until I say."

Willow's, Oliver's, and Paige's mouths dropped to the floor within seconds. With a simple flick of her wand, Deandra created a barrier around them, one of intense, electrifying, rainbow-shimmering light. She leveled her own house with a spell. She threw up stone barriers with another. The forest itself shifted around them. Trees creaked and heaved onto the forest floor. Branches rained down around them in their own storm. Some of the Fawley family began to show up, but most stumbled back in fear. Deandra was in the eye of her own hurricane, the nucleus of her own world, the center of her own universe. Paige and Willow both looked at each other in absolute awe. Was this really the same power that was flowing through Paige's veins?

"If you think this is cool, wait until you see what your grandfather can do," Deandra chuckled, obviously pleased with herself.

The moment, however great a respite in the intense situation, was brief. The Fawleys regained their former steely will and advanced on their position. Willow recognized far too many of them- former uncles, grandmothers, cousins, and even her crazy aunt. Unfortunately, they recognized her, too, and were even more infuriated than before. Oliver gripped her hand, his other barely hanging onto his wand with trembling fingers. Willow squeezed his hand in support, but didn't hesitate to draw her wand, leveling it at her grandfather, who aimed his own wand directly at her chest. She swallowed the waves of fear coursing through her system. She had to stay calm. Deandra would protect them, even if things went sideways. She had to overcome her fear.

But that was a difficult thing to do, considering the amount of witches and wizards periodically apparating behind the front line of Fawleys. Willow's heart leapt into her mouth at the sheer amount of extended family members showing up to the scene. What was wrong with Grace's family? Did they not possess the ability to love others? Whatever it was, Willow didn't know, because Deandra drew her, Oliver, and Paige into a tighter circle behind her. She eyed up her opponents, an odd light illuminating her dark brown irises. What was she thinking about?

"Paige, there's something you need to hear," Deandra said. "You're extremely gifted, blessed with an extraordinary power like mine. Use it. Don't hide it from the world. Whenever you can, let your true colours show, and tell everyone out there exactly who Paige Terrell is."

"Nana, what- ?"

"You have to go," Deandra interrupted, sadness welling up in her eyes. "I can't let you see this, for better or for worse. You must leave. They'll be after you, now that they know who you are."

Paige's face drained of all colour. "Nana, no, I won't let you do this! I'm staying with you- !"

"Paige, no! I won't let them get a hold of you, not here, not now, not ever! I'm still responsible for your well-being, until the very last breath leaves my body!"

"Nana, I'm not leaving you here- !"

"You have to go!" Deandra yelled. "It's the only way to save your life!"

Paige stared at her, at a loss for words, grief overwhelming her. A single tear trailed down her nana's cheek. Deandra drew her niece into a fierce hug. Paige didn't hesitate to return the gesture, knowing that what her aunt was saying was right, but refusing to believe it at the same time. The Fawleys began to hack away at their barrier with dark curses and hexes. With great difficulty, Deandra held them off, looking at Oliver as she did so.

"You're a Hufflepuff, are you not?" she asked. Oliver nodded. "Take care of Paige for me. Don't let her lie to you about how she's doing; you'll be able to tell better than anyone."

"I will," Oliver said thickly, choked up with tears.

Deandra finally turned to Willow, her face red with the effort of keeping the Fawleys at bay. Willow's heart began to chip away at itself. Before she could say anything, though, Deandra shushed her.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. Be proud of your Guerrero heritage, and forget the Fawley side. You've done nothing wrong. A child born into a troubled family is at no fault of its own."

Willow was now struggling to keep her emotions from bursting forth. Deandra hugged her, somehow comforting Willow and giving her strength all at once. As the older woman pulled away, however, she whispered something in Willow's ear.

"I believe in you, War Child. Go do right in this terrible world."

Willow was then shoved back with Paige and Oliver, and amid their cries for her to wait, Deandra tearfully aimed her wand at them and fired off a spell.

Willow closed her eyes to guard them against a blinding flash of light, then opened them. When the light subsided, she realized she was back in her own living room, right next to the fireplace where they'd began their journey. Paige and Oliver were right there with her. Willow stared at her arm for a second, hardly believing that they'd just been across England, but the cuts were real, the burns were real, and Deandra's last words were still ringing in her mind. That was real. Everything was real. Her former family...was the reason Paige had been abandoned. They were the cause of every second of suffering Paige had ever felt. And she used to be a part of that family. Willow's stomach churned, sick with the reminder that Fawley blood ran through her veins. She felt like she was going to throw up.

"Paige?" Oliver croaked, drawing Willow's attention back to the present. "Paige?"

The older girl was staring at her wand. She was still panting softly, her eyes wide. Willow watched her intently.

"Paige...you okay?"

Paige slowly sunk to the floor, her frame suddenly small, defeated. Willow carefully kneeled next to her. When Paige didn't react, Willow wrapped her arms around the older girl. Paige then buried her face in Willow's shoulder, gripping her tightly for support as she struggled not to sob. Willow's heart broke. She stroked Paige's hair, a single thought bruising her heart as Paige battled with her agony.

How much more can we lose?


	51. Year 3: Chapter 9

Abuela was there in an instant, almost as if she knew exactly what had happened. Armed with a loaf of freshly baked homemade bread, a half-gallon of butter and jelly, and a box of chocolate, Abuela swept up Paige and placed her at the kitchen table. The older girl was still hardly holding herself together. Abuela rubbed her back soothingly, expression clouded with concern. Willow and Oliver sat down in a trace-like state across from Paige. Abuela looked up at them.

"Who do I need to hex out of existence?" she said, voice trembling, but not with sorrow.

"My mum," Willow whispered.

Abuela's expression contorted with fury, flushing a deep shade of scarlet. She clenched her fists so hard that Willow feared she might break her knuckles. "I'd be happy to take on those- " she said a word that even Willow couldn't help raising her eyebrows at- "and your mother, too. A duel with my former daughter-in-law has been long overdue."

"No one's firing off spells at anyone," Abuelo said. The four turned their heads to see the older man hobbling down the stairs. "That would only make the situation worse, as much as I'd like to take a shot at Grace myself. What she did to our son is unforgivable."

"Exactly why I should be allowed to blow her head off..." Abuela muttered.

"Whoa! Who pissed Mum off this time?" Tío Cisco asked, he and his brother entering the room.

"Those- God- forsaken- Fawleys," Abuela snapped, obviously censoring her language by the abrupt pauses between words. "They hurt my future daughter-in-law. They're going to hurt for it."

"Mamá, cálmate," Carlos soothed, shutting the patio door behind him. "Everyone knows I get the first shot at the Fawleys. But now is not a good time to outright attack them. We need to build up some evidence to make a case of self-defense and conspiracy- you know, just in case the Ministry and its pureblooded idiots that it claims are worthy political leaders come knocking down our door, since we might dig up some dirt on half the community in that disgusting house."

"Fine, but I get the second shot at Grace when we get the chance." Abuela gently stroked Paige's hair, taking a deep breath. She glanced between Willow and Oliver. "What happened, anyway?"

Willow's heart dropped like a stone. The pain of the previous hour still stung as a fresh wound. "Oliver, please say it for me."

Oliver nodded, though he didn't look much better-off than Willow from the ordeal. She promised herself to repay him later. Oliver took a deep breath, then launched into the story, sometimes stringing words together because he was talking so fast. He explained how Paige had contacted her nana, then about the terrifying letter she received back. He told them all about their journey to her log cabin, choked up a bit at the happy reunion part, and returned to seriousness for the next part. The Guerrero's jaws were to the floor when Oliver revealed how Paige was related to a very powerful family, that her nana was actually her aunt, and that her entire family was being hunted to extinction by the Fawleys. Abuela was so riled up that Carlos had to take her outside for a moment. Abuelo became quite misty-eyed during the retelling of Paige's heroic parents in their final hours. When Oliver finished with a recap of the scary moments before they left, Willow couldn't help but remember the final words Deandra had whispered in her ear.

"Willow, what's wrong?" Carlos asked.

Willow was suddenly snapped out of her trance. "Huh? Nothing," she lied.

"B.S. What happened?"

Willow groaned, laying her now aching head on the table. "You don't want to know. You really don't. It will only make the situation worse for you guys."

"I'm p-r-e-t-t-y sure it can't get any worse," Tío Cisco said.

Willow picked her head up to see her entire family staring at her. Even Paige was now staring at her, the smallest of fires kindling in her blank eyes. Willow shrank beneath their gazes. They deserved to know the truth, she guessed, even if it was as confusing as it was concerning. She sighed, running her hands down her face.

"Deandra whispered something to me, right before she sent us off," Willow admitted. "She knows that I'm the War Child, and she even said she believes in me. She told me to go do right in this world."

"What? How could she know that?" Paige said.

"She seems to know quite a lot, actually," Abuelo observed. "I'm not surprised she knows about Willow, considering she's running from the Fawley family."

"But even the Fawleys don't know that Willow's the War Child," Carlos pointed out. "Grace thought- well, they think the War Child's dead." A flicker of pain passed over every Guerrero's face. "Deandra would have gotten her information from somewhere else. Did she say what your last name was, Paige?"

"Terrell," Paige replied instantly. The name flowed off her tongue quite nicely.

"I don't recognize it, but that makes sense, considering they're gone underground," Tío Leonel said. "It's yet another mystery."

Paige sat back in her chair. "It doesn't matter. Willow's safe if my aunt believes in her. She's an incredible person, and she'd never let Willow's destiny slip to anyone. The real question is what we're supposed to do now."

"Search and observe," Abuela said. Everyone looked to her. "It's obvious, isn't it? Paige's grandfather is the Fawley's next target. We've got to find him before they do. Boys, you have to keep an eye on the Fawley mansion, and as close as possible. We have to track their movements to their exact footsteps now. Your father and I will do the searching for Grandpa Terrell. We have to save your grandfather, Paige, if we're ever going to stop this family warfare. Too many people have died for this to go on."

Paige's mouth was slightly open. "You'd...you would do that for me?"

Abuela hugged the older girl. "Family is family, Sweetheart. Anything for my future daughter-in-law."

Paige smirked at that thought as Willow blushed deeply.

Paige ended up staying with the Guerreros for the remainder of the Holidays. Abuela was in much better spirits, what with the optimistic prospect of finding Paige's grandfather, getting to treat Paige like royalty, and teasing Willow about her future wedding every second she could spare. Willow could have sworn her cheeks never managed light pink. Paige celebrated New Year's with the Guerreros, then went back "home" the morning of January 2, promising to meet them at King's Cross Station. Willow and Oliver (once again) rushed around at the last minute to pile everything into the car. This time, in addition to Willow's hefty amount of magical creatures, Oliver was totting his magical plants that he'd received for Christmas. He was planning to store the majority of them in the Secret Room, but a few of his favourites were going to remain in the always-sunny Hufflepuff common room.

Willow and Oliver arrived at King's Cross Station at approximately quarter til eleven, but between lugging their trunks and transporting their now invisible magical flora and fauna, they barely managed to shut the door to the caboose before the train lurched into motion. The Hogwarts Express gave a familiar whistle, and soon they were chugging along the countryside, a trail of smoke lazily floating behind them. Willow and Oliver had been joined by Paige and the Gryffindor boys, and it made for an entertaining ride back to Hogwarts. Seamus managed to nearly blow the roof off their train car after only three minutes of experimenting with a new charm he'd learned from his parents. Dean and Neville, still rather full of sweets from the Holidays, fell asleep halfway through the train ride. Sam was talking like a rabbit with its butt on fire about the prank he and Sally had pulled on their Mum. Sarah Brown reacted positively to their antics, however, unlike Molly used to, and they'd made an occasion out of going to Diagon Alley to purchase a new magical apron (the Smith twins had destroyed Sarah's old one with dragon cookies). Paige, Oliver, and Willow listened in silent captivation of his surplus energy.

At length, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade Station, and they were home. Willow ran all the way up the path to the castle, racing Paige, who was definitely not a long distance runner. The older girl eventually gave up and lagged behind with Oliver, who was only running because he couldn't feel his toes, and even at that, Oliver slowed to a walk. Willow was far too excited, however, to take her time getting to Hogwarts. She sprinted across the snow-laden ground, boots crunching the flakes into tell-tale footprints. Adrenaline coursed through her system. Everyone else was heading up to the castle, but Willow's heart had another destination in mind. She waited until she was completely out of sight, then ducked under the trees, sprinted to where the pines butted up against Hogwarts' vast grounds, and followed the treeline all the way around the Black Lake. Her turnover increased as she neared her destination. She wore the world's biggest smile on her face. She'd been waiting the entire Holiday for this.

At long last, Willow found familiar, enormous footprints in the snow, a telltale sign of Hagrid's Holiday whereabouts. Then, excitement coursing through her veins, she found a smaller, less-noticeable path, barely discernible under the heavy blanket of snow- but she had walked down it so many times, she could find it blind. Willow had a certain spring in her step as she ran among the icy tree trunks. Her feet didn't even make any marks on the ground- her anti-compression charm was working well! Heart soaring, the unassuming sight of a tightly-knit cluster of trees called her name. She stomped her boots, kicked them off on the "porch," and flung the door open.

"SIRIUS! HAPPY BELATED CHRISTMAS, HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND- oh, there's no other holidays we celebrate."

Sirius grinned broadly from across the room. "Happy Holidays to you too!" Felicity fluttered from the ceiling onto his shoulder. Sirius patted him. "Thanks for Felicity, by the way. He was great company."

Willow beamed. "I'm glad! He's quiet- obviously, he's a jobberknoll, he can't make noise- but he's very receptive to people, I've noticed."

"Something he inherited from his caretaker, I'm sure," Sirius said, a hardly passive, hinting gleam in his eyes.

Willow chuckled. "That's definitely your way of saying you want me to notice something. What did you do this time? Break into Honeydukes? Sneak a mug of butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta?"

"Even better!" Sirius squealed.

Willow scoffed. "What's better than freshly-brewed butterbeer?"

"A firebolt," Sirius said, hardly able to contain himself.

Willow furrowed her brow. "What?"

"IgaveHarryabroombecausehedoesn'thaveoneandnowhecanbeatSlytherinbecausehehasthebestbroomever!" Sirius shrieked, practically skipping across the room. "Harry has a firebolt! That's a state-of-the-art broom, international standard! No one's going to be able to catch him now, no one! He'll be a blur on the quidditch pitch!"

Willow's jaw dropped. "You're joking!"

Sirius shook his head enthusiastically. "Nope! I didn't steal it, either! I was walking around Hogsmeade as an animagus, hoping to find something for Harry, when a kid came running by and threw the broom at me, saying it was a piece of junk, that it didn't work! But when I tested it out, the only problem was the kid didn't let the thing calibrate! It's in perfect condition, brand new, and now it's Harry's!"

"Sirius, that's incredible!" Willow laughed, hugging him. "How on Earth did you get it up to Gryffindor Tower?"

"To be honest, I don't really know. On Christmas Eve, I left it below the Fat Lady's portrait- it's still that godawful Sir Cadogan, unfortunately, and he's truly as annoying as you say- and the next day, when I was hanging around the Entrance Hall, I heard Harry and Ron shouting about it from the Great Hall, so the house elves must have taken it up or something. Either way, Harry can't possibly loose with that amount of speed in his corner. I can't wait to watch him!"

"Me neither! Wow...a firebolt! He'll be the talk of the school!"

Sirius sat down in his chair, dramatically pretending to be exhausted. "Yes, but I'm sure it won't be far from normal. He's always doing something that reignites his popularity. He gets it honestly, though. James did the same thing."

"You knew his dad?" Willow gasped.

"Of course I did. We were best friends when we were younger," Sirius scoffed. "It's ironic, though. James sought attention, but hardly ever got it, while his son seeks peace and quiet, but never gets it."

Willow chortled. "I know how he feels."

"I'm sure you do. What did you do for the Holidays? Burn your mansion down?"

"What? No! I went- " Willow's face fell. "I'd rather not talk about it, actually. It's depressing. Did you get my letters?"

"Excuse me, I'm the only one that's allowed to be depressed, between the two of us," Sirius said. "Yes, I got your letters, and they did brighten up my Christmas, but what happened?"

Willow bit her lip. "Well...we found out who Paige's biological family is."

Sirius shot to his feet. "What? I thought her parents were dead! That's what you told me her adoptive parents told her!"

"Um...well...that's not wrong," Willow admitted. Sirius stared at her in shock. "Her parents died protecting her. Her nana, it turns out, is actually her aunt, one of her only two remaining relatives. Paige's grandfather and aunt are both in hiding. They're...they're being hunted by my- former family. Grace's side- the Fawleys."

Sirius's face went slack. He sat back down. "You're kidding."

Willow sighed. "I wish I was. But it's all true. Deandra- that's her aunt- was attacked shortly after we found her. You would be amazed to see what she could do with a single spell...it was like watching something out of a story book. Deandra sent us back to my mansion right before the Fawleys attacked. I recognized a few of them...Paige is stable now, but she's still pretty torn up about losing her aunt so soon after finding her. We're clinging to dear life to the hope that we can rescue her grandfather."

Sirius sat down in the recliner. "That's...awful. Is she actually okay, or is she like you in that she's hiding how rough this is on her?"

Willow rolled her eyes, but didn't deny his point. "She's exactly like me, except she doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve nearly as bad as me."

Sirius was quiet a moment. Then, his features suddenly lighting up in a mischievous glow, he said, "You know, it's terrible that Paige lost her aunt, b-u-t this is the perfect chance to play the hero. You could easily get yourself on her radar after something like that."

Willow choked on her own air. "Sirius, no!"

Sirius sighed. "You've got to make a move sooner or later!"

"Not like that! She would see right through me! No, I'd rather be a genuine friend for now, and maybe when I'm older I'll make a decision on asking her out."

"She'll totally do it first."

Willow groaned. "Not this again."

After several more minutes of entertaining banter, Willow realized she had better run up to the castle before McGonagall noticed she was missing. Willow left Felicity with Sirius and returned to the Gryffindor common room, smiling innocently to the world, as if she totally hadn't had a laughable conversation about her love life with a wanted mass murderer. She managed to slip inside the Secret Room to finish settling in her magical creatures; Griffin was in a mad fit of energy from all his napping and needed considerable exercise to calm down. Then, after finding perfectly sunny spots for Oliver's magical plants, she returned to the common room, which was buzzing noisily with post-Holiday spirits. The energy hit her in pleasant waves that made her eyes brighter and her smile broaden. She loved the atmosphere of Gryffindor Tower. Even just being away for a few weeks had hit her hard.

Inevitably, Willow's Gryffindor Sisters found her. She was kidnapped to their dorm and voluntold to become part of a scheme to set Parvati up with a cute Ravenclaw boy by Valentine's Day. Apparently, since Padma knew this boy fairly well, Willow was supposed to help Parvati's shy twin introduce the idea of hanging out with Parvati until he agreed. Willow had a feeling she was going to fail miserably- human interaction was not her strong suit, nor her favourite activity- but she was going to try for Parvati's sake. The squeals and exclamations of her Gryffindor Sisters were like honey to her ears after the stressful peace and quiet of the Guerrero mansion. She wasn't used to not being in a rambunctious atmosphere 24/7. Her energy levels were surprisingly low when she didn't have a constant source of it surrounding her.

Without warning, Sally suddenly shouted that they had to go. She grabbed Willow, flew down the staircase, and sprinted across the castle at a high speed. They were heading in the general direction of the Ravenclaw common room. At first, Willow thought it was Sally's way of kick-starting their plan, but she soon realized it was the first Sunday of the month, the time when her friends met up for their "club." Willow really hoped no one would dig into her about her Holiday mishaps as Sally somehow managed to correctly answer the riddle that the bronze knocker asked. They entered the Ravenclaw common room, which was as stunning as ever, and made their way to the corner they'd established as theirs (for the most part). Mandy, Sue, Lisa, Oliver, and Cypress were already there. Sam came stumbling in behind Willow and Sally as they crossed the room. They got settled, and Sally began the session as usual.

It was a very productive evening. This year, Sally promised, was going to bring changes to their usual meetings. They'd still accomplish some degree of studying and schoolwork, but now, instead of doing that the whole time, they were going to have one person share a bit about what's been going on in their lives to start off the meetings. They all agreed to never force anyone to share anything that was uncomfortable. In addition, there was no tolerance for self-deprecation. Sally threatened them all with bodily harm if they said one negative word about themselves. Agreeing to these terms, they all listened in as Sue volunteered to be the first sharer.

Sue launched right into a motivational story. She explained how she was born in Japan, then was suddenly uprooted and moved to Britain. Sue was constantly trying to learn English in addition to dealing with culture shock. It was extremely stressful, and on top of it all, most girls in her Muggle school were rude to her and asked her uncomfortable questions about her eyes and the food she brought for lunch. In addition, her parents were constantly telling her to forget about her Japanese past in an effort to assimilate their daughter faster, but how could she forget her childhood? Then, at the climax of it all was that letter from Hogwarts. She was so shocked that she possessed magic that her entire family didn't believe it at first. Eventually, though, they attempted a trip to Diagon Alley, and they successfully found the Leaky Cauldron after some trail and error. After that, it was a whirlwind of trying to cram as much magical culture into her already-stretched head, and she was off to Hogwarts.

Ravenclaw was an incredible house to be in, she said. She completely agreed with the Sorting Hat's decision. Sue felt very supported by the upper-year Ravenclaws, especially the prefects. But some Slytherins began to bully her, and it all came crashing down. Sue admitted that she never told her parents about anything that was bothering her, and she regretted it, because instead of sorting through her stresses, she let them accumulate until it was too late. She started dressing different. She changed her accent. She even gave up eating a combination of English and Japanese food, instead forcing the savory, heavy food of Hogwarts down her throat. Sue said that she reached a breaking point when Crabbe and Goyle destroyed a poster she'd made in Charms, calling her some unspeakable names. That was the same exact day that Willow found her crying in the bathroom and bolstered her confidence with a random act of kindness. Willow blushed, her heart warmed.

Since then, Sue was happy to report that she'd fully recovered. She took back her sense of self. She ate whatever food she was hungry for, talked with whatever accent she felt comfortable with, and dressed in whatever clothing she fancied that particular day. She performed her hobbies without shame. Sometimes, she would alter her robes to appear more traditional, similar to the kimonos that she would wear during formal occasions in Japan. Other days, mainly on the weekends, she would wear shorts and a t-shirt. Sue was happy with who she was and the lifestyle she'd created for herself. It was a perfect balance of England and Japan, her two homes.

Sally clapped afterwards, commenting that if anybody else could tell a story as beautifully as Sue, they should be a speech-writer for the Ministry. Willow laughed at that. Sue truly was an amazing storyteller. They discussed important points of Sue's story afterwards, encouraging her and praising her for the progress she'd made in her life. Willow blushed furiously any time Sue tried to owe all her success to the Gryffindor. Sam thankfully voiced her inner thoughts, though, and made it clear that Sue had picked herself up off the ground, brushed herself off, and fixed her own problems. With quiet applause so as not to disturb some hard-at-work Ravenclaws scattered between bookshelves, the group moved onto some last-minute Holiday homework that they'd "forgotten" to do (all except Lisa, of course, who was always on top of things). A few hours later, they began to drop off, hoping to get one last night of good sleep in before term resumed. Only Lisa and Willow were left by half past ten. Willow yawned and realized she'd better get to sleep. She began to gather her papers and textbooks, but something stopped her from leaving. She stared at Lisa for a very long time before she summoned the courage to speak what was on her mind.

"Lisa?" Willow whispered, voice almost catching in her throat.

Lisa looked up from her book and smiled. "Yeah?"

"I...I'm really sorry, for running away after what happened to you," Willow said, guilt gently washing over her heart. "That was uncalled for. When you needed me most, I ran away, and I didn't even apologize. I'm so, so, sorry."

To Willow's surprise, Lisa's smile never faded. She grabbed Willow's hand and squeezed it.

"I did that to myself. You don't have anything to be sorry for. Just because I'm having a hard time doesn't mean you aren't, too. You need to take care of yourself every once in a while."

Willow exhaled. "Yeah, that's probably true."

Lisa giggled. "It is true, Willow. You were forgiven before you could even say sorry."

Willow almost cried. She hugged Lisa, then, knowing the smaller girl would understand, hurried out of the Ravenclaw common room before her emotions could get the better of her, beaming uncontrollably.

The next day, after a rather hearty breakfast of an egg and sausage sandwich, Willow joined her fellow third-year friends and braved the outdoors for Care of Magical Creatures. Mandy and Oliver immediately began to shiver because of the biting wind. Willow, however, was hardly affected. If anything, her energy levels shot to their peak as she skipped from foot to foot on the frozen ground. Hagrid greeted them with an uncharacteristically (of late) broad grin. Willow noticed that his arms were full of firewood.

"I've got a nice treat ter warm yeh up," he boomed. "Follow me towards the fores'!"

Exchanging raised eyebrows, the third years huddled closely behind Hagrid as he walked to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Some concerned whispers that Hagrid had gone mad and was taking them past the towering treeline circulated like wildfire. But their worries were averted when their unconventional professor took a detour and stopped at least fifty meters from the ancient oaks. Willow watched with rising excitement as he threw down his bundle of logs, rearranged them into a well-oxygenated stack, and mysteriously lit them on fire (she could have sworn she saw a flash of pink dart into his pocket). Hagrid warned them all to stay put, marched back to his hut, and returned minutes later with a glowing bucket. He gently dumped out its contents into the bonfire.

Willow gasped when she realized that the contents were actually live animals. They were some sort of amphibian, judging by their slimy skin. But these were definitely magical creatures, as most amphibians did not relax when thrown onto a burning-hot coals. Willow watched in a curious wonder as the creatures stretched out their flexible bodies, calmly padded around, and sometimes even ate burning pieces of wood. Oliver squealed and pointed out a tiny, baby salamander. To no one's surprise, Mandy did the exact opposite, pointing out a salamander that had wrapped its tail around a piece of wood and was too old to turn around and detach itself. Willow slapped her for that, much to Mandy's amusement. The majority of the class was still in so much shock from receiving a lesson that didn't include flobberworms that Hagrid's sudden gleeful voice made them jump.

"These here are Fire-Dwellin' Salamanders," Hagrid explained, adding another log onto the fire. "They're interestin' creatures, these guys are. They change colour accordin' ter the flame they was born in, and they can't live outside it fer more 'an six hours, and 'at's with feeding 'em pepper and such. They can get scale rot, which makes their tales fall off. An' don't you be hittin' 'em with any water or cold spells, you'll kill 'em. Off you go, I got pepper righ' here if ya want ter try and feed 'em."

Willow, as expected, darted for the pepper. Oliver and Mandy followed her more calmly. They each chose a salamander from the fire (Mandy rescued the old salamander she'd spotted earlier) and coaxed them out of the fire with whole pepper kernels. Willow found a brilliant white and orange one that loved to dart around her collarbones, begging for peppercorn. She laughed and fed it several kernels. The salamander made a noise that would have been a purr, but coming from the salamander, it sounded much closer to a growl. It was the most adorable purr in the world, Willow decided, and she gently stroked the amphibian's back. The salamander seemed to enjoy the attention and collapsed on Willow's shoulder, lazily closing its eyes. Willow enjoyed the cool, moist feeling of the amphibian's tiny feet. Although its body should have been red-hot from the fire it lived in, the salamander was relatively cool, making her fall in love with it even more.

It didn't take long for multiple salamanders to find their way to Willow, and within minutes, she was covered head to toe in fire-dwelling amphibians of all shapes, sizes, and colours. Oliver made the comment that her spirit animal must be a salamander. Willow scoffed at that, but there was certainly something special about these flame-loving creatures that she couldn't deny. There was a sort of unexpected, inexplicable pull towards them that felt so familiar, yet so foreign all at once. Nevertheless, Willow continued to feed peppercorn kernels to each and every salamander that happened to climb onto her head and shoulders. She ended up returning them one by one into the fire to preserve their life span. A few clingy ones refused to leave her arm, no matter how hard she pried them off, so she gave up and kept feeding them. Oliver, she, and Mandy ended up having to help the Gryffindor Sisters when the vast majority of them screamed bloody murder about the salamanders touching them.

"Oh, gross, get it off of me!" Parvati squealed.

"Parvati, it's just a salamander, it's not going to hurt you," Willow chortled.

"Ew, get it off, get it off, get it off!" Mia shrieked.

Oliver and Mandy were struggling to hide their laughter as well as they removed a few sparkling red amphibians from Mia's and Fay's hair. "You know, they get cuter, the more you look at them."

"No- they- do- not!" Fay gasped.

Willow sighed. "Well, at least you know what creature not to keep as a pet when you're older."

"Aw, but they're adorable!" Lavender said, turning a few stunned heads. She grinned. "What? Look how pretty they are! They sparkle just like the hot coals if they were born in them!"

"But they're slimy!" Parvati protested, still wiping her arm on her sleeve.

"Beauty comes at a price?" Lavender offered, shrugging.

A sight over Oliver's shoulder caused Mandy's eyebrows to shoot up. She exploded into laughter. "Willow, get your camera out. I think you're going to want to see this."

Without asking a single question, Willow pulled out her camera and turned around, nearly dropping it with the explosive giggling that consumed her. Draco Malfoy and his two goons were going absolutely nuts. They were throwing salamanders off themselves in a screaming tirade, which only seemed to strengthen the resolve of the salamanders to torture the Slytherin boys. Willow fell to her knees with the strength of her giggling fits. She received multiple death glares from Draco for taking pictures of his terrified state, but she was more than willing to pay the price later. With a bit of urging from Oliver, Willow begrudgingly got to her feet, managing to collect the salamanders from the Slytherins with ease.

"How did you do that? Can you control their minds?" Goyle said stupidly.

"She can do mind control?!" Crabbe cried, equally as dumb.

"No, you idiots, she's just- ugh, I don't know what she is at this point, because I can't find the proper word for it!" Draco fumed, his hair resembling a rat's nest.

"Um, a thank you would be nice?" Willow suggested.

"Over my dead body," Draco grumbled.

"Wow. That's violent. Have you been having negative thoughts about yourself lately, Draco?"

"What- no! The only negative thoughts I've been having lately are about you! Why can't you leave me alone? I was handling those salamanders just fine on my own!"

"Bull. I have the pictures to prove it."

"Screw off," Draco spat. "I'm sure you had a wonderful Christmas, judging by your good mood."

"I didn't, actually. So I suppose yours wasn't much better?"

Draco's eyes flashed. "My Christmas was perfect in every way, actually. I got every single thing I wanted, down to the exact maker and brand, because my parents have more than two sickles to rub together."

"You don't need money and presents to have a good Christmas, idiot," Willow groaned. She sized Draco up. "What's gotten into you, anyway? You seem...off."

"I'm fine. You're the one that's off."

"I'm off? You're the one that's acting like an arse for no apparent reason!"

"Well maybe I do have a reason, then!" Draco said, taking a menacing step towards Willow, who didn't back down. "Have you ever thought of that, Wisp?"

"Yes, I've thought about you quite often, actually," Willow replied frankly, her voice taking on an acidic tone. "I've wondered how your home life is actually going. I've wondered how your father treats you. I've wondered how you can deal with your family telling you to believe the exact opposite of what you know is the right thing, and I've wondered how you haven't broken yet. I've been wondering if we'll ever get to be friends again, but I can't ever tell with you, Draco, because every time you win my trust back, you splinter it into pieces with a dumb reversion back to your old self."

Draco stared at her, though the furious storm in his irises had calmed to a gentle shower. "I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't know, Draco, because you don't care enough to even look at me in the corridors. Call me a liar."

Draco glared at her. "Liar."

"Then name the last time you asked me how I was doing."

"The same goes for you," Draco growled.

Willow blinked at him. "You know what? I don't know why I even bother caring about you anymore. All you do is take my offers for friendship and throw them away. I'm done with you, Draco. Have a nice life."

Willow began to storm away, her face blazing red. Draco wasn't finished with their conversation, however.

"If you're done with me, then why do you keep coming back?" he questioned, obviously trying to be a smartarse.

Willow paused, clenching and unclenching her fists. She took a deep breath, then whipped around, marched up to her former friend, grabbed him by the collar, and wrenched one of his arms behind his back.

"I would be thanking Hagrid for your life if I were you," she hissed into his ear. Draco struggled to free himself, but that only caused him more pain. "If this were any other class, you'd be lying on the ground with a few broken bones right now- real injuries for you to go crying to your precious father about. You want to know the reason I always come back to you? Because I'm hoping against real hope that you'll finally change so I can stop kicking you back into place. It never happens, though, Draco, and one of these times, I'm never going to come back. For real. You'll regret everything that day, but there will be nothing you can do about it, because you made your choice a long time ago. So, if you have a change of heart, I'd love to hear about it, but for now, go take your whiny arse and complain to your 'real' friends."

Willow released Draco, who fell to the ground in a heap, then quickly scrambled to his feet. When his eyes met Willow's, however, there wasn't fear in them. There wasn't even anger. She stared straight into those half-empty gray eyes unflinchingly until Draco turned away and stomped off with his cronies. Willow's heart felt colder than the weather away from the bonfire. She didn't care, though, and unhappily returned to the fireside, feeding some more peppercorn to the salamanders, staring into the depths of the fire.

He'll never come around, will he?

Willow was still fuming by the time she climbed the ladder in the North Tower for Divination. Why did she let Draco under her skin anymore? All he did was hurt her, no matter whether he meant to or not, and it made Willow question every experience she had with him all over again. Was he ever genuine with her? Would he ever let her help him? Would he ever help himself?

A few fire-dwelling salamanders caught her attention by flicking their tails on her forehead, as if to let her know they were there. Willow couldn’t help but smile. The little guys had decided to tag along despite her best effort to clear them off. Hagrid had given her a small ember from the fire in a glass box in the hopes that she would manage to keep them alive until she had a chance to return them. The glowing, vibrantly-coloured amphibians had an undeniably adorable nature that made Willow's heart sing. She was very close to calling them her own and naming them at that point. As she sat down, she grabbed a piece of parchment and tore off a few pieces, throwing them in the glass box to light them on fire. The salamanders dove for the incinerating paper. Willow giggled as they tried to eat the flaming parchment and ended up spitting it out, opting to just lay on the fire instead. All thoughts of Draco were shoved behind her for the time being.

She hadn't noticed while she was busy watching the salamanders, but Fidget had crawled out of her pocket. He was perching on Willow's shoulder, peering suspiciously at the fire-dwelling newcomers. Fidget huffed and blew raspberries at the salamanders. That finally got Willow's attention, and she couldn't help but laugh at his pouty-face.

"Fidget, come on now, you know you're my right-hand man," Willow said. Fidget sat down with an indifferent puff. "Fidget, you're being ridiculous. These are Hagrid's salamanders, not mine. You won't have to deal with them long."

Fidget didn't seem to think so. He stood up, slid down Willow's sleeve, armed himself with a crumpled-up scrap of parchment, and threw it to the salamanders. The salamanders glanced in his direction, but were more interested in the newly-burning piece of paper. Fidget stamped his feet until one of the fire-dwellers finally paid attention. Willow cautiously looked on as the salamander, twice Fidget's size, paced in quick circles around the bowtruckle, tipping its head from side to side in apparent confusion. Fidget blew raspberries at it once more. The salamander didn't seem to care, however, and padded up to Fidget, one foot raised in the air. The bowtruckle swiped at the amphibian, the latter of which jumped backwards in alarm.

"Hey! Be nice!" Willow scolded.

Fidget mimicked her in an annoyed murmur, but in doing so, he took his eye off the salamander. The fire-dweller stealthily pattered up to the bowtruckle and prodded him with a tentative toe. Fidget jumped in the air nearly twice his height and scrambled up Willow's arm, breathing heavily. The salamander seemed to think this was a game and jumped around in a circle, apparently enjoying the win. Then, it gave chase. Fidget was pursued all around Willow by a hyper-active amphibian. Thankfully, she managed to calm them down as her classmates conquered the North Tower's ladder, confining Fidget to her pocket and the salamander to the glass box. Professor Trelawney appeared seemingly out of nowhere minutes later and began the lesson.

"Today we will be beginning our first palmistry lesson of the year," her soft voice whispered, draping an extra, uncomfortable layer of sleepiness on her students. "Make no mistake, the palm never lies! Here, in your own body, you shall cast your gaze into the beyond, and see your futures!"

Willow rolled her eyes, but nevertheless, she turned to the correct page in her textbook. There were far too many palm lines to look at all at once. Cypress snapped his book shut with a dramatic sigh.

"I already know my future. I'm going to conquer the world," he said, stretching his back and yawning.

Willow jabbed him in the gut, causing him to recoil. "Not if you don't keep on the lookout for me!"

Cypress scoffed. "You're already appointed as my damage control so I don't kill all of the planet- just half of it. Besides," he added, batting his eyes at Oliver, "this one's the only one that could stop me."

Oliver grinned. "Yep!"

Willow smiled. "You're too cute. Can I please be your best man at your wedding?"

"As if that's a question," Cypress said, smirking at Oliver's immediate blush.

"We should- probably- try palmistry, at least?" Oliver suggested.

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Changing the subject? You're learned too much from me. Fine," she relented, glancing at her textbook once more. "I guess it'll be nice to know my time limit for stopping Cypress, anyway."

"Hey! You better not be planning to Caesar me!" Cypress protested.

Willow burst out laughing. "'Caesar' you? Wow, I might actually use that one in the future. Come on, let me read your palm so I can set a date with the Senate."

According to their textbooks, Oliver was the luckiest one out of them all. He was going to have an incredible, fruitful life in his future. Cypress had decently great things in store for him, but it was mainly centered around one main, big event. Willow, per usual, had the worst reading in the class, aside from Harry. Her lifeline appeared short- that might have been a mistake, though, it was awfully close to a sign of longevity- and there were many trials and suffering ahead of her. Willow, not surprised in the least, stuffed her textbook in her bag and made jokes about her "short" timeline until class ended.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was a blur of fun activities to get their brains back into the learning mode. Willow couldn't even express with words how grateful she was that Professor Lupin was teaching them instead of that brainless git from last year. Afterwards, she retired to the common room, adding a log to the fire to warm up some freezing first years. She brushed the bark off her hands and shuffled to the other side of the now-hot room, finding Hermione hidden behind her usual mountain of textbooks.

"Whoa, how do you balance all of those?" Willow asked, pushing a teetering copy of Charms: Level Three back into place.

"With magic, of course," Hermione snapped, frantically scribbling a paragraph into her notes.

"I meant your classes, not the textbooks," Willow snorted.

Hermione shot her a look. "I do my homework every night until I go to bed, of course. I have to pass all my classes."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem. Your work rate is better than the whole world's put together. It is okay to take the hit on one assignment if it means you get an extra hour of sleep, you know."

"What? No, I can't possibly allow a failed grade!" Hermione shrilled, her forehead creasing. "That would be the end of my academic career! Then I would be kicked out of Hogwarts- and never do magic again- just live like a regular Muggle- "

"Hey, hey, one assignment isn't going to cause you to fail an entire class," Willow reassured her.

"What if I never catch up on the information? What if I fail those questions on the test? What if that's the section that the exams are most focused on? I could instantly fail the class!"

Willow stared at Hermione. "Um...are you sure you're okay?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione said sharply.

"Hermione, there's a very broad line that you cross between slightly stressed and over-worked, and you've clearly crossed it. You're, like, miles across that line already."

"I'm fine! I've been getting high marks in all my classes, every one of them!" Hermione protested.

"But when's the last time you got eight hours of sleep, not counting the Holidays?" Willow pointed out.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, then shut it, conceding the point. Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and she buried her face in her hands, obviously making an effort to rein in her emotion. Willow, stunned, stood rooted to the spot. Eventually, she moved her numb limbs towards Hermione, wrapping her in a hug. Hermione's arms shot out and embraced Willow tightly.

"There's always too much to do, always!" she sobbed into her shoulder. "I never get it done! There's always one class I forget to go to, one question I can't finish- there's always too much!"

"Hey, it's okay, Hermione, everyone has a breaking point," Willow soothed, though the forgetting to go to class part concerned her. "You could always drop a class or two next year, or I can go to Professor McGonagall and sweet-talk her into allowing you to drop Muggle Studies this year, since you're acing the class anyway. I've seen the amount of perfect marks you've received."

The corner of Hermione's mouth twitched upward in a smile. "I probably could...but the class is so interesting, and it's nice to be able to provide extra information for the professor..."

"She can find that out from a slacker Muggleborn that doesn't want to take any hard electives," Willow pointed out. "I'm sure she'll manage on her own. She did that for years before you took her class, you know."

Hermione nodded. Willow's heart lifted in a ray of hope, thinking she'd gotten the over-worked Gryffindor to finally let go of her stress, but just as Hermione appeared calm, her expression dropped and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Oh my goodness, I haven't gathered enough information for Hagrid's trial!" she squeaked. Hermione frantically began shuffling paper. "I need to help him out- I said I'd do some research- he needs a stellar defense against Lucius- "

"Hermione, I'm sure you've done plenty!" Willow protested.

"No, I haven't!" Hermione wailed, thrusting three full pages of notes at Willow. "See this? This is pathetic! Lucius would be able to destroy this defense in a heartbeat!" Hermione hiccuped. "Hagrid doesn't deserve this trial, and Buckbeak- he's such a good hippogriff, why does he have to be in the middle of all of this? Why does Malfoy have to ruin everything? Why!"

Hermione, at that point, was sobbing uncontrollably. Willow gently picked up her friend and walked her to the other side of the common room, then through the portrait hole, and away from Gryffindor Tower.

"I think we need to visit Hagrid's," Willow suggested, to which her only reply was more sobbing.


	52. Year 3: Chapter 10

It took an entire pot of tea and a lot of encouragement from both Hagrid and Willow for Hermione to calm down. She word-vomited about her classes to the both of them, which concerned Willow even more. Hermione was taking far too many classes to fit into her schedule...how was she managing all of them? More importantly, how was she managing to get to all of them?

"Hermione, I'm sorry to bother you with this question, but Ron was mentioning something to me the other day that I've noticed, too," Willow piped up. "How have you been getting to all your classes? You've been attending two at once for quite some time now, but how?"

Hermione looked at her sharply. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Hermione, come on now," Willow said. "I may be incredibly dull- I can't see things happening right under my nose half the time- but I can always tell when someone is keeping a secret. It's okay to tell me. You know I don't go blabbing about personal things."

Hermione sniffled. Hagrid handed her another tissue and poured her some more tea.

"Thanks," she mumbled. She blew her nose, then wiped her eyes. "I guess I can tell you...I signed up for a lot of classes. Like, twice as much as I can physically attend. The Ministry agreed with Professor McGonagall that my intellectual potential was great enough that I should be given the opportunity to attend them all, so they gave me this."

Hermione pulled out the old, half-rusted necklace she always wore. Willow raised her eyebrows, which prompted Hermione to explain. "It's a time-turner. As long as I'm careful and follow the rules of time, I can go back a few hours at a time and attend all my classes that occur at the same time. I don't always manage to get back into the same exact position as I left off, though, which is why Ron's been noticing my weird disappearances that coincide with me reappearing across the room." Hermione bit her lip, a fresh wave of emotion passing over her. "He's so dull, I swear! He never notices anything! I've tried to hint to him time and time again that Professor Lupin is a werewolf, but he doesn't understand that, he only notices my disappearances- "

Hermione's eyes flew wide open. She clapped a hand over her mouth, then sagged on her chair, covering her face with her hands. Willow stared at her in disbelief.

"Wait, did you say- ?"

"Yes, but that was supposed to be a secret!" Hermione moaned. "I'm giving away everything tonight!"

Willow mentally did a double-take. She suddenly gasped. "That makes so much sense! Every time he gets sick, it's around the full moon! And one time- you're never going to believe this- I saw a werewolf walking around in the Forbidden Forest, but it had hazel eyes- exactly like Lupin's!"

"Don't tell me yeh've been runnin' around in the Fores'!" Hagrid cried.

Willow shrugged. "Just the outskirts. I'm safe, anyway. I've got plenty of warnings from my powers when something's coming." Hagrid shook his head, obviously not believing her. She cleared her throat to diminish the awkward moment. "Hermione, don't worry about it. I've had my suspicions. Now, I can help keep Lupin's secret."

"An' it wasn't that much o' a secret, Dumbledore let summat the staff know, jus' in case," Hagrid said.

Hermione looked up at them tearfully. "Really?"

"I wouldn't lie to yeh, Hermione," Hagrid promised.

Hermione half-smiled. "I guess that does make me feel better..."

"Hermione, you can confide in us anytime," Willow said, taking the curly-haired girl's hand. "You've overloaded yourself, and until you can get rid of that workload, you have to unload your emotions on someone else. It'll keep you sane- and healthy."

"This, comin' from a bit o' a hypocrite," Hagrid chuckled.

Willow rolled her eyes. "I know, I know, but still, the best advice can come from a fellow sufferer. Seriously, Hermione, anytime you need something, anything, just let us know. We've got your back."

Hermione threw herself into Willow, hugging her tightly. "Thank you so much," she whispered.

Willow smiled. "Anytime. Now, I think you deserve a distraction...why don't you show off to Hagrid all the research you've compiled?"

Hermione willingly obliged. Willow's eyebrows hurt after hearing the amount of information that came pouring out of Hermione. She had called her research pathetic, but three pages in Hermione's tiny handwriting was like half a book in regular font. Hagrid and the two Gryffindor girls spent the greater part of an hour designing a rough outline of Hagrid's speech for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. Hermione appeared much better after realizing how much work she'd actually gotten done. Her eyes had their usual twinkle back in their depths, and her cheeks were full of hard-earned colour from intellectual enthusiasm. As the shadows deepened around them, Willow finally suggested that they head up to the castle before Professor McGonagall could lecture them on the danger of hanging around the dementor-infested grounds. Hagrid saw them up to the castle, then waved goodbye, also rosier-cheeked than they had found him. Willow's heart warmed. She'd completed her mission of bettering her friends for one night, at least.

Over the next few days, Willow was bogged down with a immeasurable amount of homework. Whatever amount of time she could spare was spent taking care of Hermione, sorting out romance plots with her Gryffindor Sisters (and being forced to participate in one), and hanging out with her out-of-house friends. By Thursday, things were finally looking up. Snape uncharacteristically shoved only one assignment down their throats, considerably lightening the homework load, and Professor McGonagall took one look at their Transfiguration class before deciding that they were better off reviewing that day than learning anything new. Willow loved her Head of House.

Then, Thursday evening, while she was enjoying some alone time- well, as alone as she could get in the Gryffindor common room- she noticed somebody stumble through the portrait hole. It was Harry, but he was unusually pale. Willow noticed him sway a little on his feet as he crossed the room. She instinctively stood up and unobtrusively wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Don't question it, just follow my lead," she whispered.

Harry didn't fight back. Willow guided him into a squashy armchair, then quickly let go. To anyone else, it appeared as if Harry had simply plopped down on his own, sparing him the embarrassment Willow knew would come with needing help (it seemed to be a trend among Gryffindors, she had noticed- including herself- that needing help was difficult to bear).

"Thanks for that," Harry sighed.

"What did you do this time? Did Fred and George put a potion in your mashed potatoes?" Willow joked.

"No...dementor lessons with Lupin," Harry murmured, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes. "It's kind of exhausting."

Willow furrowed her brow. "He's teaching you to make that white wolf thing?"

"Yeah, the Patronus charm. It takes a lot out of you, though, and apparently I'm not good enough to make it form a true animal shape. Everyone's looks different depending on your personality, I guess."

"That's pretty cool- aside from the exhausting part." Willow reached out with her senses and detected very minimal abnormalities within the messy-haired Gryffindor. "You seem fine to me. Are you going to be okay to go up the stairs?"

"I'll be fine," Harry insisted.

"If you fall, I'm going to be pissed, you know," Willow threatened.

Harry gave her a lethargic thumbs-up. "I'm aware."

As he shakily stood up, a thought popped into Willow's head. "Hey, Harry, I just remembered something. Ron mention that you got a firebolt. Did you know who it was from?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "No. Professor McGonagall took it because she thinks Sirius Black might have given it to me. She's checking it for curses. Why?"

Willow did her best to hide her blanching face. "Nothing. I was curious."

Harry stared at her. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Harry's gaze remained a moment longer, then he turned away, marching sluggishly up the spiral stairs to the boys' dormitory. Willow let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Her heart resumed beating. That was way too close. She hated keeping Sirius a secret from Harry. She loved open honesty as a policy. But this time, she couldn't adhere to it, all because the story was too complicated. Sirius wasn't able to prove his real motives to anyone yet, and he wouldn't tell Willow the full story, no matter how many times she asked. Willow was stuck with yet another secret, but this time, there was nothing she could do. She could only hope that Harry wouldn't become too suspicious.

Her heart hurt so much that her feet carried her right out the portrait hole. Willow found herself walking down the corridor, down the spiral staircases, and down into the Entrance Hall. Then she was out on the Hogwarts grounds. Then she was bounding through the snow-covered expanse of grasslands as a snowy-white cat. Finally, she reached her familiar path, and before she knew it, Willow was standing on the doorstep of the Power House. She transformed back into herself and stomped off her boots. Sirius opened the door for her.

"Oh, I thought you'd never come!" he said dramatically.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, like I've ever not visited you on a Thursday evening."

"You didn't last week."

Willow scoffed. "I was on Holiday vacation!"

"You still didn't visit me."

Willow groaned. "You're awful. Come on, let's go for a walk, I'm sure you're tired of staring at the same old walls. What do you do, anyway? I always forgot to ask."

Sirius shrugged as he threw an overcoat on. "I doodle. I write. I randomly sing versus from the Weird Sisters that I hear in Hogsmeade. Sometimes, I walk around as a dog. It honestly depends on my level of boredom."

"Huh. I usually stare at a wall and contemplate deep topics, but usually give up and turn it into a joke."

"That tends to happen, too," Sirius chuckled.

Suddenly, Willow's ears heard a minuscule crack! a few feet from the Power House. She instantly drew her wand, holding Sirius behind her. There was a small crunch of snow. Willow sent out a wave of sonar, and they bounced back almost immediately- in the shape of a person. The hair stood up on the back of her neck.

"There's someone outside," she whispered, deadly quiet.

"Be careful," Sirius hissed.

Taking care not to step on the crunchy part of the frozen dirt floor, Willow took one step towards the door, then another, then another. She tiptoed through the cracked-open door. Tensing her muscles, Willow sprang outside, whipping her wand in the direction of the intruder. He didn't even flinch. Willow's mouth dropped open when she recognized the individual.

"I was wondering when you would hear me," he said, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

"Cypress? What the h- were you following me?" Willow spluttered.

Cypress chuckled. "Don't look so offended. And no, I wasn't following you, I was tracking your movements to best plan out a surprise attack with Fred and George. Surprise."

"What- are they here too?!" Willow squeaked.

"No, I told them they weren't stealthy enough to sneak up on you, so they threw a Puddle Pod on me, then sent me on the mission. They're lucky I know the drying spell, or I'd be an icicle by now."

"Well...you found me, so...we can go back to the castle, I guess?" Willow suggested, tapping the door shut behind her.

"You're hiding something behind the door," Cypress flatly stated, nodding directly at her foot. "Don't look at me like that. You're a terrible liar. What are you hiding?"

"Uh...some plants? My jobberknoll? A few magical creatures?" Willow rambled.

"If you were hiding something that simple, I'd be allowed to see them, and they wouldn't be in this super-secret magical hut," Cypress pointed out. Willow's heart skipped a beat. "Come on, you know I hate lying. Get on with it. Oliver's expecting me to help him with a potions project in half an hour, so hurry it up."

Willow internally screamed, but managed to clear her expression for the most part. "Alright, fine, but you can't freak out. Swear to me that you won't go running back up to the castle. You have to give me a chance to explain."

Cypress rolled his eyes. "As if I'm afraid of a little magical creature...I swear."

Willow paused, mentally assessing the situation. She decided it was better to tell Cypress the truth. Taking a deep breath, she called, "Sirius, it's okay, you can show yourself."

Very slowly, full of suspicion, Sirius crept out from behind the door. Cypress blinked slowly upon seeing him. Willow nervously anticipated his reaction. Would he go running to Dumbledore? Worse yet, would he report it to his head of house, Snape? She didn't have to wait very long, however, before Cypress took a step forward.

"Are you...are you really Sirius Black?" he questioned.

"Depends who's asking," Sirius said.

Cypress grinned. "I like this guy."

Willow felt like someone had slapped her awake from a dead sleep. "What?"

Cypress shot her an exasperated look. "Isn't it obvious? You wouldn't be harboring a criminal if he was actually guilty of his crime. You're a sickeningly good person, Willow."

"How...you literally...what?" Willow stammered, losing the ability to speak.

"So this is the Cypress guy you've been telling me about," Sirius observed. He held out his hand for Cypress to shake. "My brother was a Slytherin. You're an interesting breed of people. Not necessarily evil, but interesting."

Cypress shook his hand. "Oh, I'm evil, but Willow won't let me take over the world. I tried to offer her the position of dictator-in-training, but she didn't take it...must want Oliver's spot as deputy dictator..."

Sirius laughed. "I love this one! You should bring him by more often."

"Yeah, sure," Willow agreed, rubbing her head to offset the incoming headache. "God...I was not expecting this...now two people know where you are, Sirius...this is bad...this is really, really bad..."

"Really? I think it's awesome. I might be lonely less days out of the week." Sirius turned to Cypress. "Are you free Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays?"

Cypress smirked. "I'm free whenever I want to be."

"Guys! This is serious!" Willow exclaimed.

"You're right, he is Sirius," Cypress said.

Willow restrained herself from slapping her friend as Sirius howled with laughter. "Okay, funny joke, but I'm actually considering the consequences for once, so pay attention! Cypress, you won't tell anyone about Sirius, right?"

"Willow, I'm one of the best secret keepers in the history of ever," Cypress said. "People only know what I want them to know about me."

"Okay...and Sirius, you won't be running into the castle with him anytime soon- or ever, for that matter- right?"

"Fine, I guess I'll play it safe," Sirius dramatically said.

Willow leaned back against the door of the Power House, dragging her hands down her face. "This is not how I imagined this day would go..."

Over the next few weeks, Cypress and Sirius spent a ridiculous amount of time together. Willow wasn't surprised when Oliver was dragged down to the Power House every Sunday; Cypress loved showing him off. Sirius and Cypress were strikingly similar in their sense of humor. One time, when Willow walked into the Power House, a potion was dumped on her head that turned her hair bright pink. Both Cypress and Sirius knew that pink was her least favourite colour. Willow ended up laughing with them anyway, knowing she would do something similar to them if she was bored, too.

February brought no change in the weather. The sky was still grey, the snow was still white, and the wind was still bone-chillingly cold. The Gryffindor quidditch team still practiced, however, no matter the conditions. Harry grew increasingly gloomy as the prospect of using his firebolt in the coming match against Ravenclaw was squashed by McGonagall's dragged-out search for hexes. Willow found herself cheering him up whenever she got the chance. Guilt ate away at her every time she saw Harry's frown.

The Gryffindor boy was also frustrating himself with his "feeble" attempts at producing a Patronus. Even though Willow tried to convince him countless times that he would get better, Harry was pessimistic about his chances in a real-life situation. It didn't help that Willow was being a complete hypocrite and knew it; she was always hard on herself when it came to advanced magic. On the fourth Thursday, Harry came back from his session with Lupin in better spirits than usual.

"Is that a smile on you face?" Willow teased.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Is that illegal?"

"Yes, the aurors are on their way already," Willow said. "Did you finally manage to make a full-body Patronus today?"

"No, but Lupin gave me butterbeer, and I got this back," Harry said.

Willow shot to her feet. Harry's firebolt was gleaming in his hands, almost appearing natural in his grip. The glossy wooden handle shone like there was a spotlight on it. The detail put into its aerodynamic design was incredible. Harry offered it to her, and Willow took it in hand, admiring its gorgeous brown glow.

"This...is the best broom I've ever seen!" Willow exclaimed. "Wait until Wood sees this!"

"Wait until Wood sees what?" Ron demanded from a nearby couch. He stood up and nearly fell over at the shock of seeing the firebolt in Harry's hand. "Blimey! Dean, Seamus, come take a look at this!"

Before she knew it, Harry was surrounded in a ring of curious admirers, and Willow was pushed farther and farther away from her friend. She decided he would be a while and found the Weasley twins, Paige, and Lee near the fireplace.

"Harry's famous again, I had to leave to preserve his reputation," Willow announced, plopping down in between George and Paige on the couch. "He got his firebolt back."

Fred and George high-fived. "Finally! Ravenclaw doesn't stand a chance now!"

"The game will be over in five minutes!"

A thought suddenly popped into Willow's head. "Hey, I know this is random, but do any of you know how to make a Patronus? I heard that Wood was a little concerned about the dementors after the last match."

Lee shot her a look. "That's seriously advanced magic. I highly doubt even a seventh year could- "

"Save it," Paige said, smirking. "I've got your back."

Willow raised her eyebrows, exchanging expressions with Fred. He shrugged. The boys and Willow watched as Paige stood up and positioned herself behind their couch. She pulled out her wand, but less aggressively than she usually did. Paige closed her eyes, and with a slight wave of her wand, she whispered, "Expecto Patronum."

Willow gasped. From the tip of her wand, a silvery strand emerged, then knitted itself together, over and over and over, forming a vague shape taller than Paige herself. Willow clapped a hand to her mouth as the shape suddenly took on a definite form. A majestic white mare stood before her, glowing in the same silvery, moonlit outline as Lupin's wolf had possessed. It pranced around Paige, who smiled at its light-hearted, yet serious demeanor. The white mare lightly jumped over the couch and proudly strutted among the Weasley twins, Willow, and Lee. It paused when it made eye contact with Willow. She reached out, almost instinctively, and the horse took a step closer, settling its chin on her hand. Willow's heart leapt at the cool touch that was so similar to a ghosts, yet so alive that it couldn't be considered the same. Paige dropped her wand and the mare disappeared, leaving them all to stare at her in awe. Per typical Paige fashion, she smirked at their impressed expressions.

"What? You asked for it," she said.

"But- what- that was- where did you learn how to do that?" Lee spluttered.

Paige shrugged. "They mentioned it in Defense Against the Dark Arts. I decided to try it the other day. It took three tries, but third time's a charm, right?"

"But- the Patronus charm is incredibly powerful magic in its corporeal form!" Lee said. "It's nearly impossible for any underage witch or wizard to perform! You'd have to have some serious power to produce that charm! And it only took you three tries...how?"

Paige shot him a look. "Lee, have you not listened to a word of what happened over the Holidays?"

"Still!"

"I have to admit, I'm impressed," George said. "Isn't a white mare a fairly rare Patronus?"

"Extremely," Paige agreed. "Combine that with my elder wood wand, and I've got that rarest combination in- well, at least recent history. I'm literally one in several billion."

"Okay, now you're getting cocky," Willow said. "How much time have you all been spending with Cypress?"

"He's been helping us with a few pranking devices," Lee said, grinning.

Willow chortled. "I can't wait to see what he's helped you come up with. Use it on Malfoy first, will you?"

"As if that's a question," Fred scoffed. "After what he's done to you? I'd like to watch him suffer for our enjoyment. He deserves it, that son of a- "

All of a sudden, enraged screeching filled the common room. Willow whipped around to see Ron furiously marching down the spiral steps, bed sheets in hand. She noticed some spots of blood spattered them here and there. Her heart sunk into the pits of her stomach when she could finally understand what Ron was screaming about. Hermione sunk behind her stack of books as Ron approached her, brandishing a bundle of ginger cat hair. Her cat, Crookshanks, had killed Ron's rat- and Ron was pissed.

Willow sprang to her feet. She hurdled the couch, then skidded to a stop between the pair. Ron at first continued to yell at Hermione around Willow, but she blocked him from being able to see her, and he soon became furious with her.

"Her cat killed Scabbers! She did nothing about it when she knew that cat was after my bloody rat!" Ron shrieked.

"Ron, I'm sorry you lost your rat, but is it really necessary to do this in the middle of the common room?" Willow said.

"YES!"

Willow sighed. "The answer was no, but scream all you want, it's your voice box." She turned around to face a tearful Hermione. "Come on, grab your books, I'll help you. We're going upstairs."

"Oh, so now you're siding with that bloody cat, are you?" Ron fumed. "He's not even cute! He's the ugliest creature I've ever seen!"

Willow pivoted and clamped both hands around Ron's shoulders. "Look, I share the sentiment. The cat isn't the prettiest thing in the world. But you need to stop yelling at your friend, because as much as you think it's her fault, it's not! It's no one's fault!"

"But- "

"Ron, shut it!" Willow hissed, a warning glinting in her eyes. "Before you embarrass yourself- and more importantly, Hermione!"

Ron clenched his jaw. "I'm going to my dormitory."

Stomping his way up the stairs, Ron slammed the door behind him. Willow shooed the encroaching crowd away. Once the majority of the Gryffindors had stopped staring, Willow bent down and hugged Hermione.

"You okay?" she whispered.

"No!" Hermione said honestly. Her lip trembled. "Why is he blaming me for every little thing that happens to his rat?"

"He’s a butt? I don’t know, but I’ll definitely talk to him about it- and rather sternly, I may add."

Hermione sniffled. "It won’t do any good. He’s never going to- "

All of a sudden, a door slammed upstairs. Willow and Hermione instantly looked up. They burst into laughter at the most incredible sight they’d seen all year. Parvati, Sally, Mia, Fay, and Lavender had dragged Ron out of his dormitory. He struggled against them, infuriated, but the five were overpowering him. The Gryffindor Sisters yanked him off his feet and threw him over the banister, dangling him by his hood. Ron’s eyes flew wide amid the chortling from onlookers below. Hermione snorted and fell out of her chair with laughter.

"APOLOGIZE! NOW!" Lavender demanded.

"It was her cat that killed my rat!" Ron protested.

Sally temporarily dropped him, then caught him by his sleeve, sending Ron scrambling for something to hold, but finding nothing. Willow couldn't help the explosion of chuckles that escaped her.

"APOLOGIZE, OR WE DROP YOU!" Fay yelled.

Ron clawed for support from the banister, but still came up empty-handed. He appeared as if they were ready to drop him off the Eiffel Tower. "Fine! I'm sorry!"

"FOR WHAT?" Parvati prompted.

"For antagonizing Hermione about her stupid cat!" Ron wailed. "Now pull me up, please!"

Lavender huffed, as if wishing that she had the chance to drop the fiery redhead, but relented, roughly yanking Ron up and over the banister. He was sent tumbling down the stairs, landing in a heap at the bottom. The entire common room exploded into whistling and snickering. The Gryffindor Sisters proudly stepped over a very deflated Ron and triumphantly bounced to Hermione's side. Hermione appeared as if she could have cried happy tears.

"Why would you guys do that for me?" she sniffed. "Professor McGonagall will have you in detention for weeks."

Mia winked. "Anything for a Sister."

A single happy tear did trail its way down Hermione's cheek as she flung her arms around her Gryffindor Sisters.

The third year girls seemed to have finally claimed Hermione back into their inner circle. Although she still snapped at them about Divination and Professor Trelawney, they figured out how to brush it off. Hermione was receiving the support she needed. Willow and she continued visiting Hagrid as often as possible to help with Buckbeak's trail, but now it was nearly one hundred percent devoted to organizing Hagrid's defense statements instead of becoming a therapy session for Hermione. Beaky's chances for requital were rising by the day.

Over the past few weeks, Hagrid had eventually given up on trying to reclaim all his fire-dwelling salamanders from Willow. She managed to give him back all but one- a major success, considering how hard they fought to stay with Willow. She had taken to carrying the salamander in her pocket within the aerated glass container, where the original fire was still burning via a charm that provided an infinite supply of burning fuel (she still had no idea how Fred had managed it). Fidget and the salamander had a very shaky friendship forming, but it was better than their first meeting. Fidget had even shared a handful of wood lice with the salamander, a high compliment, considering that wood lice was the bowtruckle's favourite snack, and he was extremely defensive of his treats.

Friday passed by in a blur of study, quidditch, study, visit Hagrid, sleep. Although she was exhausted, Harry's new firebolt brought extra enthusiasm into the practices. The entire team seemed to be performing at their peak with the firebolt in their midst. Willow even found herself pulling off some stunts that she'd never had the nerve to do before, let alone the skill. She thanked Sirius over and over in her mind for pretty much handing the win to Gryffindor. Wasn't it ironic, she chuckled to herself, that the "mass murderer" that everyone thought was after Harry was actually the one supporting him the most?

When Saturday morning arrived, Willow awoke with an unparalleled anticipation and nervous energy. She naturally acted as if she had three hundred milligrams of caffeine in her system every morning, but this morning was unlike any other. She was hyped up on an energy that was almost ridiculous. Her Gryffindor Sisters did not appreciate it in the slightest ("WHAT IS THERE TO LOVE ABOUT MORNINGS?! GO BACK TO SLEEP!"), so Willow left the common room early. She practically ran to the Great Hall. Her entire body was humming with pent-up energy, worse than her powers at their peak when she was repressing them. This game could be the end of Gryffindor's run for the quidditch cup if they lost; if they won, they'd have a really good shot at it. They couldn't let this be the eight year in a row that Gryffindor was out of the running. They just couldn't!

The entire school seemed to be feeling the same vibes. When students finally began trickling into the Great Hall, an abnormally high volume bounced off the stone walls, creating an ambiance that Willow usually associated with lunchtime. She could hardly eat. Then she stress-ate. Then she stopped mid-bite. Then she stuffed three rolls into her mouth. What if Gryffindor lost? What if someone got hurt, and she was put in, and she messed up the game for everyone? Willow bit her lip. There were so many what-ifs!

A group of giggling Gryffindor boys caught her attention, redirecting her thoughts to something more constructive for a change. Willow grinned from ear to ear at the sight of her fellow third year Gryffindor boys entering the Great Hall. They surrounded Harry in a sort of entourage of honor, enclosing the precious firebolt within their guard. Harry chose to sit next to Willow as the rest of the Gryffindor team filed into the Hall. For once, Harry easily managed to eat breakfast (he normally couldn't stomach water before a match). Nearly everyone from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw visited them throughout breakfast, oohing, ahhing, and admiring the firebolt's elegant appearance. At one point, Draco came by, obviously trying to unnerve Harry. Harry replied back with a smart comment that sent Draco straight back to the Slytherin table, furiously whispering with the Slytherin quidditch team. Willow and Harry high-fived.

The hours wound down, and soon, the Gryffindor team marched out of the locker room amid thunderous applause. Cheering and whooping and hollering greeted their entrance. Willow grinned, excitement bubbling up in the midst of her nervousness. The crowd believed in them; why shouldn't she believe in herself? Ravenclaw was a good team, but they had been training harder, longer, and better. And with the new addition of Harry's firebolt, how could they expect to lose?

Willow pushed off the ground with her other teammates. She warmed up all the positions, then took shots on Wood. He was saving even the most difficult of shots today, and easily. Willow grinned. They were ready. Wood called the team up for a quick pre-match chat, then counted them off, and they took the field. Willow touched down near the bench, sitting down, holding her Nimbus Two Thousand and One over her bouncing knees. There was so much anticipation, so much pressure, so much determination in the atmosphere. Willow shivered despite the light breeze. The conditions were clear and sunny. Neither team had an advantage. It would all come down to who had the grit to win the game before the other.

Madam Hooch's whistle shrilled, and the match was on. Willow watched as the seas of red and blue exploded to life from the stands, screaming for their teams, crying out in unified cheers for their favourite players. She beamed at the sight of her Gryffindor friends all huddled together with a sign for Harry. Ginny and Colin were practically lost under the enormous canvas. They exploded into cheers when Katie easily slipped the quaffle past the Ravenclaw keeper for the first goal of the match. Lee contributed some hilarity to the commentating, which put Willow more at ease as the match progressed. She watched Alicia and Angelina do a wall pass to zoom past a Ravenclaw defender and send the quaffle sailing past the opposing keeper's fingertips. In no time, Gryffindor was up by fifty.

Out of the corner of her eye, Willow noticed a red dot blurring across the sky. Harry was diving towards a fluttering golden sphere near a low barrier. Willow's heart pumped faster. He was gaining on it! His firebolt cut through the air, streaking towards the snitch, closing the distance by the second- he was ten yards away from it- just a little closer and he would win the match- 

Then, Willow noticed a bludger heading straight towards him. She yelped a warning to Harry, who swerved out of the way just in time to avoid slamming into it. The crowd groaned in disappointment. They clapped enthusiastically for George's response of hitting a bludger at the offending beater, however, and the match was back on track. Gryffindor racked up three more goals in the space of five minutes, pulling away from Ravenclaw significantly. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie made the chaser position look like child's play, the way they were passing it around the Ravenclaw defenders. It was a beautiful sight to see.

But all good things come to an end. On a very projected pass from Alicia, a Ravenclaw chaser darted in and stole the quaffle, surprising Wood with a quick shot. Willow cussed violently on the sideline as Ravenclaw managed two more goals on a shocked defense. One Ravenclaw beater even stared at her for so long that a bludger hit him in the head. Willow stopped cursing after that.

Just then, Harry darted across the pitch again, this time honing in on the Gryffindor goalpost, where the snitch was fluttering in tight circles. Willow screeched in support of his chase of the snitch- he was gaining on it again- there was no way he could miss- the firebolt was so quick- he was going to get there-

Willow cursed loudly again as Cho, the Ravenclaw seeker, appeared from thin air, directly in Harry's path. Wood shrieked at his seeker to knock her off her broom, they couldn't afford for him to be a gentleman! Willow couldn't agree more. She was quick enough to stop someone from falling all the way to the ground; bash away! Thankfully, Harry figured out an alternative. He figured out that Cho was tailing him, so he sprinted towards the ground, then pulled up, throwing her off his tail. Harry suddenly kicked it into another gear when he spotted something glittering at the Ravenclaw end of the field. Willow grinned. He'd found the snitch again! This time, Cho was way too far below to cause any trouble. The bludgers were nowhere in sight. Excitement broiled in Willow's stomach. Harry was going to catch the snitch! They were going to win!

"DEMENTORS!" a voice screamed.

Willow's blood ran cold. She gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth. A small cluster of dementors had gathered at the edge of the field, tall, intimidating- and staring directly up at Harry. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Were there more dementors coming? Would they attack Harry? Would they attack the stands? Would they attack her?

"Expecto Patronum!"

A blast of white light exploded from the tip of Harry's wand. Willow watched in surprise as the bright ball of silver exploded into the dementors, sending them flying backwards. Relief cooled her from head to toe. Harry's lessons had paid off after all! He'd saved himself! He triumphantly resumed his pursuit of the snitch.

Willow cheered wildly as Harry closed the final meters between him and the fluttering golden ball. Ten meters- five- four- three- two- and he closed his hands around the snitch.

"YES!" Willow shrieked.

The Gryffindor team was already a mass of scarlet, enveloping Harry in a many-armed hug. Willow joined in, laughing joyously. They'd won! They'd won! Gryffindor was positioned for a semi-final for the quidditch cup! Harry was beaming brilliantly, so completely and utterly happy that Willow was surprised red and gold confetti didn't burst from him. The crowd soon flooded the quidditch pitch, entangling the team in even more celebratory hugs and cheering. Willow's face hurt from smiling so much. They had a chance! They had won!

"Oh my God, look!" Alicia exclaimed, pointing across the quidditch pitch.

Willow turned her head towards where the dementors had been earlier only to double over in laughter. It turned out the "dementors" were actually Crabbe, Goyle, Marcus Flint, the Slytherin quidditch captain, and none other than Draco Malfoy. They struggled to removed themselves from the large, black robes they'd put on for the occasion. Professor McGonagall was yelling at them with the ferocity of a lion's roar, ripping away house points and threatening Dumbledore's wrath as well. Willow couldn't help the sweet, sweet taste of victory that warmed her from head to toe. Karma had struck down Malfoy at last.

"Willow, psst, come here!" Fred whisper-shouted through the crowd.

Willow barely turned around before Lee and George had grabbed both her arms and dragged her towards the Gryffindor locker rooms. Paige was waiting for them there, a jubilant glow lighting up her features. A few butterflies fluttered around in Willow's stomach at the sight of her hair, which the older girl had done up for the occasion in fancy braids. She blinked hard to clear away the sensation.

"We're having a party, obviously, but we need an extra pair of hands, so you're helping," Paige announced. "Get changed quick, and make sure you find something casual, because Honeyduke's doesn't need to be suspecting us."

Willow grinned. "Is this yet another heist?"

"Better yet- in your opinion, at least- we're actually paying, then we can hang out in Hogsmeade for a bit until Lee finishes setting up the common room." Paige unlocked Willow's locket and threw her robes at her. "Let's go, you're burning daylight!"

"How did you...know my combination?"

Paige smirked. "I have my sources. Come on, or I'm leaving your sorry arse here!"

Minutes later, Paige, Willow, and the Weasley twins were marching along the Hogwarts corridors, heading no where in particular- or so it seemed to Willow. The older three stopped in front of a one-eyed witch statue. Fred pulled out his wand, glancing down both corridors to make sure they were alone, then whispered, "Dissendium!"

Willow gasped. The one-eyed witch immediately slid aside to reveal a dark, damp passageway that led away from Hogwarts- and directly towards Hogsmeade. George lit his wand with a murmured incantation, which shone brightly against the earth-lined passage. Paige and George took the lead, leaving Willow to shoot Fred a questioning look as the one-eyed witch snapped back into place behind them.

"Merlin, do you need an explanation for everything?" he teased. He sighed dramatically. "Fine, I guess I'll reveal my secrets...George and I got our hands on this parchment called the 'Marauders Map' our first year. It shows everyone in real time- and every secret passageway. It's the secret to some of our success, but we've grown beyond needing to know where Filch is at all times. Harry has the map now."

"He does?" Willow said, raising her eyebrows. "I had no idea."

"He's done a good job keeping it a secret, then."

"Wow...you really trust Harry with something like that?" Willow asked.

Fred pretended to act hurt. "As if he's any greater threat to this school than George and I! If we managed to keep it under wraps, then Harry will definitely survive."

"That's true..." A thought sent a chill through her body. "Uh...you said that the map shows where everyone is at all times, right?" Fred nodded. Willow's stomach flipped, fear dragging an ice cube down her spine. "How far does it extend?"

"It only shows people within Hogwarts." Fred nudged her, smiling. "Why? You think Harry'll turn you in when you go for a night stroll in the Forbidden Forest?"

Willow did her best to hide her blanching. "Something like that."

"Don't worry. If he's as much a brother to you as he seems, you're safe."

It's not me that I'm worried about! Willow screamed internally. What if Sirius entered the castle, and Harry found him? Harry didn't know the full story; in fact, no one did! She decided that the first moment she got, she was going to warn Sirius about the map. She'd never forgive herself if Sirius got caught by his own god son...

The tunnel finally brightened enough for George to put his wand away. A single trapdoor allowed the slightest bit of light to leak in from above. Paige slowly pushed it open, peeking cautiously, then motioned for them to follow. Willow followed her and the twins into a surprisingly not-dusty cellar. The delectable scent of sweets and sourness piqued her interest. She remembered that smell from somewhere...oh, Honeyduke's! They must be in the cellar! As Paige led the way upstairs, Willow soon found out that she was correct. They snuck out of the semi-busy sweet shop one by one until Fred finally rejoined them outside. Willow's heart pounded with the exhilaration of the moment; she was breaking rules, and she was having a good time with her friends. To top it off, they'd just won a quidditch match. What could be better?

"The Three Broomsticks!" Paige exclaimed. "We have a little less than an hour to kill, right?"

"I think you just read my mind," Willow chortled.

Paige winked at her. "Damn straight- oh wait, that would be incorrect..."

Fred rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's have a butterbeer or two, it's bloody cold out here."

Willow followed the three into the Three Broomsticks. The warmth of the roaring fire to her right burned away the cold from her cheeks. Willow massaged her fingers, sighing contentedly as the feeling flooded back into them. Madam Rosmerta walked up to them in her usual glittery high-heeled shoes. She didn't bat an eye at the sight of the four Hogwarts students entering her pub, joyfully seating them at a table near the back of the pub. George sat beside Willow, which appeared to agitate Paige, but Willow shot her a look that wiped the anger off her face. Paige begrudgingly let it go and plopped down next to Fred.

Madam Rosmerta flashed a pearly-white smile at the four as she took their orders. She returned moments later, her heels clicking pleasantly on the old wooden floors. Four foaming mugs of butterbeer were placed in front of the Gryffindors. Willow greedily took several gulps of the lively drink, the February chill being driven from her system. The enlivening, savory flavor lit up her senses, ushering in naturally happy thoughts while simultaneously driving away the negative ones. Willow purposely kept the foam mustache the butterbeer gave her, much to George's amusement.

"You've got something on your face," he teased.

"No, really?" Willow said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Is it snow? I tend to attract cold things."

"Like our hearts?" Fred joked.

Willow rolled her eyes. "And I've condemned myself to a life among future convicts." She wiped off the foam. "Thank God for butterbeer. I think I was getting frostbite. I've got poor circulation in my fingers."

George barely touched her hand, then recoiled dramatically. "Oh no, it appears they've turned to ice. They're unsalvageable. Say goodbye to playing the guitar, writing, football- "

Willow scoffed. "What does soccer have to do with my hands?"

"You have to throw the ball in, dumbarse," Paige said. "Wow, even George knew that. Your football I.Q. just went down ten thousand percent."

"Even the dumbest people can be good football players; I just happen to have both brain and brawn."

"Are you sure about that? Your marks in Potions say otherwise..." Fred said.

Willow gently kicked him under the table. "Shut up and drink."

For the next half hour, the twins and Paige caught Willow up on what they'd been doing with their pranking business. They'd actually begun to organize a crowd willing to pay for their devices. The Puddle Pods, Bantam Bursts, Pesky Pendants, and portable spider webs would be on sale within the next two weeks. Willow raised her eyebrows upon hearing exactly how many people were willing to pay for pranking devices. Of course, Lee probably swindled at least half of them into the operation, but nevertheless, it was awesome to see the twins and Paige so happy about their accomplishments. The Weasley twins and Paige were finally finding their niche in the world. Willow studied their enthusiastic faces as they went on and on and on about their plans. There was so much enthusiasm, so much excitement in the atmosphere, that she could have sworn they transmitted their emotions to herself. Willow joined in their rapid-fire conversation, feeling on top of the world.

Eventually, their half hour dwindled. Fred announced that it was go time. They got up from the table, tipping Madam Rosmerta well (Willow managed to force Fred to let her pay for herself), and began to leave when Willow noticed something.

"Uh...George? You're still holding my hand," she said.

George's expression broke out in shock. His cheeks reddened as her withdrew his hand. "Oh, sorry."

"No, no, you don't have to be sorry, it's fine." Willow blushed, realizing how that could have come off. "Well- not in that way- I meant- "

"It's okay, I know what you mean," George said quietly.

Willow and George stared at each other for a moment, both quite flustered, then quickly rejoined Fred and Paige outside the entrance to the Three Broomsticks. The fifth-years stole into the cellar with practiced ease, but Willow struggled. She ended up waiting for Fred to let her know when the coast was clear until she actually moved. As the twins and Paige gathered party supplies, Willow's stomach was buzzing with the fluttering of hundreds of butterflies. Why was she so high on happiness? Did holding George's hand actually make her feel fuzzy with love? Was it something else between them?

Ugh, stupid emotions! Willow yelled. Why can't you just tell me what you're trying to say? That would be a whole lot easier!

That's not how emotions work, stupid, Cebba chortled.

You're not helping! Willow flipped her wispy bangs out of her face, letting out a puff of air. I don't have time for this crap. I'll figure it out later. For now, how much do you think all these party supplies will cost?

Three thousand million trillion galleons.

Cebba, I swear to God, one of these days, I will be able to physically punch you, and it will feel so good.

I'm looking forward to it.

CEBBA!

Fifteen galleons less, Willow was completely devoid of guilt as she pattered along behind the twins and Paige. All four of them shouldered massive packs of sweets and butterbeer. The tunnel was thankfully more insulated against the icy wind of the Hogwarts grounds above. Willow might have fallen over dead if her feet were any colder. She successfully transported all their party supplies through the corridors, up way too many flights of stairs, and into Gryffindor Tower. The entirety of Gryffindor cheered upon their arrival.

"Let's get this party starteeeddd!" Lee cried, his voice magically amplified.

"No spiking any drinks tonight, Lee," Willow warned, setting down her load. "Professor McGonagall dropped a few hints that she'd be dropping by to make sure we're behaving."

"Fine..." Lee sighed. "You're more fun when you're tipsy, though."

"Lee!"

"What? It's true!" he said, feigning innocence.

"I'm fourteen!" Willow protested.

"Eh, that's the perfect age to figure out what you want."

Willow shook her head, giving up. She left Lee and the Weasley twins to get everything set up, opting to find her friends with Paige instead. Her Gryffindor Sisters were immediately upon her. She was dragged every which way in a vortex of shrill exclamations and crazy dancing. Paige always managed to pry her away before Lavender, Mia, or Fay could totally engulf her in insanity. Willow couldn't say that she wasn't having fun, though. She danced the night away amid flashing lights, hyped-up music, and enough laughter to extend her life fifteen years more. It must have been ten at night before she finally took a break, being dragged off the dance floor by Paige.

"You're done, I can tell you're exhausted," Paige chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm kinda tired," Willow panted, plopping down in a chair. "It's hot in here."

"That's because I'm here, but drink a cold butterbeer anyway, it might help," Paige said.

Willow stared at her. "Did you just- I'm not even going to say it. That was too smooth to condemn."

"I'm not a narcissist, just a speaker of the truth," Paige said, winking. "I'll go grab you a cold butterbeer- and make sure Lee kept to his promise. Be back in a few."

"Got it," Willow said, voice slightly pitched.

Paige disappeared into the crowd. Willow's heart beat a little baster than normal. Did that happen every time she was around Paige? The fifth year was way too hot...wait, did she just think that?! God, emotions were so confusing!

Willow noticed through the haze of her mental breakdown that Hermione was reading an enormous book in her corner of the common room. The book in her hand was enormous. Willow wondered how on Earth she could read with the party still going on. Harry must have been wondering the same thing, because he visited her, but moments later- after an all-too-perfectly-timed comment from Ron- Hermione burst into tears and snapped her book shut, darting up the stairs. Willow's stomach lurched. She was on her feet in an instant, tearing after her. She found the curly-haired girl crying on the banister, back to the wall.

"Hermione! What happened?" she questioned.

"Go away!" Hermione sobbed, tucking her knees to her chest.

"Um...that's like telling a brick wall to move. It's not happening. What did Ron say?"

"Nothing!" Hermione wailed, burying her face in her knees.

"Obviously, it was something," Willow prompted, kneeling down next to her Gryffindor Sister. "What did he say? Was it about that stupid rat? I'll slap him if you want me to. He's being insensitive at this point."

Hermione shook her head. "Violence won't solve anything."

"Okay, you're right, that would make me feel better, not you," Willow admitted. She tried to touch Hermione's shoulder, but she shrugged off the touch. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No!"

Willow sighed. "Hermione, I'd like to help, but I can't do that unless you tell me what's wrong."

"I don't even know where to start!" Hermione cried.

Willow bit her lip. Was there anything she could do to get her Gryffindor Sister to open up? Nothing came to mind, no matter how hard she racked her brain for options. God, why was she so awful at this emotional support thing? Did she seriously have that low of an emotional capacity that she couldn't even help her friend?

Out of the corner of her eye, Willow detected a shimmering movement. She glanced up to see an astonishing sight. A silvery-white apparition stood before her, tall and proud in its stance. Willow recognized it as a white mare. It padded towards her, cautiously, but not uncertainly. It radiated happiness, joyfulness, and love. The creature was certainly a patronus. Paige's patronus...but why would she- ?

Suddenly, Willow know what to do. She gently shook Hermione, getting her to look up. She pointed towards the creature.

"Look," she whispered.

Hermione gasped. "Is- is that a patronus?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah."

Hermione shot to her feet. "This- how- she's incredible! A real corporeal patronus, in Gryffindor Tower? This would take immeasurable power and talent to produce; whose is it?"

Willow nodded to the dark-featured figure standing on the staircase. "Hers."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Paige? Since when- ?"

"I don't have all day," Paige said, her wand hand trembling slightly. "I'm super powerful, congrats, yay me, but if you could please hurry up and use this thing to make you feel better, I'd very much like to return to my depression."

"Oh, sorry," Hermione said. She took a few uncertain steps towards the mare. "Will she...walk through me?"

"No, she'll walk to you, I've trained her better than that," Paige joked. "Go on, let her walk around you, it makes people happy for some reason."

Hermione took one more small step towards the mare, then gasped as it trotted towards her, tossing its head as it pranced in circles. Hermione smiled and even let out a laugh each time the silvery tail hairs flicked her. The mare proudly showed off its rippling muscles, its perfectly silky mane, and its glowing white hair. Willow couldn't help but grin herself. It was mainly the joy radiating from the patronus, but nonetheless, it was touching to see Paige sacrifice some of her willpower to cheer up a friend.

"Thank you," Hermione said, smiling from ear-to-ear as the mare sneezed. "She's incredible."

"You're welcome," Paige said, panting ever so slightly. "Are you still gonna burst into random tears, or can I please stop using my brain on a Saturday?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm good now."

Paige dropped her wand arm, and the patronus disappeared. She dramatically fell to the floor, splaying out all limbs, acting as if she'd just run a marathon.

"Oh, that was far too many happy thoughts to think about at once...where'd the darkness go..." she whined.

"Doom, gloom, depression, right here for the taking," Willow joked. "If there's such thing as an anti-dementor, I'd have ten surrounding me at all times."

"Being happy is exhausting," Paige complained. "How do you do it?"

"Um...isn't that...bad?" Hermione questioned.

"Nah, that's just Paige for you," Willow explained.

Hermione nodded slowly, albeit slightly concerned, judging by the expression on her face. "Thank you for cheering me up, guys. I really appreciate it." She picked up her giant book. "I've got to...go read now...I guess. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Happy reading, Hermione," Willow said. "Don't wake up until you absolutely have to."

Hermione disappeared into her dorm. Willow's frame lightened, content now that her friend was taken care of. She was thinking about rejoining the party when she suddenly received a blow to the back of her leg that sent her tumbling to the floor. Paige burst out laughing as Willow smashed onto her back. Pain fireworked across the third year's back.

"Not funny, Paige," Willow groaned. "Not funny."

"It was to me, so that makes it funny."

"That's not how it works."

"Yeah it does. That's how all jokes work."

Willow rolled over so she could fake-glare at the older girl. "I hate you forever, and there's nothing you can do to change your mind."

Paige wrapped her legs around Willow, pulling the younger girl closer to her. "Hm, I think I sense a challenge. Does this change your mind?"

Willow's heart rate spiked, but she hid it well. "No."

"You're a terrible liar."

"What are you talking about?"

"Willow, whether you like it or not, you wear your heart on your sleeve, and it's painfully obvious, painfully."

"I hate you."

"You hate me because you know I'm right," Paige said, smirking. "Call me a liar."

"Liar."

Paige flipped over Willow so that she was on top of the younger girl. Laughter escaped Willow as the older girl lazily stretched out, lounging on the completely crushed third year.

"I- can't- breath!" Willow chuckled breathlessly, her lungs compressed under Paige's weight. "You're- too- heavy!"

"Are you calling me fat?"

"If it- gets you- off of me- yes!" Willow wheezed.

Paige rolled her eyes, but she relented. "We all know I'm more muscular than the entire quidditch team combined. George tried to claim otherwise, but he's lost every arm wrestling contest I've challenged him to."

Willow grinned. "He's terrible at it. Even I won against him, and I'm not that strong."

Paige sat up, yawning. She clanked something on the floor. "Well, I brought you your cold butterbeer if you want it. I'm going to bed before Lee can drag me into something stupid." She flirtatiously blew a kiss to Willow as she walked away. "Night."

Butterflies fluttered around her stomach as she stared after the older girl. "Good- goodnight!"

You're so in love with her.

What? Cebba, shut up!

Cebba only giggled as Willow blushed furiously. She quietly made her way into her dormitory, closing the door silently as to not disturb Hermione. After brushing her feet and washing her face, Willow flopped in bed, shutting off all the lights except the one Hermione used for reading. She drew her four-poster's curtains around her to block the remaining light in the room. Willow calmed her mind, shoving away all the emotions from the day, hoping they would sort themselves out sometime in the near future...

Sirius is here.

Willow sat bolt upright in her bed, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She must have fallen asleep. What do you mean?

Sirius is here in the castle, you dumbarse.

WHAT?! Where? Cebba, tell me right now!

He's in the boys' dormitory, your floor. He's got a knife, too.

WHAT?!

Willow tore back her curtains, not bothering to be quiet as she yanked open the door to her dormitory. She bust down the boys' door, finding herself staring at one of the most bizarre scenes she'd ever laid eyes on. Sirius was hovering over Ron, knife drawn, but he wasn't aiming for Ron; he was searching for something near his feet. Willow blinked, unfreezing her limbs, and jumped into action. She lunged for Sirius, grabbing his arm with an iron grip. His eyes widened when he recognized Willow.

"Willow, this isn't- !" he started.

"NOT NOW!" she hissed, nearly breaking his arm in an attempt to get him to move.

"Wait, I have to- !" he pleaded.

Whatever he had to do, Willow didn't know, because at that very moment, Ron woke up and let out a horrendous screech. Willow's heart stopped. She panicked. She dug her nails into Sirius's arm. Willow pushed off the ground with all her might and managed to drag a stumbling Sirius out of the boys' dormitory. She practically threw him down the stairs, then sprinted out of the Gryffindor common room. She tore down the corridor towards the window. Sirius cried out for her to stop, but she didn't listen. Willow shoved him straight out the window, then launched herself into the night herself. She transformed into a dragon mid-fall and caught Sirius in her claws. She darted straight for the Forbidden Forest, directly for the Power House. Willow dropped Sirius at the front door and shape-shifted back into a human, stumbling as she did so, but pushing Sirius inside as she did.

"Sirius, what the fu- !"

"Willow, you have to let me explain!" Sirius begged.

"Explain what? You could have been killed!" Willow shouted hysterically. "You could have been kidnapped! You could have been found! You- "

"Willow, the only reason I was in the castle was to find Peter Pettigrew!" Sirius exploded.

Willow furrowed her brow. "Who?"


	53. Year 3: Chapter 11

"Peter Pettigrew! My- ugh, I haven't told you his story yet!" Sirius said.

Willow gasped "Wait, he's dead! Peter Pettigrew has been dead for twelve years! Why the hell are you going after Peter if he's dead, Sirius? You could have been captured for nothing!"

"He's not dead!" Sirius protested.

"And you brought your knife!" Willow shrilled, ignoring an exasperated Sirius. "I told you that was for defensive purposes only! What were you doing in the castle with your knife? You could have hurt someone!"

"I'd like to believe I have a little more skill than clumsiness with my knife..." Sirius muttered moodily. At a look from Willow, he stood up straight and cleared his throat. "But that's beside the point! Peter Pettigrew is- contrary to popular belief- very much alive, and he's running around the castle day and night!"

Willow stared at Sirius. "Have you gone mental?"

"What- no! Trust me, you would know by now if I'd gone mental! Look- " Sirius sighed, dragging his hands down his face. "This sounds crazy, but hear me out, because this definitely isn't the craziest thing in the wizarding world. When I take the form of my animagus, I can chat with certain other animals- say, cats, dogs, and werewolves if I get the chance- to entertain myself. Well, the other day, an orange, burly cat came running at me, and I thought it was going to attack me, but instead, he decided to introduce himself. He said his name was Crookshanks, and he lived in Gryffindor Tower. His owner is Hermione- ha, I said it right!- and he told me all about what's been going on in the Tower- "

"WHAT?!" Willow shrieked. "You were talking with Crookshanks? That is SO not fair! I've been trying to get that stupid cat to talk to me for ages, and he won't budge!"

Sirius scoffed. "Everyone wants to talk to me, don't take it personally. Do you know Hermione or something?"

"Of course I do! She's one of my best friends!" Willow half-shouted.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Wow. Plot twist! Anyway...Crookshanks told me all about Hermione at first, that she's the brightest witch of her age, that she's so kind, but she takes too many classes, so she doesn't pay enough attention to him, etc. Then, he told me about this peculiar rat. Crookshanks went on and on about how he'd been trying to eat this rat for some time because there was something off about it. I know you don't think too highly of Hermione's cat, Willow, but that Crookshanks is something special. He has kneazle blood in his veins, which means he's related to a magical small cat breed that can detect suspicious and untrustworthy people."

Willow smirked. "So why would Crookshanks talk with you, of all people?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I appreciate the sarcasm, I really do. I'll continue, if that's allowed in your personal schedule, please...so Crookshanks told me about this rat. He said that this rat was ridiculously suspicious. It belongs to someone called Ron Weasley. I don't think Ron knows what kind of danger he's in, Willow, which is why I tried to get rid of it sooner rather than later."

"Wait, why would Ron be in danger?" Willow questioned.

Sirius wrung his hands. "Well...long story short, Peter Pettigrew is an animagus, just like me- and you'll never guess what his animagus form is."

Willow's stomach dropped. The blood froze in her veins. "A rat."

Sirius nodded gravely. "Exactly. What's more, Crookshanks told me that the rat is considerably old for a common rodent, about twelve years old, and what's more, he's missing a toe."

Willow's eyes widened. "All that they found of Peter was- "

"A finger," Sirius affirmed. "Don't you see? Peter's been hiding among a common wizarding family for twelve long years, waiting for his chance to escape and help Voldemort return to power. He's a bloody coward."

Willow suddenly gripped her stomach. "But...Sirius, Crookshanks just killed Ron's rat!"

Sirius shook his head. "That's what Peter wants you to think. Crookshanks said he's found the rat here and there around the castle, scurrying into whatever dark hole he can find. He's getting more and more dangerous by the minute, Willow. If he decides to transform back into a human, who knows what he'll do!"

Suddenly, alarms blared within the castle. Willow winced. She was going to get in trouble for not being in the common room, but that didn't matter right now. There was a much more pressing situation to take care of. As the alarms shrilled increasingly louder, Willow questioned Sirius about how he got into the common room, anyway.

"Someone left a sheet with the week's passwords lying around, so Crookshanks brought it to me," Sirius replied.

Willow groaned. "Neville Longbottom, probably. He's always losing the passwords."

"Oh...Longbottom..." Sirius trailed off, looking away. "I knew his parents once, you know."

Willow's heart quickened. "You did?"

"Yes, I knew them very well before they were cursed," Sirius said quietly. "Alice and Frank were some of the brightest, kindest souls to ever grace this earth. It's a shame that Bellatrix cursed them...she's my cousin."

Willow's mouth dropped open slightly. "She...wait, how- ? You know what, families are complicated. I'm not going to ask." She moved towards Sirius, who still wouldn't look at her, instead opting to stare up towards the castle. "Sirius. Look at me." He did as Willow asked, but begrudgingly. "That's not your fault. Alice and Frank are the way they are now because Bellatrix cursed them, not you."

Sirius's eyes watered. "I could have stopped her, though. I could have stopped a lot of things she's done."

"You know what? My mum has done a lot of things I could have stopped too, but I didn't," Willow said. The emotions immediately flooded her system, tightening her chest, but she took a deep breath. "My mum did something that changed my life forever right in front of my very eyes, and I did nothing. At some point...we have to stop blaming ourselves for something other people did. Blood is all that connects you to your family, when it comes down to it. You can choose your friends. I'd be much more ashamed if it were my best friend that did something horrible, wouldn't you?"

Sirius nodded, but tears pricked his eyes. "That's exactly why I'm ashamed more than anyone on this planet to have been friends with Peter Pettigrew."

Willow's emotions surged. "What? Why?"

Sirius pressed his lips together and sent his eyes to his shoes. "Because Peter Pettigrew is the reason the Potters are dead."

Willow gazed at Sirius. "How?"

"Don't make me explain it," he whispered, voice cracking.

Willow's heart shattered. She embraced Sirius tightly, allowing some of her emotions to course freely through her system. Sirius finally hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder. Why did the world hate them so much? They thought the worst could only come from their families, but in the end, it could always be worse, and the world kept finding ways to prove that doctrine true. Why couldn't it just leave them alone? Willow tried not to grip Sirius tighter as a wave of fresh anger aimed at the prophecy burned through her. The prophecy was so stupid! There was no reason for it to come barging in, ruining her life. She could gladly say that she wished these powers never existed, that she could just be a normal witch, having fun at Hogwarts and trying to do right by the world. But these powers existed, and if they were going to burden anyone, she'd rather have them burdening herself. She'd rather let the powers destroy her than everybody else.

"Sirius, please don't let the past get to you so much," Willow pleaded. "I've already let it destroy me. Don't let it destroy you, too."

"I try not to," Sirius said. "And you better not keep your past inside you, either, because I know you try."

Willow laughed bitterly. "There's nowhere else for it to go."

Footsteps crunched in the snow outside. Willow and Sirius sprang apart as the door flew open, nearly breaking its hings as it admitted Cypress and Oliver to the Power House.

"We heard the alarms! What happened this time? Did you try and blow something up? If you want to do that, I'll definitely lend you a potion, just so you know," Cypress offered.

Sirius discreetly wiped his eyes and cooled down his face. "No, it was an accident. False alarm."

"Be careful! We don't want you to get caught!" Oliver fretted.

Sirius half-smiled, ruffling the Hufflepuff's hair. "I'll be fine. They haven't caught me the past thirty-seven times, so I think the luck is still in my favor." He clapped his hands. "Well, it's pretty late. I think it might be safer if you guys spend the night here."

"Agreed," Willow said. She waved her hands, creating two soft beds of grass for Oliver and Cypress. "If you guys want blankets, I've got a stash worthy of an army. They're stacked in that shelf over there."

Cypress and Oliver gratefully piled a bunch of blankets over themselves. They were soon fast asleep, gently snoring next to one another. Willow grinned at the sight of Oliver's hand in Cypress's. She glanced over to where Sirius was turned away from her in his chair, staring out the window at the moon. Willow could feel how much he was hurting. Her powers only amplified it. How did he live every day knowing that his past was right around the corner? Living in secrecy was a constant reminder of what had happened twelve years ago to land him here. He had to be strong to survive all those years of reliving the same pivotal moment in his life, forever changing it for the worse. Willow wished she could help him, but she didn't have the skill to coax him into telling her what happened; he'd already shared quite a lot with her that night. What greater demons were he hiding?

Willow shook her head. Sirius and she were turning out to be quite similar, and they were both complete hypocrites when it came to looking out for one another. But hey, a fellow sufferer might hold the best advice, Willow thought. It was still extremely painful to see Sirius hurting so much every day, being cooped up to his own thoughts for hours on end. Was this how her friends felt when they saw her stuck in negative thoughts? Willow had never felt so useless, like a waste of space. Why couldn't she be more like Oliver? The world needed more Hufflepuffs in it.

The stars twinkled at Willow as she laid on the couch. They were like diamonds on the black velvet felt of the sky. She liked to imagine that each one marked the spot where a person had reached a happier place. Willow stared longingly at them, wishing she could reach the person beyond them.

I wish you were here. You'd know what to do...I miss you more than ever.

Over the next two days, Willow, Cypress, and Oliver visited Sirius every night, trying their best to keep Sirius's spirits up. He seemed to be doing better the more they visited, but after failing to find his treacherous friend, Willow could understand his disappointment. Felicity continued to provide him emotional support. The sensitive jobberknoll would flutter onto Sirius's shoulder whenever he sensed sadness, and within seconds, Sirius's mood would improve. Willow always knew Felicity would do good in the world. She found her own spirits lifted at such an endearing gesture of support.

During breakfast on Monday morning, however, something happened that sent Willow's mood into the dumps. Neville had been in total disgrace in the aftermath of Sirius's intrusion. Professor McGonagall had taken his Hogsmeade privileges away, and in order to enter the common room, he had to wait for someone else to come along and give the password, as he couldn't be trusted with them anymore. Willow thought her guilt couldn't get any worse, but unfortunately, everything seemed to be determined to hit rock bottom lately. The school owls fluttered through the scarcely-lit windows, and within seconds, Neville was sprinting out of the Great Hall, red envelope in hand. Willow clapped a hand to her mouth as the explosion of an angry woman's voice reverberated through the Entrance Hall. Neville had received a howler.

Willow's stomach seized up in pain. Her fork clattered to the ground. Ignoring the concerned expressions of her Gryffindor Sisters, Willow abruptly stood up and marched out of the Great Hall, straight to where Neville's howler was screaming. The voice grated on her eardrums, but it couldn't compare to the scalloping sensation filleting her heart into a million pieces. Willow found Neville with his back against the wall, hands covering his ears. She waiting just out of sight until the howler's piercing shrills died down to a crackle of burning paper. Neville's sobs could be heard now. Willow wanted to cry herself. She knew that this safety frenzy, all these punishments, all these concerns, were for nothing. But no one knew what she did; no one knew Sirius Black was innocent. All they knew was that Sirius Black nearly stabbed Ron Weasley, and it was Neville's fault that he'd gotten into the common room.

"Neville?" Willow whispered, her voice cracking.

She heard feet scuffle on the floor. "What do you want?"

"I know that this is a dumb question, but are you okay?"

Neville sniffled. "No..."

Willow couldn't take it anymore. She stepped out from where she was hiding and wrapped Neville in a big hug, which he didn't refuse. He cried into Willow's shoulder for a bit. Her heart tortuously cracked, piece by piece, holding itself together by a thread. Why did this have to be so complicated? Why did she always end up with the toughest secrets?

Willow had to take a deep breath to steady her own emotions. Neville needed her to be strong for him. He was struggling way more than her right now. The main adult figure in his life had just accused him of bringing shame to the entire Longbottom family, and he had nowhere to turn for support except his friends. Willow was grateful to see Ginny Weasley and Colin Creevy tentatively creep out of the Great Hall. They added on to create a group hug, which surprisingly made Neville laugh half-heartedly.

"Thanks guys," he said quietly, wiping his face on his sleeve.

"Anything for a friend!" Colin cheered.

Willow grinned. Leave it to Colin to bring positivity into the atmosphere. Ginny and he managed to make Neville fully laugh with a well-rehearsed joke. The second years were such rays of sunshine; Willow felt bad for not spending much time with them lately. She'd hung out with them for at least an hour at the party Saturday night, but when was the last time she'd done that?

"Uh, Willow? Hermione's been calling for you the past five minutes," Ginny chortled.

Willow gave a start. "Oh! Sorry, I'll catch up with you guys later, got to go!"

Running down across the entrance hall, she found Hermione just outside the doors, tapping her foot. The lines creasing her forehead were even deeper than usual. Hermione's face was pink, but not from the bitter wind. Her eyes crackled with a nervous electricity that was beyond anything Willow had ever seen before. She bit her lip as she stared at her completely stressed-out Gryffindor Sister.

"It's Ron again, isn't it?" Willow said softly.

Hermione nodded. "Can we go to Hagrid's?"

"Yeah, we're definitely going to there."

Minutes later, Willow and Hermione were knocking on Hagrid's enormous wooden door. The bearded man joyously swung it open, the iron hinges creaking familiarly. His expression faltered at the sight of Hermione's, though.

"Come in, I'll make ya some tea," he said.

Hermione and Willow graciously accepted his offer. Hagrid poured them piping-hot glasses, then settled himself across the table from the girls, accidentally bumping the table. Willow's hand shot out to steady her tea.

"Sorry 'bout that," Hagrid apologized. "What happened this time? Did Ron do summat stupid again?"

Hermione ran a hand through her hair. "For once, he did absolutely nothing, but I'm sure you heard all about Sirius Black entering the castle Saturday night."

"It's a right shame, Black messin' with yer lives and all," Hagrid said, shaking his head. "Harry worries me, bein' out an' about with Black on the loose like that."

"He worries me too!" Hermione exclaimed. "Not only does Harry wander around alone all the time, but he and Ron always get into trouble! I mean, Ron almost got stabbed! He could have been killed, and the worst part is, Harry was in mortal danger at the same time! I could have lost both of them in one night!"

Willow's gut attempted to skewer itself with an invisible knife. She kicked herself under the table. Her voice sounded rather hoarse when she rasped, "Yeah, it's concerning that Ron isn't taking this more seriously."

Hermione crossed her arms, leaning back. "He's parading around the castle like some- some war hero, when he should really be taking a second and third glance over his shoulder! Ron is the luckiest person alive right now! If he hadn't woken up when he did...I don't want to think about the outcome."

"Why do ya think he fled?" Hagrid asked. "He coulda killed both of 'em right there, coulda got what he wanted. Why did'e stop?"

"Maybe he got cold feet?" Hermione suggested. "I'd hope he felt some moral regret, but it's Black we're talking about here- a ruthless, lawless, mass murderer. He could have an untold number of diabolical reasons for holding back."

"Ya might be righ', Hermione," Hagrid said, stroking his beard. "What d'ya think, Willow? What d'ya think he's plannin'?"

Willow nearly jumped out of her seat. She struggled to make eye contact with Hagrid or Hermione. "Uh...I dunno...maybe he's...not after Harry- at all? Like...maybe he's after...an old friend?"

Hagrid and Hermione both stared at her, bewildered. "Where did you get that theory from?"

"Uh- my brain?" Willow said, a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead. The fire was making the room unbearably stuffy all of a sudden. Hagrid frowned at her.

"Yer burnin' up, Willow. Yer cheeks are downrigh' ruddy. Are ya okay?"

Willow stood up without warning. "Actually, I think I'm going to head to Madam Pomfrey. I'm feeling rather ill right now. Thanks for the tea, Hagrid. I'll see you later, Hermione, okay?"

Without waiting for an answer, Willow darted outside, shutting Hagrid's door behind her. The normally biting wind pleasantly cooled her fiery complexion. She was way too obvious. Hermione and Hagrid had to be suspicious now. And Harry was already a little curious as to why Willow disappeared so often...people were picking up her trail. She had to be more careful. What if she led them to Sirius? He'd never forgive her; she'd never forgive herself, especially with the punishment of the dementor's kiss hanging over his head...

Willow's feet automatically veered towards the Forbidden Forest. She nearly tripped when she realized where she was headed. Willow skidded to a stop, redirecting herself towards the castle. She couldn't go running to Sirius every time something went wrong now! Sure, it was great to have his company, but she wouldn't have his company much longer if she wasn't conscious of her actions! Willow mentally slapped herself. WAKE UP! She had to pay attention!

Speaking of paying attention, Willow was so busy brooding and yelling at herself that she almost ran into someone on her way through the entrance hall. She gasped and leapt backwards right before she would have collided.

"Oh my God, I'm so sor- wait, Mandy? What are you doing here?"

Mandy appeared surprised herself. "Willow? Oh, I was looking for you anyway, come with me."

Before she could protest, Willow was dragged up the stairs, through multiple corridors, and into the library. Madam Pince peered suspiciously over her massive, dust-covered book as they entered, but lowered her spectacles with a huff. Willow had heard that most Ravenclaws were well-liked by the librarian; so far, it had been proven true. Mandy found an empty spot near the window, several tables away from other students. Willow raised her eyebrows at her friend.

"Trust me, you'll want to sit down for this," Mandy said.

Willow and her Ravenclaw friend each took a seat. Mandy bit her lip, eyes darting to each student within a fifty-meter radius. Willow had never seen her this fidgety; Mandy was always confident to the point it bordered on arrogance. What was going on?

"Willow...I don't know how to say this, exactly...so...please promise me you're not going to freak out," Mandy said. Willow swore on her life. "Okay, well...where to start...you know I'm a metamorphagus. I can shape-shift to a degree. My hair colour can change at will, my eye colour is whatever I want, blah, blah, blah. Well, every once in a while, my body acts up and changes on its own, without my permission. It started as altered hair length, different facial features, and tanner skin- don't ask my why that happened- but it began to take on a very, very different form. It changed my entire body to the point where I wasn't my original self anymore."

Willow gaped. "You're joking."

Mandy shook her head. "I wish I was. I was literally an entirely new witch, and I couldn't change myself back for several minutes. It's gotten worse lately. I can only switch back after half an hour. I've had to miss a few classes because of this."

Willow's eyes widened. "Really? You get stuck in a different body that long?"

"Yes!" Mandy's eyes watered. "I hate it! The worst part is...I'm always stuck in a dude's body!"

Willow nearly fell out of her chair. "Wait a second, did I hear you correctly? You get stuck in a man's body, not a female's?"

Mandy nodded. "It's awful! I never asked for this- why is it happening to me?"

Willow shrugged. "I don't know, but we should probably investigate, if it's interfering with your daily life."

"You think?" Mandy half-shrieked, sarcasm and desperation concocting a dangerous mix. "I'm stuck as an entirely different person for minutes at a time, unable to switch back, unable to get help, unable to look at myself in the mirror!" Mandy blinked back a few tears. "It's horrible, Willow! I can't stay in control of myself anymore! There's no logic behind it, no way to explain it! It's just- ugh!" A trickle of saltwater escaped Mandy's eyelashes. "I hate it even more because it's me, staring right back at myself in the mirror. My hair colour, eye colour, height, almost my entire body shape...it's the exact same, just transferred to a guy's body. It's unnerving. I just- I can't- "

Mandy broke down into quiet sobs. Willow was immediately upon her, embracing her redheaded friend. Mandy used her immense mental strength to reduce her crying to silence, only a single tear trailing down her face. Willow’s gut roiled. She wanted to help Mandy, but how? She was useless when it came to emotional issues! Willow frantically searched her mind for a solution as Mandy pulled away, angrily wiping the tear stains off her face.

"I'm fine, I just need to remind myself that," Mandy said. "I can learn to control this. I'll figure out a way to make it stop."

"I know you will. You're the strongest, most iron-willed Ravenclaw I've ever met in my life," Willow said, which got Mandy to crack a smile through her tough facial guard. "If you ever need me to help, I will."

Mandy nodded. "I know. You're crazy nice." Something caused her expression to falter. "Hey, can I- ?"

Suddenly, a magnificent wail punctured the quiet atmosphere. Madam Pince hissed something under her breath about stupid Gryffindors, marching to the corridor adjacent to the library. Willow groaned when she recognized the hysterical voices.

"Jesus Christ, not again!" she whined. "I'm sorry, Mandy, I'll come back later, but I have get my roommates out of a year's worth of detention. I'll see you later, promise! I'm so sorry again!"

Mandy waved goodbye sadly, her entire frame drooping. The sight plucked on Willow's heartstrings, but she consoled herself with the promise of helping her later. She increased her turnover to make it to her Gryffindor Sisters in record time. The moment she laid eyes on the scene, she wanted to turn on her heel and leave in exasperation, but she didn't, instead forcing her unwilling body to move forward, one step at a time, towards the spot where Madam Pince was chewing out Lavender, Mia, and Fay.

"You're lucky I spared you the last few times!" Madam Pince growled. "This time, you are paying for disturbing the quiet!"

"We're so sorry!" Fay cried, makeup running down her face. "It's just- it's just- Lavender was doing so well- she was making a move- on that Hufflepuff boy- but- but- "

"She got shot down!" Mia howled.

Madam Pince rolled her eyes. "You're only adding to your sentence!"

"You're only adding to my emotional breakdown!" Lavender bawled.

She hiccuped, burying her face in Fay's shoulder. Mia glared at Madam Pince. "Can't you see we're having a moment here? This is a bad time for Lavender! Leave us alone!"

Willow secretly wanted to high-five Mia for that statement, but she thought better of it, because at that very moment, Madam Pince's beet-red face turned menacingly on her.

"What are you doing here? Snooping around the castle?" she snapped. "I've got enough to deal with without your antics! You and those bloody redheads, always blowing things up, messing up my reading time- "

"With all due respect, Ma'am," Willow began, cringing internally, "I was just about to take my friends here back to Gryffindor Tower. I heard them crying, you see, and I didn't want them to become embarrassed in public. We're just passing through, that's all. We'll be out of your way in less than a minute."

Madam Pince stared at Willow, as though deciphering some code. Willow's gut twisted. She hoped the lie was convincing enough. It seemed her sweet persona won out, thankfully. Madam Pince grunted, whipping around and marching back to her circular desk. She peered at them suspiciously over her book once more. Willow shuddered at how terrifyingly red her spectacles made her brown eyes appear. She ushered her Gryffindor Sisters down the corridor, through the castle, and up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower. Willow sat down the babbling bunch in their dormitory, handing them numerous boxes of tissues, which they gratefully accepted.

"How bad was it?" she asked.

"Terrible!" Mia lamented. "I wasn't even the one that got shot down, but it hurt just to watch!"

"What did he do?"

Fay blew her nose. "He- he- oh, I can hardly say it! Lavender was so sweet, she walked up to him all perfect, like the goddess she is, but he tried to get away from her! Why would he run away from such a model? He literally said that Lavender had to keep at least two meters between them at all times!"

Willow raised her eyebrows. "He did?"

"Yes!" Lavender said. "It was the worst failure in my whole life! I- I'm not sure if I even want to do this dating thing anymore!"

Willow put her arm around Lavender's shoulders. "Aw, Lavender, I'm sure it's not all that bad. Not every guy is the same! I mean, if that was the worst that's ever happened to you, then it can only get better, right?"

"But it could get so much worse!"

Right as Willow was achieving the level of discomfort beyond what she was capable of handling, a shout from outside the dormitory alerted her to Sam's presence. The more alarming thing, however, was the thudding and scuffling that came after it. Willow briefly apologized before sprinting out of the dormitory, leaving her crying roommates only half-consoled. She found Sam and Sally tumbling down the stairs in a heap. The moment they hit the common room landing, they sprang to their feet, instantly resuming their brawl. Willow flew down the steps and jumped in between them right as they drew wands on one another.

"STOP!" she shouted. "Put your wands down, RIGHT NOW!"

Sam and Sally refused to back down, only leaning to the right and left to get a better shot at one another.

"Sally started it! She was doing something weird!"

"I was not!"

"Yes you were! You wouldn't let me see what was happening!"

"That's because you don't need to know everything about my life!"

"SHUT IT!" Willow demanded, this time with real force. Both Sally and Sam stumbled backwards in shock. "Shut it right now, lower your wands, and hand them to me, or I'm setting Griffin loose on you!"

The Smith twins begrudgingly complied, their gazes burning into the floor as they handed Willow their wands. She stuffed them into her robe pockets. When she realized several older students were staring, she grabbed the twins by their arms and roughly dragged them through the portrait hole. There were some innocent first years skipping down the corridor. They didn't deserve to hear this. Shoving Sally and Sam into the nearest broom closet, Willow locked the door behind them with a charm, then lit her wand to illuminate the space.

"Look, I've been dealing with quite a few people's problems today, so if you wouldn't mind making this as short as possible, that would be great," Willow said.

Sam's face reddened. "Sally was doing something bad, and I know it!"

"Where's your proof?" Sally shot back.

"The book you checked out from the library was- "

"Enough with the arguing!" Willow exploded, blood boiling in her veins. "I mean it when I say I'm going to kick both of your arses if you don't work this out! I've had enough of the arguing and the stupidity lately, so end it already!"

Sam crossed his arms. "Fine. Sally, I'm sorry that I went poking around in your stuff."

"I'm sorry that I'm being private about my own life choices," Sally hissed, sarcasm lacing her voice.

"What kind of apology was that? Make it at least somewhat sincere," Willow groaned.

Sam rolled his eyes and huffed. "Fine! Sally, I'm sorry that I overreacted about you checking out a library book. It was stupid and selfish. There. Happy now?"

"Yes. And I'm sorry that I seem like I'm shutting you out. I'm not," Sally promised, taking her brother's hand. "I'm just growing up, which means I like different things than you every once in a while. We don't have to be attached at the hip anymore."

"I know, I know," Sam sighed.

There was an awkward pause of silence. Willow cleared her throat. "Okay...um...are you guys done? I'm kind of cramped in here."

"You're the one that shoved us in here!"

"That's beside the point!"

Willow unlatched the door and let the Smith twins out. Sally walked back into the common room, her new pony tail-braid bouncing as she did so. Sam didn't follow her. Instead, he marched off down the corridor, heading towards the stairs. Willow frowned. He didn't normally speed-walk. He was struggling with something. Willow jogged to keep up with Sam, who exited the stairs at the ground level. He didn't slow down, even when Willow's footsteps had to be annoyingly apparent.

"Hey, Sam, where are you going?" she called after him.

"Go away, Willow," Sam said.

"Don't ever say that to a Gryffindor. You know how well that works out."

Sam didn't say anything. He simply kept walking, ignoring Willow's existence entirely. Willow stopped and stared after him when he entered a courtyard. There wasn't a soul within kilometers, it seemed. The stillness of the scene was uncanny. There was no distant sound of birds chirping, no scuffle of students' shoes on the castle floor, no trickle of water to sooth the ears. It was so...empty. Willow watched with an equally hollow heart as Sam sat down on the edge of an old wall, facing away from the castle. She slowly crept towards him, doing her best not to crunch the grass under her feet.

"I can hear you, you know," Sam said.

Willow froze. "Are you mad?"

"I don't know."

Willow gently placed one foot in front of the other, approaching Sam very carefully. "I'm here to talk, you know. You can always unload on me."

Sam sighed in disgust. "Don't be soft with me, Willow. You of all people should know that makes me feel worse."

"You're right; I should. I'm the same way," Willow admitted. Sam slightly turned his head. "Yeah, I'm sure not many people realize how much worse I feel when people coddle me. As much as I break down, I thought people would notice the little signs I try and give, but all they want to do is hug you and love you until you feel better. I understand the intentions. I'm grateful that they care. It's just...too much, you know?"

Sam let out a mirthless laugh. "You, I know."

Willow was only five meters away from him now. She stopped. "You know, but you won't tell anyone how bad it hurts. It sucks, never finding the right help, doesn't it? Everything stuck inside of you, never able to tell anyone the truth...it hurts worse than losing a loved one."

Sam gripped the wall. "You really had to bring that up?"

"Yes, Sam, because if there's one thing I've learned, running away from what makes you hurt only increases the pain. You won't ever fully go numb. It'll flare up again, and again, and again, and there's nothing you can do about it- that is, until you proactively take that memory, analyze it in you head, and make peace with the pain."

Sam's nails scratched against the wall. "I'm not in pain. I've made peace with myself a long time ago."

"Bullcrap."

There was silence, then Sam suddenly spoke. "Why are you saying all of this?"

"Because I'm not going to let you hurt the same way I am."

"But I'm not talking, so good luck getting me to open up," Sam said.

Willow snapped. She marched directly in front of her friend, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him to his feet. Sam attempted to squirm out of her grasp, even throwing a punch at her, but it did no good, as Willow's iron grip was too much for him. He finally resigned himself to standing firmly on both feet, glaring at Willow.

"I'm not letting you go until you tell me what's wrong, Sam," Willow said.

"I can stand here all night," Sam spat.

"You're really going to regret being an arse, you know that? Give it up already. I'm not going to threaten you, but I will make you spill."

"Go ahead and threaten me then! It won't make a bit of difference!"

Willow stared at Sam with a stone-cold expression. "I'm not going to threaten you. Do you know why? Because you're one of my best friends, and if I have to use fear to make you speak, then I'll never forgive myself. Friends don't threaten friends, Sam. Just tell me what's wrong."

"I'm not going to tell you what's wrong, Willow!" Sam growled.

"Why, though? At least tell me why!"

"Because Sally doesn't deserve what's happening to her!" Sam exploded.

Willow blinked. "What?"

Sam's face reddened. "You heard me, and I'm not saying it again."

"Sam, what do you mean?" He looked away. Willow tightened her grip on his shirt. "Sam, I swear to God and all things Holy, if I have to go to Sally to resolve this situation- "

"Fine! I'll tell you!" Sam said. His facial expression drooped. "Sally's been under a lot of stress lately. It's not just from school, though, it's also from home. Molly is still on the move, and every once in a while, she appears down our street, always at the same house. It's always the same time when she does it, always on a Saturday- when Mum isn't home. Sally has never missed the sight. Mum tried to report it to the Ministry, but there's no one on that God-forsaken council that gives a damn." Sam swallowed hard. "I...I always have a breakdown, when I see Molly, and Sally has to help me calm down, even though she's dealing with her own demons. You see...it shouldn't be as bad for me as it is for Sally, because every time Molly appears, she's always singing that same old traditional song she would sing when- when she'd punish Sally."

A chill scraped down Willow's spine. Sam wouldn't make eye contact anymore. "Molly's torturing her, even now. She still has a hold on us years after we got rid of her. It's psychological torture every time we have a nightmare, every time we hear a certain tune, every time we hear that name, and there's nothing we can do about it. And it's changed Sally. She's trying so hard to forget about our past that she's becoming a different person entirely, and I- I can't- "

Sam sat down, running a hand through his hair. "I'm watching Sally waste away before my very eyes. I'm losing my sister, Willow, and there's nothing I can do about it."

Willow paused for a very long time. Her heart had stopped beating. Her lungs had stopped breathing. Her eyes had stopped seeing. Sam was right. Sally was wasting away, and she hadn't even noticed it...but now she would. Willow balled her hands into fists. She wasn't about to lose anyone to suffering. Molly was not about to win.

"There may be nothing you can do about, but I'm sure as hell not about to go down without a fight," Willow said. She hugged Sam tightly. "Look, I'm not saying you haven't done everything you can. I'm just saying that I've got either a really good idea, or an Earth-shattering mistake in the making."

Without waiting for Sam's response, Willow took off into the castle, making a beeline for Gryffindor Tower. She found Sally in the middle of the common room, trying a new hairstyle she'd learned from some fifth years. With no explanation whatsoever, Willow grabbed Sally, dragged her through the portrait hole, and back through the castle. Sally protested and pulled against her, but Willow refused to slow down. She glanced around when they were in the entrance hall, making sure they were alone, then put both hands on Sally's shoulders.

"Look, this is going to sound crazy," Willow started, "but I need you to come with me, no questions asked. You can't tell anyone about this."

Sally threw her hands out in exasperation. "Willow, of course, but what the hell is going on?"

"No questions asked! I'm going to shape-shift, and when I do, grab onto my back!"

Sally groaned, but waited as Willow transformed into an aethonan winged horse. Sally grabbed onto Willow's back, then muffled her scream as they took to the sky, soaring above the castle. Willow flapped her wings and pushed against the annoyingly strong winds that attempted to blow her halfway across Britain. Diving down into the Forbidden Forest, but far from her destination, Willow touched down near the edge of the Forest. She ushered Sally into slightly deeper shadows before transforming back into herself.

"Come with me," Willow commanded, locating a familiar path.

"Where are we going now?" Sally exploded.

Willow grinned. "To a long-overdue therapy session with a good friend of mine."


	54. Year 3: Chapter 12

The Power House quickly came into view. Sally shot a questioning look to Willow, which she ignored. Willow took her shoes off on the front step and motioned for Sally to do the same. When she knocked, Sirius answered the door. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of Sally.

"Another one? Merlin's beard, Willow, how many friends do you have?"

"Enough to provide an army for you, that's for sure," Willow replied. "Come on, Sally, the wind is chilly."

Sally stepped across the threshold in a sort of trance. Her eyes never wavered from Sirius, who sighed and looked to Willow for explanation. Willow groaned, motioning for Sally to sit down.

"Okay, you're not as intuitive as Cypress, I've got to explain this to you before you blow up," she said. Sally plopped down on the couch, crossing her arms. "Lighten up, will you? I'm not keeping a murderer in my safe house. Sirius is innocent, Sally, so get over the whole manhunt thing. I've known him to nearly burst into tears when he bumped into Felicity."

"I did not cry!" Sirius protested.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Same difference. Anyway, Sally, meet Sirius, and Sirius meet Sally."

Sally narrowed her eyes at Sirius. "You're not lying? You really didn't murder all those people? Willow is easily manipulated, you know, and I'll have your head if you've been tricking her all this time."

"Why would I do that?" Sirius asked, horrified. "Willow's shown me nothing but kindness ever since I arrived at Hogwarts! Trust me, one of her magical creatures would have destroyed me and eaten me for dinner by now if I'd been lying."

Sally smiled. "Okay, now I believe you. Only Willow's close friends get to know about her magical creature army."

Willow clapped her hands. "There we go! Now that you're not going to arrest each other, I need you guys to do something for me. No, Sally, it's not exercise, you can stop looking at me like that." Willow wrung her hands. "You see...both of you seem to have a similar past, and both of you seem to be dealing with it in a very unproductive way. Sirius, you need to stop burying it. You may not like it, but you wear your heart on your sleeve, and not doing anything about it is not healthy."

Sirius scoffed. "This, coming from a hypocrite!"

"Sally, you need to stop pretending it never happened," Willow continued, causing Sirius to dramatically throw up his hands in defeat. "Covering up the past with a new persona doesn't work. You both need to talk it out, and if you actually try...I will tell you a little bit about what happened to me."

"Willow, Sam and I already told our story this month during our Sunday meetings," Sally reminded her. "Isn't that enough?"

"Sally. You spoke two words."

"Yeah...but...so did Cypress when he spoke in February."

"Sally, you realize Cypress has never had anything bad happen to him, right?" Willow chortled. "The worst thing that's ever happened to him is something I accidentally put him through, and that was nothing compared to the past you need to conquer."

Sally groaned. "You're incredibly annoying, you know that?"

"I share the sentiment most days," Sirius said, earning him a glare from Willow. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to share!"

"Good. You don't even have to go super in depth here, guys. Just go over the main points, talk it out, and force yourself to actually acknowledge what happened. If it hurts, say so. Get rid of any lingering emotion, or it's going to get so much worse. Got it?"

"Got it," Sally grumbled. She huffed. "I guess I'll start...my mum beat my twin brother and I all the time when we were younger. Most of the time, it was for nothing. She lost her mind after Dad died. Whenever she would even walk in the same room as me, she'd always be humming this tune, one that I've come to associate with pain and suffering. She never did it to Sam, only me, but she replaced the psychological torture with verbal abuse for Sam. Thanks to Willow, we survived. I still have to live with the fact that my 'mother' is out there, though, waiting to pounce on Sam and I again...she's relentless, and I don't know if we'll ever be free from her."

Sirius nodded. "I didn't have a twin brother, but my younger brother's name was Regulus. My mother always favored him over me, especially after I was sorted into Gryffindor, while he was sorted into Slytherin, the prized house of the Black family. I was one of the first Gryffindors in at least ten generations, if not more. My mum would often beat me for no reason at all, claiming it was for my tarnishing of the family name. I'll never forgive myself for allowing Regulus to get caught up in the pureblood mania they drilled into his head. I always assumed he would figure it out on his own, but...now I'll never know. Regulus is dead. He was executed by Voldemort despite being a Death Eater."

Sally sat bolt upright. "He was killed?"

Sirius sighed. "Yeah, he was. And I always hate myself for thinking this, but...I hold out the hope that somehow, someway, Regulus got himself killed because he realized how terrible he was becoming. It was his way of redemption. I don't know how, why, or what he did, but he had a sharp mind. I can only hope he used it for good in the end."

Willow's eyes watered from the amount of time she'd forgotten to blink. Her heart finally resumed beating when silence settled over the three. She'd guessed that Sirius had a troubled past from what he'd told her of his family; but his mother had beaten him? Sirius and Sally were more alike than Willow ever could have guessed. She cleared her throat to interrupt her own thoughts- as well as the quiet.

"Well...that went much better than I thought it would," she said. "That's really good for the first sharing. I think we'll stop there for today, unless you guys want to go on?"

"N-o," Sally booed.

"I'd prefer to curl up in my ball of self-pity again, thanks," Sirius said.

Willow gently slapped him. "I'll make you keep talking for hours if that's what you're going to revert back to."

"I'll just go back to brooding in silence, then."

Sally laughed. "I can see why you're a Gryffindor. You remind me a lot of Ron and Harry- all the drama, attitude, and straightforwardness, but you're still terrified of Willow."

Sirius's eyes twinkled. "I'm not surprised. Harry is definitely James's son. I haven't seen Harry since he was a baby...but based on what you've told me lately, he hasn't changed much. He's still moody and forgets to use his brain half the time."

Willow snorted. "I wish you could tell him that to his face. He might have the bravery to stand up to you."

"Are you calling me non-intimidating?" Sirius gasped.

"I think she's comparing you to a teddy bear, if you ask me," Sally chuckled.

Willow grinned. "That pretty much sums it up."

Sirius wagged his finger at her. "You better watch your back next time you run off to Hogsmeade, Willow! It's not my fault if a big black dog bowls you over in the middle of the trip!"

"Wait, what does that mean?" Sally squeaked.

Sirius transformed into a dog, then back into a human, smirking at Sally's astounded expression. He pretended to bow. "I'm an animagus. Yes, I know my form is beautiful, you need not say a word."

Sally clapped. "That's magnificent!"

Willow exasperatedly threw up her hands. "Wait a second, I can transform into any magical creature I want, plus hundreds of non-magical animals, and yet Sirius is the one to get a standing ovation?"

"I'm used to you, it's cool when someone else does it," Sally said, waving away Willow's comment.

Willow gave Sally a deadpan look. "Alright, I'm going up to the castle, since no one here cares about my emotional well-being. Don't come to my funeral when I die."

"Aw, woe is me," Sirius said, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"No, I'm saying that it's getting late, so if McGonagall catches me, I might literally die from the punishment," Willow chortled. She saluted Sirius. "See you later, knucklehead."

Sirius saluted her back. "Goodbye, smartarse." He quickly shook hands with Sally. "It was nice to meet you. Have Willow bring you down more often, will you?"

"Don't worry, I will, and one of these times we won't be stuck talking about feelings," Sally said, shuddering at the last word.

Willow groaned. "Merlin, I've spread a virus to you all...come on, Sally, I've skipped all my classes today, I have a boatload of homework to catch up on now."

Sirius beamed. "A Gryffindor after my own heart! Good luck with your work!"

"I'll need it..." Willow groaned.

She did not need luck to finish her homework, per usual. She simply BS'ed her way through it and called it a night. Sally declared her a smartarse out of spite.

For the rest of the week, Willow tied up all the loose ends she'd created on Monday. The issue with her Gryffindor Sisters was straightened out with no problem, Neville was feeling better within days, Sam and Sally were back on speaking terms and acting semi-normal, and Mandy was calmed down, though her unbidden metamorphs continued to occur. Willow checked in with her every day to see if the issue was getting any better. It wasn't. It was only getting worse.

The bulletin board announced that another Hogsmeade trip would be taking place that weekend. Willow invited all her friends to go with her, although she felt disgusting for going when Neville was left behind. She convinced herself that there was nothing she could do for the time being and moved on with life- which was necessary, considering how fast things were changing around her. Quidditch practices had increased once more, homework was being piled on with no end in sight, and with Ron and Hermione fighting every waking second, Willow had enough going on to distract her from her guilt. The only free time she had was either spent with her creatures in the secret room or in the Hufflepuff common room, chatting with Oliver and Cypress about random stuff. She may or may not have eaten half a cherry pie in place of breakfast on Thursday.

When Saturday morning finally came, Willow grabbed her friends and ran to the entrance hall, where Professor McGonagall was taking a head count. They managed to make it to Hogsmeade without losing anyone, then had free rein of the village. Willow's friends immediately got distracted by a choir performing in the street. Paige seized the opportunity per typical Paige fashion and stole Willow for the majority of the morning. The girls got butterbeer together, invaded Zonko's, and even visited the Shrieking Shack. Paige declared that she was tired (although that was her own fault for staying up far too late) and opted to sit on a bench outside the Hog's Head.

"Why are you always insistent on staying up until ungodly hours in the morning?" Willow chortled as Paige slouched in the bench, pretending to be dead.

"Why do you wake up at ungodly hours in the morning?" Paige countered.

"Touché. Still, at least I'm productive with getting up early. You waste the earliest morning hours doing nothing."

"That is false."

"Prove me wrong."

"If I say it's false, it's false."

"Paige, that's not how it works," Willow chuckled.

"Hm...how can I convince you that I'm telling the truth? Other than making you stay up with me," Paige added, rolling her eyes at the look on Willow's face. "I'm not that cruel."

"Are you, though?" Willow questioned, a teasing gleam in her brown eyes.

Paige gently slapped her, sitting up as she did so. "You're such a ray of sunshine, you know that?"

Willow tipped her head to the side, pretending to ponder Paige's statement. "Hm, I don't think I know that. Add that to the list of things you have to prove to me."

"Ugh, that's right up there with my burning passion for you," Paige sighed dramatically.

"More like burning hatred of my stupidity," Willow laughed.

"Nah, it's more of the other thing," Paige said lackadaisically, crossing one of her legs over Willow's. "I'm fairly certain about that one."

"You are, are you?" Willow said, raising her eyebrows. "Prove it to me."

Paige was practically in Willow's lap by this time. She wrapped her arms around Willow. The younger Gryffindor nearly lost herself in Paige's brown eyes before she yanked her own away, refusing to get caught staring. Paige smiled upon seeing that, which caused Willow's heart to fail for a moment. Willow couldn't help but notice how many butterflies were fluttering within her stomach. What was wrong with her? Why had she lost her confidence all of a sudden?

"Are you sure you want me to prove it?" Paige whispered.

Willow could feel the blood rush into her cheeks. Paige's lips were only inches from hers. "I don't know, to be honest."

Paige grinned mischievously. She pecked Willow on the cheek, then climbed off of the younger Gryffindor and onto the street. Paige offered a hand to Willow.

"Come on, I'll prove it to you later. We've got more chaos to cause today."

Willow blinked, fireworks still blossoming beneath her skin wherever Paige had been touching her. She abruptly stood up and brushed herself off, clearing her throat as she did so, hoping her mind would settle down soon. Willow ran after Paige, who was already several meters ahead. The older girl lightly shoved Willow and ran ahead, laughing as she did so. Willow beamed and took off after her. The twinkle within Paige's stunning brown eyes was picture-worthy. Capturing every detail of Paige's perfect face in her mind, Willow made a game out of chasing Paige between buildings, nearly running into several students on multiple occasions. Willow was having so much fun that she forgot to be sad for a little while.

Without warning, a shadow darted out in front of them. Willow was nearly bowled over by a massive animal. She flipped over the creature and landed hard on her back, much to the amusement of Paige. Willow shot a glare in her direction- which Paige promptly ignored- and slowly shifted into a crouching position. She was met with a panting dog standing less than a foot away, tail wagging when he made eye contact. Willow's heart leapt into her mouth.

"What- Sirius!" she hissed.

The shaggy black dog barked and spun in a circle. Willow glanced around, fear constricting her lungs. There were too many people around here! Sirius was going to get caught! Lunging for the scruff of his neck, Willow dragged the animagus into the nearest alleyway, Paige on her heels. Willow crossed her arms when the coast was clear.

"What did I tell you about coming here while I'm visiting?" she scolded. "You know you're too tempted to transform into yourself around me! It happens all the time back at the Power House, and that's on accident!"

In the blink of an eye, Sirius was standing before her in human form, dressed in nice robes. "Well, I'm sorry I couldn't make my point any clearer: I don't care. You're also forgetting that I warned you about this earlier in the week?"

"Sirius- turn back!" Willow whispered, shoving Sirius further out of view. "I'm not going to let some imbecile decide your soul is worth the galleons of rewards!"

"No," Sirius said defiantly, crossing his arms as well. "You've done much dumber things."

"I beg to differ!"

"I've been stuck in that house for weeks, Willow, and it's been months since I've been outside as a human instead of an animagus," he reminded her. "Come on, I'll be careful! Just cover my face and let me walk around the outskirts of town, at least!"

"NO!" Willow said.

"Uh, Willow?" Paige said, which caused the third year's lungs to rupture. "Have I got it right that you're talking to Sirius Black?"

"Um- no?" Paige shot her a deadpan expression. "Ugh, fine! Paige, meet Sirius Black, Sirius, Paige. He's not a mass murderer, get over it, be nice to each other."

"Wait, you're Paige?" Sirius asked, jaw dropping slightly. His expression broke into a giddy grin. "I've been wanting to meet you for ages! Willow talks about you all the time!"

"Wha- I do not!" Willow protested.

Paige smirked. "I'm not surprised. She's always talking about me to other people, too."

Sirius shook her hand, peering at Paige with a cautious expression. "Just to be clear, you're not about to turn me in, are you?"

Paige scoffed. "No way! Willow's friend Sally told me all about you- well, she was talking about you with Cypress and Oliver, and I just so happened to overhear. I don't eavesdrop. If anything, you're the opposite of a mass murderer in my eyes. You probably tried to prevent it and got slapped with the sentence, didn't you?"

Sirius shook his head enthusiastically. "I did!" He suddenly put his hands on his hips and turned to Willow. "Why didn't you introduce me to your girlfriend earlier? She's even more incredible than you say!"

Willow's eyes widened. "Wait- Paige isn't- we're not- "

Paige looped her arm through Willow's. "Come on, girlfriend, we've got sweet shops to raid. You might want to change to your animagus form, Sirius, it's quite busy where we're going.

Willow wanted to yell to the sky her frustrations, but she didn't want to further embarrass herself. She'd get Sirius later for this. Refusing to let Paige lead the way, Willow stepped a little ahead of her, leading them towards Honeydukes. Sirius trotted beside them the whole day, weaving in and out of the mess of students that had invaded Hogsmeade. He tried to nab a chocolate frog for them at one point, but Willow scolded him all the way back to the shelf. Paige thoroughly enjoyed the odd glances she received for walking with a massive dog that carried their gift bags for them. Willow had to admit she did, too, but she was preoccupied with making sure no one saw through Sirius's animagus.

Throughout the day, Willow's friend gravitated towards her. She, Paige, and Sirius were soon surrounded by no less than five Hogwarts students at any given time. Sally, Cypress, and Oliver continuously found ways to sneak Sirius some snacks and even a little butterbeer. By the end of the day, Sam, Mandy, Lisa, and Sue were also caught up on what was going on. They met in the closest alley to the Forbidden Forest at the end of the day. Sirius breathed a sigh of relief upon shifting into his regular human form once more. He was finally able to shake hands with all the new people he'd met along the way.

"It's nice to meet you all- Siriusly," he said, receiving multiple chuckles.

"Oh! I almost forgot, one of the witches at Honeydukes always gives me this special chocolate," Oliver said, pulling a gold-wrapped chunk of the sweet out of his pocket. "She used to be a Hufflepuff, so she tends to treat us really well. I figured you might like it?"

"Thank you!" Sirius exclaimed. He unwrapped a portion of the chocolate and ate a piece. "Oh. My. God. This is literally the best thing I've ever eaten."

Cypress ruffled Oliver's hair. "You're too nice to people."

Oliver shrugged. "I like making people smile."

Cypress was about to come back with some witty comment when an unfortunately familiar blonde appeared at the end of the alley. Willow instinctively stepped in front of Sirius as he transformed back into a dog, snatching his chocolate out of mid-air as she did so. The blonde froze, face going slack.

"Who was that?" he snapped.

"Who was what?" Willow shot back.

"That! The person standing behind you!" Draco said, exasperatedly gesturing behind her.

Willow glanced behind her, furrowing her eyebrows. "All I see are Mandy and Lisa. I thought you knew them by now. It's a shame. I make an effort to know your friends, and you can't even figure out how to politely ask my friends' names."

"I swear I saw a man!" Draco protested.

Willow let out a laugh. "Wow! And I thought I was having bad hallucinations! Siriusly, Draco, you should get a few more hours of sleep."

Draco's face darkened. "You're lying to me, and I know it! What's that dog doing behind you?"

Willow stepped aside. "It's yet another one of the creatures in my collection. Surely you know how attached I am to magical creatures?"

"Yes, I do, which is why I'm wondering why an experienced magical creature keeper would offer chocolate to a dog," Draco said smartly. He smirked at Willow's faltering expression. "You know it would kill them. So why are you feeding a dog chocolate, Willow?"

"I'm not feeding it chocolate, Draco, and there's no man here, so move on with your sorry life," Willow said. "We should get going, anyway. McGonagall's about to take a head count."

Draco glared at her. "I'm going to find out what's going on, Wisp, and you're going to regret the consequences."

"Wow, what a threat. I'm so scared.

"Piss off."

Draco stomped away, leaving Willow and her friends in relative safety once more. They all stared at her in fascination, as if she were some sort of famous person from the past. She looked at each one of her friends in confusion.

"Guys, what the heck? Why are you staring at me like I've sprouted another head?"

"Your relationship with Draco is the most complicated thing I've ever seen in my life," Mandy explained. "And I've solved a lot of complicated logic puzzles."

"Did he call you Wisp? You know, as in a nickname?" Lisa asked.

Willow groaned. "Yes, he did. We call each other nicknames- usually offensive- and we fight almost every time we see each other. I thought I cancelled our friendship, but apparently it has a lifetime guarantee. Stupid warranty."

Cypress laughed. "Never try to break off a friendship with a Slytherin. It doesn't end well for the friend."

"Clearly," Willow sighed. "Well, Sirius, we've got to leave you here. Thanks for putting up with staying as a dog all day- and carrying our bags. I'll bring you a ton of chocolate next time I visit."

Sirius barked, wagging his tail. Willow ruffled the excess fur on his head, then Sirius darted off, making a beeline for the Power House. Sam whistled and commented on his speed. Willow proudly explained more about Sirius's animagus as they gathered at the path leading back to Hogwarts. Just when she was about to tell a story about Sirius chasing down a wolf, Hermione came running to her, tears streaming down her face. Willow caught her as the curly-haired girl collapsed into her arms.

"Hermione- what happened?" she gasped.

"It's Hagrid!" she sobbed. "He lost the trial! Buckbeak's going to be executed!"

Willow's heart took an ax to itself.

On Monday, Willow couldn't bring herself to say a single word around Hagrid. She was too afraid of breaking down in front of everyone. Hagrid was understanding enough to allow Willow to hang out with Buckbeak during the whole Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Beaky seemed to sense her sadness. Normally hyperactive, he crooned softly upon seeing her, allowing Willow to approach him with only a half-hearted bow. She hugged him for the longest time, alone in the paddock. Buckbeak had to stay away from all the other hippogriffs now that he was on death row. Willow hated the unfairness of it all. She of all people knew what it was like to be forcibly isolated; the thought of an innocent magical creature suffering as she did made her stomach sick.

Willow sank to the ground next to an oak tree, staring up at the canopy of leaves. If she cried, it wouldn't help things. She couldn't cry. Beaky needed her to stay strong and put together a tough appeal. Although she knew, deep down, that the Committee for the Disposal of Magical Creatures was never going to listen to them, Willow felt as though she would lose her sanity if she didn't work on some sort of hopeful defense. Buckbeak curled up next to Willow and allowed her to stroke his feathers. She memorized their exact pattern, their perfect stormy gray hue, their downy-soft touch...how could they take this intelligent, sensitive, beautiful creature away?

Fidget peeped his head out of Willow's pocket. He chirped sadly and have her a tiny hug. Willow let out a half-hearted laugh, wondering how magical creatures instinctively knew what was going on with humans. Even her fire-dwelling salamander had poked his head out of his glass box, staring at her contemplatively. Willow wished she knew how to stop the trial verdict, but there was nothing she could do when Lucius Malfoy stood in the way. He'd tried to knock her down once, and she'd prevailed. Now, it was his turn to fire back, and he'd hit her where it hurt. Willow desperately wanted Lucius to march right up to Hogwarts and challenge her for a duel instead. Physical pain would be nothing compared to the crushing weight of Buckbeak's impending loss.

Fire surged through Willow's system. This was all Draco's fault! He'd done something stupid in an attempt to hurt Hagrid, but per usual, in the process, he hurt many more people than his intended target! He just had to go faking an injury, had to go crying to his stupid father, had to ruin her life whenever he possibly could! Willow's blood burned beneath her skin. She had no regrets about breaking off their friendship now. Draco was nothing but a vile, evil, waste of space. He was a virus to Willow's life, and she had finally gotten rid of him. Beaky perked his head up, as if sensing the surge of anger radiating from Willow.

"If only you were allowed to eat students, you'd solve a major problem for me," she muttered, stroking the hippogriff's beak. Beaky purred in response. "Yeah, it might even get you a little revenge. How many treats do you think it would be worth?"

At "treats," Fidget chirped and looked at Willow expectantly. She half-smiled, allowing Fidget to climb down her arm and onto her hand.

"Sorry, buddy, they're in the castle," she said. "I'll get them for you when I get a chance."

Fidget blew raspberries at her, then scrambled back up her arm, diving into her pocket once more. The fire-dwelling salamander happily greeted him with a flick of his tail. Fidget and his friend entertained themselves as Willow gazed around the paddock once more, her brief happiness quickly fading. Was her life ever going to allow her to live in peace?

She sighed, realizing the time. Slowly rising to her feet, Willow gave Buckbeak a quick hug goodbye, then shoved her hands in her pockets, holding back tears on her way out of the paddock. Hagrid was just finishing up his lesson when she got back. He began to march the students up to the castle a few minutes later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione surrounding him. Her heart crumbled even further at the sight of him blowing his nose in a handkerchief. Hagrid didn't deserve this much pain; why did the best people always get hurt the worst?

Speaking of the worst, Draco and his two goons were laughing and pointing at Hagrid, mocking the way he was wiping his nose. Willow's blood boiled with renewed rage. She was about to attack them when the most surprising thing she'd ever seen in her life took place. Willow's jaw dropped as Hermione marched towards them, raised her hand- and punched Draco in the face.

"What?!" Willow yelped.

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle immediately turned tail and fled as Ron and Harry tried to keep Hermione from attacking them again. They ducked inside the castle before they could get caught. Willow sprinted after them. Hermione was speed-walking away from the boys, face beet red. She finally caught up to the curly-haired menace outside of the Arithmancy classroom.

"Hermione, wait!" Willow panted, stopping in front of Hermione and gripping both of her shoulders. "Where did that come from?"

"That foal, loathsome, diabolical idiot got what he deserved!" Hermione raged. "I don't regret it one bit!"

"That was awesome! I mean, not to put you down or anything, but I never thought you had that in you. Now look at you, giving Malfoy a lasting reminder of his malevolence. I must be rubbing off on you- "

"-which is not a good thing- "

"-which isn't a good thing, of course," Willow repeated unconvincingly, "but paid off nonetheless. I'm proud of you, Hermione."

Hermione grinned evilly. "I'm proud of myself, too."

Willow patted Hermione's shoulder. "Wait until Lavender hears about this. She's going to think you're some secret boxing champion or something. Should I let that rumor spread?"

"Definitely."

Willow high-fived Hermione. "I'll see you in Charms. Don't forget."

"See you in an hou- five minutes," Hermione corrected.

Willow pretended to tip her hat to her Gryffindor Sister. "It's been a pleasure, m'lady."

Practically skipping all the way to charms, Willow joined her friends in producing Cheering Charms. She had to say, it was the weirdest sensation she'd ever felt. Willow wanted to describe it as artificial happiness, because although her worries were still there, she was giddy as all get out, constantly cracking jokes and laughing hysterically. The bubbliness began to ware off by the time lunch came around. Willow's thoughts were returned to her, and her immediate first thought was where Hermione had been the whole time. Instead of showing up as she'd promised, Hermione remained missing the entire class. Willow brushed it off as Hermione simply forgetting to attend. That happened every once in a while.

As it was, Hermione was present for divination later that afternoon, but it was the most interesting divination class Willow had ever attended. They began crystal gazing (which was not fun, as Willow saw nothing), and nearly everyone has having a hard time of it. For Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the hardest part seemed to be keeping a straight face. Willow was so distracted by their joking and laughter that she forgot what she was supposed to be looking for. At one point, however, when Professor Trelawney visited the trio's table, Hermione got into a bit of a row with the professor. She snapped that she was done and clambered down the ladder, much to the astonishment of everyone present. Willow wasn't surprised; Hermione hated that class. Dropping it meant one less hour of useless homework every night for the already-exhausted Gryffindor.

Unfortunately, that day of classes was the last fun day for weeks. Easter Holidays arrived much quicker than usual, but without their typical cheer. The third years were ready to tear their hair out with the amount of homework dumped on them. Willow had lost count of how many times she'd gone into her secret room just to chuck heavy objects at the wall. Griffin and Phoebe were great study buddies, however, and with their help, she finally got most of her Potions homework done- leaving several hours' worth of every other class. V and Patch had to help her by that point, and they never cuddled- unless a certain bilingual fourteen-year-old exploded into a useless rage only a Gryffindor was capable of.

Willow was almost happy for the Holidays to be over by Sunday. She went to the Sunday meeting with her friends to finish off her last assignment, then threw a miniature party in which she snuck in butterbeer for her out-of-house friends. Ravenclaw Tower had never been so lively yet so quiet at the same time. Padma even joined in (well, she was roped into the celebration courtesy of Willow), and they had a grand old time of venting all their frustrations from the past week. Eventually, lunch rolled around, and they all traveled to the Great Hall together, laughing and giggling and being all-around slap-happy because of their lack of sleep. They ate a ridiculous amount of food (including Lisa, as Willow gratefully noted) and Professor McGonagall almost docked points for being too loud. Willow made sure they kept it to a whisper after that.

George, Neville, and the Smith twins decided that now was an ample opportunity for relaxing time, so Willow led the way back to Gryffindor common room, positively beaming to herself. She was finally free from the burden of homework! Now she could spend some quality time with her friends and magical creatures, catch up on some writing, maybe even get out onto the grounds to play some soccer...the possibilities were endless! And with quidditch practices ramping up leading into this Saturday's quidditch final (the thought of its close proximity made Willow's stomach flip), she needed to use today to wind down.

Of course, per usual in Willow's world, relaxation was not permitted.

"Ah yes, and here we witness the idiot Gryffindor marching her weird friends down the hallway," a voice drawled behind them.

Willow froze. The scuff of her friends' rapidly halting feet grated against her eardrums. She turned around, gritting her teeth when she matched the annoyingly familiar voice to the person. Willow parted her friends to stand in front of them, glaring daggers at her former friend.

"Says the one obsessed with ruining others' lives," she retorted. "I'm pretty sure you're the weird one here."

"Ouch. Is the name calling really necessary?" Draco drawled.

"Is it necessary to make every meeting between us a spectacle?"

Draco dropped his persona. "Okay, there's no need to be rude back. What did I ever do to you?"

George exasperatedly chortled, running a hand through his hair and walking a few paces away. Willow ignored his reaction. She couldn't let him get involved in this too.

"It's long list, Draco," Willow said calmly. "In fact, it's so long that I ran out of ink trying to write it all down. You're a bully, and you're a coward; and you know it. Quit hiding behind your brainless goons. Stop targeting me when you know my friends are around to hold me back. What do you want from me?"

Draco appeared taken aback. "I don't want anything from you! All you ever do is make my life miserable!"

Willow scoffed. "I make your life miserable? You're the one that decided to try and get a dear friend of mine fired, then got his magical creature sentenced to death in the process! What kind of heartless bastard does that?"

"The hippogriff was useless," Draco muttered. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Willow's livid expression; he hadn't expected her to hear that.

"Congratulations, Draco," Willow whispered in a deadly quiet. "You've won biggest douche of the year award. Now I understand why Hermione gave you a wonderful bruise. You have to be the world's biggest douchebag to set her off like that. I bet you went crying to your precious father about a Muggleborn slugging you in the face, too. How is your face, by the way? Is it ready for another beating? Because I'd love to initiate round two."

The blood flooded Draco's cheeks. "I'd like to see you try."

Neville and the Smith twins tensed behind Willow. Even George stopped pacing for a moment. Willow narrowed her eyes at Draco.

"Never dare a Gryffindor into something you don't want to happen," she breathed.

Without giving him a chance to think, Willow sprinted forward, and in two bounds she had reached the Slytherin group. She raised her fist and brought it down on Draco's cheekbone with a satisfying crack! that sent him to the ground. Crabbe and Goyle reluctantly stepped forward, but at a glare from Willow, they opted to back down. Draco scrambled to his feet, robe askew, hair a mess, and blood trickling down his cheek. A maddened gleam sparked within his eyes. Lightning flashed in his stormy grey irises. Draco attacked Willow, and seconds later, it was an all-out brawl. They scratched, clawed, and punched at each other, drawing blood, tearing hair, and bruising bones. Willow's heart thumped in time with the adrenaline rushing through her system. Every ounce of hate, every second of grief, every sleepless night she'd ever spent regretting her meeting Draco- it all gushed out in that very moment. She didn't feel the pain. She didn't feel the exhaustion. All she could feel was her body relieving itself of the abuse she'd suffered for three long years.

Yelling and hollering alerted Willow to the fighting occurring between Crabbe, Goyle, and her friends. She ducked to avoid a swing from Draco, then darted to the spot where Crabbe was overpowering Sam. She sent the burly Slytherin to the ground with a powerful swipe of her leg, then shoved Sally and Sam backwards, urging Neville to stay away from George from Goyle.

"Don't get yourselves in trouble because of me!" she warned. "Go get Professor McGonagall!"

Sam begrudgingly nodded, restraining both himself and his sister from reentering the fighting. Neville fled with the Smith twins, down the corridor and out of sight. While Willow was paying attention to her friends, a stinging blow to the base of her skull sent her head into a fuzz. She fell to her knees. Willow had hardly turned around when another struck her face, then another, then another. She shouted and kicked Draco off of her. A shallow grunt told her that he'd fallen into the wall. Willow rubbed her eyes to clear her vision and shot to her feet, holding her arms in front of her face. Draco shakily rose to his feet in front of her, smearing his bloody nose on his sleeve.

"You're a maniac, Wisp!" Draco seethed. "All you ever do is punch your way through life!"

"And I'd say it's working pretty well so far!" Willow shot back. "Tell me, when's the last time cowering behind two blubbering idiots got you very far in life?"

Draco's face contorted, and he charged her again. Willow easily sidestepped, then kneed him in the gut, bruising his ribs with his own momentum. Draco lashed out at her and landed a minor scratch on her shoulder, but Willow finally found her opportunity. She grabbed Draco's arm, locked it into place, then whipped her legs out to unbalance him. As he tumbled to the ground, she wrapped her legs around his middle, securing him in a defenseless position. He struggled to free himself, but Willow only gripped harder, slowly hyperextending Draco's elbow. He cried out in pain and stopped fighting.

"Fine! I give up!" he relented. "I give up, Wisp, I give up!"

"No such thing," Willow growled. "Are you going to finish yourself off, or do I have to do the honors?"

"What- Wisp, you're talking like serial killer!" Draco pleaded.

"You know, after all that time of faking an injury, how about I give you a real one to go crying to Lucius about?" Willow said. "An eye for an eye, Draco. Getting Hagrid's hippogriff condemned to death deserves at least a broken arm, right?"

"No! Please don't, no!" Draco cried out, struggling to release Willow's grasp once more. "Please don't break my arm!"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't- "

Before she could finish her sentence, a crushing blow crumpled Willow's ribcage. She shrieked and rolled over, releasing Draco in the process. Waves of agony coursed over her body, shutting down her muscles, crippling normal functions. Willow forced back sobs. Her ribs felt like they were stabbing her own insides as she rose to her feet, but she did so anyway. Blood dripped into her eyes and tinted her vision red. Through the hazy screen of burning pain, she saw George slam his elbow into Crabbe's temple only a few feet away. Crabbe crumpled to the floor. Goyle was passed out nearby. That only left one more opponent...but where was Draco?

In answer to her question, a foot missed her face by inches. Willow instinctively leapt backwards. Her middle exploded into pain once more, sending her to her knees. Draco advanced on her immediately. He threw a punch at her, which Willow dodged, but another wave of agony coursed through her system, threatening to shut it down. She incidentally collapsed to the stone-cold floor, which would have been comforting had Draco not rained down blows after that. Willow laid there and feebly attempted to block his punches, but it was no use. Draco finally had the upper hand. Willow waited for unconsciousness to take over with the utmost impatience...

But it never came.

Without warning, George flew in, throwing Draco off of Willow. The redhead's face matched his scarlet hair as he beat the living crap out of Draco. The Slytherin fell mercy to countless hits, kicks, and slaps, each one fueled even more so by pure hatred. Draco cried out for mercy, begged for it, even, but George wouldn't stop. Willow's heart faltered. She scrambled towards the pair, half crawling, half running, until she slipped right in between them. George wound up for another hit just as Willow blocked his trajectory.

"Move!" he demanded.

"No, you need to stop!" Willow said.

George's eyes burned with an inextinguishable fire. "And let this douche get away with this?"

"No, I'm trying- !"

Willow gasped as another wave of agony gripped her. Draco threw her off of him as he attempted to attack George once more. There was more carnage, more hissing and spitting, more bloodshed- and George had cornered Draco once again. Draco was now curled up in a fetal position, barely protected his head. Willow cried out, but not because her ribs hurt- her heart was physically throbbing. She had started this! She had to end this, and now.

Picking up a fallen piece of knight's armor, Willow took aim, apologizing internally. Sitting up, she whipped her arm back, then thrust it forward, sending the heavy metal directly towards its target- and crippling George with a single blow. The older boy fell to the floor in a heap, completely unconscious.

Willow collapsed onto her back, coughing. Her chest rose and fell heavily. Turning her head to the side, she saw a pair of dark, storming grey eyes, glaring right back. Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

"I- hate- you," Draco panted.

"Be grateful I went easy on you," Willow spat.

As Professor McGonagall arrived on the scene, Draco and Willow quickly lost consciousness, and the world turned pitch black.

"-50 points each, they're lucky I'm not deducting more- "

"Minerva, if you could wait just one moment- "

"They need to receive their punishment before classes tomorrow! Poppy, they could have killed each other!"

"Minerva, they obviously have some explaining to do, but your shouting is not helping them rest. Please, leave them to heal until Tuesday, then you can punish them as necessary."

"Fine. I'll leave you to it, then. Make sure they don't leave their beds. Watch Miss Guerrero in particular; she's slipped through your fingers far too many times."

"They won't be any trouble at all. Good night, Minerva."

Willow heard the door shut, then an exasperated sigh from Madam Pomfrey. The witch quietly bustled around the room, filling up silver water jugs, covering some children with extra blankets, and readministering potions to certain patients. Willow's eyes fluttered open only to be met with near total darkness. Madam Pomfrey's outline was only visible because of the trickle of moonlight filtering through the hospital wing's enormous windows. Willow waited for Pomfrey to return to her quarters, then immediately threw off her sheets, trying to cool off her sweating face. She contemplated walking back to Gryffindor Tower, but bit her lip as McGonagall's comment nailed her once more.

I guess I can actually...stay here...for one night...Willow thought.

She sat up in bed, her stomach heavy and unsettlingly queasy from the movement. Willow placed both feet on the floor, then recoiled, its icy touch shocking her skin. She realized she was barefoot. When had someone taken her shoes? Also...why did someone change her into different clothing? Willow's skin crawled at the thought of even kind-hearted Madam Pomfrey invading her privacy like that. Her mind was racing so fast that she automatically stood up and walked across the room. Willow didn't even recognize her pacing until her soreness caught up to her. Like a slap in the face, her ribs suddenly ached, and she fell to the floor, accidentally banging her knee on the hard surface. Willow groaned and rolled onto her back, both her lower and upper body throbbing now. At least the chilly stone absorbed some of her heat, numbing her ribs a bit. Willow was just beginning to contemplate falling asleep there when someone else woke up.

"What are you doing down there?" Draco hissed.

"I don't know, why is the ocean blue?" Willow shot back.

Draco rolled his eyes. "You know, admittedly, you're pretty smart for a Gryffindor, but you're more of a smartarse than anything. The oceans's blue because it reflects the sky."

"I knew that," Willow muttered. "I was testing your intelligence."

"No you weren't."

"Actually, I was."

"No, you weren't."

"Yes, I was!"

"Draco, shut it!" George snapped, barely keeping his voice a whisper. He propped himself up in the bed next to Draco's. "If you don't have anything nice to say, shut up!"

Draco scoffed. "Like I'm going to listen to a Weasley like yourself!"

"Guys! Both of you, shut it, or Madam Pomfrey's going to go ballistic!" Willow whispered. "Draco, we'll sort this out later! For now, George, you went way too far!"

"What? You literally started a fist fight! How could I go too far?" George complained.

"You kicked Draco's arse far before I had to knock you out with a metal gauntlet. There was no need to prove yourself further."

"That's what that was? Man, all these weapons just sitting around Hogwarts, and Fred and I never knew about it..."

"George! My point is you don't need to defend me."

"That's literally one of the points of my existence!" George said.

Draco furrowed his brow, staring between the feuding Gryffindors. "Wait a second, why do you have to defend Wisp? Are you two, like...dating? Or...what's the relationship here? You're sending me mixed signals."

"What? No, we're friends- "

"-I mean, I've fancied Willow for a while- "

"-but we're not dating, or anything like that- "

"-we're great friends, that's all."

Draco sat back. "Wow. You really need to sort that out." Willow's cheeks reddened. "Anyway...why the hell did you try to kill me, Wisp? That was totally uncalled for."

"You've been the biggest douche in the world lately!" Willow exploded, embarrassment morphing into anger with the flip of a switch. "You have no heart! Buckbeak is going to die, and it's all your fault- "

"Whoa, wait! I didn't intend for the hippogriff to die, I just wanted to get Hagrid fired!" Draco protested. "Unfortunately for Buckbeak, he got caught up in it, and now the hippogriff is going to die, but Hagrid's staying as a staff member. None of it worked!"

"So you're letting the verdict run it's coarse, then, without batting an eye," Willow observed.

"No! I mean- actually, yeah," Draco said.

Willow painfully sat up. "If my ribs weren't shattered into six pieces right now, you'd be dead already, Blondie."

"Hey, you're not the toughest one anymore," Draco pointed out, crossing his arms and smirking. "I won that fight- you know, before Weasley here came and attempted to bash my brains out. Merlin, where did that come from?"

"First off, anyone is capable of doing damage to another human being, as long as they're mad," Willow interjected. "Second off- and most importantly- I won that fight. You couldn't finish what you started, and you had the most bruises, so therefore I win."

"That's not how this works, Wisp."

"It works how I say it does, Blondie."

"What the hell...?" George trailed off. "What- what is with the nicknames? I've never heard you use them before. Is that like...a pet name thing? Or...what the heck is it?"

"It's complicated," Willow and Draco chorused.

George raised his eyebrows. "O-k-a-y, that totally makes it less weird."

Willow groaned, laying back down on the floor. "It doesn't make sense. None of this makes any sense! I'm having a conversation with someone who doesn't even care about my well-being and another person that I apparently have a confusing relationship with. It's maddening! Can we all agree to shut up and go to sleep now?"

"Yes, goodnight," George replied, promptly rolling over and covering himself with blankets.

"Absolutely not," Draco said.

Willow flipped him off. "I hate you. What else is there to talk about?"

"The fact that you're being extremely bipolar and confusing."

"That's a statement of fact, not a discussion question."

"Wisp, why the hell are you shutting me out? What am I doing wrong?" Draco snapped.

"If you can't figure it out by now, then it's a little late, Blondie," Willow huffed.

Draco glowered at her. "You know, it's kind of hard to figure things out when you're being told two extremely different things, Wisp. A little explanation might be helpful."

"I don't owe you anything," Willow mumbled.

"Fine. We'll talk in the morning."

"Fine."

Silence ensued, in which Willow tried to agonizingly fill with thoughts other than those about how much Draco had changed. In the end, she had to stare out the window and count the stars to settle her mind down. Her eyes naturally found a familiar constellation. Heart throbbing, she purposely turned on her side to give her mind a different stimulus. Even the pain of her broken ribs couldn't drown out the memory, however, and Willow felt tears prick her eyes.

Why is it that every time I need you the most, you seem so far away? she screamed into space.

Her only answer was soft snoring.


	55. Year 3: Chapter 13

Willow was gone far before the sun even rose. The light grey of dawn found her in the Forbidden Forest, chasing down a crazy griffin. She transformed from flying creature to flying creature faster than one could blink, gritting her teeth when exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her. Willow welcomed the burning in her lungs. She cherished the cool night air searing the back of her throat. Thoughts of Draco and her past had long been extinguished by the cooling rain, only remaining as wispy memories tickling the back of her mind. Her mood improved begrudgingly slow, and she was still livid by the time she caught up to Griffin.

"Caught you," she muttered, hitting the ground as a human once more.

Griffin swiped her with his wing, clicking disapprovingly. Willow shoved him a little harder than usual.

"Back off, boy," she said.

Griffin squawked, stamping his feet. He nudged Willow with his beak. She pushed him away once more, which resulted in Griffin attempting to smother her. Willow groaned and rolled him off of her.

"Griffin, stop it, I'm fine," she said, starting towards the mountains at a trot. "Let's go find Daisy. You haven't played with her in a while."

Griffin chirped approvingly at the mention of Daisy. He took flight as Willow shape-shifted into a Common Welsh Green, the prickliness of scales further irritating her. She could feel her powers rebelling against her as she glided through the air. Despite the crisp, biting wind against her face, she was struggling to stay awake. Willow had been using her powers since the early hours of the morning, unable to take the pain of waiting for sleep to end the storm in her head. Her powers were screaming at her to rest, but she refused. Willow's form flickered several times before she crash-landed onto Daisy's plateau. She haphazardly brushed the gravel off her grazed forearms as Griffin (purposely) landed perfectly beside her.

"Yeah, you're a pretty boy, everyone knows it," Willow said, patting his beak. "Go find Daisy, will you?"

Griffin spread his wings and let out a screech. The shock of sound reverberated off the mountainside, collapsing a section of rock nearby. Willow backpedaled just in time to avoid a sizable boulder. She raised her eyebrows at Griffin, who froze.

"You did this," she said.

Griffin took a tentative step backwards, drawing his wing over his face. Willow half-smiled, ruffling Griffin's feathers. He playfully tossed his head and stuck out his chest. Griffin cast a glance sideways at Willow, as if asking her how he looked. Her heart swelled with pride at the sight of this majestic creature showing his goofy personality. Whenever she was down, she could always count on her creatures to lift her up. How did she get so lucky?

"I have no idea what I did to deserve you, but thanks," Willow whispered.

A deep chuff echoed across the plateau. Griffin clambered over the slippery surface, haring towards one of his best friends in the whole wide world. Willow turned around to witness Griffin and Daisy tackle each other, landing in a heap. They rolled around in a short match of play-fighting, then suddenly paused, springing to their feet. Griffin chirped and clicked, and Daisy responded with growls and snorts. Willow couldn't help but chuckle at their methods of communicating with one another. Daisy snuffled through Griffin's wings, sorting through all the new smells he'd picked up. Griffin did the same- except with ten times the rambunctiousness, per usual. Satisfied that they'd sniffed every smell, the pair resumed talking to each other and play-fighting. Warm, fuzzy feelings spread through Willow's body from head to toe. Watching creatures interact was very endearing to witness.

Without warning, Daisy froze. She groaned a question to Griffin, who chirped in reply. They both turned towards Willow. She barely got a second to process the scene before Daisy suddenly barreled towards her. Willow was slammed into by the massive weight of the graphorn. She coughed as Daisy loomed over her, the graphorn panting slightly.

"What- was that- for?" she wheezed.

Daisy put a massive foot on Willow's chest, snorting and shaking her head. Willow laugh-coughed. The graphorn stared her down, the depths of her black-brown eyes appearing more menacing than usual. Willow wondered for a moment whether Daisy was mad at her. She hadn't visited the magical creature in a while, as Hagrid had been spoiling the creature in his free time to take his mind off of Buckbeak's situation. Was Daisy giving payback?

Then, Daisy licked her face with a slimy tongue, and collapsed onto Willow, smashing her under the bulk of the creature. Willow's muffled pleas for the graphorn to get off spurred much amusement from the creature. Daisy rolled around a bit, then finally stood up, leaving Willow half-stuck to the compressed rock.

"Ouch," she rasped.

Daisy chuffed rapidly, almost as if she were laughing. Willow stared at her.

"Did Griffin tell you to do that? Of course he did." Willow peered over her shoulder at her baby griffin, who was struggling to hold in his hilarity. "You're terrible, you know that?"

Griffin refused to acknowledge her, instead opting to play with Daisy. Willow shook her head. Leave it to her creatures to conspire to make her feel better. She had to admit, though, it mostly worked. Daisy had compressed her so much that she managed to squeeze most of the negativity out of her brain. Willow's spirits lifted in time with the rising of the sun, which cast a welcoming glow about the rim of the mountains. She closed her eyes and absorbed the warmth of the sun's rays. Things did get better every once in a while, she reminded herself. If this was her brief respite from the darkness of her life, then she was going to enjoy it to the max.

Unfortunately, it was the definition of brief. Her watch alarm went off, shrieking that eight o'clock had arrived. Willow groaned; she wasn't exactly looking forward to the coming day. Grabbing Griffin, they said goodbye to Daisy, then flew back to the secret room in Gryffindor Tower. Willow snuck into the common room, then made her way to the portrait hole. The halls were empty during her march to breakfast. No one noticed her creeping about- or so she thought.

"Sneaking around the castle again, are you? I figured as much."

Willow whipped around. "Draco! I- uh- I was just- I needed- some air?"

Draco rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Please. You lie worse than a Hufflepuff. I know you escaped again, and Madam Pomfrey's pissed off. She's liable to tie you down next time."

Willow shrugged. "Let her. She'll never get a hold of me with my shape-shifting. Besides, I have a wonderful arsenal of a graphorn, a demiguise, and a griffin to guard me. Daisy was very playful this morning."

Draco's nostrils flared. "Wisp, what the hell is wrong with you? First, you're being reckless, then you're being horrible to me. What the heck happened to you this summer?"

"Nothing. It's all in the past, actually," Willow said, turning on her heel and walking away. "And why should you care? You've never given a damn about my well being before now."

"I'm trying to figure out what went wrong, Wisp!"

Willow came to a dead stop. Her feet scuffed the floor. "What did you say?"

"I- I'm trying to figure out what went wrong."

Willow slowly turned around. Draco was staring at her, grey irises storming, but in an odd sort of way. There was definitely a lightning storm radiating rage, but there was something else, something...struggling its way to the surface. Willow looked away, face burning.

"You want to know what went wrong, Draco?" she asked, voice deadly soft. Draco intently gazed at her. "I gave you my trust, I gave you second, third, and fourth chances, I gave you compassion, I gave you understanding, I gave you- everything!" Willow locked eyes with him now, panting slightly. "And you threw it all away. You took everything for granted- and I don't know how I can forgive you another time."

Willow made for the Great Hall again, but Draco called after her.

"Wait- Wisp- I don't understand- "

Willow whipped around, her hand shooting out into Draco's chest, halting his progress. "If you don't understand, then figure it out. You know what you've done. When you decide to actually try, I'll think about letting you back into my life."

Willow turned on her heel and speed-walked away. This time, Draco didn't follow.

"I'm going to throw up. I'm literally going to throw up."

"Quit making excuses. I've seen you eat ten times that for breakfast."

Willow shot George a glare. "You eat, then."

"No way! It would be the same result as you!"

"You're a freaking hypocrite."

"So are you."

Willow groaned. She poked her breakfast rolls, finding them just as unappetizing as before. She leaned back against the wall of the pranking hideout and turned to watch the dawn break over the Forbidden Forest. "George, I swear to God, I'm going to knock you off your broom one of these days, and I'm catching it on camera. Leave my self-destructive tendencies to me and eat your food."

"Gryffindors never do what they're told."

"Then don't eat your food."

George rolled his eyes. "Reverse psychology? Really?"

"Hey, I use it on myself to do homework every day. You should try it some time." Willow swung her legs from the balcony. "How much trouble do you reckon I'd get in if I set Draco's broom on fire?"

"None, considering McGonagall would give her soul for Gryffindor to win for once. Why? What did he say this time?"

"Nothing, actually," Willow said, half-heartedly nibbling on a piece of toast.

George whistled. "Wow. That's uncharacteristic for him. What do you think he's planning? Something to embarrass you in front of the whole school?"

"Whatever it is, it won't work, because now he knows that I have a friendly graphorn at my command. Draco hasn't forgotten Buckbeak's sharp claws in a hurry, either, and I've reminded him that the hippogriff is still on my side."

"Are you planning on taking over the world with an army of magical creatures?" George chortled.

"Maybe. Would you care to join?"

"Hm, it depends whether I get full pranking privileges."

"Just for that, I'm going to ban pranking."

George looked at her, appalled. "That's ridiculous! You would put me in jail for having a bit of fun? Fred would drop dead from heartbreak!"

"Nothing is illegal if you don't get caught, duh," Willow said, jabbing him in the side. "You'd be my only source of entertainment. Everyone else would be too terrified to break the law with my magical creatures watching."

"Are you calling me brave?"

"That all depends; if you're taking it as a compliment, absolutely not."

"I won't take it as a compliment, then."

Willow rolled her eyes to the heavens. "You're impossible. Fine, I did call you brave. Happy now?"

"Yes."

Willow stared out at the Hogwarts grounds. The sun had fully risen by this time, casting a heavenly glow about the canopy of the Forbidden Forest. The thestrals were already playing above the treetops, darting every which way through the sky. Willow loved the way they brightened in the light of the sun. It was a lovely reminder that death didn't always remain dark and dreary; life finds new light to fray the darkness. Willow really wished that reminder would hit home, but it couldn't penetrate the veil she'd drawn over her heart. That certain memory she'd been dredging up all week attacked her mind once more, threatening to overwhelm her. Willow's smile faded despite the sunbeams brightening her complexion.

"Uh oh. Frowns on match days are supposedly unlucky," George said.

Willow shrugged. "I'm an unlucky person. It's a good thing I'm an alternate."

"You won't ever escape that position with an attitude like that."

Willow sighed. "I'm fine."

"Rubbish. Don't make me insult you until you tell the truth."

Willow furrowed her brow. "How does that...? You know what, I'm not going to ask." She exhaled, creating a current of mist. Willow followed it with her eyes until it dispersed into the cool morning air. "I'm just...dealing with a lot this year."

"Willow, anyone with eyes can see that."

"Shut up," Willow said, gently slapping him. "Anyway, there's been a lot going on with my family, and my friends are a complete mess...I don't know how to fix it all."

"Who said you had to fix everyone's problems?"

"Me." George gave her a deadpan look. "Honestly, I can't find any other role for myself in the world. It's a mess out there, and I don't want anyone to have to go through what I did. If I take on everyone's problems for them, then only I have to suffer, and I can be happy seeing everyone else be happy around me."

"Willow, that is the dumbest logic on earth."

"Says the one that can't get into the Ravenclaw common room."

"Ouch!" George said, feigning a wound. "You didn't have to put a bullet through my heart!"

Willow half-smiled. "Look, I'm sorry, but that's how I see things. I'm already hurt beyond repair. If I ever get close to piecing myself back together, someone takes a hammer to me again. I'd rather stay in my arena of weighty problems and spare everyone else the pain. I know, I know, I don't have to, but I want to. I don't want this prophecy to hurt anyone except me." Willow stared at her hands, which glowed faintly at the mention of the prophecy. "These powers...they're a curse. I love them, and I want to harness them, but they're dangerous. I've made good progress at getting rid of the unnecessary components of them, but they still have a mind of their own. If I do one thing in my life, I want it to be saving all of you from myself- and getting rid of this curse for all future generations."

George's eyes widened. "Do you mean...?"

"What? Oh, no, I'm not killing myself the moment the prophecy is complete, that's dumb," Willow said. "You don't have to worry about that. All you have to worry about is me lashing out."

"As if you'd do that to us."

"George, I already have. Did you not notice how badly that ended?"

"Okay, that was my fault, first off, and second off, you have an wide range of places to let off steam now," he pointed out. "Besides, we're all aware of the risk we run, surrounding ourselves with Gryffindors."

Willow let out a half-hearted chuckle. "You do have a point."

George was silent a moment. "You said something earlier about not wanting anyone else to go through what you did. If you don't mind my asking...what did you go through, exactly?"

Willow's heart paused. "You already know that my mum ripped my family apart."

"Yeah, but...you know, I'm not that emotionally intelligent, but even I can tell something happened that was much worse than that. What was it?"

The memories pressed against the floodgates with renewed force. Willow shook her head, tucking her knees to her chest. "Nothing, really. It was a long time ago."

"It doesn't seem like nothing."

Willow bit her lip. "Yeah, well, it seems like a whole lot of nothing now, because he's gone."

George shot her a concerned look. "Who's gone?"

Willow pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling. "George...I lost someone really important to me. That's all I can say to you. I lost him a long time ago, so it's really okay..."

Willow buried her face in her knees. Of course it wasn't okay. She was only saying that to convince herself that she was. Willow squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the tears away. She couldn't cry in front of George! There was no reason! The past was in the past...he was long gone now...there was no bringing him back...why should she waste her tears?

Warmth suddenly enclosed her hand. Willow looked up to see George holding it. Her heart skipped a beat. She hated being coddled...but was George really doing that? Was he not simply supporting her when she was struggling? Willow's mind raced with a thousand questions per second, each more confusing than the next.

George fished something out of his pocket, cheeks noticeably scarlet. "I- I was going to wait to give this to you, but...you could really use it right now."

Willow watched as George tossed a walnut-sized sphere into the air. It instantly expanded into a tent, shrouding both of them in complete darkness. George whispered, "Lumos Maxima," producing an intense light. Willow shielded her eyes from the harsh glare as he tossed it upwards. The moment the light touched the tent, it exploded into a thousand shimmering stars, creating a map of the cosmos- and from the looks of it, true to real life. Willow reached out and touched the starry expanse, hardly able to believe her eyes.

"George, what- ? I thought you and Fred slacked off in astronomy!" she gasped.

George shrugged. "We did, but after you destroyed your map last year, I decided to replace it with something better. Professor Sinistra spent far too many hours putting up with my stupidity to help make this."

Willow marveled at the immense detail poured onto the ceiling. When she touched the map's constellations, a line connected the stars to create the figures in the sky. Boxes with information popped up next to them, written in painstakingly beautiful calligraphy. Willow couldn't help but laugh, running her fingers against the fabric to enlarge every constellation she could find.

"This...is literally the best gift anyone has given me," she whispered.

"Of course it is, I made it," George scoffed.

Willow turned. "Don't you mean 'we' made it? You know, Fred and you?"

George's sheepish smile was highlighted by the reflection of the stars. "Not exactly...this is the one project I did myself. I guess Professor Sinistra added all the knowledge to it, but I did all the charm work."

Willow sat down cross-legged beside George. "You're serious? How long did it take you to put this together?"

"You don't want to know," George chuckled.

Willow paused for a moment, then tackled him in a hug. She accidentally knocked him into the edge of the tent, which caused it to seal itself up. Willow threw it off at the last second, but George wasn't so lucky, getting stuck inside. Willow laughed as he fought with it for a good two minutes before he managed to reverse the spells. It finally fell into his hand as a small sphere.

"Sorry about that, I haven't gotten the chance to charm it against that effect," George said, brushing himself off. He handed the glowing blue sphere to Willow. "Here, keep it safe. You wouldn't want anyone else using your cheat sheet."

"Oh God no," Willow chortled, tucking it safely away in her deepest robe pocket.

"So...are you no longer sad?"

Willow stared at George for a moment. Just when it began to get awkward, she shot out her leg, sending George tumbling to the ground. He landed flat on his back, knocking the air out of his lungs. Willow burst out laughing at his frozen form.

"Now I am!" she howled.

George struck back, sending Willow to the ground as well. She landed hard on her elbow. Wincing in pain, she gently slapped George.

"Rude."

"You're the one that started it!"

Willow rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to finish it."

"Tell that to any Gryffindor ever and let me know how they respond."

Willow smiled. She suddenly realized how close she was to George. They were both laying on the floor of the secret hideout, inches apart. Willow also noticed the way the sun reflected off the both of them. Her hair that had fallen into her vision was blazing as brightly crimson as George's. His eyes sparkled in the sun like a thousand hours of laughter had condensed themselves into a single twinkle. They caught each other staring and blushed deeply. Neither one moved a muscle, however, both trapped in the moment. Willow's mind vaguely registered the raging electrical signals coursing through her body. What were her emotions doing? Was the same thing happening to George?

George spared her the wondering by suddenly rising to his feet. "Well! We've- uh- got a match to tackle- should probably get down to the locker rooms soon- Wood'll be wondering where we are- "

"Uh- right!" Willow cleared her throat. "Thank you for the gift, by the way. It'll help me much more than you know."

"You're welcome," George said, his eyes lingering on Willow's face a moment longer. He quickly diverted them. "Let's get going, then."

Willow followed him down the ladder and through the castle. For some reason, slight disappointment leadened her step. Willow couldn't figure out why. George was the one that fancied her; if he'd wanted to make a move, he would have asked. She was simply George's friend. Besides, intimacy wasn't her thing...he knew that. So why did she feel like she'd left that hideout empty-handed? She didn't...fancy, George, did she? Wasn't she supposed to fancy only one person at a time?

How disgusting, you're in love, Cebba remarked.

What- Cebba, stop it! I'm not in love, Willow protested.

You have no idea how many thoughts never penetrate that thick skull of yours. I, unfortunately, get to hear them 24/7, and it's sickening. I could write a book with the amount of drama up here.

Cebba! Shut it! You're not helping matters!

Oh, yeah, don't die during the match today, Cebba said offhandedly. Quidditch finals are usually the time for people to get hurt.

Your lack of faith in my teammates is disturbing.

Your inability to figure out your own emotions is exhausting.

Touché. Well, try your best to ignore my brain for the next few hours, because I get emotionally invested in quidditch matches. It's a wreck up there. Try to have a good morning, Cebba.

I hate you sometimes.

Willow and George reached the quidditch locker rooms. The rest of the team was already there and just beginning to change into their quidditch robes. Willow threw on her beloved scarlet and gold colours amid a chaotically charged atmosphere. The energy passing through the room spread like wildfire; one moment, it was anxiety; the next, a wave of conviction overtook the team. Willow tried to slow her spiking heart rate, but eventually gave up. The weight of the game was already bearing down on her. They had to win today, or the whole season would have been for nothing. Even though she knew she wasn’t getting in the match, she was so attached to each and every one of her teammates that it was impossible to stay calm. The pressure was ten times greater than anything she'd ever felt before. Everything was riding on this game.

They stepped out onto the pitch to enormous applause. Willow had to shut down her senses, the din was so great. Stomach churning, she mounted her broom, preparing to warm up the team. She noticed her friends squished together in the front row of the Gryffindor stands. Lavender was screaming and holding up an enormous sign with her name and number on it. Cypress, Mandy, and Fay were whistling loudly. Willow couldn't help but smile. Her friends had her back; what was the worst that could happen?

Willow's heart leapt into her mouth when Madam Hooch tweeted her warning whistle. Five minutes until game time. She touched down on the ground behind Wood, who dealt with his captain business. The Slytherin team lined up directly across from the Gryffindors. Willow thought them to be boulders, they were so big. The only exception was Draco. His grey eyes were startlingly bright, almost glowing. He glared at Harry with a storm in his irises. Willow raised her eyebrows at Harry, who shrugged, mouthing, "He's no match for a firebolt."

Still glaring daggers at each other, the Slytherins and the Gryffindors pushed off the ground, lining up in their start positions. Willow took her place on the bench. She gripped it with white knuckles, tapping her feet on the floor. Madam Hooch's voice pierced the crowd's rising voice as she took her position in the center of the quidditch pitch. With a shriek of her whistle, Alicia had snatched the quaffle, and the teams were off.

Warrington intercepted her right away, but George hit him with a bludger, practically handing the ball to Angelina. She swerved to avoid Montague, ducked below a bludger, and put the first goal past the keeper. Willow was already on her feet, cheering, when Flint smashed into Angelina out of nowhere. Willow's cheers instantly morphed into indecipherable, raging gibberish. Fred thankfully smashed Flint's face with his club, giving the Slytherin captain a bloody nose. Alicia scored the penalty while Flint missed. Willow, for once- and rightfully so- didn't feel an ounce of remorse as blood clotted on Flint's nasty face.

The quaffle exchanged at least ten pairs of hands throughout the next five minutes, then Katie broke away with it. Willow jumped up and down, screaming for Katie to go to goal. But Montague swept in and, instead of grabbing the quaffle, went right for Katie's head, nearly knocking her off her broom. Madam Hooch's whistle cut through the booing of the crowd to award Katie another Gryffindor penalty, which she scored with ease. They were up 30-0!

Willow's lungs suddenly constricted when she caught sight of a tense situation on the other side of the pitch. Harry was haring away from a massive Slytherin beater, Bole. Willow yelped when a bludger nearly grazed Harry's elbow. To her dismay, the other beater, Derrick, was closing in. Harry found himself trapped between two utterly enormous forces. Willow dug her nails into her arms, heart pounding. Harry was going to get crushed! The beaters closed in- they were ten meters away- five meters- Willow subconsciously drew out her wand- two meters-

All of a sudden, Harry turned his firebolt upward, and he darted into the sky just in time to allow Bole and Derrick to crash into one another. Willow clapped and whistled her approval along with the crowd.

Angelina now had the quaffle. She was running side-by-side with Flint towards the Slytherin end, then lost the ball to a vicious shove from Flint. He took the ball all the way to the Gryffindor end, where he managed to score. Willow swore as badly as Lee, who nearly had the microphone confiscated by Professor McGonagall up in the stands. A series of fouls followed, on which Gryffindor capitalized. They were up 70-10! If Harry got the snitch now, they would win! The crowd roared its approval as Harry darted down the pitch in pursuit of the practically invisible snitch.

Without warning, Harry's progress screeched to a halt. Willow shrieked in indignation as Malfoy grasped the end of Harry's firebolt for dear life, preventing him from reaching the snitch. Lee obviously made known how annoyed he was, but what was the most shocking was McGonagall's furious screeching. She was on her feet, ruddy-faced, shaking her finger at Malfoy. Willow agreed whole-heartedly with her condemnations of the Slytherin team- they were downright dirty! Alicia was so furious that she missed the penalty, giving the ball back to Slytherin, who only further infuriated the crowd by putting another quaffle past Wood. Not a single person was left sitting in the stands.

Angelina took hold of the quaffle, streaking down the pitch. To Willow's horror, the entire Slytherin team converged on her, looming closer and closer to her path. She covered her eyes, hardly daring to watch the soon-to-be massacre. Before she could look away, however, Harry appeared out of nowhere, charging the Slytherin ranks. They scattered before his ultra-fast broom, spitting as he passed by. Willow screamed her approval as Angelina scored.

Just then, Harry did a one-eighty in midair. Everyone's eyes were on him as he hared past the Slytherin team, flashed by Alicia, and looped around Fred and George. Willow slapped a hand to her mouth at the sight of Malfoy closing in on a glittering, gold object in the distance. He was going to get the snitch!

"HURRY HARRY!" she screeched.

Harry was closing in- but Malfoy was closer- Willow bit her nails- the snitch was only meters from Malfoy- he was going to catch it any second- Harry was neck and neck with Malfoy now- every muscle in Willow's body tensed up- they were both centimeters away- Willow lost sight of the snitch- their outstretched hands were so close-

"YES!"

Willow's feet hit the ground running. Harry pulled up out of his dive, presenting the golden snitch for all to see. The crowd roared at a decibel that Willow would never hear again in her life. The entire stadium poured out onto the field, screaming for the Gryffindor team, raining down pats on the back and praise. Willow found her team and tackled them in a hug, screeching herself hoarse.

"WE WON! WE WON!"

Willow and the rest of the Gryffindor team were lifted above the crowd, endlessly chanting, "GRYFF-IN-DOR, GRYFF-IN-DOR!" Willow allowed the joy to wash over her, melting away all the concerns that had bogged her down for the past three years of her life. Pure happiness radiated from every fiber of her being. When Dumbledore presented the quidditch cup to Wood, he instantly handed it to Harry, sobbing. Almost everyone on the team had burst into tears. Willow was kissed on the cheek by more than one teammate, but she didn't care. There was no personal space when they'd just won the quidditch cup; Willow was floating on the highest cloud.

Willow's friends found her, and they instantly tackled her in a group hug, sending them tumbling to the floor. They laughed and carelessly picked one another up, whooping and hollering with the rest of the crowd. Red and gold confetti rained down over their heads. Lee set off lion-shaped fireworks. Professor McGonagall blew her nose. Willow grinned from ear to ear, lighter than a feather. Right then, in that very moment, not even Malfoy's sulking figure could spoil her happiness.

She was on top of the world.

Willow thoroughly enjoyed the party that night- and the next. Lee attempted to spike her butterbeer, per usual, and Willow was tempted to let him get away with it for a second. Fred intervened at the last second, claiming that she should not be allowed to get crazier than she already was. It was true: Willow was so hyped up on post-victory energy that she stayed up the entire night with the whole of Gryffindor. Even McGonagall left them alone, which was saying something, because their cheering was bound to echo across the entire castle.

On Sunday night, about halfway through the party, Willow was called up onto a table with the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team. They started a cheer, growing louder and louder, until the common room exploded with sound. Confetti, scarves, and posters rained down on the team, all shaped like fierce lions. Willow couldn’t help but enjoy the moment; she’d worked hard to get this far, and although she never competed in matches, she’d bettered her teammates during practices.

Fred and George commenced a quidditch trivia game around two in the morning. Willow gathered up her friends and threw them into the mayhem. It was absolute carnage; with every answer came a new arsenal of shouts, screams, and hollers. Willow had never seen a more competitive game of trivia in her life. Then again, she reminded herself, she was in the house of Gryffindor. Everything that anyone thought would never happen usually took place in their common room.

The sun was rising over the Forbidden Forest by the time the party wound down. Willow, along with the Smith twins, helped Fred, George, and Lee pick up the mess. Paige was roped into it when Willow guilt-tripped her. There had never been so many butterbeer bottles on the common room floor; it was practically a sea of golden glass. When they finished, Willow was about to head up to her dorm when she realized something gut-wrenchingly awful.

"Ugh, today’s Monday, isn’t it?" she groaned. "We have to go to class today."

"Is this your first time staying up all night, Willow?" Lee chuckled. "Of course it’s Monday, but that doesn’t mean you have to go to class. Just go to the ones you can’t miss."

"Lee! I can’t miss any of them!"

Lee gave her a deadpan look. "Willow, you can practically teach Care of Magical Creatures at this point. There’s no need to go today."

"Okay…that might be true, but I should be there for Hagrid. He’s still pretty torn up about Buckbeak’s sentencing."

Lee’s face fell. "Oh. I forgot about that."

"Well, thank Merlin we kicked Draco’s arse in the quidditch match, because he deserves a hard loss after what he’s put Hagrid through- and Buckbeak," Fred said, rather ruddy-faced.

"Since when did you care about Beaky?" Paige asked.

"Since that blonde git meddled in the greatest class this school offers," George said.

"I thought charms was your favourite class?"

"Care of Magical Creatures is a close tie."

Willow nodded slowly. "Well, if you want to try a cool prank, I suggest stealing Buckbeak before he can be executed."

"We would if we could, Willow, but Lucius Malfoy is dead set on executing Buckbeak, and if he gets away, we’ll never see the light of day again. Lucius would find some way to shut us up in Azkaban. He hates Dad for some reason."

"Because that snob could never compare to Arthur," Paige snorted. "He’s jealous."

"You’re not wrong."

"It’s no wonder Draco turned out the way he did, with a father like that."

"Aren’t both his mother and his father Death Eaters?"

Willow’s stomach twisted in an uncomfortable direction. "I…uh…I got to go, I’ll see you at breakfast."

Completely aware of the stares boring into her back, Willow swept across the room and flew up the staircase, finding her dormitory unlocked. Some of her roommates had fallen asleep for a few hours. Careful not to wake them, Willow tiptoed over to her four-poster and opened the window beside it. She gripped the frame and heaved herself outside, quickly scrambling up the side of the castle. Willow landed on the roof without a sound. She breathed a sigh of relief, allowing the cool, lavender-scented spring air to wash over her. Willow closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the Thestrals whinnying as they frolicked through the Forbidden Forest. There was no better place in Gryffindor Tower than this.

"Move over, please, before I fall to my death."

Willow’s eyes snapped open to find Paige hanging halfway out the window below. Willow rolled her eyes, moving a singular inch.

"You’ll figure it out."

Paige scoffed. "You’re terrible. If I fall and die, it’s one thousand percent your fault."

"How did you calculate that percentage?"

Paige groaned. "Just move already, dumbarse."

Willow grinned and shuffled to the right just enough to allow Paige a spot on the roof. The older girl heaved herself completely out of the window, finally clearing the frame. She laid flat on her back, panting.

"That was way too much work."

"For this view, though, it’s worth it," Willow said, tilting Paige’s head so she could see the sunrise.

Paige sat up on her elbows, mouth dropping open at the sight of the alighting sky. Tufts of pink clouds drifted ever so slowly towards them. Red, orange, and yellow blended together in circular waves, dancing at the approach of the sun. Willow shielded her eyes against the bright rays, but it was worth gazing at. Her muscles relaxed against the shingled roof.

"I’ve always wished I could paint- you know, so I could capture these beautiful sunrises," Willow admitted. "What good is being a morning person if you can’t bring the view to others?"

"It would never be as good as seeing it in person," Paige said. She turned to look at Willow, gazing with a sad sort of smile at her freckles. "And trust me, the view is great wherever you are in the castle, as long as you’re nearby."

Willow blinked, the cogs turning in her mind. She finally nodded after a few seconds. "Oh! I get it now! Wait- " Willow blushed as Paige burst into laughter. "Wow, am I stupid. Thanks."

"Don’t mention it."

"What, you don’t want anyone to know you fancy me?"

Paige chortled. "Willow, they could see it from a mile away. I’m not exactly secretive. What I meant was don’t mention it in front of George."

"Oh." Willow shrugged. "He can get over himself. You always manage to when he compliments me."

"Willow, there’s a difference between complimenting and flirting. We’re both flirting with you, dumbarse."

"Oh. I’m clueless, aren't I?"

Paige sighed. "Yes, you are. But George and I are definitely not- especially when you randomly disappear." She sat up, facing Willow. "What did you run away for this time?"

Willow shrugged. "Nothing." Paige shot her a deadpan expression. Willow cleared her throat. "I meant that it isn’t much of a problem, it’s just a minor thing."

"Such as…?"

Willow sighed. "I hate it when people talk about Draco. No one knows what he goes through. I don’t even know the full scope of what’s going on in his life. All I know is he’s a good kid under that mask that his parents force over his head, and it hurts that no one is willing to pause for one second and see it. I mean, my own mother murdered countless people, including my- " Willow paused. "She killed someone very close to me, but I overcame that and managed to become a good person. I hate it so much that people refuse to think that Draco could do the same."

Paige nodded slowly. "That would hurt, now that I think about it. I thought you were done with Malfoy, though?"

Willow sighed, leaning back and putting her hands over her head. "I want to be. I want to be done with him so badly, but I can’t help but wonder if I could still effect some change in him. He’s such an incredible person under this stupid front he puts on; I wish he would show me that good side more often."

"Don't we all," Paige said. Willow looked up in surprise. "What? After finding out that my own aunt was a Slytherin- my whole family, in fact- I've had a slight change of heart. Maybe...maybe not all Slytherins are bad. I mean, come on, look at how incredible Deandra was. She defended us to the last breath. She would never hurt a fly, even though all that power was coursing through her veins. And my mum! She gave her life so that her sister and I could survive. No cowardly, selfish person would do that." Paige bit her lip. "You know, Fred, George, Lee, and I...we all could have been Slytherins. The only thing that determined us otherwise was our stubbornness to be in Gryffindor. We thought that Slytherin was horrible, but...they're not so bad after all."

The corner of Willow's mouth twitched upwards. "So Cypress isn't an exception anymore?"

Paige grinned. "Nope. I'm going to look at them all slightly different. If Cypress has taught me anything, though, always be on your guard when you're with your Slytherin friends. They love tricking people into embarrassing themselves a little more than the average human being."

Willow chortled. "Believe me, I've learned from experience."

The lip of the sun peeked over he horizon, casting a warm glow about the pair. Paige suddenly stared at Willow's hair. The older girl reached out, gently combing her fingers through Willow's wavy locks. Willow yelled at herself internally for blushing. Paige took it upon herself to french-braid Willow's hair, which only deepened the scarlet shade of Willow's face. When Paige was finished, she flicked the braid over the younger Gryffindor's left shoulder. Willow distracted herself by growing flowers in the dirt-clogged gutters under her feet. In typical Paige fashion, however, the older girl picked a blossoming purple lilac and delicately threaded it into Willow's hair. Butterflies subsequently invaded her stomach.

"There, now your hair is as pretty as your face," Paige said. "I never knew you were secretly a redhead."

Willow laughed. "My hair just turns red in the sunlight, that's all."

"You're secretly a redhead. There's no denying it now. Plus, it explains your insanity- and your intense competitive drive."

"That's called top energy, actually."

Paige spluttered. She struggled to get a grip on herself as she stared at Willow with raised eyebrows, mouth slightly agape. "Oh my God, I never thought I'd hear that come out of your mouth."

Willow smirked. "Well, now you did."

Paige placed a hand over her heart, dramatically falling onto her back. "Merlin, and I thought you couldn't get any hotter..."

Willow beamed. "If you have a heart attack, it's not my fault."

"I've already died and gone to heaven. I'm seeing an angel."

Willow rolled her eyes. She laid on top of Paige, which caused the older girl to forget to breath. "I'm no angel. I'm hot as hell- at least, that's what Lavender is trying to get me to understand."

"She's right," Paige breathed.

Willow stared intently into Paige's eyes. Their brown shade had lightened to a fiery hazel in the light of the rising sun. Her copper skin practically glowed. Paige was absolutely radiant- glittering far more brightly than the sun. Willow had to bite her lip to force herself to look away. Paige reached up and moved Willow's face closer to her own, though, which only made both of them blush. Paige studied Willow's face even more intently than Willow had hers. The younger Gryffindor struggled to keep herself from reacting as Paige gently kissed her cheek. Willow questioned what her reaction would be, though; what would she have done if she'd allowed herself to act freely? Would she have gone for it? Did she truly fancy Paige that much? Did Paige fancy her that much? What if- 

Willow didn't get to finish her train of thought. Smirking, Paige threw her backwards, sending Willow cascading off the roof. Groaning, Willow casually transformed herself into a hawk, spreading her wings to slow her momentum. She reached the roof within a few moments, revealing a hysterically laughing Paige. Willow shape-shifted back into herself once more.

"You know, I should really expect that by now."

Paige chortled. "I had you soooo off guard."

"You're terrible."

"You're worse."

"Hey, lovebirds!" a voice called. Willow peered over the side of the roof to see Fay leaning out the window. "It's time for breakfast! Quit loving all over each other and get your butts down here!"

"Yes ma'am!" Paige said. She saluted, grinning evilly.

Willow quickly turned to her as she approached. "Don't you dare shove me off the roof agai- "

She was already tumbling towards the Hogwarts grounds.

The weeks flew by in an unusual bliss. Exams loomed increasingly closer, however, and soon it was time to buckle down and study. Willow forced the Weasley twins, Lee, and Paige to consistently study for the O.W.L.'s every night in the common room. Even Willow herself found it difficult to study, though, as this year the weather had warmed to a wonderful temperature long before exams began. All she wanted to do was play soccer by the Black Lake, but she had work to do. The days became a blur of meeting her friends for studying, doing homework, and playing soccer in the secret room with Phoebe and Griffin (they made wonderful defenders).

Finally, exams came. Willow wanted to skip ahead to the end of the week when the torture would be over, but Hermione refused to let her use the time turner for that purpose. Transfiguration was the first exam. Willow passed it with relative ease, thanks to the Ravenclaw girls' tutoring. Charms was next, but that was almost a joke for Willow, who had mastered that class simply by existing near Fred and George. Care of Magical Creatures was no problem at all. Potions, however, with Draco as her partner, was almost a disaster before Snape intervened and forced them to work together. Draco glared daggers at her every second that he wasn't focusing on the potion. Astronomy was one of the worst exams, being performed in the dead of night as it was. Willow had spent hours in the tent George had created her, though, so it was alright. Finally, there were only two exams left- Defense Against the Dark Arts and Divination. Willow had Divination first.

She entered the North Tower, slightly nervous, as she'd always hated the way this class made her feel. Professor Trelawney was kind to her on this particular morning, however, and Willow was put at ease. She shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and emptied her mind the best she could. Professor Trelawney lifted the cloth off her crystal ball and allowed Willow to stare into it.

For some reason, the fog swirled more thickly than usual. Willow furrowed her brow as she gazed into the hazy image. What was she supposed to be seeing? Blurry shapes were darting across the spherical surface- they darkened here, lightened there- the mist was swirling faster and faster- Willow leaned forward, squinting at the sphere- something was moving towards her- no, crawling towards her-

Suddenly, Willow fell forward, and she was falling. She let out a scream as she cascaded towards the ground- she didn't dare open her eyes- there was nothing to grab onto- she was falling so fast- and then she wasn't.

Willow cracked open her right eye. It wouldn't bring the scene into focus. Sitting up slowly, she rubbed both of her eyes, trying to get them to adjust. She reopened them, finally taking in the scene around her. There was a grand meadow, sprawling around her in an untidy array of steeply sloping hills. The grass was sickly and grey-tinted. In fact, as Willow saw the forest beyond a worn fence, everything in the area had a tinge of death around it. It was like standing in a black-and-white TV. Willow's stomach clenched uncomfortably. She recognized this place- and it spelled trouble.

A loud BOOM! shook the earth. Willow whipped around only to scream. An army of people were running towards her. She knew them- every single one of them- every hooked nose, pallid face, and gaunt cheekbone. They were her old family, the Fawleys. Willow tried to scramble ahead of them, but her legs were glued to the ground. Willow desperately yanked on her legs, trying to unfreeze them. It was no use. Willow placed her hands over her head and curled into a fetal position just as the Fawleys overtook her. She was expecting spells to blast her to a million pieces- maybe some hexes of their own invention- even straight-up trampling- but it never came. The Fawleys passed by her without batting an eye- and some of them directly through her.

Willow gripped her stomach in panic, trying to diffuse the cold-water-dousing sensation that she still wasn't used to. She wasn't here in real life; she was simply seeing it as a vision. But this was a real-time vision, which couldn't mean anything good. Willow slowly rose to her feet to watch her former family close in on the distant woods. She squinted, trying to make out what was happening. Why were they attacking trees, of all things? Had they been jinxed senseless?

Within seconds, Willow figured out that they weren't. Something much, much worse was going down. Willow slapped a hand to her mouth and let out a strangled cry as she saw the figure limping in the distance. He was limping, and his head was bleeding. Willow couldn't see a wand in his hand. She knew who he was, too- and that was the worst part.

It was Paige's grandfather.

Suddenly, Willow felt her body tumbling backwards through pace. She yelled once more as she was thrown around, tossed every which way, and given no handhold to stop her momentum. Willow's momentum finally halted, and she hit something solid. She barely managed to hook her toes on the table in front of her to prevent herself from falling over backwards. Willow panted heavily, sweat dripping down her forehead. Professor Trelawney gaped at her.

"You- you just- how did you- ?"

"I'm sorry, Professor, but I've got to go," Willow interrupted. "Someone's in trouble. I'll redo my examination tomorrow if I- "

"There's no need! Go!" Professor Trelawney gasped, clutching her heart.

Willow darted down the ladder. She sprinted through a very confused crowd of curious students. Accidentally bowling a second year over as she made a sharp turn, Willow hurdled the poor kid and made a mad dash for the Great Hall. She skidded to a stop at the entrance, desperately glancing around for a shock of dark hair. Paige found her before she could even blink, however.

"Willow! What are you doing? You're supposed to be in Divination!"

"Paige, we've got to go, right now!" Willow exclaimed, gripping Paige's arm and yanking her into motion. "It's your grandfather! I just saw him in the crystal gazing! He's in trouble- and I mean life-or-death trouble!"

Paige's expression hardened as she broke into a run beside Willow. "McGonagall's office is the closest. Let's head out there. I'm not losing my last family member- not this time."

McGonagall was out, busy administering the transfiguration exams. Willow and Paige picked the lock with ease, nearly breaking the door down in the process, then shut it quickly behind them. They snatched up some floo powder, spilling a great deal on the floor, but hardly noticing. Paige looked to Willow for instruction.

"THE FAWLEY MANSION!" she yelled.

With a burst of green, the two of them were hurdling through the floo network. By pure luck, Willow found the right grate. They tumbled out, but didn't pause to brush themselves off. Willow's heart thundered in her ears to the beating of her feet on the dark-wooded floors. She skidded around a corner, made another sharp turn, and finally burst out the back door. Paige was hot on her heels as they sprinted out onto the vast meadow. The sun disappeared behind a threateningly dark grey cloud. Willow's lungs burned. She whipped out her wand as they approached.

"TURN AROUND AND FIGHT, YOU COWARDS!" she screamed.

The Fawleys whipped around, training their wands on Willow and Paige. Willow's eyes widened. She skidded to a stop, frantically grabbing Paige.

"GET DOWN!"

A burst of green exploded over their heads.


	56. Year 3: Chapter 14

"Mierda- Paige! Are you okay?!" Willow yelped.

Paige coughed, uncovering herself from a mound of dirt. "Yeah!"

Another explosion shook the ground, causing Willow and Paige to shoot to their feet. It was much farther away, though, and not even aimed aimed at them. Willow watched in horror as spells rained down on the figure in the distance. Paige tried to sprint towards him, but Willow caught her arm at the last second. Paige whipped around with a blaze alighting her irises.

"What are you doing! My grandfather is dying!" she screamed.

"We can't just go barging in! You saw what they did to us from a distance!" Willow scolded. "We need to sneak up on them! Come on, let's flank them on the left, my lunatic aunt is over there, and she's useless."

Paige clenched and unclenched her fists. "Fine. But make it quick."

Creeping through the tall grass, the Gryffindors made short work of closing the distance with the Fawley family. They were completely undetected. Willow had a point-blank aim on her aunt within sixty seconds, and Margret never would have seen it coming. Paige leveled her wand at the Fawley closest to her grandfather. Willow held out a hand to hold her back, nodding at the situation. Paige slowly realized what was going on as Willow gestured to her with hand signs. The Fawleys had surrounded Paige's grandfather in a semicircular arc, all with wands aimed at the older gentleman's chest. Grandpa Terrell had collapsed on a rock, chest heaving, still without a wand in sight. He was at the mercy of Willow's former family- and there was far too little mercy to go around in the Fawley household.

"Well, well, well," a voice hissed. Willow's body went rigid. "Long time, no see, Terrell. What rat hole have you been hiding in this time?"

"It's nice to see you too, Grace," Paige's grandfather muttered. "Still ugly, I see."

Willow suppressed the urge to high-five him as Grace flushed scarlet. "Still a dick, I see."

"Ouch. There's no need for name-calling. You've got me cornered; what more do you want?"

Grace narrowed her eyes. "I want your head on a silver platter, that's what, Terrell! You've destroyed my family! You and your nasty clan- you're scum, all of you!" Grace fluttered her eyelashes patronizingly, taking a pace backwards. "Or at least, you were scum- it's just you now."

Grandpa Terrell's eyes flashed. "How dare you speak of my family! You'll never be as good as them- they gave their lives to protect their children, unlike you!"

There was a sickening smack! and Grandpa Terrell was thrown off the rock, crumpling into a bent position on the grass. His hand tentatively brushed the red hand mark forming on his face. Paige tried to jump up, but Willow caught her just in time to keep her low.

Grace's eyes burned dangerously. "How dare you bring that up! I had no choice in the matter, and it's not like I can change it now."

"But you can change, Grace," Grandpa Terrell said, struggling to his feet. "You have every chance to turn your back on this life, and you make a conscious choice not to. It will always be your fault."

Grace whipped her wand out, the point of it pressing on Grandpa Terrell's neck. "Say that one more time, and you'll never see the light of day again."

"I haven't seen it since you killed my wife anyway."

To everyone's great surprise, Grandpa Terrell threw down his tattered cloak, revealing a sleek, jet-black, fitted one underneath. He drew his wand and fired a spell at Grace, who went flying backwards. Willow and Paige exchanged looks of pure awe. Grandpa Terrell conjured a magical shield just in time to block a furious retaliation from the Fawley family. With his wand hand, he maintained the shield, and with the other- without a wand- he sprayed fire towards his flank. Six wizards and witches fell to the ground, screaming, as fire engulfed their robes. Willow and Paige darted backwards to avoid the chaos, still keeping low.

"Terrell! End this now!" Grace growled.

"You gave up your right to a happy ending the moment you destroyed my family," Grandpa Terrell snarled.

Without hesitation, he dropped the shield and fired a volley of fireballs at Grace. She tucked and rolled just in time to avoid the worst of it. Instead, Willow's grandfather and a few others exploded in the blink of an eye. Nearby family members ran for cover, screaming bloody murder. Grandpa Terrell brought his hands together, wand between them, and lowered them to his chest. Then, he suddenly punched his right fist into the ground. The earth rolled under his feet, wave after wave of rocks and soil racing towards the Fawleys. Half of them were buried, hit in the head by a rock, or flung so high into the air that they hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Willow and Paige gaped as the old man rose from the ground himself on a pillar of rock, firing spells at the Fawleys. He seemed to have the situation taken care of already, Willow thought.

But, per usual, she spoke too soon. Grace Fawley, enraged to the brink of insanity, flew at Grandpa Terrell. He would have easily repelled her, but she fired off spells so fast, and so accurately, that he couldn't concentrate his spells anywhere else. Grace eventually knocked him off his pedestal, punching him in the face on his way down. Grandpa Terrell barely rolled out of the way to dodge a kick to the head. He blasted Grace with a full body-bind curse to stop her from any more damage.

Paige glanced sideways at Willow. "Did you get your fighting prowess from your mother?"

"No, just the bitchiness," Willow sighed.

Suddenly, five Fawleys converged on Grandpa Terrell at once. Paige covered her mouth to stifle a scream as he was buried beneath a giant sphere of multicoloured spells, none of which appeared to be less than detrimental to his health. Willow had to hold her back again by the ankle. They crouched in the grass, hearts shattering at the gruesome sight. Grandpa Terrell was taking on heavy blows, cuts and bruises appearing at random on his body, and he shrunk lower and lower to the ground. Paige muffled a sob and squeezed Willow's hand so tight she thought it was broken. Was Grandpa Terrell going to make it? Willow was about to jump out and hex the crap out of the Fawleys when something incredible happened.

Thunder creaked overhead. The air pressure shifted violently. The hair on Willow's arm stood on end. She looked up to see the clouds swirling directly above them. They darkened, gathering speed, stirring up the wind. Then, Willow blinked, and when she opened her eyes, a rod of lightning rocketed from the vortex. She gasped. The lightning exploded into five Fawleys, creating a ball of superheated electricity so violent that it arced outward and struck three more Fawleys. Willow and Paige were thrown backwards by the force of the detonation. When they regained their footing, Grandpa Terrell was standing in the middle of a ring of glowing, scorched earth, eyes igniting brighter than the fire raging around him. The power surging from this single individual was of incredible proportions. As Willow glanced sideways at Paige, she wondered if that same power could be achieved in her.

The enormous exertion could only last so long, though. Grandpa Terrell was faltering. Someone had performed the counter-curse on Grace, and she had regrouped with her family to renew the fight. They advanced on his position as a single unit, firing at random, causing Grandpa Terrell to be unable to defend himself properly. More lacerations appeared on his face. He was knocked to the ground on several occasions. Finally, a powerful spell fired by Grace burst into his abdomen, and he went crashing to the ground. Grace immediately took his wand and kicked it away.

"Say hello to your wife for me, will you?" she hissed in his ear.

Willow's heart stopped. Grace leveled her wand directly at Grandpa Terrell's chest. Without pausing to think, Willow leaped out of the grass, brandishing her wand.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Right as Grace was beginning the incantation of death, her wand flew out of her hand. She turned just in time to see Willow catch it. Grace's jaw dropped. Her face paled, and her fists shook.

"Give. Me. That. Back," she demanded.

Willow glared daggers at Grace. "You took everything from me with this wand. You're never going to see it again."

Grace's face burned blood-red. "That's it! Fawleys, bring her too me- dead or alive!"

Willow's eyes widened. "Oh shi- Paige, RUN!"

There was no need to tell her twice. Both girls hared across the meadow, diving here, rolling there to avoid a death spell. They were running for their very lives. Willow threw a couple hexes over her shoulder, not daring to pause to make sure they struck their target. Paige smartly blasted a hole in the earth right in front of the Fawleys to trap some in a pit, but enough darted to the side that they were still in major trouble. Willow's mind scrambled for something, anything to save them.

"Turn into a dragon! Take them out!" Paige shrilled.

"No, I can't! They don't know I'm the War Child!" Willow rolled to her right to dodge a volley of fireballs. "If they figure that out, stuff will go down, and there's too many people that will die!"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Paige shouted exasperatedly.

"My mother is trying to kill me right now! How does any of this make any sense?"

A spell imploded the ground a mere three meters in front of them. Paige and Willow skidded to a stop, only getting covered in a spray of earth. They changed direction and made a beeline for the spot where Grandpa Terrell was lying worryingly still.

"We've got to cover him and take a stand before they overwhelm us!" Paige yelled. "We can't let him die!"

"Agreed!"

Willow and Paige reached Grandpa Terrell's side in a matter of minutes. Glancing over her shoulder, Willow guessed they only had seconds before the Fawleys would reach them. Paige and she rolled over the still-sizzling Grandpa Terrell. He was thankfully conscious, but beaten up badly. One of his eyes was already swelling shut.

"Grandpa, it's me," Paige whispered, sitting him up against the rock. "It's Paige, your granddaughter."

Grandpa Terrell peered at her for a moment, then gasped. "You must be joking."

A tear slid down Paige's cheek. "No, I'm not. I'm here, alive, and kicking arse."

"You sound exactly like your mother." Grandpa Terrell's smile quickly faded into the utmost terror. "You shouldn't be here! They're coming for you- it's a trap- they're going to kill you- "

"I'd like to see them try," Paige said, smirking.

"Uh, are you ready to back up that sentence? Because they're here," Willow said.

Paige turned around to see the Fawley family surrounding them in another semi-circle. A steely glint focused her eyes. The dark-haired girl stood up, hovering over her broken grandfather. She faced up to the Fawleys, who were staring her down, each and every one of them glaring daggers. Willow rose to her feet as well, training her wand directly at her mother.

"Look, I'm going to give you one chance, and one chance only," Paige said, addressing the Fawleys with a clear, stable voice. "Stand down, and I'll spare you."

Laughter exploded from the Fawleys. They shared so much hilarity that they even decided to poke fun at Paige, letting their guard down against the one person in the world they definitely shouldn't. Paige smirked at their reaction.

"I warned you," she said.

Suddenly, a spout of flame erupted from the end of Paige's wand. A ring of fire separated the Fawleys and the Gryffindors. Paige didn't give them a moment to even breathe before she was on them once again. Hex after curse after jinx chased down the Fawleys, brought them to their knees, and drew forth the most gut-wrenching, horrendous screams Willow had ever heard in her life. Paige walked through her own fire, punching a few people in the face here, kicking a few in the groin there. Willow watched her in awe for a moment before throwing herself into battle. She made sure to hit her former mother with jelly-legs jinx, then planted the sole of her foot in her chest. Grace toppled backwards, face smashing into the ground. Willow smiled, then moved onto the rest of the Fawleys, taking them out one by one. She was about to turn to Paige and make a smart comment when a crushing blow sent Willow toppling to the ground.

"Ou-ch..." she groaned, slowly rising to her feet.

"No one watching your back this time, Guerrero, huh?" a voice cackled.

Willow's blood froze in her veins. "No. No, no, no...not again!"

Molly Smith cackled once more as Willow whipped around, wand aimed at the horrid woman. "We meet again, Guerrero! Where's your friends to protect you this time, hm? Have they abandoned you just like my children have abandoned me?"

Willow gritted her teeth. "You abused them to the point where they lost their minds! You abandoned them!"

Molly's nostrils flared. "Now, now, let's not go throwing out accusations. I'll get my children back, you'll see."

"Over my dead body!"

Molly rolled her eyes. "Always with the dramatic flair! Let's get this over with quickly, shall we?"

Willow darted to the side just in time to avoid a searing-hot spell. Molly volleyed curse after curse at her, laughing hysterically the whole time. Willow reminded herself to put the nutter in an asylum if she survived this. She countered a few of Molly's spells with the protection charm, then was flipped head-over-heels into the ground by the force of a few of them. Willow instinctively rolled to the side to avoid another blast as it caved in the earth to create a sizzling crater. She shot to her feet and fired off an unexpected spell at Molly, which caught her on the shoulder. It barely knocked the older woman backwards before she shot a jinx at Willow. Molly's incantation brought Willow to her knees, her entire body seizing up in pain. She kicked the Gryffindor for good measure just as a heavy thump let her know that Paige fell beside her.

"Willow, it's Lucius and Molly, they're here, they're going to- " she spluttered.

"I know, Paige, just get to your grandfather!" Willow wheezed.

Paige army-crawled to Grandpa Terrell, who was barely conscious by this time. Willow weakly rose her arm and whispered a spell, but Molly and Lucius Malfoy had advanced on them by this time, and it was deflected as one would brush away a feather. Lucius slammed a foot into Willow's ribs, which caused her to curl into a fetal position.

"This is the great Willow Guerrero? How pathetic," he seethed. "A year more and you’re still worthless. If only you would have lived up to your father's vision of you...he always hoped too highly for your future."

"So this is the terrible Lucius Malfoy? You're even greasier than the last time I saw you," Willow coughed. She received another searing blow to the stomach, convulsing her in a wave of agony. "How do they even find a title that can fit your inflated ego? They must have to special-order the lettering on your office door."

Lucius grabbed Willow by the throat, halfway lifting her off the ground. She stared fearlessly into his hardened features, though she closed her eyes when he cut off her airway. "How dare you talk about a Malfoy in this way, you filthy bloodtraitor!"

"The only- traitor- here is- you," Willow choked out. "Proud to- be a- traitor if it- means that- I'm better than- you."

Lucius wrenched her neck, then threw her hard into the ground. Willow's shoulder blades struck the ground harder than she expected. She leaned to her side, coughing up a small puddle of blood. Her windpipe was sore and half-crushed. Willow's throat burned, but the fire raging within the depths of her stomach dimmed the pain as she struggled to her feet, staring stone-faced at Lucius. His eyes widened at the sight of her resilience, then narrowed.

"You insolent child!" Lucius roared. He pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You and everyone in your pathetic family will pay for this- "

"Hey, blonde douche!" a voice called in the distance. "Your ego is coming right at you in three- two- one- !"

All of a sudden, an explosion of fireworks slammed into Lucius Malfoy. He screamed as they latched onto him, dragging him high into the sky and enveloping him in multiple bursts of vulgar words. Willow laughed as George waved to her and cheered in the distance.

"I've got this! Meet me back home!" George called as Molly and the only three remaining Fawleys gave chase.

"Be careful!" Willow warned.

George saluted her, then took off in the opposite direction across the meadow, leading the Fawleys into traps that he had most likely set up in secret. Willow's soul was screaming at her to run after George and help him, but Paige's cry for her to help get her grandfather to safety compelled her to do the right thing. They quickly hauled Grandpa Terrell to his feet and half-dragged, half-ran him across the meadow. George was far in the distance, hooting and hollering as the Fawleys fell victim to his pranks one by one. Willow reassured herself that he would be fine and bust down the back door of the Fawley mansion. She and Paige carried Grandpa Terrell through the maze of hallways, then finally ended up in the family room. The beat-up wizard thankfully regained enough sense to grab a handful of floo powder.

"Get back to Hogwarts, you'll find help there," Paige instructed her grandfather. She hugged him, then guided him towards the fireplace. "Go! I'll see you soon!"

For a moment, it looked as if Grandpa Terrell would protest. Then, he lowered his head, spoke Hogwarts' name very clearly, and disappeared into the flames. Paige and Willow looked at each other, breathing a sigh of relief. They each grabbed a handful of floo powder as well.

"Directly to Madam Pomfrey. No delays," Willow said. "On my three. One...two...thr- "

"Stupefy!"

Paige screamed, and then she was buried beneath a pile of books, a nearby shelf having collapsed on her. Willow brandished her wand and tried to fire off the full body-bind curse, but her opponent was too quick. She was slammed into the wall. There was a sickening crunch, then Willow was tumbling backwards, pieces of wood jabbing her in the back as she destroyed a chair in the next room over. She took longer than usual to rise to her feet, head spinning. Willow stumbled into the hallway. She lurched into the family room, pointing her wand at the opposite wall. What she saw froze the blood in her veins.

"No," she whispered.

Molly giggled. "Oh, this is going to be fun!"

Grace, Lucius, and Molly were standing on the opposite side of the room- holding two of the most important people in Willow's life at wandpoint. Lucius took great pride in slapping George across the face for struggling. Grace was practically cutting of Paige's air supply, the point of her wand was pressing so hard on the Gryffindor's neck. Cold sweat trickled down Willow’s forehead. Molly's giddy laughter did nothing to calm her spiking heart rate.

"Let's commence the fun, shall we?" Molly said, grinning evilly. "We're going to make you a deal! Hand one of these criminals over to us, and we'll spare the other one's life."

"What? How are they criminals? They've done nothing wrong!" Willow protested.

"They tried to kill us on several occasions, and that was just today," Lucius growled. His expression morphed into hideous glee. "I believe only punishing one is a lenient sentence, but Molly has some great ideas of what to do with them."

"Please, this isn't fair! Don't hurt them!" Willow begged, her voice hoarse.

"You should have thought about that before you ruined our conquest of the Terrell family!" Grace seethed. "We had them down to the last one! The granddaughter will never know her family line- she's long gone in the Muggle world by now. She's probably closer to a squib than anything."

Paige was visibly tempted to bite Grace's arm, but Willow shot her a look that silenced her. So they didn't know that Paige was the one! Willow internally screamed; she had to be very careful with her words now. If she said one word too suspiciously, they'd figure it out, and Paige was going to die, instantly. She was treading on the thinnest ice she'd ever walked on. Willow cleared her throat, struggling to remember how to speak.

"Look, I don't want anyone to get hurt, so why don't you let my friends go before Dumbledore gets here?" she said.

Lucius's face paled. "You're lying. Dumbledore doesn't know you're here. He would never intervene with personal issues- "

"Are you so sure about that?" Willow interrupted, attempting the smoothest evil expression she could. "It would be a shame if he were to burst in here, say, any second, and destroy your lives in the blink of an eye. It would be Azkaban for the rest of your days..."

"She's lying, she never tells the truth," Grace snapped.

"No she's not!" George protested, struggling to free himself from Lucius's grasp. "Willow can't tell a lie to save her life! You can tell from a mile off when she's lying! She's the most honest person I've ever met!"

Molly cackled. "Oh, so we've got the boyfriend here, do we?"

"Bitch please, Willow's too good for him," Paige spat. "Willow is too good for all of us, but especially you Death Eater rubbish! She's braver and more courageous than you could ever dream to be!"

Lucius scoffed in disgust. "No, Molly, it's her fag girlfriend."

"How dare you call her that disgusting word! Neither of us are dating Willow!" George snarled. "But if you have to choose someone to kill, let me die! I'll be okay!"

"George, you have an entire family!" Paige exclaimed. "Let me go instead!"

"No, I'm not letting you take the fall for me!"

"George, it's okay, less people will be hurt when I die!"

"Guys, stop fighting! No one's going to die!" Willow said. "I will get you both out of this alive, I swear on my life! Don't listen to them! They're just trying to get into your heads!"

"Are you sure neither one is dating you?" Molly whispered.

"YES!" the Gryffindors chorused.

Grace's face convulsed in a terrifyingly joyous malice. "Whatever the situation is, we've got a beautiful proposition: Willow, which lover are you going to lose?"

"Neither!" Willow said.

"Pick only one!" Molly urged.

"Never!"

"Fine, then both of them die!" Grace concluded. "On my count of three, Lucius...one, two, thr- "

Willow's stomach dropped. "NO, STOP! I'LL CHOOSE, I'LL- !"

An idea suddenly popped into her head. Their whole goal of torturing her like this was to make her weak, to make her eventually give into their ways. Grace had been doing it for years...but this time, the ball was entirely in her court. Worry and terror spread through her system like a nauseating virus, but it was her only chance. Willow snatched a dagger from the wall next to her. To the Death Eaters' horror, she pointed the blade directly at herself.

"Release them, or I die," Willow demanded.

Molly's eyes widened. "Wait, what are you- "

"Release them, now," Willow repeated. "I know that you need me. I know that you're trying to turn me. I've got great power, skill in many magical areas, an army of magical creatures, and all the inside connections to the people you need, but if I die, you're not getting any of it. Release them, or I'm dying!"

Lucius took a tiny step towards Willow. "Hang on- we can talk this out- "

"One step closer, and this blade is through my liver," Willow threatened.

The atmosphere suddenly became so thick that the dagger could have sliced through the air. Grace's eyes were permanently peeled open, staring in horror at the dagger so close to her daughter's stomach. Molly and Lucius frantically whispered back and forth, but came up with no solutions. Willow edged the blade closer and closer to her skin. Grace's grip was loosening on Paige, she was in so much shock. Willow touched the cold metal tip to her stomach.

"This is your last warning. Release them," she said.

"I refuse!" Molly growled.

"See you in hell, then," Willow spat.

She plunged the blade into her stomach. George and Paige screamed, instantly bursting into tears. There was another voice screaming, too, but Willow couldn't make out the person it belonged to. Agony exploded in disastrous waves across her stomach as she pulled the blade out, knowing full well it would cause heavy blood loss. Willow tossed the blade aside, falling to one knee in order to cradle the wound inconspicuously. She put on the bravest face she could and stared at her mother, expression stone-cold.

"Your move," she said.

Grace gaped at her with the most conflicted, pained expression Willow had ever seen in her life. Molly and Lucius had resumed frantic conversation, but Willow didn't dare avert her eyes from Grace. Her mother was fighting her way to the surface- she was still in there, somewhere- her new self was crumbling before Willow's very eyes- she just needed one final push! Although it was possibly a painful route to go, Willow decided her situation couldn't get much worse. She stood up, took a second to steady herself, then pointed the dagger towards the other side of her abdomen.

"Just for good measure, I'll do it again, seeing as you're not letting my friends go..." Willow said, a note of terrifying lightheartedness in her voice. "I mean, you've got, what, ten minutes before I bleed out, tops? I'd suggest making a move sooner rather than later."

"Never! You'll pay for your crimes, all of you!" Molly shrieked. The whites of her eyes were more visible than usual, and her forehead had creased.

Willow shrugged, almost wincing at the action. "Duh, I'm paying for all three of our crimes. You'd be making a fair deal. A life for the freedom of two. It's almost too good to pass up, I'd think."

"You insolent little brat!" Lucius roared. "Even in death, you're mocking us!"

Willow clapped a hand to her chest, mocking hurt. "Excuse me, I'm not dead yet! You still have some releasing to do! In ten seconds, if George and Paige aren't on their way through the floo network, this blade is finishing me off. Got it?"

Grace's face had paled to a ghostly shade. She still hadn't blinked. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, and her hands were visibly trembling. Willow continued to stare her down as Grace's horrified eyes remained locked on her daughter's abdomen. She was just beginning to wonder how much longer her mother would stand there when she finally croaked, "Lucius, Molly...let them go."

The Death Eaters stared at her. "What?"

"I said let them go," Grace repeated, still not diverting her eyes.

Willow inched the blade closer to her stomach when George and Paige continued to remain hostage. "Okay, ten seconds are up...you get an extra two, since you're still deciding..."

"Let them go, now!" Grace demanded, panic pitching her voice. "Lucius, Molly, I said now!"

"Grace, what the hell- ?"

Without warning, Lucius was thrown off his feet. A swath of red erupted from the end of Grace's wand, dragging him across the room, throwing him into bookshelves, and flipping him over furniture until he was knocked unconscious. Paige managed to stumble out of his grasp, instantly hitting the floor and covering her head. Grace threw a punch at Molly, busting up her shoulder. The abusive mother then received a damning blow to her temple, and she crumpled to the floor. George darted out of her reach. Panting, Grace glanced upward at her daughter, tears shining in her eyes as she slowly lowered her wand.

"Willow?" she breathed.

"It's okay, Mum, you're okay," Willow said, her heart beating fast. "Can you please take the bad guys to the dungeon?"

"Yeah...yeah, I can do that..." Grace muttered. She gathered Lucius and Molly and moved them to the other room in a trance-like state. "To the dungeon...the dungeon..."

Paige and George looked after Grace for a moment, then suddenly sprang on Willow. She threw the dagger aside to avoid stabbing them as they wrapped her in bone-crushing hugs.

"Willow, you blithering idiot, why would you do something so stupid?" George cried.

"You shouldn't have done that for us!" Paige said.

"Well, I couldn't let you die, could I?" Willow chuckled. "Plus, I knew I was going to be fine, it takes at least twenty minutes before I start getting into really rough shape. My powers work fast enough to spare me some time." She peered into the hall where her mum was still struggling to drag Lucius and Molly into the dungeons. "Look, we don't have much time left, my mum will lose her mind any second now. We've got to go, and now."

Paige nodded. "Get a handful of floor powder, you're going first."

"What? No, you need to get to your grandfather quickly," Willow protested. "You need to get him help- immediately."

Paige's face screwed up as though she were preparing to argue, but she eventually sighed. She took a handful of floo powder, and with a flash of emerald green flame, she was gone. When George opened his mouth to speak, Willow shot him a look. He dejectedly followed Paige's example, but not before looking back to make sure Willow was right behind him. She nodded, and George disappeared into the fire as well. Willow breathed a sigh of relief. Her friends were safe...but her job wasn't finished.

Tying her robe as tight as she could to her stomach, Willow tentatively walked down the hallway that led to the dungeons. Her mother was still toting the two unconscious Death Eaters when she arrived at the dungeon door. Making sure to stay out of sight, Willow noiselessly crept down the top three stairs, watching for any signs of awareness from Molly or Lucius. If they woke up before they were safely in their cells, they would kill Grace before she even got the chance to scream. Grace managed to stow them behind rusty bars before anything bad could happen, thankfully, and Willow allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief.

Grace drew in a sharp breath. "Who's there?"

Willow stayed perfectly still, constricting her chest to prevent the slightest bit of air from grating against her lungs. She watched in a tense silence as Grace slowly raised her wand toward the bottom of the stairs. Willow's mother crept closer and closer, wand hand shaking, face pale as a ghost. Willow debated shape-shifting and darting out of there, but something made her freeze. Her feet grew roots to the ground. Her body stiffened. Only her eyes moved, following the shell of Grace Guerrero as she arrived at the bottom of the stairs. Grace's feet scuffed the floor as she came to a sudden halt, seeing Willow crouched at the top of the steps. The whites of her eyes were slightly visible as she stared at her daughter.

"Willow...?" she rasped.

"Mum," Willow breathed.

"What- what are you doing here? You shouldn't be here, they're- they're going to hurt you," Grace whispered, her forehead wrinkling. She dropped her wand arm. "They- they said they were going to hurt me if- if I didn't- if I didn't turn you in- "

"Mum, it's okay, they're not here right now," Willow said. "You're safe."

Grace's eyes swam with glittering fears, like demons fighting for space on the surface. "But- we're in the dungeons- this is where they left me- they threatened to torture me if I didn't follow through!"

"Mum...it's okay," Willow said. "You're not going to get hurt. Carlos is keeping them away right now."

Grace's mouth dropped open. "C-Carlos? Is he okay?"

Willow swallowed a lump in her throat. "Yes, Dad's okay. We're all okay."

Grace walked up the steps, gawking at her daughter's face. "You're...so much older than I remember. What happened? Did you grow or something?"

"Something like that," Willow said, cursing her trembling voice.

Grace sat on the step next to her daughter. "You're so...beautiful, Willow. You're growing up again." She reached out and touched Willow's hair, gently stroking her fingers through the wavy pattern. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Where did the time go? Just a moment ago, you were so little, no more than nine. Now you're, what, thirteen? Fourteen?"

"Fourteen." Willow didn't dare speak more for fear of her emotions cascading through her voice. Her stomach tensed every time Grace ran her fingers through her hair, causing spasms of pain to issue through Willow's abdomen. She gritted her teeth and refused to show it for fear of ending the moment. Her mum was back, the real Grace- Grace Guerrero. Willow grasped her locket, drawing Grace's attention to it. Together, they opened it, reminiscing in communal silence on the photo it contained. A tear trailed its way down Grace's face. She touched the photo, letting out a laugh and a sob all at once. Willow struggled to keep herself from shedding a tear as well. This is only temporary. She's not really back. This is only temporary...right?

"I don't remember seeing you off to Hogwarts...did you get into Slytherin?" Grace asked, seeing the Slytherin pin on Willow's robes.

"Oh, no, I got into Gryffindor," Willow said, wincing in preparation for a berating.

"Really? I'm so proud of you!" Grace exclaimed, wiping a tear off her face. "Carlos and I- we always knew you were a Gryffindor, through and through. You were a typical hotheaded, straightforward warrior as a kid."

Grace took her daughter's hand in her own. Willow took a sharp intake of air. Grace shook her head, then looked deep into her daughter's eyes, her own sparkling with a mixture of pain and...was that pride?

"You are going to grow up to become the greatest witch that ever lived, you know that?" she said, two more tears sliding down her face. "I have faith in you. I wouldn't give you this locket unless I believed in you."

That did it. Willow broke. The pain in her side didn't even matter anymore. Willow threw her arms around her mother, burying her face in Grace's shoulder, barely holding herself together. Grace cried freely as she held her daughter tight. Willow's head swam with memories she'd buried for so long: swimming at the public pool, hiding behind her mother's legs on orientation day for preschool, running in the meadows with her two dogs, and most of all, camping out under the stars, listening the the pine sap crackle and pop, the aroma blanketing her senses with joy. It took everything Willow had to stop herself from downright sobbing. Grace's sniffles eventually died down to uneven breaths.

"I love you, Willow, don't let anyone tell you otherwise," she whispered.

Willow gripped her mum a little tighter. "I love you too."

Grace pulled back, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. She let out a mirthless laugh. "Well, that's embarrassing, a daughter comforting her own mother, it should be the other way around." Willow was about to protest when Grace suddenly peered at her daughter's robes. "Hang on...is that...blood?"

"No, no, it's- food colouring," Willow lied.

"Bull! How did that happen?" The lines reappeared on Grace's forehead. "Bloody hell, Willow, you're bleeding everywhere, you need a healer, you need a potion, you need- AAAAAHHHH!!!"

Grace's scream pierced Willow's ears. Willow's entire body seized up in shock as cuts appeared all over her mum's body. With a flash of blue light, Grace was sent careening down the stairs, knocked completely unconscious. Willow's heart rate spiked. She glanced up to where several of the Fawleys were crowded around the dungeon door, glaring daggers at Willow. The majority of them were scraped, bruised, and beaten up from George's pranks. All of their wands were leveled directly at her chest. Willow's body stiffened in the most intense panic she'd ever felt in her life.

"Hello, Willow," Alex hissed, his greasy hair enhancing his weasley appearance. "Care for round two?"

Without giving her time to relax, Willow was blasted with a spell. She tumbled head over heels and landed hard on the dungeon floor. Willow had barely regained her sense of equilibrium when the Fawleys flooded the dungeon, stampeding down the stairs. She grabbed her mother as quickly as she could and dragged her away from their tramping feet. Willow whipped out her wand and kneeled over Grace, aiming it at Alex.

"Stop! Don't touch her!" she shouted.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Please. She'll wake up in five minutes, and she won't remember a thing. By that time, you'll be a treasured memory." He aimed his wand between Willow's eyes. "Any last words?"

"Yeah, actually," Willow said. A last-ditch, idiotic idea formulated in her head. "You're the whiniest bitch I've ever met in my life."

Willow fired off a spell, sending Alex and four others into the opposite wall. They crumpled, useless, to the ground. Willow then shouted, "Expelliarmus!" and received the three remaining Fawley's wands. In their moment of furious confusion, Willow took the opportunity to kick the legs out from under one. He bowled into the other two, and they fell like dominoes. Willow picked up her mum and ran up the stairs at breakneck speed, taking the hall back towards the family room. If she didn't get to the fireplace in time, Alex would find her- he'd kill Grace- he'd kill her slowly, in front of Willow- and then kill her when she was practically begging to die. The adrenaline kicked in, and Willow sprinted at top speed through the house, making it to the family room in record time. There was one problem, though: she wasn't the first one to make it there. Willow skidded to a stop, setting down Grace.

"Auntie?" she gasped.

Auntie Margret grinned at her. "If it isn't my favourite niece! It's nice to see you back in the mansion!"

Willow stared in disbelief. "What- Auntie, why aren't you with- ?"

She didn't finish her sentence. A wave of pure agony swept over Willow, dimming her vision to blood-red as she fell to one knee. Her sight tunneled in and out, struggling to let her focus on any one object. Willow coughed and hacked, finally collapsing onto the floor. She gripped her side, but it was useless, as it was already soaked in blood. Pain overwhelmed all of Willow's senses. Blurry halos of light surrounded the windows nearby. A shadow passed over them as Auntie Margret kneeled down beside her.

"Tsk, tsk...you were such a well-behaved you lady..."

With a burst of light, Willow cascaded into nothingness.


	57. Year 3: Chapter 15

Willow awake to a harsh bang. She sat bolt upright, regretting it immediately. She stifled a cry as her stomach exploded into pain. The metallic ringing in her ears, combined with the cold, hard floor, let on that she wasn't in the Fawley mansion anymore. Willow sat up straight, cradling her side. It was still rather sticky with blood. She was alive, but very weak, judging by how abnormally cold she was. Willow drew her robes tighter around her, noting the bars holding her inside some sort of cell. Where was she?

The floor was so moist that Willow had to unstick her legs from it. She rubbed the now raw skin to keep it from burning. As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, she noticed other cells across a wide corridor. Willow figured she must be in some sort of dungeon. Which dungeon exactly, she didn't know, but at least it wasn't in the Fawley mansion. They wouldn't leave her alive much longer if she was there, especially after what she'd done...

Willow's stomach throbbed again. She untied a portion of her robes to examine her wound. It stung like hellfire when the cool dungeon air pressed against it. Willow sucked in a sharp breath. Closing her eyes, she poked at it, sending fiery sensations all across the area, but nothing seemed extraordinarily wrong. In fact, it appeared that someone had cast a sort of suturing spell the seal up the severed organs- without stitches, thankfully. The only thing left was a ton of dried blood. Willow shuddered; stitches were one of the only material fears she had in this world. She let out a puff of air, leaning back against the wall and staring at the ceiling.

Great, now I’m going to have two stab scars…

CLANG! Willow almost jumped out of her skin. She frantically glanced around for the source of the noise, but found nothing. She was beginning the psych herself out when someone hissed nearby.

"Comfortable, are you?"

Willow's blood boiled at the dripping sarcasm in his voice. "You won't be when I'm finished with you, Lucius."

The blonde pureblood slid into view, curling his lip over his pristine teeth. "How dare you use my first name, you insolent brat! Has Carlos taught you nothing except how to raise hell?"

"I have very selective hearing. What have you done with Grace?" Willow demanded.

Lucius smirked. "Oh, I guarantee you'll hear this: she's in what we like to call...ah...the corrective unit. When we're finished with her, she will never look at you with those pathetic misty eyes again."

Willow grinded her teeth. "So that's what you've done with your own son? Turned a cold cheek and left him to hate the world?"

Lucius hit the cell's bars. "Your friendship with my son is impossible! He will never be friends with a blood traitor!"

Willow shot to her feet. "You know what, Lucius? I think it is possible, and what's more, I've proved it! You tried to teach your son to turn away from anything that isn't sanctioned by your 'pure' ancestors, but he can look beyond that. Draco is a better person already than you will ever be, you pathetic weasel!"

Lucius's eyes burned. "You absolute, unbearably ignorant little- "

"Mr. Malfoy. I will take it from here."

Lucius froze. He made an obvious effort to control himself, then left the room at a brisk pace. Willow glared after him until he disappeared from view. The next visitor, however, stopped Willow's heart mid-beat. The Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge, appeared from the darkness. Of course; how could she forget these barren, unforgiving walls? She was in the Ministry of Magic dungeons. 

"Miss Guerrero, allow me to introduce myself- " Fudge began.

"No need, Minister, I know who you are," Willow interrupted. "If you wouldn't mind me asking, how did I get here, and why am I here?"

Fudge visibly tensed. "Mr. Malfoy brought you in, citing several high crimes as reasoning. He said that you brainwashed your mother, accompanied your friends in the attempted murder of the entire Fawley family, and then turned your wand on him. Now, these are serious accusations- "

"I didn't do any of that!" Willow exclaimed. "Lucius is lying!"

"Miss Guerrero, accusing a high official within the Ministry of lying is a very heinous crime, let alone the offenses you have already committed," Fudge said. Willow scoffed indignantly. "Now, we need to inform you of your official charges and search your memory for a particular accusation, so if you'd cooperate, you would get much time off your sentence- "

"My- what? You haven't even listened to my side of the story!"

"Coming from a disturbed, teenage witch, your word against Mr. Malfoy's is hardly worth the effort of the prosecution. Just come quietly, Miss Guerrero, and I assure you, we will get you the help you need- "

"No! You can't do this! I- " Willow froze, seeing the body guards behind Fudge. They both had their wands raised, pointed directly at Willow's chest. She reached for her own wand, but it had been confiscated. Willow's heart rate spiked each time she laid eyes on another armed wizard. Fudge smiled patronizingly at her.

"Like I said, Miss Guerrero, it would be best if you came quietly."

Willow clenched and unclenched her fists. Finally, she came to a wise decision, and she held her hands above her head. Fudge nodded, and the two guards opened the door, still pointing their wands at Willow. She rolled her eyes as they roughly grabbed her arms and dragged her into the hall. They marched her upstairs, through many halls, and finally into a large office, which gave the impression of an interrogation room. Even the tall backs to the chairs loomed menacingly over Willow's head as she sat down at one end of the table. The Minister dismissed his guards to stand outside the door, then frowned at Willow.

"There's just something about you that makes this seem all wrong. You don't have a real motive for destroying your family...that makes you even more dangerous."

Willow chortled. "With all due respect, Minister, every teenage Gryffindor can be considered a danger. It's an occupational hazard."

"You think this is funny?" Fudge said, slamming his hand down on the table. He pointed his wand to the wall behind him and conjured a TV out of nowhere. A video began to roll. "Look what you've done!"

Willow watched in confusion. The video showed a familiar scene, one pertaining to the meadow outside the Fawley mansion. It showed footage of disturbed grass and torn up earth where there had been fighting. Willow even recognized the rock that Paige's grandfather had been stranded on. She was about to ask what the point of all this was when the first body showed up. Then the next. Then the next. Soon, seven Fawleys were captured on a zooming-out camera, their corpses a streak of red in the grey of the meadow. Willow suddenly had a nasty sensation that something was fighting its way out of her stomach. She'd killed people?

Next, the video shifted to the inside of the house, where more bodies lay dead, Alex among them. The dungeon floor ran scarlet with blood. Willow's face paled as a trail of red drug its way up the stairs, zig-zagged into the family room, and ended out the couch, where some young cousin of Willow's lay in a pool of his own bodily fluids. The sight was horrifying, but Willow couldn't stop staring. She gaped at the images, her mind memorizing every feature of them, insides churning. Her own dagger wound lessened in pain. Had she...had she actually murdered people? She didn't remember casting deadly spells, but...her powers. That had to be it. They took over again- and this time, they'd gone on a killing spree.

"Ring any bells?" Fudge prompted.

"I- I- " Willow fought down vomit. "I didn't know- I was defending myself- they were coming so fast- I must have- but I didn't- "

"Save it for the trial," Fudge sighed. "Your regret will be noted."

Willow zoned in and out of no particular sight, lost in thought. The gory, bloody images of former family members flashed before her eyes at the speed of light. She'd...actually killed people. Since when was she capable of that? Sure, she was planning on injuring the Fawleys, since they'd cast countless death spells at her, but she didn't intend to take lives! All she wanted was to save Paige's grandfather...what had she done?

Fudge stood up. "I've got one more thing to show you before we commence the mind-reading. Follow me, please."

Willow did as she was asked in a trance-like state. Her eyes hollowed and became sunken, almost haunted. Her body physically trembled. Her footsteps were labored. She had never felt weaker or more miserable in her life. The blood loss was catching up to her quick, then add that to seeing the aftermath of the battle, and Willow was closer to death than when Quirrel had left her to starve. Suffering heavily, devoid of all emotions, and almost one hundred percent defeated, Willow arrived in a small room. She was presented a window into another space, the guards still holding onto an arm each. Willow gradually looked up. When she did, fire was set to her brain at the sight, and every single one of her emotions surged, tearing at the very fiber of her being.

"Mum!"

There was a tiny, white-walled room beyond the glass, containing the most heart-wrenching scene Willow had ever laid eyes on. Grace Fawley was tied to a chair, trembling, tears running down her bruised, bloody cheeks. Her hair was a matted mess. Lucius was standing in the corner of the room, lip curled in a snarl.

“What is your name?” he growled.

“Grace Guerrero.”

Lucius’s eyes flashed. He hit the side of Grace’s chair with his cane. “You are not associated with that family! You last name is Fawley, not Guerrero!”

“Grace…Fawley…” Grace whimpered. “B-but…Willow- she’s my daughter- she’s a Guerrero- “

“She may be your daughter, but she is no longer your family,” Lucius reminded her, standing up tall and menacing before Grace. “You are Grace Fawley, and you are much better off with your real family.”

“Better off?” Grace's eyes widened in horror. “They hurt me! They expelled me from the family tree! Why would they want me back?”

“Because they never did any of that to you!” Lucius roared, pointing his wand at her. “You have to remember, Grace! Willow has been toying with your mind, warping it to defect you to her side. You have to break free!”

Fire roiled through Willow’s soul. “Hey! I never did any of that! He’s lying, I swear- !“

One of the guards kicked her in the back, sending a wave of agony over her midsection. Willow cried out, then collapsed to her knees, heaving deep breaths to keep herself from sobbing. She convulsed into a long period of white-hot pain.

“Do not kick the prisoner!” Fudge exclaimed, blanching at the sight of Willow. “She’s already paying a hefty price, there is no need to further punish her!”

Willow had to agree. The extra pain was unnecessary when she was already watching her mum practically being tortured by Lucius Malfoy. She coughed up a spatter of scarlet, which sent the guards reeling backwards. Willow thought this was rather curious, but at the moment, her mind was preoccupied by the most unbearable pain of her life. She gripped her wound with her now free hands, stemming much of the burn. When the majority of the torment subsided, Willow laid on the floor, exhaustion preventing her from rising. All she could do was listen into the interrogation.

“What did she make you do?”

“Nothing!” Grace protested, the squeal of chair legs alerting Willow to her struggling. “Willow was- she was defending herself, and I was defending her- she’s my daughter- “

“She will never be your daughter!” Lucius snapped. “Willow has been corrupted by Carlos all these years, and now she’s trying to take hold of you! Don’t let her fiddle with your mind, Grace, she’s trying to brainwash you!”

“Wh-why would you say that?” Grace's voice was reduced to a whisper, her breath catching in her throat. Willow’s chest tightened as she vividly imagined a tear trailing down her mum's nose. “My daughter is nothing but kind and compassionate! I- I must have gone astray- maybe I’ve done something wrong- “

CLANG! Lucius had slammed his cane against the chair leg. Grace yelped, then stifled a sob. “That’s exactly what she’s trying to make you think! You are the compassionate and kind one, and she is the one that’s gone wrong! Willow Guerrero is nothing but a liar and a traitor to the Fawle- “

“HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT MY DAUGHTER!”

Silence ensued after the outburst. Willow’s blood froze in her veins. Did she hear that correctly? Did her mum just….defend her against- Lucius? Even Fudge and the guards were gaping at the exclamation. Willow’s shocked body was urged into motion by the crackling of lightning-powerful electricity through her veins. Her powers and her own neurons combined to create a reputable force. Willow rose to her feet, pain vanished, heart beating fast, pressing her hands against the glass as she watched her mother in complete awe.

Grace Guerrero’s face had morphed into a fiery rage that could have melted the entire planet. When added to her beaten and bloodied face, she appeared as though she could take on the entire Ministry of Magic without a scratch. Fudge and his guards took a step back as Grace Guerrero stood up, chair still hampering her, but appearing as though her burning-hot skin would singe through the ropes any moment.

“My daughter is not a criminal,” Grace hissed, voice deadly soft. “Willow Guerrero is kind, iron-willed, and powerfully empathetic. She is a better person than my entire family combined could ever hope to be, and she’s not even an adult yet.” Grace glared daggers at Lucius. “I hope she comes for you, Lucius. I hope that one day, Willow tracks you down, takes you into custody, and turns out every dirty secret you keep under your filthy floorboards. I hope you rue the day that you ever insulted my daughter, because when she comes for you- and she will- it will be the worst day of your meaningless, pathetic life.”

Lucius’s face burned such a deep hue of scarlet that he appeared on the brink of bursting a blood vessel. “You dare make that promise?”

“Oh, I don’t dare; you can count on it,” Grace spat.

Willow’s heart imploded. Her knees nearly buckled. She felt like she’s been hit with a ton of bricks. Her mum was defending her, and against Lucius Malfoy. Her mum was complimenting her- giving her praise- declaring all of her best qualities…and from the bottom of her heart. Willow pressed her lips together, swallowing the lump in her throat. This couldn’t be real…but it was. Grace Guerrero was back. She was here, right now, in this moment in time. Willow cupped her hands over her mouth, eyes burning with moisture. She could hardly comprehend the reality of the moment; it was simply surreal.

The memories came flooding back as a determined Grace argued with Lucius. Willow was flying high on a swingset at the crack of dawn. She was scoring her first goal with her mum by her side. She was writing stories about their adventures with Grace supplying countless ideas. She was petting her dogs, laying on the floor, covered with dog hair, and laughing as her mum sneezed. She was running, jumping, skipping, singing…and then she was crying. Eight-year-old Willow was sitting limply in Grace’s lap, sobbing as her mum stroked her hair, asking why the girls at school wouldn’t let her play soccer with them.

They’re jealous, Grace said.

Willow sniffled and looked up with teary eyes. Why would they be jealous? They hate me!

Grace smiled softly. They don’t like you because they’re jealous of how incredible you are. You’re smart, athletic, beautiful, and most importantly, you have the biggest heart in the whole world.

Willow wiped her face. I do?

Grace let out a laugh- a sound so melodious, so pure, that the most pious angel in heaven couldn’t have replicated it. You do have a big heart, Willow. Ever since you were born, you’ve always put others before yourself. That takes a lot of love.

Willow sheepishly smiled. I guess so…

Grace tapped her daughter on the nose. I know so. Someday, you’re going to take that love and do a whole lot of good. You’ll love with a heart bigger than mine, dad’s, or anyone else’s…you’re going to be a great person, Willow. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Willow cuddled closer to her mum. I won’t, I promise.

I’ll hold you to that promise…

Willow’s heart swelled with so many emotions that they nearly spilled over the edge. Her mum hadn’t held her to that promise, but Willow had always held herself to it. Grace was reminding her of it, even now, in such a state that she hardly knew who she was anymore. Willow gently laid a hand over her heart, leaving the other one on the glass, hoping that her love would somehow radiate to her troubled mum. Grace believed in her; that meant something, especially now.

“Sit down, Grace, and listen for a moment- “

“No! Untie me from this chair! I want to see Willow, I’ve got to make sure you haven’t hurt her too- “

“GRACE! If you are not going to cooperate, we will have to resort to drastic measures to restore your former state of mind!” Lucius exploded. His eyes flashed, icy cold. “And believe me, I’m not afraid to use the full arsenal of curses.”

Grace glared daggers. “You know, I can’t wait for the day Willow gives you exactly what you deserve. Go ahead! Torture me! It won’t make a bit of difference, because no matter how much you hurt me, Willow is going to make you hurt so much worse.”

Lucius’s lip curled. “You chose your own torment.”

Willow’s eyes widened as Lucius raised his wand. He leveled it directly at Grace, at point-blank rage. Grace simply sat down, staring him hard in the eyes. Willow’s body went rigid as Lucius began an incantation.

“No- wait- please, no- NO!” she screamed.

It was too late. A spell rocketed into Grace’s chest, sending electric sparks cascading over her body. She shrieked and struggled against her restraints, body convulsing. Willow banged against the glass, screeching for Lucius to stop, but he continued to cast more spells, sending Grace further and further into a delirium. The guards immediately stepped forward to hold Willow back, but she fought against them, still yelling hoarsely for them to stop the torture. One held a wand against her throat.

“Silence, or you’re next,” he growled.

Willow regrettably restrained her powers from lashing out. She watched with mounting agony as Grace writhed in her seat, sobbing, begging for Lucius to stop. But he did not. Willow glanced sideways to see if Fudge was planning to let this continue, but he had disappeared. She could do nothing, absolutely nothing, as her mum’s body, wracked with torment, collapsed to the floor, the ropes seared through. Lucius immediately picked up her smoking body by the neck of Grace’s shirt.

“What is your name?” he hissed.

“Grace Fawley.”

“And what do we think of the Guerreros?”

Grace opened her mouth to speak, then shut it, sealing her lips. She trembled violently in Lucius’s grasp. When Grace did not respond, Lucius slapped her across the face, then grabbed her by the throat.

“What- do- we- think- of- the- Guerreros!” he roared.

“We- we hate them!” Grace stuttered.

“LOUDER!”

“I HATE THE GUERREROS!” Grace boomed. Suddenly, with the blink of an eye, her tough stature resumed, and her irises grew cold and hard. “They ruined my life! Carlos is nothing but scum! My daughter is corrupted by his family!”

Lucius nodded. “Good, very good…and do you have anything to say to Willow Guerrero?”

Grace shook in utter rage. “I will never rest until she has paid for her crimes against my family. That miserable, backstabbing traitor will pay!”

Lucius smirked, purposefully turning towards the glass. “I can only hope she heard you…”

Willow’s heart shattered. Her body gave out. Her mind snapped, and she collapsed to the floor in a heap, darkness creating a vortex of torturous thoughts. Grace was gone. She’d just gotten her mother back, and now she was ripped away again. Everything was back to the way it was. No more encouragement- no more love- no more happy memories- no more anything.

The guards prodded her in the back, barking for her to get up. Willow did not. She hardly heard them; her brain was engulfed in torturous flames. Even when the guards kicked her in the back, sending another wave of agony over her abdomen, she did not react. Grace was still screaming in the room next to her. Her mum- no, Grace Fawley- was screeching obscenities about her former family. But she was just here- the Guerrero side of Grace- only hours ago Willow had been comforting her grieving mother- only minutes ago she’d been watching her mum defend her- but now she was gone- she was gone again- she was tortured into thinking the Guerreros were awful again- 

“GET UP AND MOVE, OR YOU’LL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN!” a guard shrieked.

Willow’s body reclaimed itself in the present moment. The two guards were pointing their wands in her face, a spell trembling on their lips. Willow slowly rose to her feet. She hardly registered the danger of defying the guards as they urged her to move faster. Her body was crumpling, her mind was imploding, and her spirit- was it breaking? Willow couldn’t tell. No one had ever been able to break her spirit…but judging by how easily those five minutes had shattered the very fiber of her being, Willow wondered if Lucius had finally done her in.

The Minister of Magic rejoined them at the entrance to the dungeons. He carefully walked behind Willow, obviously eyeing her for any suspicious activity. But Willow wasn’t up for a game of escape room. She wasn’t up for toying with brainless guards. She wasn’t up for…anything. For once, she complied with every word the guards said, without question, without fear, without joy; she simply couldn’t care anymore. Willow didn’t even feel the sharp pain in her side when the guards chucked her into her dungeon cell. She couldn’t be bothered to fix her awkward position on the floor, either. All she could do was replay that scene over and over in her head; all she could do was watch in complete helplessness as her mother was broken again and again; all she could do was stand aside, a complete coward, as her mum took all the heat for her; she was worthless.

“Well, Miss Guerrero, I assume the gravity of your actions has finally hit home,” Fudge stated. “Your grief will be noted for your trail. In the meantime, you will remain here for a week as we set aside a date. Someone will be in shortly to sift through your memories. Do yourself a favor and cooperate.”

Willow didn’t respond as the Minister walked away. She laid in her cell, chest physically throbbing. Her breaths came quick and shallow. She wondered why she couldn’t find the will to get up. She was just so…empty. There was no fight left in her. Willow wanted to cry so badly, but there were no tears to cry. She was simply lacking all emotions, all willpower, all spirit.

Willow Guerrero was broken.

She must have fallen asleep, because her vision went dark, then her eyes fluttered open to a bright light cutting through the opaque environment. Willow barely lifted her head to see a wizard dressed in a rather official robe on the opposite side of her cell door. She gradually moved her limp body into a sitting position, leaning against the far wall of her cell. The wizard whispered, “Nox,” and the room fell into the fuzzy grey of gloom again. Willow’s eyes adjusted to the dark as she let out a sigh.

“Are you here to search me?”

The wizard nodded. “Fudge warned me about your ornery nature. Comply, please, and this will be harmless.”

Willow closed her eyes, the numbing cold of the dungeon seeping into her icy skin. “Go ahead.”

“Legillimens!”

At first, it appeared as though the wizard wouldn’t get very far. Willow could feel him stuck, pitted against some brick wall, struggling against the stormy, gloomy barrier that shrouded her mind on all sides. Then, he managed to find a gateway, and he continued through Willow’s memories. Cebba screamed for Willow to stop him, but she hardly heard her voice; it sounded distant, like she was half a mile across an empty field. Willow couldn’t find the energy nor the strength to throw the wizard out of her mind. She resigned herself to the task at hand, hardly able to feel the memories as he poked at them.

The wizard found everything from the past forty-eight hours and dissected them with a vengeance. There was Willow, taking her Divination exam, less than two days prior. She was inside the crystal ball, then suddenly running out of the room, and the next thing she knew, Paige and she were narrowly avoiding being blasted off the face of the earth. Then there was Paige’s grandfather, broken before the cruel Fawleys, and suddenly he was massive, conjuring storms, lightning strikes, and pillars of rock. Willow could feel how powerful the wizard’s surprise was when he witnessed Paige and her defending Grandpa Terrell against Lucius Malfoy, Molly Smith, and Grace Fawley. There was Willow being choked out, then kicked around, then saved by George Weasley. The wizard paused for long moments during these instances.

At length, he continued on, seeing the story for himself. There was Grandpa Fawley being sent through the floo network, then Willow refusing to go first, and suddenly the precarious situation of choosing between Paige and George. The wizard gasped at the vivid pain the memory contained, both mental and physical, but Willow hardly felt a thing as she re-witnessed stabbing herself and provoking her mum into saving her friends. The wizard stopped in the moment after she shoved Paige and George into the fireplace. His hold on her mind released as he stared at her, horror written clearly on his features, even in the dim lightning.

“Did you- you didn’t alter any of those memories, did you?” he asked.

Willow shook her head. “I don’t even know how to do that.”

The wizard ran a hand through his hair. “Merlin’s beard, I don’t get paid enough for this…your family has some serious issues. How much emotional baggage do you have?”

Willow chuckled mirthlessly. “Enough to bring ten people to their knees. And you didn’t even see the best part.”

The wizard shook his head. “I’m not sure if I want to…but I guess I’m legally obliged to…”

Willow cascaded back into her memories, regressing into a shell of numbness once again as the wizard dug further into her mind. He began to go past the last two days, obviously attempting to find evidence of premeditated plans or the like. Willow knew he wouldn’t find any and stopped paying attention, as he had dug into time with her friends, and the thought of their worrying about her was tearing at her few remaining heartstrings. She was almost completely oblivious to what was going on when she suddenly realized which memory came next.

Sirius! Willow screamed.

Without warning, her strength returned, adrenaline pumped through her system, and her willpower all but doubled in its normal potence. The wizard gasped as he was chucked out of Willow’s head. He frowned at her actions.

“Really, I don’t want to make this more difficult than it has to be,” he warned. “I have full authority from Fudge to use force to get these memories.”

“And I have full authority to keep you from my private thoughts,” Willow growled. “Stay away from that day. It’s private.”

“Nothing is private when you’re on trial for your life.”

Willow’s blood ran cold, but she suppressed the shiver, not wanting to give this wizard the satisfaction. “I guess you’re going to have to use force, then, and I suggest getting backup, because I’m a lot stronger than I look.”

“Legillimens!”

Willow snapped shut her mental gates, slamming them in the wizard’s face as she did so. He stumbled backwards from the sheer amount of force Willow wielded. His eyes went wide.

“You- you can’t- this isn’t possible- occlumency is impossible for third years- “

“This isn’t occlumency, dumbarse, it’s called mental strength,” Willow interrupted, a smile playing on her lips. “It’s a positive side effect of emotional baggage.”

The wizard gritted his teeth. “I will see that memory, whether you like it or not, so you might as well spare yourself the pain that comes with resisting federal authority. Comply!”

“I’ve already got a life sentence; what more do I have to lose?”

“Legillimens!”

Willow pushed the wizard out of her mind, but this time he came back at her with redoubled strength. She struggled against him for several seconds before managing to keep him out of her most recent memories. The wizard huffed and puffed in his efforts to reach deeper into Willow’s mind.

“Stop- fighting- me!” he roared.

“Over my dead body,” Willow spat.

The wizard seethed, removing himself once more. He pressed a button on his watch. “Guards! I need a hand here!”

Willow’s blood froze. Oh crap.

A pair of guards emerged from the darkness on either side of the wizard, brandishing wands at Willow, who had her back pressed up against the wall. They had a point-blank shot at her. There was nowhere to go. Willow scrambled for ideas, but nothing came to mind. She had no wand, no escape route, and absolutely no idea what to do.

“I think I see the cruciatus curse in your future if you don’t willingly submit your memories, Miss Guerrero,” the wizard said. “Stop fighting, now.”

“I’m afraid that's not possible, Mr. Butthead, sir.” Willow shrugged, a grin spreading across her face. “I mean, my last name literally translates to warrior or fighter. It’s simply impossible for me to resist a challenge.”

The wizard smirked. “Let’s see how you handle this challenge, then.”

At a nod from him, the guards simultaneously cast a pair of powerful incantations at Willow. She was immediately encased in a glowing, sparking wreath of blue light. Every sparkle burned like piercing needles; every area the light touched became agony; every fiber of Willow’s being was continuously torn apart and pieced back together, over and over, in a single, long blast, and she was screaming bloody murder. The guards refused to let up despite her ear-shattering shrieks. When she collapsed to the ground, her body contorting at awkward angles, the wizard finally chose to reenter her mind- and there was no stopping him this time.

It was only seconds before Willow felt his cocky presence strutting into private memories. The wizard triumphantly pushed aside the ones he didn’t need, happening at last upon Willow’s most guarded, treasured moments from this past year. He saw her golden morning hours with her creatures; the breakdowns; the months in hiding; studying happily with her friends; the fights with George and Paige; the even more violent fights with Draco; spending time with her family at Christmas; and finally, the wizard was on the brink of the most treasured memories of all. Willow tried so hard to muster the strength to shove the wizard away, but the pain intensified the more she fought, and she was seized up in agony once again.

The wizard smirked gleefully at Willow and strode into the memory. He turned his gaze on the moment, and suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks, face going slack. Willow’s heart tore itself apart, string by string, as she waited for his reaction. The wizard stood, frozen, for what felt like hours. At length, he removed himself from Willow’s mind, eyes wide in horror as he stared at her. He distractedly waved his guards away. As they released their spell and retreated into the darkness, Willow coughed and spluttered, her body still vibrating from the intensity of the curses.

“You were talking with Sirius Black,” the wizard murmured, staring in horror at Willow. “You were laughing with him. You were chatting with- with a mass murderer!” He ran his hands down his face. “How- he should have- you should be dead!”

“He’s not a mass murderer!” Willow protested, slamming herself against the cell door. The wizard stumbled backwards in shock. “Sirius Black is a kind, gentle soul! You put away the wrong man!”

“Oh my God…he’s brainwashed you!”

“What? No, Sirius hasn’t done anything wrong- I swear on my life, he’s always been kind to me- never did anything of that sort- “

“The Minister needs to hear about this, immediately!” The wizard paced back and forth. “You’re not crazy- Sirius Black has meddled with your mind- you’re under some sort of spell, you have to be- we need to apprehend him before he gets away- GUARDS! Send word to the Minister, Sirius Black is at Hogwarts!”

“No!” Willow shrieked, banging on her cell doors as the guards shuffled away. “No, Sirius is innocent! Do you hear me? SIRIUS BLACK IS INNOCENT!”

The wizard hit the cell doors. “Shut it, or you’re going to be punished as his equal!”

“Make me!”

The wizard snarled at Willow. “I can, and I will, so don’t push your luck. Now, where are you hiding Mr. Black? What was that room I saw you in?”

“I’ll tell you when hell freezes over!”

“YOU WILL TELL ME RIGHT NOW!”

“OVER MY DEAD BODY!”

The wizard whipped out his wand and jabbed the tip in Willow’s windpipe. “I can make that a reality, you know.”

“Good, I haven’t had the will to live since I was nine anyway.”

Willow stared down the pissed-off wizard, a flinty steel in glowing her eyes. Her anger was thankfully stalling him for now. As long as the guards remained away, he couldn’t access her mind. She had to keep them from her as long as she could. There had to be a way to defend herself- some way to keep them at bay- WAIT.

Willow bit her lip. This is a terrible idea, but here goes nothing…

Without breaking her gaze with the wizard, Willow’s hand shot between the cell bars, snatching his robes. She slammed him as hard as she could into the door, disarming him. The wizard’s shock melted into senselessness as he crumpled to the ground. His wand slipped out of his hand and clattered to the floor. Willow threw herself to the ground and caught the wand just before it could roll away. Heaving a deep breath, she placed it safely in her innermost pocket. She drew the wizard as close to her cell bars as she could to hide him from view. Now all she had to do was wait. When the guards came back, she could defend herself, and possibly escape, but not before then. There was a whole Ministry after her now that Fudge knew she contained knowledge about Sirius Black. If she showed her face, there would be at least a hundred aurors on her tail before she could blink. She had to slowly escape- take people down one by one- clear a steady path- watch her twelve and her six-

Her chance came sooner than she realized. The guards came stomping down the dungeon stairs, chatting amiably between themselves. They were nearly in front of Willow’s cell before they realized the wizard was down. The one ran for backup while the other brandished his wand at Willow.

“You’ll pay for attacking a Ministry official!”

Willow drew out her stolen wand. “I think I’ve paid quite enough, thank you. Seeing my mum being tortured right in front of me is not something I’ll forget in a hurry.”

The guard’s upper lip curled. “You deserve it, after housing a mass murderer for nearly a year.”

Willow narrowed her eyes. “That mass murderer is innocent. He’s one of my best friends, I'l prove it to you! And when that day comes, I’m going to spit in your face.”

The guard smirked. “Tell that to the Minister.”

Willow shrugged as Fudge came hurrying into the dungeon. “I don’t think I’m afraid of titles, really.”

“Miss Guerrero! Failure to inform authorities of a mass murderer’s whereabouts is a most despicable crime- “

Willow waved him away. “Yeah, yeah, heinous crimes, life in prison, blah blah blah; I know! I’m trying to tell you that Sirius Black is innocent!”

The Minister’s entire body trembled. “He- he was right! You are under his spell! You’re demented! He’s- Black has brainwashed you!” He paced for a few moments, face blanching. “So maybe- it’s not you- it’s Black, warping your mind- he implanted these horrid ideas in your head- “

“No, he didn’t do any of that!”

"Merlin's beard, he really has gotten a hold of you!" Fudge turned to his guards. "Send the aurors to Hogwarts immediately, and get an owl to Dumbledore, the fastest one we've got. We have to catch him while we still have a chance- "

"STOP! You're not listening to me! Sirius Black- "

"-is a dangerous criminal and a threat to our very society! He could expose the entire wizarding world with a single spell! In fact, he could wipe out half the wizarding world if we're not careful!" Fudge gripped the cell door, rattling Willow's eardrums. "You have to tell us where he is! If he escapes again, we might never find him!"

"You're exactly right, so you might want to start searching now."

The Minister's face contorted violently. "You- will- tell- me- now!"

Willow crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, Minister, but I'm not sorry. I can't just send one of my best friends to Azkaban for a wrongful conviction. That would be awful for trust, don't you think?"

"HE HAS WARPED YOUR MIND! SIRIUS BLACK IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!"

"YES HE IS!"

Willow launched herself at the cell bars, sending Fudge reeling backwards. A fire unlike anything she'd ever known kindled red-hot, deep within her irises. She drew her wand against the Minister, whose eyes widened. Willow's muscles tensed, prepared for the worst, as the Minister called for his guards, drawing his own wand as he did so. His hand trembled as he leveled it at Willow.

"You are completely reckless," he whispered. "Abominable!"

"Isn't every Gryffindor, though?"

Fudge clamped his jaw shut. His eyes never wavered from Willow as he instructed his guard, "Take me upstairs, and get a Hogwarts staff member on site. We need someone close to her to extrapolate the information...and get someone to disarm her! This is a case of corruption beyond anything I've seen..."

The guard nodded, then placed himself between Willow and the Minister as he escorted him out of the dungeon. The other guard soon came by, but it only took a glare from Willow, and he was hurrying away. She waited until he was at the far edge of the dungeon to put the wand away. Glancing the other direction, she made certain she was out of earshot, then pulled her name tag out of her deepest robe pocket. Willow thanked Merlin that they hadn't found it and confiscated it. After a few attempts with the wizard's unfamiliar wand, she finally got the spell to work. She tapped the screen, and seconds later, the ceiling of a Gryffindor boys' dorm materialized in it.

"Fred? George? Are you there?" she whispered.

There was a loud THUD!, then scuffling and swearing, and finally Fred and George fought their way into view. George shoved his twin into the bed next to him.

"WILLOW! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHERE- !"

"SHH! Keep it down!" Willow peeked through her cell door, but the guard was still twiddling his thumbs at the end of the corridor. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Guys! I don't have much time- "

"Where are you? What happened? Why didn't you come after us?" George blurted out.

"It's a long story! I'll tell you later! Now- "

"We thought you were dead!" Fred cried. "Paige is beside herself! Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall are going to- "

"Not now! Look, I'm at the Ministry of Magic, and they're keeping me in the dungeon. Apparently I'm being charged with the murder of multiple Fawley family members, brainwashing my mum, and lots of other rubbish. Fudge is terrified." Willow bit her lip. "They also...kind of...got into my mind. They forced their way into my memories and- guys, they know Sirius is at Hogwarts!"

Fred gasped. "What are they going to do?"

"They're sending aurors, lots of them. You've got to get him out of there!"

Fred saluted her. "Don't worry, we've got it."

"Hang on, how did you keep your wand? I would have thought they'd confiscate it," George said.

"I may or may not have smashed a guy's face into my cell and stolen his wand."

Fred whooped. "No way! That's awesome!"

"Well, he did kind of deserve it. He had his guards torture me with a really cool spell, then invaded my mind."

"What? They tortured you? How is that cool?!"

"I mean, compared to torturing my mum in front of me, making her denounce my family again, showing me a gory video of everything we did at the Fawley mansion, and kicking me in my stab wound, it's pretty cool."

"WHAT?! How did they- what- that's not- is that even legal? Did they hurt you? I can't believe- "

"SHIT HAPPENS! Just go get Sirius!"

Fred saluted her once more and sprang away, though he paused for a moment to look back at her. George, on the other hand, remained glued to the screen, horrified. Willow gritted her teeth.

"Look, you can feel sorry for yourself and pity me later. We'll make a party of it. For now, get Sirius out of range of the Ministry's aurors. I can't let them catch him, George, it would be entirely my fault."

"How is that your fault?"

Willow groaned. "Don't argue with me right now! Just go help!"

George furrowed his eyebrow. "You're sure you'll be alright? You don't look like you're going to last much longer...I don't want to lose out on an extra hand in our pranking schemes against Snape."

Willow rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. I've been through worse. Go already!"

George nodded, then tapped his wand to the name tag, effectively ending the call. It was perfect timing, because at the very moment, footsteps hurried down the stone steps to Willow's left. She hurriedly shoved the name tag and her wand into her robes before anyone could know she was still armed. The person that stepped into view was entirely unexpected, however. It wasn't the Minister. It wasn't another Ministry official. It wasn't even a guard.

"Where is he?" Snape snarled, stopping hard in front of Willow's cell.

She gaped. "Why the hell are you asking?"

"Do you want to be expelled? Tell me where Black is, now!"

Willow scoffed. "How in the heck would I know? He could be anywhere! He's never in the same place at once! Sirius is like me, always on the move, always- "

"-up to something!" Snape's eyes were wreathed in an icy blue glow. "If you wish to continue your magical education, you will tell me where he is, and right now."

Willow swallowed hard. She couldn't give up Sirius's location, but that would mean losing her second home...Images from the previous months flashed in her mind's eye. Her friends laughing as they studied in the Ravenclaw common room; Seamus and Dean blowing up the common room together; playing quidditch with the Gryffindor team; the twins, Lee, and Paige pranking with her; her Gryffindor Sisters making up with Hermione; and best of all, hanging out in Hogsmeade with all of her friends and animagus-Sirius. Then she remembered the visions from earlier in the year, specifically the one about Snape. What if it was coming true? She couldn't let Snape turn Sirius into the authorities!

"Look, I'm sorry, but I really don't know where he is," Willow said.

"You're a terrible liar," Snape spat. "I know that Sirius Black is an animagus, and that's how he's been sneaking into the castle. I know that you disappear into the Forbidden Forest the same three days every week. I know that you know exactly where he is, and you're not telling me. You owe me for saving your pathetic life in your first year. I'll ask you one last time: Where is Sirius Black?"

"Up your arse."

Snape's wand suddenly materialized in his hand. "You're going to regret this when you and Sirius land in the same Azkaban cell!"

"Vete a la chingada, pendejo!"

The blood burst into Snape's cheeks, as he didn't know Spanish, and Willow knew he wouldn't know what she called him. He trained his wand intently upon her chest. There were so many spells for him to choose from. Willow closed her eyes and waited, knowing full well that there was no defending herself from Snape's rage. She couldn't help the smirk that spread across her face, however. There was no better feeling than pissing off Snape. Willow braced herself for the onset of agony that awaited her- but it never came. She opened her eyes to see Snape lower his wand, glaring daggers at her.

"You'll regret this when I catch Black myself. Your little show will have been for nothing, and you'll both rot in the same cell until death finally spares you from your miserable life."

"I can't wait."

Snape swept away. Willow smugly grinned after him until he disappeared from view. It concerned her that he hadn't lashed out at her, because that meant there was some underlying, deadly meaning, knowing Snape. But Willow shook it off, leaving that processing for later. She was more excited about the fact that Snape was never going to find Sirius. Fred and George were already working on hiding him; in fact, they were probably so deep into the Forbidden Forest by now, even the centaurs wouldn't dare follow them. Sirius was safe. What was the worst that could happen?

"Willow? Willow, are you there?"

She fumbled with her robe pocket to get the name tag out. Fred and George were back in the frame, but considerably more pale-faced than before. Willow furrowed her eyebrows.

"Guys? Are you okay? What happened?"

George bit his lip. "It's Sirius...I'm so sorry Willow, but- "

"-he's gone. Like, disappeared from the safe house."

"We looked everywhere- "

"-but he's we couldn't find him anywhere."

Willow's stomach reenacted the previous stabbing. She fell to her knees. Neurons fired faster than her brain could handle. She became dizzy and collapsed against the wall. "You must be joking."

"For once, we're not."

"We're so sorry, Willow..."

"It's alright. There- there was nothing you could do." Willow felt the blood drain from her cheeks. She swallowed the lump working its way through her throat. "I- I'm sure he caught wind of what was happening and bolted. He's good at avoiding authorities. Yeah, he'll be fine."

"Do you need us to come bust you out?" Fred offered. "We have a few prototypes that need testing."

"No, I'll be okay." Willow waved them away. "Don't worry about me. I don't need you getting arrested, too. I'll figure a way out of this. Fudge is setting a trial date for me within the next week or so."

"What if you lose, though?"

"What if you die before then?"

"Freddy!"

"What? She looks like she's half-dead, George!"

"I have been to hell and back," Willow mused. The Weasley twins rolled their eyes, but not as jokingly as usual. Willow cleared her throat. "Well, you can go now. Make sure you finish your OWLs, and if I don't get back before summer holidays, please owl my dad to let him know what happened, and have Oliver and Neville take care of my creatures."

"Willow, wait- "

"Bye guys."

Willow tapped the name tag before they could protest. Their faces disappeared in the blink of an eye, and she was entirely alone once more. Willow let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. The moment she did, everything came flooding through her mind. Sirius was gone- he was captured- they were going to suck out his soul- she'd lost him- she'd lost him for good- she might be going to Azkaban- she might never see her family or friends again-

Her breaths came in great, hiccuping gasps. Willow put her hands over her head and pressed her back up against the wall. She had lost Sirius, and it was all her fault! Anger suddenly flushed out the panic, and she threw her fists into the cell door. With each punch, the pain escaped her body, and with each pang in her knuckles, the self-hatred poured out. Willow finally fell to her knees, panting, fire raging through her gut. She'd let down her friend. She'd disappointed her family. She'd hurt her friends. She'd allowed herself to hope her mum was back, and it had destroyed her.

Willow gazed at her knuckles. To her annoyance, they trembled, growing increasingly weaker and shakier as she stared at them. Bruises advanced across her skin, and scarlet manifested in tiny droplets where the pain had consolidated itself. Willow threw her hands down, then suddenly cradled them close to her heart- where her locket was. The agony of half-broken bones nearly brought tears to her eyes, but they didn’t fall, because her heart had frosted over. Images of her mum being tortured swam to the surface, racking her brain with suffering. Willow curled into a fetal position on the floor, her mum's warm, brown irises filling with tears over and over again in her mind's eye. Grace's screams tormented her brain on repeat.

Willow had failed.

And now there was nothing she could do about it.


	58. Year 3: Chapter 16

The seconds bled into minutes, and minutes into hours. Willow simply laid on the floor of her cell, motionless, unable to fall asleep, but unable to penetrate the thick layer of fog that veiled reality from her. Thoughts of her mum flooded her mind every time she became aware of the cold locket on her chest. Happy and sad memories alike only brought her further depression. Everything appeared with a somber tint to it. Willow eventually remembered that Buckbeak's trial was occurring today, but not even that gave her the energy to sit up and fight back. She'd never felt more alone in her life.

Every once in a while, the guards would pace the perimeter of the dungeon. Willow watched them without comprehending as they strutted about the empty space, hitting her cell bars to try and get a reaction out of her, then grumbled when she didn't even twitch. She hardly heard the searing ring in her ears. Willow was buried too deep in the past, had forgotten about the present, and had abandoned the future. She was stuck on memories long buried that she no longer had the strength to keep at bay. There was no reason to fight anymore, she reasoned, because her life was ending soon anyway.

Willow had become aware of a burning, odd sort of pain in her wound after some time. She immediately knew it was infection; there was no way the caster of the suturing spell would have cared enough to clean the wound. Willow came to the conclusion that she had about three days before the infection would consume her. She let out a sigh, but didn't know whether it was relief or stress. She began to wonder why she didn't just use the wand she'd confiscated to end her misery already...it wasn't like her death three days from now would be any less pitiful...

"Willow? Are you there?"

"Please, we've called you four times already, pick up the damn name tag!"

"WILLOW!"

She groggily pushed the name tag further into her robes, effectively silencing it. Fred and George didn't need to see her so low. They would see her at her funeral, and their tears would be a little less painful to bear. Tears for someone who is alive are wasted tears, Willow thought. Then again, they wouldn't be any more useful after the fact.

"CONTESTA EL TELÉFONO, PENDEJO!"

Willow's mouth opened slightly. She was so shocked to hear Spanish that she managed to roll into a sitting position and fish the name tag out of her pocket. Paige, Lee, Fred, and George had all crowded in front of the screen, but Paige was definitely the one that had yelled at her. The older girl covered her mouth when she saw Willow's face.

"Oh my God- you're alive! You're literally alive! Oh my God- I thought you were dead- " Paige bit her lip, a tear running down her face. "What did they do to you? I knew I should have stayed behind- my grandfather was fine- but now you're not- "

"I'm okay, Paige," Willow said, creasing her features in a fake smile.

"Bullcrap! Have you seen yourself? You look like you tried to die, but Death left you behind."

"I think Death has some sort of vendetta against me dying," Willow joked. Her expression faded. "Has Buckbeak had his trial yet? I've been stuck underground for God knows how long."

"He hasn't. It's a little after two in the afternoon. Please tell me they fed you something?"

Willow shook her head. "They made some budget cuts on prisoner meals. Any word on Sirius?"

"No, he's still gone. I'm sorry, Willow." Paige angrily wiped her face. "We're coming after you, you know. The Ministry can't stop all four of us, especially when all four of us happened to be extremely pissed off."

"What? No, don't get yourselves in trouble, you'll only make it worse- "

"Willow, the last time I saw you, you were bleeding out. If I let you spend one more minute without Madam Pomfrey's potions, I'm going to lose my mind."

Willow shifted her sitting position as her stomach throbbed again. "I'll get help eventually..."

"Well, eventually is coming sooner rather than later. See you in less than an hour, whether you like it or not."

"Paige, wait- "

The name tag went dark. Willow cursed half-heartedly in Spanish, then shoved the name tag back into her pocket. The numbness of the cold dungeon enveloped her body once more, and she slouched where she sat, asking God why in the hell her stubbornness had rubbed off on her friends. Now they were going to get caught, and all of them were going to be in trouble. It was going to be a huge mess, and it was all her fault...

Footsteps approached her cell once again. Willow still didn't jump when the guard clanged his boots against her cell door, but this time she happened to trace where his steps were headed. Her ears automatically tuned into his conversation with another guard, which was so bland at first that she thought she would pass out from boredom. Then, it took an interesting turn. Sirius Black was mentioned multiple times. Willow grew somewhat angry at their condemnations of his false accusations, but it still wasn't enough to give her the energy to fight back. She only lost hope as they further described how many aurors were after one of her best friends.

Arguing voices suddenly marched down the stairs, making a beeline towards Willow's cell. She quickly sat up as she recognized one of them, kindling a fire in her soul that was way more than enough to get her blood flowing. Lucius Malfoy and the Minister of Magic hissed back and forth about something apparently urgent until they stopped dead in front of her cell.

"Miss Guerrero, we need to take you in for further processing," the Minister announced. "The memories contained within your head are of vital importance. Black is a slippery fellow, but he trusts you. Maybe there's something, buried deeply inside your head, that could tell us where he's run off to. You must understand how important this is- "

"Screw off," Willow spat. "I'm not helping you."

"Miss Guerrero! You should know by now that cooperation- "

"Will only result in further torture?" The Minister took a step backwards as Willow rose to her feet. "You've already broken me. You freaking tortured my mother in front of me, not to mention the unnecessary video of what I've done. I cooperated quite enough by letting you see where Sirius Black last was."

Lucius snorted. "You fought back and lost. Don't try to deny it."

Willow pretended that her blood wasn't on fire as she turned back to the Minister. "Look, if you want to chuck me in Azkaban, do it. But I'm not helping you. And don't bring my friends or family into this; they had no clue what I was doing."

Fudge's face reddened. "You will help us find Sirius Black now, whether you're willing to cooperate or not! He is a danger to our very society! Miss Guerrero, do you have any idea what Azkaban is?"

"A physical manifestation of my mental state, give or take a few severity levels."

Lucius visibly gritted his teeth. "Minister, I'd advise for you take her to the secure room immediately and search for the memories before she regains much strength."

"Afraid of me, are you?" Willow teased, much to the rage of Lucius. She smirked at his reaction. "Good. I was wondering when reality would penetrate that thick skull of yours."

"That's enough of your sharp tongue, Miss Guerrero, or we will have to silence it," Fudge warned.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Just take me to this stupid secure room already."

With a flick of his wand, the Minister of Magic opened her cell, and six guards immediately rushed in to surround her. Willow put her hands up as they patted her down. Unfortunately, they found the confiscated wand, but the name tag remained safe. Willow couldn't help the victorious grin that spread across her face when she overheard theories of how she'd gotten the wizard's wand. They ranged from close to the truth to complete conspiracy. It was quite the comic relief, if she had to say so herself.

The guards arranged themselves into a two by three formation, keeping Willow in the very center. She couldn't believe the precautions they were taking, but then again, she was a Gryffindor. She was liable to detonate at any given time. The Minister and Lucius walked in front, wands comfortably at their sides while their guards had theirs at the ready. Willow felt like a porcupine, with the amount of wand points being jabbed into her sides. She was getting fed up rather quickly.

They cleared the dungeon stairs, then began a long march down a hall that appeared to have no end. Every step sent a vibration through her body that twinged her wound. The infection was spreading at an incredible rate. Sparks seared through her like a heated knife. Willow hoped that Lucius had not purposely done something to sabotage her wound, but then again, a determined Malfoy was hard to stop, especially when they had their mind set on the kill.

As the end of the hallway finally emerged from the obscurity of the darkness, Willow's powers began firing electrical signals again. Tiny beads of fire pricked her skin just below the surface. They electrocuted every part of her body, causing her hair to stand on end. Something wasn't right, but it wasn't dangerous, it was more like...chaotic good. Willow was about to ponder what on earth was happening this time when the first firework exploded less than a meter away from her.

The guards instantly locked down their position, aiming wands at empty space. Fudge and Lucius drew their wands as well.

"What in the Devil- !"

Suddenly, the Minister vanished in a cloud of smoke. In fact, several small explosions covered the entire area in a thick, dark fog. The guards scattered, coughing and hacking, desperately calling to one another in an effort to regroup. Willow seized the chance to run. She sprinted like a bat out of hell, tearing across the space and emerging from the smoke cloud within seconds. She had no idea where she was running to, of course, but all she knew was that it was now or never. Willow pushed her burning muscles to go faster. Her lungs ached, her wound throbbed, and her brain screamed at her to stop, but she kept running. She imagined that she was back on the Fawley's lawn two years prior, dashing for her life with her father by her side. There were spells raining down all around her- the Fawleys cackled above- they were almost there- her father needed her to move faster-

The adrenaline kicked in, the pain numbed, and Willow was streaking across the Ministry. Her feet barely touched the ground. Doorways blurred past. Meters upon meters were conquered by her pounding feet. Picture frames shook when she flashed by. Willow instinctively knew that she was sprinting at superhuman speed. She'd never run this fast before in her life! An inevitable beam spread across her face. Willow was free. She cold almost taste the freedom in the air. In mere minutes, she would reach Lucius's fireplace- she could floo travel back to Hogwarts- she could save Sirius and escape with her friends- she would finally be free!

"Hey! A thank you would be nice!"

Willow turned her head mid-run. "Oh my God, guys! What are you doing here?"

Paige, Lee, and the twins raced towards her on four Nimbus two-thousand and ones. They caught up to her after a few seconds. Fred and George winked at her as they each tossed a firework far down the hallway.

"What does it look like we're doing?"

"We're rescuing you, of course!"

Willow grinned at them when the firework exploded into multiple smaller bursts. "That's a new trick. How did you manage to get those broomsticks? I thought only Slytherin has that many."

"Had that many."

"We decided that borrowing them for a life-or-death situation was necessary."

"Blimey, how are you keeping up with us?"

Willow glanced down at her feet. Their turnover was a blur, unbelievably quick. She shrugged. "I'm a soccer player. We're pretty much superhuman."

"There's superhuman, then there's you, Willow," Paige remarked. "You're something special."

"She's definitely something special, alright," Lee said. He tossed a very grateful Willow her wand, then pointed to the end of the corridor. "Up ahead! Lucius's office is about four hundred meters away. We've got only one shot at this, so don't blow it!"

"Aw, but explosion are all part of the fun!" George protested.

Lee rolled his eyes. "You can joke when we get back to Hogwarts! Let's focus on getting back in one piece for now!"

Willow pushed her legs to go faster than they've ever run before. Her powers latched onto the adrenaline in her system, coursing through her veins, powering her muscles to a level she'd never thought possible. Lucius's office was so close! This was the final push! Willow could have sworn she would have outrun a horse, with the breakneck pace she was pulling. They were three hundred meters away- now two fifty- now two hundred- now one fifty- only one hundred meters to go-

Willow suddenly skidded to a stop, her eyes widening. Lee nearly tumbled off his broom as the four fifth-years halted mid-air. They all stared in horror at the scene before them.

"Let's end this, shall we?"

Molly was back, but this time, she wasn't alone. An entire host of dark-robed wizards stood behind her, wands held in the center of their chests. She gave a sign, and they shifted into a deadly-looking formation. They were all instructed to train their wands on the closest enemy in front of them- Willow herself. Her heart skipped a beat as nearly fifty wands aimed directly for it. Molly's face broke into a hideous smile.

"You may fire when ready."

Willow hardly had time to think as she threw herself backwards, shoving her friends to the side as she did so. Spells rained over their heads as they darted behind a small artifact. Willow and Paige each cast a shield charm, but Willow's was weak and hardly gave them any protection at all. The wall chipped away, chunks of the ceiling collapsed, and the floor yawned with gaping holes. Willow's mind raced to give her options, but came up with the only option she couldn't choose.

"We can't hold this position much longer!" Fred shouted.

"What should we do?" Lee yelled.

"I don't know! Paige? Anything?"

Paige gritted her teeth, sweat trickling down her forehead. "I'm a bit preoccupied with saving our arses at the moment!"

Willow panted, her mind racing. She couldn't use her powers because that would waste everything her family had fought to protect. She couldn't fight back because they were far outnumbered. She couldn't run because the Minister would catch her. That left her with only one option...and she knew that there was no way out this time. Willow swallowed hard. She knew what had to be done...but it was going to be the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life.

"Hey guys?" Willow croaked. Her four friends looked at her. "I'm...I'm really glad you decided to let me into your life. It's been a blast, literally and metaphorically. I appreciate your friendship so much more than you'll ever know. I'm sorry it had to be cut short."

Another spell struck the ceiling behind them, sending a portrait crashing to the floor. Fred stared at her oddly. "What are you talking about? Why would it get cut short?"

Willow bit her lip. "I love you all."

George's eyes widened. He reached out and tried to grasp her arm. "No, Willow, don't- NO!"

It was too late. Willow rolled out from their hiding spot, casting a feeble shield charm about herself. She kneeled down, lowering her head, and put her hands in the air. Molly shouted for her army to stop firing. She marched towards Willow, confiscated her wand, then dragged the younger girl by the throat towards her army. Willow was sent sprawling into the ground at the feet of many dark-robed wizards. Instead of fighting back, however, she simply raised herself into a kneeling position. Molly glared daggers at her.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you," she spat.

"Because I have something very valuable that I could give you." Willow forced herself to maintain eye contact with the vile woman. She had to win over Molly, and that meant hiding the fact that she was tearing herself apart heartstring by heartstring. Willow drew a steely veil over her expression and continued. "My power is far beyond those in my year, even some of those in the seventh year. I have an uncanny ability to shift into my animagus form, and my retention of knowledge is unmatched except by the top witches and wizards in the world. You need me."

Molly scoffed. "We don't, but I'm intrigued."

"You know how much of an asset I'd be. It's why you didn't kill me yesterday. I've got insider knowledge and a close bond with every person you've ever needed to know about. I would be the most valuable spy you've ever invested in."

"And how do I know you wouldn't turn on us?"

Willow stared hard at her oppressor. "Because I have a lot to lose, and you know that, too, which is why I'm offering you a deal: leave my friends and family alone, never set foot near Hogwarts, and I'll give myself to you willingly."

"Willow, no! Don't do this!"

"You can't give yourself up to them!"

George and Paige fought to get near Willow, but Fred and Lee held them back. Their guttural screeches remained in her eardrums for minutes afterwards. They clawed at the floor, strained against Fred's and Lee's grips, tears pouring down their faces, but they couldn't get close enough to Willow. She wanted to break down sobbing and run straight into their arms, but she couldn't.

Willow wrenched her eyes away from George and Paige. As calmly as she could, she instructed her powers to tone down her sense of hearing. It took several deep breaths to remove the ringing screams out of her ears. Then, Willow cleared her mind, emptying it of all emotion, and blinked hard as she fixed her gaze on Molly. This was her only chance to secure her friends' safety. If she messed this up now, they would forever be looking over their shoulders. Willow cleared her throat as she prepared her final offer.

"I will never dessert, I will never turn, I will do exactly as you say, without question, so long as you hold to this deal. I promise."

Molly raised her eyebrows. "Will you make the unbreakable vow?"

Willow nodded stiffly, her heart shattering ice shard by ice shard. "I will."

Molly whistled, and a wizard came running. They whispered back and forth between themselves for quite some time. Willow hesitatingly glanced at the spot where she'd left her friends. Paige and George were sobbing, screeching themselves hoarse, but Lee and Fred were holding them back for their lives. Willow swallowed the lump in her throat to keep her emotions at bay. She had to be strong for them. They would have to move on now, but she would sleep easier at night knowing they're okay. Willow ripped her gaze away from her friends as Molly approached her once more.

"I accept your offer. We will complete the vows, and forever afterwards, your life will depend on adhering to it."

Willow closed her eyes and nodded. "I understand."

Standing up, she offered her hand for Molly to take. The witch gripped her arm with a reputable force. Willow couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with Molly as the wizard initiated the process. A gold light began to glow, encasing her's and Molly's arms. Willow internally screamed, but there was no more to be done. She had to do this to protect her friends.

"Will you, Molly Smith, vow to never set foot near Hogwarts, and to never touch the Guerreros or their friends?"

"I will."

Molly's steely gaze burned into the side of Willow's face as the wizard spoke again. "Will you, Willow Guerrero, follow every command without question, carrying out deeds for the Fawley family and all associated with them?"

Willow hesitated. Her voice box seemed to break. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Willow's throat dried out, like a cotton ball had been stuffed in it. Molly grew increasingly furious with every passing second.

"Well come on, then, spit it out! Agree to the terms!"

Willow tried to speak again, but in vain. She wet her lips and cleared her throat. Forcing her mind to focus, Willow finally managed to choke out a sound.

"I- I- "

Without warning, the wizard gasped. Willow whipped to her left to see him freeze, then collapse to the ground. The glow between her and Molly vanished. Willow peered into the corridor behind him to see who had cast the spell. When she finally locked eyes with the person, her entire body exploded in fireworks of joy.

"It's rude to leave your friends behind when you're going on an adventure, Willow," Mandy said, smirking.

Lisa, Sue, and Padma panned out behind her. Then came the Smith twins, then Cypress and Oliver. Lavender, Mia, and Fay followed them. Neville, Dean, and Seamus hustled into view. Finally, Ginny Weasley and Colin Creevy materialized beside their fellow Gryffindors. Every single one of them leveled their wands at Molly, wearing the fiercest expressions Willow had ever seen on a group of Hogwarts students. Molly staggered a few paces backwards.

"Wha- how- when did this- ?"

"It's called friendship, Mum, you should try it sometime," Sally spat.

Willow wanted to fall to her knees and sprint to her friends all at once. Her heart palpitated with the intensity of the emotions coursing through her veins. Every single one of these people came to save her. Here they were, in the most critical moment of her entire life, aiming their wands with determined faces at her doomed future. Tears welled up in Willow's eyes. Had she really affected that many lives?

"Traitor!" Molly screamed, snapping Willow back into reality. "You should be standing alongside me! You should be ruling over the Dark Lord's followers by my side!"

Sam scoffed. "And become an arsehole like you? No thanks."

Willow chose that moment to speed-walk over to her friends. The Weasley twins, Paige, and Lee quickly followed suit. Mandy greeted her with open arms, and it was then that Willow realized something different about her. For some reason, her hair was tied back, shaded a darker hue of red, and her robes fit more loosely. When she had spoken, her voice had been deeper. Mandy noticed her staring and explained.

"Yeah, the shift happened again, but I'm not afraid of it anymore. I think that my stronger muscles might be useful in this situation."

Willow grinned. "That's awesome! How on earth did you manage to get everyone here?"

"Fred and George told us what happened, so we decided to get a crew together. Cypress persuaded those who were only seventy-five percent committed, and the rest were already grabbing their wands."

Willow glanced at the swath of people standing before her. "I'm going to have to send you all Christmas cards from now on."

Multiple people chuckled at that. Willow was glad she could make light of the situation, but now that her nerves were out, it was time to buckle down and get to business. Her facial features tightened, and she slowly turned to Molly, who was still arguing with her children. Willow whispered something in Mandy's ear, and they seized the distraction to snatch Willow's wand back. With a flash of red light, her wand was sailing through the air. Mandy caught it with ease and handed it to her friend. Molly halted mid-conversation to gaze at Mandy with burning eyes.

"How dare you! That filthy blood traitor doesn't deserve that wand!"

"She deserves the entire universe compared to you!" Mandy shot back.

Molly's face contorted with horror. "You're one of those disgusting mudbloods, aren't you? And your- your voice, it's all wrong! Sally told me about you once- your name is Mandy- you're supposed to be a female- "

"So? Who cares what I am, so long as I'm not a bigot like yourself."

"I CARE! YOU'RE A FREAK! You're supposed to be a girl! Mandy is a girl's name!"

Mandy gritted her teeth. "My name is Miranda, and I'll kick your arse no matter what gender I happen to be."

Without giving Molly a chance to think, Miranda volleyed a series of spells at the woman that blasted her across the room. He called for the advance, and with a war cry, the students of Hogwarts charged the dark-robed wizards. Willow and Paige shot to the front, casting protective charms and throwing the army backwards with a few offensive spells. Multicoloured jets of light cascaded upon the wizards, pushing them further into a retreat. They weren't about to back down, however, and soon the spells were flying both ways. Miranda called for the Hogwarts students to fall in behind Willow and Paige, casting a shield charm above himself as well.

Molly returned to the front of her ranks and ordered them into a tight formation. Willow's heart skipped a beat when a spell almost rammed into Padma. She yelled for her friends to close ranks even tighter, but the wizards were advancing quickly. They had years of experience that the Hogwarts students lacked. The wizards' precision and knowledge of both defensive and offensive spells was tenfold theirs. Willow knew that her only strength was in force of will, as was the rest of the students'. If they were going to get out of this alive, they had to find a weakness in their opponent. Willow searched her enemy's ranks, testing them with spells, until she finally found a solution.

"We've got to scatter them!" she shouted to Paige. "If Molly isn't commanding them, they'll break off and run! Most of them are cowards! We've got to take her out!"

Paige nodded. "Miranda, Cypress! Get up here and cover for us!"

Miranda and Cypress rushed to their aid, casting replicas of their protective charms. "Good luck!"

Willow and Paige tensed their muscles, exchanging a final glance, then launched themselves in front of their lines. Paige held a shield charm in front of them and deflected most of the blows as Willow surged behind her. Molly tried to dart away when they reached her, but Willow powered off of one leg and landed an inhuman distance away, blocking the woman's path. She lowered herself to the ground and flung out her legs when Molly was about to pass by, tripping her. Willow barely gave her a chance to land before she was on top of her, locking her legs around Molly's, wrestling her arms behind her. Molly fought back with a steel vengeance, though, and Willow only managed to get one arm pinned down. The woman scratched and bit, screeched and yelled, even fired off a death spell that came within millimeters of ending Willow's life. Paige finally arrived on the scene, and upon seeing Molly's spell, her eyes ignited into a fiery rage.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Molly's body suddenly went rigid. Willow instantly confiscated her wand, holding both it and her own at the woman. Molly's eyes attempted to burn a hole through Paige's head as she knelt down next to her.

"Try killing her again, and I'll make sure you regret the day you were born."

Willow put her hands on her hips. "Paige! I wanted to do that!"

The older girl rolled her eyes. "We can't both be heroes. Come on, there's no need in dragging this out, let's go raise some hell."

Willow smirked, and together she and Paige charged back into the battle. They fired disarming and stunning spells on their run back to friendly cover. Wands flew out of multiple wizards' hands, clattering far behind the Hogwarts students, and a good number fell like dominoes when the wizards in front of them were stunned. Willow and Paige finally made it just behind Miranda's and Cypress's shields. They began instructing their fellow students on which spells to fire and when, and suddenly the tide began to turn in their favor. Swaths of wizards began falling, and some altogether disapparated. Willow was beginning to think they were winning when Neville was struck with a spell.

"NO!"

Neville collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Dean and Seamus dragged him into the middle of their ranks, where there was the most protection. Willow fought her way through the crowd and kneeled down next to him. A tiny bit of red trickled from his mouth, but she knew better than to think lightly of that.

"No, no, no, Neville, wake up!" Willow cried.

He remained on the ground, limp and lifeless. Willow ordered Dean and Seamus to cover her as she placed her hand on Neville's chest. With a soft glow, the blood retreated, and Neville's heart began pumping normally again. Willow wished she could heal him enough to wake him up, but it wasn't going to happen. Her body trembled violently as she rose to her feet. Get yourself together, he's not dead, he's not dead...

"Dean, Seamus, your job is to protect Neville," Willow suddenly barked. "Don't let a spell get near him."

The boys nodded, and Willow forced her way back to the front. Right as she passed the third row of Hogwarts students, a spell veered towards her left, and a chunk of wall exploded, covering her in dust. Willow coughed and hacked to get it out of her system. Her eyes stung with an intensity she'd never felt before. She couldn't see through the cloud of particles. Willow drew her wand.

"Aguamenti!"

With a flick of her wrist, a small wave of water dashed everyone within a five meter radius. The dust cleared, and Willow managed to wash it out of her eyes. She rejoined Paige at the front of the group once more, still wheezing. The Hogwarts students had pushed back on the wizards enough to cause at least half of their numbers to disapparate or lay unconscious. Hope kindled a larger flame in Willow's chest. They were winning! If they knocked back just a dozen more wizards, they'd have the opportunity to escape back to Hogwarts!

"Come on, guys! This is the final push!" Willow called. "Throw everything you've got at them!"

With those words, the spells from the Hogwarts students were volleyed at such a rate that the wizards couldn't defend themselves from them all. A multicoloured cloud of light rained iridescent raindrops of spells on the wizards. They began to fall, one by one. Willow fired off another disarming spell, and Paige stunned a wizard. There were two more down- then three- then five- only a few more to go-

"That's ENOUGH!"

Willow's brain barely registered Molly's form aiming her wand at them before the biggest explosion she'd ever heard shattered her eardrums. She glanced up only to have her vision sent to black. Glass, wood, stone, and iron rained down on them. Chunks of the ceiling smashed them. The entire army of Hogwarts students disappeared beneath a barrage of dust and building materials. Willow shrieked as her arm snapped beneath a section of stone. Her entire body was pancaked beneath the collapsed ceiling.

When the sickening sound of crumbling and heavy impacts finally ceased, all Willow could hear were the groans and cries of her friends. She strained her muscles against the stone, but it didn't budge. She tried again, and still it wouldn't move. Willow called upon all her powers and all her strength, puffing hard, and pushed against the stone with all her might. The massive section of ceiling overturned, landing with a thud to her right. Willow slowly rose to her feet. She yelped in pain and almost fell to her knees when her left arm spasmed, rivaling her stab wound. Willow was reminded how little time she had left to see Madam Pomfrey once again, but ignored it, suddenly becoming aware of how many of her friends were still trapped beneath the rubble. She raised her wand with her good arm.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Sections of rock and wood defied gravity, slowly rising to reveal the crumpled bodies of Hogwarts students. Willow struggled to control her breathing as her mind and body strained to lift the heavy rocks. Paige, Lee, Cypress, and Sally rushed in to drag their classmates out of the wreckage. Willow watched in extreme pain as her friends were rescued one by one. Oliver, Neville, and Lisa were completely unconscious. The rest were beat up badly, sporting cuts, bruises, and rug burns on every square centimeter of exposed skin. When the final person was saved, Willow fell to her knees, and the rocks smashed into the ground once more, sending up an extra plume of dust.

"Everyone's okay! We're all alive!" Lee cheered.

"Not for long," Paige remarked, turning her friend's head in the other direction.

Willow shifted her position only to wish she had remained under the section of ceiling. Molly was advancing with her troops, and fast. They all bore murderous expressions. Willow's breath caught in her throat. There wouldn't be any mercy this time. She scrambled to her feet, organizing her remaining friends behind her.

"Anyone that's scraped up pretty bad, protect the ones that were knocked out. Everyone else, wands at the ready!"

Paige and Willow cast their protective charms once more as the wizards advanced. Molly held up her hand to halt them a mere twenty meters away. Sweat beads formed on Willow's hairline. Nerves chaotically exploded all over her body. Blood pounded in her ears. This was it; if they didn't end this, and right now, there was no going home.

"Willow Guerrero! Your foolish actions have hurt enough of your friends; surrender now, and I'll spare their lives."

"There's no way she'd hold to that promise," Fred panted.

"She hurt Oliver," Cypress growled. "I say we destroy her and her entire army where they stand."

"I'm not going to stoop to her own murderous level," Willow protested. "We- we just have to fight back, make a final stand. That's the only option we've got left."

"How long are we going to last, though?" Lee pointed out.

Willow bit her lip. "I don't know."

Molly tapped her foot. Willow could tell that she was losing patience quickly. Their time was running out. Her mind scrambled to create some sort of battle plan, one that favored their numbers. They couldn't split up, that was for sure, but how long would they last as a compact unit? It had already cost them so many casualties; would those turn into fatalities if they didn't go for a last-ditch, insane run at the enemy? Willow glanced at each of her friends' ashen faces in turn. If one of them died, she didn't know how she could bear it.

"Alright, you're not surrendering," Molly concluded. "Fire at will!"

"CLOSE RANKS!" Willow ordered.

Cypress, Paige, and Miranda stepped out and cast shield charms, deflecting an agonizingly close round of spells. Willow noticed with a sinking heart how many green jets of light bounced off the shields. Her stomach threatened vomit. If a single one of those spells grazed one of her friends, they were dead. Willow fired back as many offensive spells as she could muster, but she was losing strength fast. Her mind clouded with each passing second. It seemed as though the names and wand movements for spells had drifted beyond reach. Willow knew it was the infection spreading, but what could she do about it? She was in the middle of a battle. Her powers were keeping the infection at bay the best they could. There was nothing more to be done.

Padma fell to the ground when a red spell slashed her arm. Willow caught her, closing the gash up as best she could with her powers, but the strength it sapped from her was beginning to become too much. Padma drew out a potion and treated herself as Willow staggered to her feet, rejoining the battle. She barely lasted two seconds before another spell came rocketing through, and this time it struck her. Willow fell to her knees, for a moment terrified that it was the death curse, but soon figured out it was something equally as horrible. A massive, deep cut trailed its way down her fractured forearm, causing Willow to cry out in pain. She tried to muffle her voice, but the agony was hard to ignore. Willow fell to her knees. Her vision tinted red as she accepted her defeat, and she sank deeper and deeper into darkness.

"I'm so sorry, guys," she whispered, closing her eyes.

Just then, the spells abruptly stopped. Fervent whispers and gasps from the opponents were clearly heard. Willow's eyes snapped open, and when they finally registered what was causing the commotion, her mouth dropped open.

"Step. Away. From my niece."

Deandra stood just outside Lucius's office, Paige's grandfather behind her. They both held their wands at Molly and her army, expressions livid. Half of the wizards shrieked and disapparated. Willow could hardly believe the sight.

"You- You're supposed to be dead!" Molly squeaked, eyes wide.

Deandra smirked. "It takes a little more than brainwashed idiots waving sticks to kill me."

With a wave of their wands, the two Terrells conjured a massive wave of water. An array of water horses were shaped out of the current. Rearing up and neighing fiercely, they leapt into the wizards's ranks, dragging them one by one into the swirling body of water. Molly screamed as she was helplessly thrown into the waves. Paige's eyes brightened.

"They're distracting them for us! Everyone, it's time to go!"

Dean, Cypress, and Sue each grabbed an unconscious student, then carried them as fast as they could across the room. The rest of the students half-limped, half-ran to Lucius's office. Willow ushered everyone inside and urged them to floo travel faster. Two by two, the students escaped, but time was running out fast. The Terrells were struggling to hold their spell, and the remaining wizards were firing desperate spells every which way. Paige and Willow fought back with everything they had left. By the time the last two students disappeared into the fireplace, the Terrells were lowering their wands. Willow watched with wide eyes as the mass of water smashed into the ground, temporarily crippling the army. Deandra ushered them all inside.

"Go, quickly! We don't have much time!"

Paige and her grandfather each grabbed a handful of floo powder, disappearing in a matter of seconds. Willow watched the emerald embers fade with an odd feeling in her gut. It wasn't from her infection, though. She turned and looked outside the office door to see the Minister and Lucius emerging from the tunnel at last. Molly and her army disapparated in a split second.

"Willow, we've got to go now!" Deandra shouted.

Willow grabbed a handful of floo powder as Deandra stated their destination. Right before the emerald flames enveloped her, Lucius snapped his head in her direction. His eyes glowed an icy, chilling blue. Willow barely saw him point the Minister to his office when the floo network swallowed her up, and the scene was jolted away. Within no time, Deandra pulled her onto a certain grate, and they tumbled out of the fireplace. Willow coughed and sat up, brushing herself off.

"Come on, Madam Pomfrey's already gotten to everyone else, she's waiting for you," Paige urged.

Willow shook her head. "Tell her to wait, I've got to get to Sirius before the Ministry does."

She made for the exit to McGonagall's office, but right as she was about to leave, her stomach spasmed, and it brought her to one knee. Willow's chest heaved as she gripped the door frame, slowly rising to her feet. Paige tried to help her, but Willow waved her away.

"No, no, I'm fine- I've got to get to Sirius- it's just a cut- "

Her stomach spasmed again, and this time, Willow was sent tumbling to the ground. Her consciousness was enveloped in a red-tinted shell of agony, and she cascaded into darkness.

Willow was swimming in the abyss for what felt like an eternity. Then, as suddenly as she had fallen into it, she was yanked out. She surfaced with a surprisingly clear awareness of her surroundings. Willow sat bolt upright in her bed, frantically glancing around for a clock. Of course, Madam Pomfrey refused to keep one in the hospital wing, so she was stuck estimating time by the position of the sun. Willow guessed that it was about five in the evening. Her heart stopped when she realized how close Buckbeak's trail loomed. Throwing off her covers, Willow dropped her feet to the floor and attempted to sprint away, but found herself yanked backwards.

"Ouch! What the- Pomfrey!"

She was literally chained to the bed. Willow's face grew hot in her fury. How dare Pomfrey! Sure, she'd escaped a few times, but she never left while she was still on the verge of death! Of all times, this was the time that she needed to get out of there!

"Miss Guerrero, get back in bed, now!" Pomfrey ordered as she appeared from her office.

Willow glared at her. "Let. Me. Go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Your body is still recovering from that infection- a nasty one, that was- and if you leave now, you could damage your wound even further!"

"If I don't leave now, two innocent people are going to be executed!"

Pomfrey shook her head. "That's nonsense, you're hallucinating from your injuries- lie back down now- "

"Willow! Oh my God, guys, she's awake!"

Willow's head snapped in the direction of that voice to find her army of friends pouring through the hospital wing's doors. Relief and frustration coalesced into a very confusing, burning sensation in the pit of her stomach.

"Merlin's beard, you scared us again!"

"It wasn't as bad as the last time, but still- "

"How is it that you're always trying to die on us?"

"Guys, really, I'd love to chat, but- " Willow began.

"-but she has some resting to do before she exerts herself," Pomfrey cut in. "Run along, now, you can visit her later- "

"I am not resting!" Willow protested. She began pulling at her chains, only managing to burn her wrists in the process. She changed tactics and placed her foot on the bed and pulled at her chain with her left hand. "I've got something very important to do- a couple of lives to save- got to give Draco a message for his father, too- "

"Willow, you should really rest," Lisa suggested.

"Yeah, we don't want you getting sick again."

"God only knows how far you'd let that go."

Willow grabbed her wand off her nightstand. Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened as her patient pointed it at her chains. With two spells, Willow blasted them off, leaving only dangling chains from her secured wrists.

"Look, I'd love to stay, but I've really got to get going- "

There was a sharp pain on the back of her shoulder. Willow glanced behind her to see Madam Pomfrey tapping her foot, needle in hand.

"Of course you'd keep a Muggle sedative around just for me..." Willow grumbled.

She sank to her knees. Her body went numb, and she tumbled to the ground, unconscious for the second time that day. Willow was again swimming in an endless sea of nothingness. It felt like moments later that she began to come to, but it took an agonizingly long time to fully wake up. Willow groggily sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. When she opened them, she could have sworn that she was still dreaming, because everything was dark.

That's when she realized it was night.

Willow sprang out of bed. This time, the chains were magically fastened to her wrists, and instead of physically yanking her backwards, she ran into an invisible wall. Willow tumbled to the floor, wincing when the wrappings around her stomach shifted. She went to grab her wand again, but it was also protected by some magical force field. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"Willow? Is that you?"

She whipped around to find Harry and Hermione staring at her from the darkness. Their bruised, cut faces lit up at the sight of their friend.

"It is you! You're back!"

"What happened to you?"

"The usual, Lucius being a dick, Fudge wanting me in Azkaban for life, my mum breaking my heart, you know how it goes." Willow waved away their surprise. "What happened to you guys?"

Hermione grinned. "Lots, but it all ended well."

Willow shot to her feet as she suddenly came to a realization. "Sirius! Please tell me the Ministry didn't get him!"

"No, we managed to save both him and Buckbeak," Harry explained. He furrowed his brow. "Hang on, how do you know him?"

Willow's blood ran cold. "I, uh- well, you see- it's very complicated- "

"You've been hiding him all this time," Hermione declared.

Willow sighed. "I'm a terrible liar...yeah, I have. He broke into the castle around Halloween, and I caught him, but he explained himself to me, so I've been trying to keep him safe ever since. He's great company, really, full of humor. Thank God he didn't get caught, that would've been the end of the line..."

"Well...his name isn't cleared yet. That's a whole other story. We'll tell you about it when Ron wakes up."

Willow's expression drooped. "Oh. I guess...at least he's safe. Still, it sucks that he has to be on the run." She noticed Harry staring at her oddly. "What? Did I do something?"

"I thought that Sirius had killed my parents for a half a year, Willow. My own godfather! The fact that you didn't tell me about him kinda hurts."

"Harry, why would I tell you about Sirius when I didn't even understand his story myself? I didn't know he was your godfather, for the record, and you do have a tendency to run off and attack people who have wronged you."

"He did attack Sirius before he explained himself," Hermione remarked.

"See, it would have been a big huge mess! I spared you from a lot of trouble!"

Harry considered her point. "Okay, understandable, I guess."

Exclamations suddenly flared up outside the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey's voice cut through several arguing men, as if she were defending herself from something. When Willow listened in, she finally caught a few sentences, and her blood ran cold. Fudge, Lucius, and a unit of body guards were all trying to force entry into the hospital wing.

"Guys, I have to get out of here, now," Willow said quickly.

Hermione and Harry shot her odd expressions. "Why? What happened?"

"It's Sirius. The Minister of Magic found memories of him in my head; that's why he wanted me in Azkaban. I refused to give up Sirius's location, so they tortured me for it. They're still after me- understandably, considering both Sirius and I got away- but that's not helping either of our situations."

Hermione's eyes widened. "If they find memories of us telling you that Sirius and Buckbeak are safe..."

"Stuff is going to blow up, literally and figuratively." Willow yanked on her chains. "One of you, grab your wand and blast this bed, quick! I think that should destroy the current spell."

Hermione snatched her wand off her bedside table. "Bombarda!"

With a loud BANG!, Willow's bed exploded. The chains were ripped off, and the invisible force field disappeared. Willow snatched her wand off her bedside table. She pointed it at Harry.

"I'm sorry about this, but it has to look like you tried to stop my escape," she explained hurriedly. Willow cast a spell that gave Harry a huge bruise on his forehead, then did the same to Hermione's shoulder. "That doesn't hurt too bad, does it?"

Hermione shook her head. "Never better. Harry, grab your wand, it will stage it a little better."

Amid ever-louder shouts from outside, Harry grasped for his glasses and wand. Willow's heart drummed against her chest. She glanced at Hermione.

"Write to my dad, please, and let him know what happened. I'll have to fight for months to get the Ministry off my back, but I'll end it eventually. Where is Sirius heading now?"

"South, but he's probably still flying over the Forbidden Forest. You should be able to catch up with him."

Willow nodded. "Thanks, guys. You're the best." She backed up, sizing up a window across the room. When she was certain her path was clear, she saluted her friends. "See you next school year!"

Sprinting at the window, Willow lowered her shoulder, then burst through the glass. It shattered around her as she fell through the crisp night air. She spread her arms, willing herself to shape-shift. Feathers replaced hair, wings sprouted from her back, and talons took the place of her nails. Hippogriff-Willow pointed her beak upwards and soared towards the stars. She was soon rocketing over the Forbidden Forest, sailing above the clouds, circling around mountain peaks. It wasn't long before she found Sirius, sticking just below the clouds on his progress south. Willow flew directly behind him and let out a shriek.

Sirius nearly tumbled off Buckbeak's back. "What the hell- Willow! Don't scare me like that!"

Willow transformed back into herself and landed behind Sirius. "Sorry, I had to!"

Sirius shifted his position to face her, then wrapped her in a huge hug. "I thought you were gone for good! There were Ministry officials everywhere- your friends told me you'd been captured- they said you might be going to- to Azkaban- "

Willow tightened her arms around Sirius. "I'm okay, I'm not at Azkaban. I got away."

He sat backwards, and to her surprise, tears were shimmering in his eyes. "Why would you take the hit for me? You could have gone away for good, and all because you wouldn't tell where I was! Do you have any idea how horrible Azkaban is? I barely survived twelve years, and you would have been stuck there for life! Why would you do that for me?"

Willow smiled sadly. "Because that's what I'd do for family."

A tear trailed down Sirius's face as he hugged her again. "I'll never understand that, I never will. You're too good to me, Willow."

Tears welled up in her own eyes as her mum's voice whispered in her ears again. You do have a big heart, Willow. Someday, you're going to take that love and do a whole lot of good. Willow forced the voice out of her head and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"It's okay, Sirius, we'll be okay," she reassured him. "We'll figure this mess out."

"It's been a hell of a night..." he said, voice muffled on Willow's shoulder. She sighed.

"It has been one hell of a night..."

Buckbeak flapped his wings, and they soared in silence below the stars.


	59. Summer of Year 4: Chapter 1

Willow and Sirius touched down on the southern edge of the Forbidden Forest, miles and miles from Hogwarts. They gave Buckbeak a treat and allowed him an hour's rest. Although they wanted to start a small fire, they couldn't, because the Ministry could find it and figure out where they were headed. Willow grew a small patch of flowers for them to sit on instead. Sirius laid down and quickly drifted off to sleep, clearly exhausted from the day's events. Willow untied her robes and draped them across his skinny frame. He appeared to dream peacefully after that.

For a June night, it was rather chilly. Willow wrung her hands, trying her best not to think about the possibility of pursuing dementors, but the idea continued to recur in her scrambled mind. If they came for her, she didn't know the Patronus spell, and they would be defenseless. She made a mental note to herself to ask Sirius about it when they finally escaped.

Willow's mind darted from event to event from the past 48 hours. She had reached the lowest of low points, then been saved by her friends. She'd tried to sacrifice her life to save three- and almost succeeded. Her friends were probably being questioned by the Ministry as she sat there. Willow clasped her hands together and rested her elbows on her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. She'd screwed up so bad. All she wanted to do was save Paige's grandfather. She'd done that- but in the process, her idiot, meddling self had ruined so many lives. Molly and her Death Eaters could easily have ended any of her friends' lives. What if that had happened? How could she ever forgive herself?

Images of the dark dungeon, her mum being tortured, and Lucius's sneer filled her mind. She caused her mum all that pain by jumping into a situation that she didn't belong in. Her mum's tarnished mental state was all her fault, Willow realized, and she had only worsened the situation by enraging Lucius. What had she done? Why was it that everything she touched crumbled to dust?

Willow suddenly sniffed hard, preventing the tears from falling. Enraged, she marched off into the trees, kicking a tree root here and there. She wanted to scream, but it would wake up Sirius. Everything would have been fine had she not messed it up! Her friends would be safe, Sirius wouldn't be on the run, her family wouldn't be worried sick, and her mum wouldn't be drowning in conflicted memories. She had tried so hard to fix things, but all she did was destroy them beyond repair!

Willow balled her fists up. She was so stupid! Why did she ever think going to rescue Grandpa Terrell was a sane idea? Willow's chest heaved. That was the problem though, wasn't it? She never did think before she did! All those dead family members, whether she meant to or not, family or ex-family, were lifeless because of her actions. She'd killed people! Whether they deserved it or not, she would never be able to shake those crimes from her soul.

Willow punched a nearby tree, then again, then again, and repeatedly beat the trunk until her muscles ceased to function. She stared at the indent it left on the tree, brushing aside the red stain on the bark. Her breath came in deep heaves. Her body trembled. Her limbs crackled. A hot energy sparked throughout her frame. She wanted to scream, punch a hole through the sky, drill the ground all the way to the center of the earth, and kick Lucius in the groin all at once. But she couldn't do any of those things, because no matter how powerful she was, she was helpless to her fate, her blood, and her reality.

She was useless.

Willow gave the tree one last kick, then marched back to where Buckbeak and Sirius were sleeping. She plopped heavily onto a fallen log. She folded her arms across her chest, drawing into herself. The thought occurred to her that she didn't even finish her Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, and that did her in. Willow punched the ground and barely suppressed an angry scream. She ran her hands down her face, wishing that one of her friends were here to slap her across the face. They would get her to snap out of her pity-party. But they were too nice, and they always tried to get her to release her emotions. There was no one out there except Paige, Lee, and the Weasley twins who would give her a proper release. Now they were probably paying the price for her stupidity.

Willow leaned back against the log when she remembered Miranda's bold declaration of his identity. She never got to ask him what was going on, never got to help him through one of the biggest problems in his life; in fact, she wasn't there for any of her friends this year. A fresh wave of anger coursed through Willow's system. She didn't deserve her friends! Why would they risk their lives for her when she obviously never made an effort for their friendship?

I DON'T DESERVE SHIT! Willow screamed at herself.

How dare you talk to yourself like that! Cebba retorted. You deserve-

To die! For EVERYTHING I've done! Have you not been paying attention to how shitty of a person I've been lately?

I have been paying attention, actually, and I saw something completely different. I saw a girl in the worst pain of her life, trying to deal with an incomprehensible destiny, a whole gaggle of chaotic friends, Sirius Black, and her whacked-up family, all at the same time. That's not including the emotional trauma that you never bother to process.

Cebba dragged herself out of Willow, dousing her with that icy cold sensation. All Willow did was glared at Cebba, but the older woman gazed at Willow with eyes she'd never seen before. They glimmered with tears, but not because she pitied the Gryffindor. Cebba kneeled down and clasped Willow's cheek with her ghostly hand. The Gryffindor didn't back away, because as much as she wanted to, Cebba's soft, cool touch and unnatural gentleness froze her in place.

"You need to face your life head-on, Willow. It's how you deal with everything except the one thing in your life that you need to bluntly fix. Please, Willow, if there's ever one thing I ask of you, do this! I can't stand to see you destroy yourself from the inside out anymore! None of this is your fault, so stop trying to blame yourself! You deserve a loving family! You deserve your loyal-as-hell friends! You deserve a perfect love life! You deserve everything!"

Willow closed her eyes. "How do I know you're not just saying that?"

"Because I wouldn't use up your energy just to say something meaningless. I know how exhausted you already are."

"I'm...fine."

"No, you're not, and stop saying that to get me to go away. I live inside your head anyway. Not only do I see what you go through on a daily basis, but I can feel it, and it's agonizing to watch you slip away. You've ignored yourself for too long, Willow. Self-care is difficult for Gryffindors- I'm aware- but you have to try. Try to let yourself feel. Try to let others in. If not for yourself, for the sake of everyone's heart that breaks watching you crumble."

Willow opened her eyes, expression devoid of emotion. Cebba was kneeling in front of her. Willow wanted so badly to do as she said, to allow herself to feel, to go through every little thing that's hurt her, to unpack all the words she left unsaid. But she couldn't, because she knew all to well that moment she opened up, there would be no going back, and she would never recover. Willow swallowed hard, trying to keep her face from giving her away.

"I'll try, Cebba, I'll try."

"Promise?"

"...Promise."

Cebba watched Willow for a moment longer, then sighed. "I'll stop draining your energy now. Just...just try for me, for everyone, okay? You promised."

She returned to Willow's mind, and silence swarmed over the campsite once more. The sound was deafening so soon after Cebba's caring voice. Willow squeezed her eyes shut again, refusing to let sadness overwhelm her. She didn't have time to process her grief. There would be a time, someday, when all of this was over, but for now she had to use it as fuel. If she left words unsaid, there was a reason to keep living. She had to give herself a reason to survive. Without it, her only motivation was a prophecy that attempted to murder her friends.

The prophecy! Willow sat bolt upright. She'd almost forgotten about it! What if it had decided to come true while they were at the Ministry? Had she run out of time? Were her friends being sentenced to death as she sat there? Willow whacked her head with the heel of her palm. How could she be so stupid! Her friends were in mortal danger, and she'd let them defend her, against an army of Death Eaters! They were damn lucky a single one of them made it out alive, much less all of them! What kind of friend was she?

A shitty one, that's for sure, Willow grumbled to herself.

Phantoms of her imagination filled her mind's eye: Neville, struck dead on the crumbling Ministry floor; Lisa, a trickle of blood escaping her mouth; Oliver, his broken body twisted under massive concrete wreckage. Willow tried to shut them out, but they kept renewing themselves, transforming into increasingly horrifying scenes. Then more of her friends were there, captured, beaten, bloodied, held at wandpoint, tortured. Willow plugged her ears, trying to drown out their screams.

Stop it! That's not real! STOP IT!

But the images were so vivid, so life-like, that Willow hardly believed her own pleas. Her family now entered the mix. Abuela and Abuelo, trampled underfoot; her uncles, running for their life; her father, pinned against a wall by a hideous Death Eater; then, worst of all, Grace. She was screeching at the top of her lungs, taking wandfire from all sides, begging for the person to stop. They made her repeat horrible sentences, beat her until blood seeped from her cheekbone. Grace had no choice but to give in.

The worst part was, that last one was real.

Willow suddenly gasped, her eyes fluttering open. She glanced around, taking in Buckbeak's and Sirius's sleeping forms. Cold sweat dripped from her hairline. Her shirt was soaked with it. She came to the realization that she'd nodded off. Of course. Now she wouldn't even be able to sleep peacefully.

Willow took a moment to catch her breath, then checked her watch. They'd been in the same place for an hour. It was time to get moving. Fixing her hair, and desperately trying to get the colour back in her face, she approached Sirius and shook him awake. He was too groggy to notice anything. Buckbeak was aroused shortly, then they were off again, soaring just beneath the clouds.

Sirius didn't say a word for the longest time. Willow was glad for it, considering her voice would tremble so soon after the nightmares. Eventually, he shook off sleepiness, and he sighed.

"Isn't it beautiful? The night sky?"

"Yeah, it is."

"I was named after a constellation, you know. My mum was big into that sort of thing. Her personality wasn't nearly as bright as the stars, though."

"I was named after a tree, so that's a better story than mine."

Sirius let out a chuckle. "No, anything's better than my story. I hope no one experiences that kind of childhood."

"Me too." Willow's eyes were dazzled by a gap in the clouds, revealing hundreds of sparkling stars. "I always liked stargazing. I used to do it all the time when I was little, back when things were...well, not like they are now. Sometimes I sneak out into the Forbidden Forest just to lose myself in their glow."

"I used to do that, too, with Regulus." Willow flinched, but Sirius didn't notice. "It was best part of my childhood. We were close back then. He would always tease me about being named after a dog. How ironic that my animagus turned out to be one."

"Huh. What do you think my animagus would be?"

"Can't you turn into anything you want?"

"Yeah, but what do you think represents me on the deepest level? It's cool and all to transform- not to mention, flying is awesome- but it's impersonal. I can change based on the situation. I want to know what truly represents me, want to know the animal that's hiding within me. It would probably tell me more about myself than I know."

"You are terrible at judging your emotions, I'll give you that. But becoming an animagus is dangerous."

"Says the one that did it illegally at fifteen."

"Okay, it's not that bad, but to have a mandrake leaf stuck to the roof of your mouth for a whole month makes everything taste horrible. Sometimes I can still taste it in the back of my throat. Disgusting. Oh, and don't forget that part about brewing the potion, then drinking it during a lightning storm."

"Is this your way of telling me how to do it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." His smirk said otherwise.

Willow chortled. "Okay, I'll try it sometime. I'm excited to see."

Dawn fully emerged, and the runaways were again forced to hunker down and wait out the blinding sunlight. Willow found a stream and may or may not have started a splashing war with Sirius. Buckbeak joined in, and soon they could almost call themselves clean. It took no time at all for them to dry off in the summer heat, but Willow still felt soaked hours later, the humidity pressing in. The temperature unfortunately continued to rise throughout the day. Willow never sweated more in her life, and had never missed showers like she had in those crucial hours.

Thankfully, twilight peeked out from behind the afternoon sunshine, and they took to the purpling sky once more. Sirius nodded off in no time. Willow wanted to sleep in the worst way, but she was afraid of what visions would haunt her in her dreams. She’d gone a few days without sleep before; it could be feasible to try again. Buckbeak was the only one who actually needed to rest; he was doing the hard work for them.

By the time dawn greeted her bloodshot eyes, Willow was coaxing Buckbeak lower and lower to the ground. They’d arrived so far south from England that they couldn’t possibly be found. The climate here was tropical, and although Willow had no idea what country they were in, she could taste the salt in the air. The Mediterranean Sea was close. They were almost free!

Willow almost fell off Buckbeak when he jerked to the left. She grasped for a better grip on Sirius, tightening her thighs around the hippogriff’s back. The creature had found something worth checking out, apparently. They veered this way and that, Buckbeak seemingly undecided on where to land, when suddenly he made a beeline towards the ground. Sirius woke up in the nick of time, and together he and Willow jumped off the crazy creature’s back. They tumbled in sand and soft foliage for several feet before rolling to a stop.

Willow blew her hair out of her face. "Buckbeak! What are you- seriously?"

Buckbeak cocked his head, as if wondering why Willow was upset. He held a small mammal in his beak, which was still scrambling to get away. Before Willow could stop him, Buckbeak crunched down with a sickening crack!, then proceeded to eat the rodent. She exchanged an exasperated glance with Sirius.

"That’s an image I’m never going to get out of my head," he grumbled, grimacing when Buckbeak slurped the animal down. "Just be glad that’s not our necks he’s snapping."

"Deprive him of too much food, and we might be next."

Sirius shoved her over. "Yeah, because Queen of the Animal Kingdom here would totally let that happen."

"I mean, if I’m not in a helpful mood…" She rolled out of the way to avoid a blow from Sirius. "I’m kidding, only kidding!" Brushing herself off, she slowly rose to her feet. Her expression fell when she glanced at her surroundings. "Uh…Sirius? Where are we, exactly?" She spun in a circle when he didn't respond, trying to find him. "Sirius?"

"You’re going to want to see this…"

Willow turned around to find Sirius standing between to ivy-laced trees. She brushed aside the vines, following Sirius’s gaze, then clapped a hand to her mouth.

"Oh my God…"

Splaying out before them was a landscape that belonged in a travel book. An enormous, crystal-clear lake filled a vast area, surrounded by pure white sand. Palm trees dotted the beach, creating shady spots ever hundred meters or so. The tropical forest blossomed around the perimeter of the beach, laden with pinks, purples, greens, reds, and oranges. Birds of paradise sang and twittered, fluttering from tree to tree. Not a soul was in sight. Willow could hardly believe their luck. She ran up to Buckbeak and tackled him in a hug.

"You are the bestest, smartest, greatest hippogriff in the world!"

Buckbeak only nodded his head, more preoccupied with scanning for a tasty treat to follow up his bloody meal. Willow only laughed and threw herself at Sirius, too. Then, she flung her shoes off, ripped off her shirt, and dove into the lake. She surfaced to find Sirius shaking his head at her.

"What? It’s freshwater! We’re less likely to get killed by something in here!"

"You better knock on wood."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Just get your sorry arse in here and enjoy yourself for once."

Sirius finally relented and jumped into the lake, swimming to where Willow was admiring a school of brightly-coloured fish. They simply enjoyed the beauty around them for several hours, laying on the beach, exploring the underwater beauty, playing war on a pair of floating logs, and eventually racing each other around the perimeter of the lake. Sirius gave up after two minutes.

When afternoon melted into evening, they returned to the shore and dried off. The sun finally quit beating down on them, instead gently caressing their faces with comforting warmth. Willow stood facing in the light. Her hair burned auburn in the bright environment. She stared towards the edge of the lake, running sand between her toes. A pensive look entered her expression.

"Sirius? I never asked you what happened at Hogwarts. Harry said something went down with Lupin?"

Sirius sauntered up beside her. "Yeah. He...uh...went werewolf on us."

"Oh no..." Willow glanced at her friend, noticing the dullness creeping over his irises. "I didn't mean to make you sad, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want- "

"No, it's fine, you should know what happened." Sirius cleared his throat. "I did something incredibly stupid, that being going after Peter on the Hogwarts grounds. Don't look at me like that! I was in my animagus form! Anyway, my thinking was that Peter would still be in rat form, so I could easily catch him. But when I found him, he was with Ron, Harry, and Hermione, so things got complicated fast. Ron refused to let go of his rat, and I got a little desperate, so I dragged the poor boy all the way to the Shrieking Shack via the Whomping Willow tunnel.

"When I got there, Harry and Hermione were terrified for Ron- rightly so- and I shocked them by appearing as myself, fully human. I forgot that Harry thought I murdered his parents, so he attacked me, but Lupin showed up and intervened. Snivellus- sorry, Snape- showed up to further complicate things. It was a mess. Thankfully, Harry stunned Snape to knock him out, and we got a chance to tell him the full story."

"Which is...?" Willow prompted.

"Oh, right, I didn't tell you! Peter was supposed to be Lily and James Potter's secret keeper when they went into hiding. He sold them out to Voldemort out of fear and cowardice, however, and it got them killed. By the time I knew, it was too late, so I rushed to find Peter and confront him. He blew up a whole street. Yeah, I didn't do that. Peter cut off his own finger and transformed into an animagus just to fake his death. I was there at the scene of the crime, so I was falsely convicted.

"Harry took it in stride, thank Merlin, and Lupin and I were able to force Peter into his human form to prove the story. We planned to turn him into Dumbledore to prove his innocence, but when we got onto the grounds, the moon was out, and Lupin didn't get a chance to take his Wolfsbane Potion. I had to transform into my animagus to protect everyone. Unfortunately, Lupin overpowered me, and when Harry came to my aid, we ended up in a clearing full of dementors. We passed out rather quick."

"Next thing I knew, I woke up behind bars, and the Minister of Magic was telling me that the dementors were on their way to suck out my soul. But Harry and Hermione came to my rescue with Buckbeak, somehow, and that's how you found me in the sky."

Willow clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh no- so Peter got away?"

Sirius nodded sadly. "Yes, and that was my only shot at proving my innocence. I'm going to remain a wanted criminal until I get another chance to catch that slippery sucker."

Willow took his hand in her own. "Hey, we'll figure out a way. My family would gladly build a case for you, and I'm sure every one of my friends would vouch for your innocence. Besides, I don't think a guy that nearly cries when he sees puppies is capable of killing Muggles in cold blood."

Sirius punched her in the arm. "I don't cry."

"But you come close."

"You're not wrong."

Sirius seemed to shake off his sadness. He took a few paces around the beach, examining the area. Willow allowed him to close off the subject. If that was how he wanted to deal with the situation, then she would let him. He needed time to be sad about it. He'd lost his only chance at freedom in twelve years, after all.

"Uh..." Sirius glanced at Willow. "Do you mind, you know, building us a shelter?"

"Oh! Yeah! Give me a minute- or five."

Jumping to her feet, Willow sized up the surrounding area. She found a rather large spot on the beach. Then, using a few trees as her markers, she walked in as straight a line as possible, pulsing her powers through her feet. Saplings sprouted wherever she stepped, then grew at a fantastic rate. Willow made a sharp right, going so many meters, turned right again, and finally turned right again, completing the square. The trees grew until their trunks turned brown, forming striped bark that pressed tightly against one another. Willow didn't stop the trees from growing until they had cemented into a single wall of palm trees. She raised her hands to command two walls to lean towards one another, and the trees instantly swept towards the middle of the structure. Their palm leaves interlocked with one another, and finally Willow stood back, brushing off her hands.

"Ta-da! One beach house, as you asked for!"

Sirius's jaw had dropped. He took a couple paces towards the dwelling, raising his eyebrows at Willow. He opened his mouth to say something, then abruptly stopped, a gleam flashing over his eyes. He smirked, shifting his gaze towards the house.

"It's okay."

Willow scoffed. "I'd like so see you do better. I even planned a rainwater system."

Sirius tried to keep his expression neutral, but the corners of his mouth trembled, and he finally gave way to a smile. "Gah! Fine! That was extremely impressive. How did you plan the rainwater system? How did you manage to line up the palm trees? How did you pull something off that involved planning?"

Willow gently punched him in the arm. "I didn't plan, that's how. Come on in."

Sirius followed her through the gap between palm trees. The soothing shade cooled their sun-maimed bodies instantaneously. Willow pulled a few palm leaves off the trees outside and made them into a makeshift bed. The wind rustled of them overhead, causing light to flicker on the sandy floor. In fact, the palm leaves let in the perfect amount of light, and directly below them, Willow was busy rolling a fallen log over. She pulled out her wand and was about to cast a spell when Sirius suddenly cried out.

"WAIT! Don't do that!"

"Why?"

Sirius's face went white, and he clutched his chest. He snatched Willow's wand away. "Have you not heard of the Trace? The Ministry of Magic can tell exactly what spell each and every underage witch and wizard casts until they're seventeen. If you use magic, they'll know where we are, and we're done for."

Willow gripped her stomach, suddenly queasy. "Oh."

"Here, just tell me what spell to use, and I'll do it. They can't track me."

Willow instructed Sirius, albeit a little distractedly, to clean off the log and to gauge a deep divet in it. They cleaned it off one more time, and their water basin was formed. Willow sat back, the overwhelming feeling of guilt eating away at her insides. She'd almost gotten them captured. Again. And it was entirely her fault.

Am I ever going to stop putting others in danger?

Willow distracted herself by going outside and scavenging for firewood. She found some more fallen logs, but they were far too heavy to carry. She ended up shape-shifting into a graphorn to shoulder the load. Sirius stepped outside and squeaked in fear at first, then realized it was Willow and rolled his eyes. He took out Willow's wand and hacked the pieces into smaller logs. She gathered more fallen palm trees for the next half hour, then transformed into a small griffin, ripping the palm leaves off with her sharp beak. They had a considerable pile after all the trees had been processed.

Sirius cast a spell, and a roaring fire was started just as the sun was dipping below the horizon. Willow transformed back into herself and dragged over a few palm leaves for them to sit on. She went to sit down and ended up falling hard on her butt.

"Ow...guess all that power is draining me fast," she groaned.

"If only we had some food, I'd help with that," Sirius said wistfully.

"It's okay, I can go without it for a little while."

Sirius held her gaze for a long moment. Willow could see a rollercoaster of emotions flicking through them, like a fast-forwarded movie. Then, without warning, his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm so sorry I got you into this mess," he said, hardly able to meet her gaze. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have gone after Peter- I should have told the aurors what happened- I should have never gone after Peter when I knew there were aurors and dementors all over Hogwarts- "

"Hey! That's enough of the pity party!" Sirius stared at her, mouth dropping open. "I know! It sucks! Life sucks pretty bad for both of us right now! But we can't let them get into our heads." Willow spread her hands, gesturing to the gorgeous setting around them. "You see this? We're probably as close as we can get to the equator. Dementors won't come near this place. What's more, aurors are not going to waste their time outside of England. And you know what? It's not your fault that this dumbarse Peter screwed up everything! Stop blaming yourself when you know full well whose fault this is!"

Sirius swallowed hard, not meeting Willow's eyes. "But...now all your friends are taking the hit for me, too."

Willow shook her head. "That's the risk that we chose to take. Sirius, stop blaming yourself. It's not going to change what happened. The past is in the freaking past, so we've got to get over it."

Sirius glanced up at her. "You of all people know how hard that is."

Willow bit her lip. For a moment, she was afraid that she might break down in cry. Then, surprising herself, she rose to her feet and marched over to Sirius, wrapping him in a fierce hug. He melted into her embrace, sobbing unapologetically. Willow found herself on the verge of tears one moment, then as far away from having emotions as possible the next. She had to stay strong. Sirius needed her, her friends needed her, her family needed her- everyone needed her to be strong.

"I'm sorry," Sirius whimpered, detaching himself from Willow. "It's just- first Regulus, then Azkaban, then Peter, then Lupin, and now all this- it's not okay. It really isn't. I got to see my godson for mere minutes before he was ripped away again. Peter was my best friend, and now he's betrayed us, all of us..." He wiped his face. "It doesn't matter anymore. You're right. The past is the freaking past. Peter's nothing but a bitch now. I just have to deal with his consequences now."

"That's the spirit. Nothing like looking forward to a good arse-kicking to get your fire back."

Sirius shot a look at her. "You realize that you can't be a hypocrite now, right? I know that you think leaving your friends at the Ministry is all your fault, but it's not. Like you said earlier- it all boils down to Peter's betrayal. None of this is your fault."

Willow nodded, though when she spoke, her voice was hoarse. "I know." She cleared her throat, rising to her feet. "I think I'm going to find us some food- "

Without warning, a horrible illusion of the world tipping wayward sent her to her knees. Vertigo slowly sent her toppling sideways, all sense of balance evaporating in an instant. Her stomach was terribly queasy. Weak electrical signals hummed throughout her body, as if calling for her to rest. She certainly was tired. Willow blinked her eyes hard, trying to refocus them, but everything remained blurry.

"Willow! What happened?"

Sirius's voice sounded far away, as if he were shouting down a long tunnel. She collapsed fully to the ground. The soft sand swelled around her increasingly numb body. She flipped over onto her back. Vaguely registering the that the stars were shining above, the world grew dark, and the night swallowed her whole.

What is your name?

Grace Fawley.

Willow tried to cry out, but made no sound. She was behind the glass again, watching helplessly, as Lucius beat the life out of Grace Guerrero, replacing her with Grace Fawley instead.

What- do- we- think- of- the- Guerreros!

We- we hate them!

LOUDER!

I HATE THE GUERREROS!

The scene suddenly shimmered, then disappeared altogether, being replaced with another memory. This time, Willow was sitting on the dungeon steps of the Fawley mansion. She was facing Grace- no, this time, it was her mum.

I don't remember seeing you off to Hogwarts...did you get into Slytherin?"

Oh, no, I got into Gryffindor.

Really? I'm so proud of you! Carlos and I- we always knew you were a Gryffindor.

All of a sudden, the scene reverted back to the former memory, then jumped ahead to the dungeon steps again, then flipped back, and Willow found herself turning round and round in circles, not knowing which memory was happening at which time, lost in a cycle of relief and pain that seemed to have no end. She screamed, but all that came of it was silence. Willow pounded against the walls of her invisible cage. She wanted out. She wanted to wake up. She wanted to be free of her pain. Was that too much to ask?

Grace, don't do it!

Av-avada...K-Kedavra...

GRACE, NO!

Willow sat bolt upright. A trickle of cold sweat dripped down her forehead, then plopped onto the sand. She wiped the moisture off her face with the back of her hand. Willow forced her eyes and ears to focus on the present moment. Every time she blinked, images of the dream threatened to swallow her whole. She took deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She was fine. That was all in the past. She couldn’t do anything about it now, even though she wanted nothing more than to race back to the Fawley mansion and wrap her mum in a tight hug…

God, I’m never going to sleep again, Willow grumbled to herself.

She rose to her feet and stretched her aching back, hearing a few pops in her spine as she did so. Sirius was still fast asleep. Not wanting to wake him, Willow tiptoed out of the palm tree hut, the morning sunrise greeting her with stunning warm colours. Nearby, Buckbeak uncurled himself from a sleeping position and called softly to her. She bowed and approached him, then spent the next several minutes stroking his feathers.

"What do you think, Beaky? Is this going to be okay for a little while?"

The hippogriff stared at her blankly, only tossing his head as a response. Willow sighed, leaning against Buckbeak’s flank. She gazed at the beautiful lake in front of them.

"I really wish I could enjoy this,” she murmured.

“You could, if you would stop bottling everything up and giving yourself nightmares."

Willow shot to her feet. "Sirius! I- uh- sorry, just feeling sorry for myself again. I didn’t mean to wake you."

"No, I was awake two hours ago when you were fidgeting in your sleep." He leaned against the palm tree hut, eyes softening as he looked at Willow. "You had a vivid nightmare. How long has that been going on?"

Willow wouldn’t meet his eyes. "I…I can’t remember."

"It was you Mum again." She nodded. "I get it. From what you told me, it was absolute hell, what they put you through. Merlin...you'd think that the Ministry of Magic would at least have some decency with children..."

"I'm not exactly a child- "

"But that doesn't make it any more right!" Sirius kicked some sand in frustration. "First they send me to Azkaban without so much as a hair of incriminating, hard evidence, and now this; they've got to get their act together at some point!"

"Sirius, you don't think they'll...you know...do the same thing to my friends?"

He lifted his head, staring at Willow in surprise. Then, seeming to snap out of his venting, he walked towards Willow and wrapped her in a gentle hug. For once, she didn't freeze up and bristle at the close touch. Willow sank into Sirius's arms, wanting to lose herself in his comforting embrace, just this once. She wanted to stop being strong. She wanted to let all the emotions out. She was so sick and tired of fighting the nightmares, the visions, the condemning destinies; she wanted it to all disappear into thin air, like it had never existed.

"They're going to be okay, Willow, I promise," Sirius whispered. "You hear me? Nothing bad is going to happen to them. We'll make sure of that, if it's the last thing we do."

"I know," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I know."

Sirius guided her to their makeshift log-seat and sat her down, still clasping tightly onto the now trembling Gryffindor. Willow had never felt so weak in her entire life. She hated being helpless, but she'd been fighting her entire life, ever since she could fend for herself. At some point, she had to break, and unfortunately, she was brushing up against the edge.

"Look, I know it sucks. Family's hard. Mine was no better or worse than the Fawleys. But you can't give up now." Sirius brushed Willow's hair out of her face. "You're so much stronger than I ever was- than I am now. I'm a terrible example of how to deal with emotional trauma. So I'm giving you advice, from one hypocrite to another: stop keeping it all inside. I've seen what it's done to you over the few months I've known you. It's killing you, Willow. You make yourself feel like you're the one that's failing over and over. That couldn't be any farther from the truth.

"Whatever happened, happened. It's okay to be human for a couple minutes here and there- no one even has to know- and then you can move on. I just can't stand by and watch you deteriorate any further. It's killing me. You're such a bright, incredible witch; someday, you will get past all this, and when that happens, you'll do amazing things, I know it. For now, just promise me that you'll talk when something's bothering you. Please?"

Willow looked at Sirius through glassy eyes. Something inside her shifted as she stared at his pleading expression. There was so much buried in that sad sparkle in his eyes: family trauma, broken spirits, abandoned dreams, and lost friends. He had lost enough that he could relate to Willow on a deeply personal level. It was like he had lived an alternate version of her life, aside from the extra powers. She bit her lip, coming to the realization that she knew exactly what Sirius was trying to do.

"Willow, promise me. Please."

"I- I promise," she croaked.

Sirius's eyes lingered on her for a moment, then he looked away, staring at the lake for several minutes. They sat there, saying nothing, yet simultaneously knowing a thousands words were being whispered in the silence. To her surprise, Willow found herself speaking first.

"I dreamed about my mum again. It- it wasn't exactly what you would think." Sirius instantly turned to her with an interested expression. "I was watching her being tortured by Lucius, then it flipped back to the moment in the Fawley mansion where she snapped out of it. There were several increments where it flashed back and forth between these, and all of a sudden, I was way back in the past, back to the time when- when she- "

Willow lost all ability to speak. She opened her mouth, then closed it, her words threatening to escape and stay inside all at the same time. Willow closed her eyes, feeling the moisture forming on her eyelashes. She wanted to tell Sirius so badly...but could she handle telling the truth?

"Can I- can I tell you something? Something I've never told anyone?" 

"Of course, anything."

Willow swallowed hard. "I- I used to have- "

"Scree!"

Willow and Sirius shot to their feet at the same time Buckbeak perked up from his nap. They frantically glanced towards the skies, shielding their eyes from the light. Willow recognized that sound anywhere- it was one of her beloved magical creatures! Within seconds, a winged animal appeared against the clouds, the beautiful chocolate brown feathers standing out against the fluffy white. Willow let out a piercing whistle, which got the creature's attention. It instantly spiraled down towards them until it nearly crash-landed fifteen meters away. Griffin managed to rise to his feet, however, unharmed, and raced towards Willow.

"Griffin!" she cried, tackling him in a hug. The griffin affectionately nuzzled her cheek, chirping contentedly. Willow kneeled beside her precious creature and gripped his feathers. "Oh my goodness- how on Earth did you find me?"

Griffin flapped his wings, then tossed his head, as if gesturing over his shoulder. Willow peered beyond him to see Phoebe and Fidget gradually coming to their senses. She gasped and immediately tore across the beach, scooping up each one into an arm.

"Phoebe! Fidget! How- I don't even want to know how you stayed on Griffin's back. But you found me!"

Phoebe chattered moodily, as if to say she didn't want to talk about the journey. Fidget scrambled up Willow's arm and dove into her shirt pocket, immediately shifting into the best sleeping position. They both looked exhausted. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed that even Griffin, who was always a bundle of energy, was showing signs of fatigue. Willow helped Phoebe climb onto her back and headed back towards the palm tree hut, where Buckbeak was eyeing the newcomers with disdain.

"Buckbeak, you be nice to them, or I'm going to start skinning and cooking your food," she warned.

Shaking his feathers, Buckbeak let out an agitated series of clicks and groans, then turned his back to her and curled up to fall asleep. Willow rolled her eyes. Of course Buckbeak was the moodiest one. He was a hippogriff. Placing a hand on Griffin, she guided her creatures to the opposite wall of the palm tree hut, making a large bed of palm leaves. Phoebe and Griffin instantly laid down beside one another and fell asleep. Sirius joined her when Griffin's snores could be audibly heard.

"Wow. You've got some loyal creatures, Willow."

She grinned. "Yeah, they're pretty cool. I'm lucky to have them. I guess they just love me, for some reason."

"They can tell who the best people are, that's all." Sirius's expression faded as he gazed at Willow. "If you want to tell me what you were going to earlier, I'm still here to listen. If not, that's okay. I'm not going to force you to spill out all your secrets."

Willow let out a half-hearted laugh, but inside, her stomach muscles were tearing at her internal organs. "Good. I think I still need to build up a little courage first."

"And that's perfectly fine."

Without warning, a tawny owl swooped in overhead, dropping a bundle at Willow's feet. She glanced up just in time to see Iris landing on the roof of the palm tree hut. Her face lit up as her owl hooted in recognition.

"Iris! I was wondering when you'd find us, brilliant girl!" The owl cocked her head. "No, sorry, I don't have treats, you'll have to beg Dad for some more when you go home. So what did you bring us?"

Sirius bent down to pick up the letters. "You've got two, one from Carlos, and one from your girlfriend."

"Paige is not- ugh, nevermind, just hand them over."

Heart hammering against her ribs, Willow ripped the envelopes open, quickly scanning their contents.

Mi hija,

I hope this letter finds you safe and sound. We met Oliver at King's Cross Station, and he explained what happened. Your creatures are safe at home, although Griffin and Phoebe took off with Fidget. I'm assuming they found you by now.

Molly and her Death Eater army have disappeared without a trace, and Grace is at the Fawley mansion. I've heard from some sources that the Ministry is attempting to launch a full-scale investigation into the Fawley Mansion "Massacre," as they're calling it. It's only a matter of time before they come for Oliver and your friends, but we're already putting together a defense team, and Professor McGonagall owled us to offer her services. She'll be here tomorrow.

We miss you so much and hardly sleep with worry. Please send us word of how you're doing.

Te quiero,

Carlos

Willow covered her hand with her mouth, falling to her knees in the sand. She took a few gasping breaths to calm her shaky lungs. Her father was okay. Her friends were in safe hands. If the Guerreros were going to defend them- never mind Abuela and McGonagall- they would be cleared of charges in no time. Willow exhaled and unfolded Paige's letter.

Willow,

We're coming to find you. Deandra and my grandfather need to go into hiding, and I'm not leaving them again. They're incredible trackers, so we'll be there shortly after this letter reaches you. We all need to lay low together and figure out what to do next.

Hey- we're both fugitives now. Never saw that coming. Better enjoy the thrill while it lasts.

The Ministry took everyone into custody last night who was involved in the "massacre". I barely escaped in time, thanks to a warning from Miranda. Remind me to thank him for literally being the best human ever.

We have a lot to catch you up on. Deandra and Grandpa have promised a big reveal of our family, too, so get ready for a show.

I can't wait to see you. You better not be hurt.

Paige

Sirius peeked over Willow's shoulder, then let out a cry. "Merlin's beard, your girlfriend and her family are coming? It must be meet-the-family time in your relationship."

"Sirius, not now! We have to help them find us!"

Willow shielded her eyes, peering around the beach for some sort of significant structure. Nothing struck her as special. Her thoughts darted to the crystal lake, but it couldn't have been the only body of water around these parts. They needed to make something clearly man-made, even if it was only temporary, to stand out from the massive paradise jungle.

Glancing at the palm leaves, Willow suddenly had an idea. She grabbed a handful of medium-sized logs and tossed them onto the sand. Marching off towards the nearby trees, she tested a few vines, finally yanking them down and gathering them towards her work area. Willow rearranged the logs into a platform, then tied them together. She secured a trio of logs into an upright position on the left of the platform. Finally, after grabbing three palm leaves, she created a makeshift sail and tied it to the "mast" until the vines were taut. Willow heaved her project into the water and swam it to the middle of the lake.

"What in God's name is that?" Sirius asked when she returned to the shore.

"A boat, can't you tell?" When Sirius opened his mouth to make a smart remark, she quickly added, "It's not supposed to be the best boat in the world, okay? It's just a sign so that Paige knows where we are."

"Smart. I used my brain too, actually, and I started a letter to reply to your parents, but I figured you should add onto it before I send Iris back."

"Definitely."

Sirius handed her the wrinkled piece of paper and worn pencil- two items he and Willow always kept on hand. She reviewed what Sirius had already written about their predicament (which was absolutely raving about the crystal-clear water). Then, adding a sentence or two of her own to reassure Carlos that she was perfectly fine, she folded up the letter and attached it to Iris's foot. Willow watched her tawny owl take off and disappear into the fluffy white clouds.

"Good luck," she whispered.

After staring at the sky for half an hour, losing themselves in though, Sirius came to his senses and asked Willow how she was feeling, especially after passing out last night. She explained to him that she'd overexerted her powers once again, that was all. Sirius could tell that she was leaving something out, however, and pressed ever so slightly. Willow relented and finally admitted that she was still quite beat up from the battle at the Ministry. Sirius convinced her to sit down and show him her wounds, so she begrudgingly lifted her shirt to reveal her healing stab wound.

To her surprise, he didn't freak out. Willow glanced down and was genuinely shocked to see how much progress it had made. Madam Pomfrey had patched her up perfectly, as usual. There was barely a pink tint to the skin now. It would be a white line within no time, simply a memory of a harrowing moment. Memories of her mum's reaction sent pangs of sorrow through her system. She immediately shut the images out, focusing on Pomfrey's miracle workings in removing her raging infection.

Without warning, a shadow passed over the lake. Sirius and Willow looked up to see three shadows zooming overhead. Willow's heart sparked with joy when she recognized Paige, Deandra, and Grandpa Terrell on broomsticks. She waved her arms, laughing when Paige made a goofy face at her. The Terrells landed near the palm tree hut, and the moment they touched down, Willow tackled Paige to the sand, hugging her with all the force her muscles possessed.

"Wow, okay, I missed you too," Paige chuckled.

"Oh my God! You're here! I thought for sure- Merlin, I can't explain how happy I am to see you."

Paige smirked. "There's a way. It doesn't involve words."

"You sure you could handle that?"

"Er, guys? Do you need a room?" Sirius interrupted.

Willow instantly reddened. She hid it the best she could, however, and blew raspberries at Sirius. Peeling herself off of Paige, the girls rose to their feet, taking turns greeting the adults. Deandra and Grandpa Terrell shook hands with Sirius. Then, the merry moment was over.

"We should sit down. There's a lot we need to catch you guys up on," Deandra said.

The five placed themselves in a circle on the sand. Paige inched closer to Willow, but for once, it didn’t make the younger girl blush. She was so focused on hearing news about her friends and family that nothing else mattered. She needed to know, before it could eat away at her any longer.

"Things escalated quickly after you passed out," Deandra began. "The Ministry was already beginning to arrive five minutes after we floo-traveled. Madam Pomfrey tended to our injuries, then sent for Professor McGonagall. They hid us in Dumbledore’s Study while the aurors came looking for the ‘attackers’ and Sirius.

"Dumbledore was kind to us. He gave us food and butterbeer, then sat us down after the Minister left and explained the situation. He told us that you and Sirius had escaped, and that the Fawleys were pressing charges to the full extent of the law. They were bound determined to find us, apprehend us, and give us a death sentence. We needed to get as far away from there as possible, and fast.

"Professor McGonagall called upon the Weasley twins and had them show us the way to a secret underground tunnel to Hogsmeade. We made it to the entrance, and they got us sealed in right before the Ministry officials came tramping down the corridors. They refused to give into their questioning, and they were taken into custody for it. They saved us; I don’t know how we can repay them."

Willow sucked in a breath. "And the others? What about them? Were they taken too?"

Paige cast her gaze downward, face burning. "Yeah. Every last one of them. Lucius pointed out Oliver and Sue, so of course, the rest clambered to their side and refused to let them go. I heard the racket from corridors away. They were all taken to the Ministry in the end."

Willow rubbed Paige’s back. "It’s not your fault. We were trying to do the right thing, all of us. It’s my dumb fault for dragging you into this mess."

"But would he still be alive if we didn't go?" Paige asked, nodding towards her grandfather.

Deandra sighed. "It’s all a huge mess, and it’s only going to get worse. We have to accept that and deal with the consequences. You tried to do the right thing; we can’t ask for anything more than that."

Paige didn’t appear convinced. Willow noticed that Sirius’s eyes were filling with tears, too, so she cleared her throat and changed the subject.

"Uh, what was that other thing in the letter? You know, the big reveal?"

Deandra glanced at Grandpa Terrell. "Frodi, you’re the one that knows the stories best. Care to share?"

Frodi’s eyes sparkled. He sat up straight, shifting his gaze from Paige to Sirius to Willow and back to Paige again. "Are you sure you’re ready for this?"

"What do you mean?" Paige asked.

"You remember what Deandra has told you, right? That our family is descended from a powerful lineage?"

"Yeah…"

“Well, long ago, a very, very potent wizard was sorted into Slytherin. He was the epitome of power, yet he chose to seldom use it. As he grew up, he faced unimaginable hardship, and his magic only grew as a result of it. He could crack open mountains with a wave of his hand, level continents with a flick of his wrist, crush entire civilizations with a snap of his fingers. But he didn’t let the power go to his head.

"His family kept him honest. He had a wife, and eventually their children discovered their own share in this blood-born power. He and his family were never seen in public, as he didn’t want them to become targets of envious wizards, such as the Fawleys, his rivals in school. No one knows what became of this wizard and his family- except for us."

Paige’s eyes widened. "Wait a second, does this mean what I think it does?"

Willow’s heart thumped as Grandpa Terrell nodded. "Yes, Paige. We are the descendants of this wizard. I was in Slytherin as a boy, and so were your mother and Deandra. You’re one of the few to end up in Gryffindor, but you possess the same ruthless spirit that this wizard once did. It’s the reason you can cast such powerful and complicated spells at such a young age."

"Who is he? This wizard?" Paige pressed.

Frodi’s mouth twitched upward in a smile. "Merlin."

The weight of the statement punched Willow like a sledgehammer to the stomach. Paige’s eyebrows shot up, and her mouth dropped open. She appeared as though she’d gone into shock.

"You’re- you’re kidding."

"No, Paige, I’m not. Our family is descended directly from Merlin."

Willow finally remembered to breathe. Paige…was descended from Merlin? As in The Merlin? The one that they referred to in History in Magic? Merlin’s blood flowed through Paige’s veins? How was that even possible? Professor Binns had told them that Merlin’s family died out a long time ago, disappearing into the mountains, never to be heard from again. Yet here his family was, alive, but down to its last three members, nearly hunted to extinction by the Fawleys. Willow suddenly had the urge to remove herself as far away from Paige as possible. She didn’t deserve to be in the presence of someone so exceptional, let alone someone from a family that her own flesh and blood was attempting to destroy.

"Hang on, am I hearing you right?" Sirius asked. "Paige- this bull-headed girl sitting over here- has Merlin’s blood flowing through her veins?"

"That’s correct," Deandra said.

"Jesus, who trusted her with that kind of power?"

The four let out a hearty laugh, and Willow found herself joining in. Leave it to Sirius to decompress a tense situation, she thought. Willow slowly began to adjust to the idea of Merlin’s family being synonymous with Paige. The older girl appeared to quickly accept the information, goofily wiggling her eyebrows at the younger Gryffindor.

"Watch out, Willow, I’m going to smite you with lightning if you’re not nice to me."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. I’ll just shift into a dragon and deflect it."

Paige’s eyes sparkled. "Hey, I never thought about it this way, but now we’re even. I’m the prodigious child of Merlin's bloodline, and you’re the famous child of the prophecy."

Willow grinned at first, then abruptly dropped the expression. Something about what Paige said triggered an idea in her memory. It tickled the back of her mind, agonizingly close to the surface. Prophecy. What had the lines been? Unless she follows the descendant of Hogwarts' great...The trail blazing of a life born of joy is the path she shall take...

Suddenly, Willow sat bolt upright.

"Oh my God, Paige, it’s your patronus!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"Paige, the prophecy! Do you remember the third stanza? Follow the descendent of Hogwarts’ great…Hogwarts’ great was Merlin! He was sorted into Slytherin and went there hundreds of years ago! You’re his descendent! And the trail blazing of a life born of joy is the path she shall take; I’m supposed to follow your patronus!"

Paige’s face went slack. "Holy crap, you’re right!"

"But she can’t cast it; she’s still got the Trace on her," Sirius said.

"Oh…right." Willow kicked the sand. "At least I know where to go next, though. That’s one step closer than before." She flipped a rock with her toe, heart beating like the wings of a hummingbird. "Descendent of Merlin…wow. That’s definitely not something I saw coming. Especially not within a world-altering prophecy."

"Guess I’m tied to you by fate now, huh?" Paige said, shouldering the younger Gryffindor. "It’s like the world is trying to bring us together."

"That’s terrifying."

"Nah. I’d say it’s right."

Willow looked up to see Paige smirking at her. She broke into a grin after a few moments. "I guess you’re right. I hate to drag you into this mess, but I'm glad it’s you, Paige."

The older Gryffindor brushed Willow's hair behind her ear. "Me too, Willow, me too."


	60. Summer of Year 4: Chapter 2

The sun fully set, and Sirius started a campfire. Deandra and Frodi had brought as much food as they could find, which didn't amount to much, but after a day or two of eating nothing, Willow thought they'd given her a five-course meal. They found a rather flat rock and placed it over the fire, then toasted their food. Willow ended up eating a roast beef sandwich. It was the best thing she'd tasted in what felt like years.

The adults continued to entertain themselves with boring chatter about what was going on in the world. Willow wasn't impressed; she didn't want to talk about anything except rescuing her friends. When they began to reminisce about their days at Hogwarts, she couldn't take it anymore, so she abruptly stood up and left the conversation. Fidget sensed her sadness and hugged her from within his pocket. His little black eyes welled with sadness.

"I know, buddy, thanks for trying to cheer me up," Willow whispered.

Fidget surprised her when he let out a defiant squeak. He clambered onto her shoulder, then onto her head. He grasped onto a stand of her hair and hung upside down in front of her face, crossing his arms with a huff. When Willow didn't react, he tickled her nose. That got her attention. She instantly burst out laughing, trying to pry Fidget off her hair, but not managing to budge him. The little bowtruckle refused to stop until Willow had collapsed to the sand from laughing so hard.

"You little- that's not- fair!" Willow gasped.

Fidget let out a purring sound that vaguely reminded her of chortling as he retreated to her pocket once more. Willow's face hurt from beaming, but that didn't make the delighted expression disappear right away as it usually did. She thanked God that she had her magical creatures to cheer her up. What did she do to deserve their innocent love?

"Hey, dummy, we already ran away. You don't have to do it a second time."

Willow whipped around. "Paige! I- sorry, I didn't want to talk about Hogwarts yet. My brain is already fried from this year."

The older girl crossed her arms, shrugging her shoulders. "You just don't want to deal with what happened; I get it."

Willow sighed. "I'm a terrible liar."

"No, I'm perceptive. There's a difference." Paige glanced off towards the moon, then traced its rays back to Willow. The older girl found herself watching the way they turned the younger Gryffindor's eyes to a silvery brown. She blushed when she caught herself staring. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

Willow and Paige settled in stride for stride, the sand giving way before their gentle footsteps. The water quietly washed onto shore in waves. Every once in a while, a splash would announce the presence of a fish. The singing of cicadas and the chirping of crickets tickled Willow's ears. A chorus of tropical frogs hummed in the humid night air. She could have sworn that she heard a beast bellowing far off into the trees, but it was probably her imagination; she simply missed the Forbidden Forest.

Paige's expression had fallen into a neutral pensiveness. Willow sensed that her gut was churning with a multitude of emotions that were bound to explode at any second. She watched the way her eyes alighted like a kindling fire, then dulled, as if doused with water, then repeated the process all over again. Paige's eyes. God, were they beautiful: a deep, knowing brown that reached into your soul, able to tell you all your secrets before you even spilled them. Willow would never stop loving Paige's eyes.

Movement from the older girl caught her off guard. To her surprise, Paige reached out her hand, not even looking in Willow's direction. The younger girl's stomach flipped when she realized Paige was begging her to hold hands. Blushing deeply, Willow complied.

She could have sworn sparks shot between their hands when they touched. Willow felt butterflies race through her stomach, sending electrical impulses ricocheting throughout her entire body. Her head went fuzzy for a moment, and her muscles tensed. But it only took a second for Willow to regain control of her body. Only her heart refused to listen to her, racing like she was doing sprint training. She glanced at Paige to distract herself.

"Hey...what's on your mind?" Willow asked.

Paige sighed, obviously having waited for this opportunity for a while. "Well, a lot, actually. Up until a few days ago- my whole life, in fact- I'd accepted the fact that I would never have a real family. I grew used to having terrible parental figures, and I hate to admit it, but I actually liked being free to ignore the adults in my life. It sucked, of course, when I really needed an adult to talk to, but that was when I'd lean on Jewel, Fred, George, or Lee. I had it all figured out.

"Now everything's changed. Not only did I have a family, but they died for me, Willow. They gave their lives for mine. And Aunt Deandra and Grandpa Frodi...they're real. They're alive. They're actually great people, and I guess...I don't know how to deal with it. I should be happy, maybe a little sad for my biological parents, maybe even a little excited, being a descendent of Merlin and all, but I'm not any of those things. I don't know what I'm feeling."

Willow squeezed Paige's hand. "I get it. Sure, I didn't grow up in a home with parents like yours, but I lost my mum on that horrible day so many years ago. Grace Guerrero died on that day, and Grace Fawley now rules in her place. When I found her in the mansion the other day, you know, after I shoved you guys through the fireplace- she was crying. She was worried about me. I think she found the Guerrero in her for a second.

"But it was confusing. I didn't know what I was feeling, either. I should have felt relieved, should have been angry at the Fawleys for doing this to her, but instead, I sat there, nearly blubbering like a baby, not sure what the hell my emotions were doing to me. Parents are hard. Families suck. We just have to cherish the good ones that are left, I guess."

Paige's mouth twitched towards a smile. "You would be a great motivational speaker, you know that?"

"Are you giving me sarcasm?"

"When am I not?" Paige chortled. Her expression softened. "Seriously, though, thanks for that. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one confused out of my mind."

"Nope. We're both crazy."

"Crazy together, I guess."

The Gryffindors walked hand in hand along the beach. They settled into silence for a short while, simply enjoying one another's company. The gentle wind dissipated some of the humidity of the night. Willow and Paige ended up walking on the edge of the lake, allowing the tide to wash over their feet. The warm water seemed to steal away most of Willow's anxiety as well. Her worries were carried far out to sea, then lost for good. A small smile unexpectedly entered her expression. Was she actually...happy?

The girls stopped at a patch of trees that ran right up to the water, about a half mile from their camp. They took a seat side by side on a curving trunk, dangling their feet into the water below. The girls simply allowed the night sounds to wash over their senses and melt the aftermath of the past week away. Willow realized she still hadn't let go of Paige's hand. She cursed the butterflies in her stomach that fluttered up at that recognition.

Willow suddenly became aware of Paige staring at her. She gave it a second, just in case the older girl didn't mean to, then slowly turned towards her. Paige was studying Willow's face with rapt attention. She was drinking in Willow's dark brown irises, her wavy dark hair, her lightly freckled face, and her perfectly pink lips. The blood rushed to both girls' cheeks when Paige's eyes lingered on the younger Gryffindor's mouth.

Willow's heart thumped against her chest. Paige had closed the gap between their bodies, leaving no space between them. They were so close- closer than they'd ever been before. Paige's features were even more striking to Willow than before. The moonlight seemed to enhance them, bring out every detail of the older girl's face. She was beautiful. Willow felt something stir in her gut and once again felt that electrical signal vibrate through her entire body.

Paige glanced from Willow's eyes to her mouth, then back again. The older girl leaned closer. There were only inches between their lips now. Paige gazed at Willow with a questioning look.

"You don't have to- "

Willow didn't let her finish the sentence. She instinctively leaned forward and pecked Paige on the lips. The older girl blinked in surprise, blushing a deep scarlet.

"Hang on, what?"

Willow smirked. "You're welcome."

Paige cupped the younger girl's cheek in her hand, examining her every feature, drinking the moment in. "You are literally the most beautiful human being in the world, you know that?"

"I could say the same about you."

Paige beamed, then rested her head on Willow's shoulder, simply staring out at the lake as they enjoyed each other's presence.

Eventually, the moon drew high in the sky, and it was time to head back. They walked back hand in hand until they got within viewing distance of the adults, then dropped them, pretending as if nothing had happened, but struggling to wipe elated smiles off their faces. The fire was put out, and everyone turned in for the night. Willow and Paige laid side by side within the palm tree hut. When the adults had fallen asleep, Paige turned to Willow and brushed her fingers through her hair.

"Goodnight," she breathed.

Willow beamed. "Night."

And for once, she didn't dream at all.

Willow awoke to the sound of obnoxious snoring. She didn’t need to open her eyes to know that it was Sirius. When she eventually did glance around the room, however, she was surprised to see that all three Terrells were still sound asleep. They must have been exhausted from running for several days; Sirius’s snoring was no white noise.

Carefully stepping over the others, Willow made her way outside, to where the grey of dawn was just beginning to dull the brightness of the stars. Griffin, Phoebe, and Fidget perked up when they heard her footsteps shifting the sand. Fidget gladly climbed up her arm and nestled into her chest pocket. Griffin trotted over and incessantly begged for pets until Willow gave in, rubbing his belly and smoothing out his ruffled feathers. Phoebe combed through her long hair for sand and other grime. Even Buckbeak, although not acquainted with the other creatures, laid down nearby and gnawed on a leftover bone from his last meal. Willow couldn’t help the smile the spread across her face. She even let out a laugh when Phoebe tickled her. What did she do to deserve these incredible creatures?

The sun took its time rising, so in her boredom, Willow wandered off into the trees. They quickly closed in, their trunks growing progressively wider and their numbers suddenly increasing. Thick pockets of ivy dangled from limbs overhead, and a wonderful coolness welcomed Willow into the shadowed jungle. She breathed in the crisp morning air. Her lungs opened up in the less humid morning atmosphere, and her eyes adjusted to the lighting. For once, she felt a sort of peace wash over her body.

Then, inspired by some unknown energy, Willow broke into a trot. She brushed past clumps of undergrowth, somersaulted over bushes, climbed hills covered in tree roots, and leapt from trunk to trunk. Small rivers crossed her path, and she flew over them on tendrils of ivy. The freedom was thrilling; it surged through her head now. Adrenaline kicked in, and she was sprinting and running and dodging and leaping at an inhuman speed, laughing out loud all the while. There was no one to stop her; no one to tell her to be careful; no one to yank her back into reality; she was free.

Willow saw that her powers were following the adrenaline, but she didn't care. Her whole body glowed that beautiful warm honey colour. Electricity excitably hummed within her limbs, causing flowers and saplings to bloom underfoot as she ran. Willow glanced behind her every once in a while to observe the rainbow of colours sprouting in her wake. She found it rather therapeutic, seeing her powers at work. They were dangerous, of course, almost always resulting in damage. But in that moment in time, when she was finally at peace, when she was working and breathing and running and simply living, her powers brilliantly showed how beautiful they could be.

Willow could feel Cebba bursting with pride within her, so she pulled her into the open, casting the ghostly form several meters ahead of her. To her surprise, Cebba immediately broke into a run, matching Willow stride for stride. The older woman genuinely smiled at the young Gryffindor.

"I see you finally took some time for yourself?"

"You could say that," Willow panted, a beam lighting up her face. "How are you keeping up with me?"

"Did it never occur to you that I might have been a runner in my time? I had your powers once, Willow, and I too loved to run. We wouldn't beat each other in a race, if that's what you were wondering."

Willow rolled her eyes. "How about a tree-traveling contest?"

"You're on."

Cebba took off, and Willow was right on her heels. They flashed between the tree trunks, merely blurs among the shadowy forest floor. Each traveled so quickly that the other hardly knew where to go next. Willow's mind was exhausted from thinking so fast, but it was a great kind of tired, one that placed an irreversible smile on her face. She was here, there, everywhere, and suddenly she crashed into Cebba. They fell to the ground in a heap, laughing like there was no tomorrow. Then, they got back up, and the contest was back on. Willow was reminded of home for a fleeting moment when Cebba's taunts sparked a memory of Carlos.

Without warning, Willow entered a tree trunk, and instead of reappearing a few meters away, she fell into tall grass. She face-planted on the side of a small hill. Coughing, she rolled onto her side, only to scramble out of the way as a thick-trunked maple tilted her way. It creaked and groaned, then impacted the ground with a hollow thunk. Willow collapsed onto her back and sank into the soft ground.

Great. Of course I messed up while tree-traveling.

Slowly rising to her feet, she took in her surroundings. There were no jungle trees to be found. In all but one direction, maple and pine trees intermixed and sparsely populated the rolling hills as far as the eye could see. Directly in front of Willow was a grass-covered hillside, complete with a wooden fence at the top. For some reason, the rose-tinted wood seemed familiar. Even the way the wind whistled between the nearby trees felt familiar.

Despite the slight ache that being so far away from Cebba induced, Willow decided to investigate. Cresting the hill, she scrambled over the wooden fence, landing on the other side with hardly a scratch. She brushed herself off, then turned around to take in the new place. It was only a quarter of a second before she suddenly clapped her hand over her mouth.

Shoot, shoot, shoot, I'm not supposed to be here! Stupid brain! Why did you bring me here?

Willow was standing in her own backyard. Her family was sitting on the back porch, discussing something in hushed voices, when Carlos spotted his daughter. He shot to his feet.

"Willow!"

Acting on pure instinct, she sprinted towards them, but instead of embracing everyone, she quickly ushered them inside, glancing at the sky every half second, hoping to God she hadn't been detected by some Ministry device like the Trace. They gathered inside the living room, and once the blinds were shut, Willow faced her family.

"What the hell is with the fence?"

"Safety precautions. They're temporary," Tío Cisco responded. "That's beside the point! Where have you been?"

"Somewhere safe, way down close to the equator." Willow shook her head. "I shouldn't be here. I didn't mean to- I mean, I was just running around with Cebba, tree-traveling and such, and I accidentally thought of home- killed one of the maples, sorry- so now I ended up here, and I'm putting you all in danger."

"We're fine," Abuela protested. She brushed a few leaves and twigs out of Willow's hair. "You're not fine, obviously, but we've got a plan, so if you'd wait to listen to it before you run off again, we can get you out of hiding. We were just about to owl you."

"What's the plan?"

Professor McGonagall stepped out from behind Tío Leonel. "Professor Dumbledore is working on securing you and Ms. Terrell a trial- and a fair one, at that. We have a safe house reserved in London by a dear friend."

Abuelo handed her a metal water bottle. "This is a portkey. It will take you there when you're ready. Once there, we're gathering the rest of our resources and heading to the Ministry to confront the Fawleys- they've pressed some heavy charges on you children. We'll probably stay a night or two in London before we head there, though, to give us time to prepare."

Willow nodded. "Perfect. What about the rest of my friends?"

"They're in the Ministry's custody. Nothing will happen to them with Dumbledore there, I assure you."

Willow swallowed hard. "Got it."

Carlos engulfed her in a hug. "Be safe, and we'll see you soon, okay? This nightmare will be over at some point, I promise."

"I know."

Tío Leonel stiffened. "I hear something. Willow needs to go, now. Someone get her back to the treeline while I check it out." He shot Willow a sad smile. "Te quiero, and don't do anything stupid without me."

Tío Leonel ran off with his brother close at his back. Abuelo and Abuela gave Willow quick hugs, then threw her into Carlos's and McGonagall's arms. She was ushered outside and to the fence, the adults keeping watch with wands at the ready. They wished her good luck and helped her over the fence, instructing her to be at the safe house within the hour. Willow nodded in affirmation as she clambered over the wooden beams. She chose the thickest-trunked tree she could find and sprinted towards it, picturing the lake. Within milliseconds of touching the bark, her feet touched down on sandy ground. She tripped and fell on her face once more. The jungle tree she'd used crashed to the ground behind her.

"WILLOW LUCíA GUERRERO!"

"I can explain!" she gasped, rocking onto her knees.

Paige, Cebba, Sirius, and the older Terrells marched towards her, arms crossed. Every single one appeared livid to the point of bursting a blood vessel. Willow knew she should have felt guilty, but in that moment, all she cared about was getting one step closer to her friends.

"You disappeared without a trace! No warning, no note, nothing!"

"You can't just leave and tree-travel wherever you want without saying something!"

"Guys! I accidentally travelled home!" Willow burst out.

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, I saw my family, and Professor McGonagall!" she explained, rising to her feet. "They were all there, except Oliver, of course, and they told me the plan they'd come up with. Dumbledore is securing us a fair trial at the Ministry. In the meantime, they found a safe house, and we're going to stay there until the trial. We need to- "

Willow swayed on her feet. Sirius rushed forward and gripped her arm, keeping her upright.

"Paige, can you get the jerky, please?" he asked.

"What?"

"She needs salt. She's used her powers too much," Cebba said.

Paige nodded and ran off, returning seconds later with the packet of jerky the Terrells had been sent with. Willow was forced to eat a few strips of meat before she was allowed to talk again. Cebba returned to her in order to conserve her strength. Thankfully, that and the food seemed to do the trick, and her energy rebounded.

"Gracias. Alright, so anyway, we're all headed to this safe house, and they said we need to go within the hour." Willow held up the metal water bottle. "This is a portkey my grandfather gave me. It'll take us there when we're ready."

Deandra bit her lip. "That's better than waiting for our food supply to dwindle here. Are you sure it's safe for us, though?"

"Completely. The only people that will be there are my family, McGonagall, and others preparing to support us. You would have a miniature army to defend you, not to mention the greatest wizarding duo in all of history."

Frodi gave Willow a thumbs-up. "I'm ready to go if you are."

"Perfect. Let's gather up our stuff and head out. Make sure we don't forget the magical creatures!"

Sirius trudged to the side of the palm tree hut and tethered Buckbeak to his waist. Deandra, Frodi, and Paige gathered up the remainder of their food. Willow returned their dwelling to the earth, then scattered the remains of the fire, burying the ashes in the sand. There was hardly a trace of their presence when she was finished. Phoebe climbed on her shoulders, Fidget dove into her pocket, and Griffin nudged his way under her right arm. The water bottle was placed at her feet, and the rest gathered around her. 

"Ready?" she prompted.

Paige glanced at the faraway clump of trees on the beach, cheeks pink. "Ready."

"On the count of three. One...two...three!"

The five placed their hands on the cold metal, and in an instant, they were spinning over and over and over in space. Willow heard Phoebe holler in alarm and pulled her arms tighter around her shoulders. Within seconds, the sensation came to an abrupt halt, and their feet met solid ground. Willow hardly had time to look up before hands were pulling at her shirt.

"Get inside, quick!"

The urgency in the voice alone was enough to kickstart the group into action. They followed the confusing flurry of motion and brown-robed figures, allowing themselves to be pulled in a random direction, until they entered a nondescript building. The door slammed behind them. A figure pulled out a wand and magically sealed the exit shut. Then, to their surprise, the figure levelled the wand at them.

"Tell me something only you would know, now!"

"Whoa, whoa! Easy there!" Willow cried, stepping in front of the Terrells and Sirius. She put her hands up. "I'm Willow Lucía Guerrero. I...I chucked Molly Smith into a tree."

"Seriously, Willow?" Paige sighed.

"What? It's specific!" She turned to address the figure. "That passed, right? Who are you to ask me these questions, anyway?"

A browned hand reached up and removed the hood, revealing a familiar, friendly face. "Don't worry, you passed. I'd recognize your personality halfway across the world."

Willow's mouth dropped open. "Sarah Brown?"

She smiled, throwing her short hair over her shoulder, then gestured for the group to follow her. "Come on. We were just about to serve brunch."

Stepping through the hallway and at last into an open living room, Willow finally recognized the building as the Smith twins’ home. Most of the furniture had been cast aside and used as barricades for the windows and doors, but for the most part, it was exactly as she had last seen it: the painting above the fireplace still smiled down at the guests, the live orchids bloomed on vines covering the ceiling, and beautiful music entertained their ears from a self-playing piano in the corner. Sarah led them into the kitchen, where more friendly faces lit up at the sight of them.

"There they are!" Abuela called, rising from her chair. "I was wondering if you’d somehow managed to get lost!"

Willow rolled her eyes. "I’m not that stupid."

"Sure, and Hungarian horntails give hugs."

Suppressing the urge to get into a playful argument, Willow waited in silence as her family and McGonagall greeted the Terrells, then Sirius, though the latter continued to eye the company warily. Willow cleared her throat when she caught her own father staring.

"Behold, the super dangerous, puppy-tickling, romcom-watching, Sirius Black. Aah. Run for your lives."

"I do not- ! Oh…you’ve got me there."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "I do recall Mr. Black levitating his bed through the halls in his time at Hogwarts, claiming that he was still complying with the 'No Students Out of Bed' rule. Have you been up to such mischief lately?"

"No…?" At a pointed look from McGonagall, Sirius broke into a grin. "Okay, yes, but I’m not blowing up suits of armor anymore! I’ve gone on to bigger and better things now!"

"He’s innocent," McGonagall declared.

"It was hardly a question before," Willow grumbled. "But I digress! Did you say that there was food?"

Sarah let out a laugh. "Onto more important matters, I see. Yes, we’ve got a whole bunch of food, and I hope it satisfies your carbohydrate addiction."

Willow gratefully accepted three full plates of meat, bread, and deserts. She never realized how ravenous she'd become, rationing her food with Sirius. She made sure to save some meat and veggies for her creatures, which had to stay put in the living room. Buckbeak didn't appreciate being kept so close to Griffin, but they were beginning to get along, and the fact that Willow gave them equal amounts of food seemed to keep their jealousy at bay.

Fifteen minutes into their feast, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley popped out of Sarah's fireplace. Willow jumped up in surprise at their arrival. They found her and Paige immediately and captured them in a hug. Before they could even ask, Mr. Weasley explained that they had opted into the plan last-minute, considering three of their own childrens' livelihoods were at stake, too. Willow's mood plummeted once more. Her expression drooped. She'd gotten Fred, George, and Ginny into this craziness, not to mention Colin Creevy! How on earth did she manage to create such a mess?

"Hey, what did I say about blaming yourself?" Sirius called from across the table. "It's not going to help matters."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Listen to Sirius, Dear. Heaven knows that you were trying your best. They went after you on their own accord, mind you, and that's not for you to carry on your shoulders. Ginny needs a stern talking to on picking her battles; she and the twins ran right into the auror's arms! They all turned themselves in without thinking about the consequences."

"And let's not forget that you'd already done a remarkable act to save George and Paige," Mr. Weasley added. "George was all sorts of pissed off that you hurt yourself. We thought we'd never hear the end of it."

"Hurt herself? What do you mean?" Sarah suddenly asked.

Paige groaned. "This idiot stabbed herself as leverage for letting us go."

"YOU STABBED YOURSELF?"

"Can we talk about this later?" Willow begged. "I'm fine. It's not the first time I've been impaled."

"Not the first time?"

"Now you see what we've been dealing with, Sarah," Carlos sighed. "Oliver comes home with these wonderful stories..."

"Okay, can we get back to saving the friends I've managed to get in trouble, please?" Willow said. The attention was turned back to her. "Thank you. Yes, I'm extremely stupid, but that's not news. We can try and fix that later. Right now, I'd like to know what's happening with the plan. Are we marching in and demanding a trial, waiting for an invitation, blowing something up and using the trial as a cover-up...?"

"No, Willow, we're not blowing something up this time," Tío Leonel chuckled. "I tried, but it didn't make the final cut."

With everyone finally seated at the table, Abuela, Tío Leonel, and McGonagall explained the plan to the newcomers. Dumbledore had just sent word before they arrived that the trial would take place four days from now, at ten in the morning. The only kicker was that the Minister demanded that Willow and Paige be held under high security with the rest of their friends until the trial if they wanted it to be fair. Dumbledore had agreed to the terms, deeming it equal on both ends, so Willow and Paige would be escorted to the Ministry the next morning by Mr. Weasley, Carlos, McGonagall, and Abuela and held with their fellow "criminals".

When the trial date came, they were to be dressed in the best clothing they owned, and they were to keep their mouths shut unless spoken to. Mr. Weasley warned them that the Minister would hold every word they said against them. Willow glanced at Paige, coming to a silent agreement that they'd hold each other to the silent standard. They both knew they struggled quieting themselves when they knew the truth- and having Lucius involved wouldn't help matters.

Tío Cisco and Carlos had received intel from the centaurs surrounding the Fawley property that Grace was whispered about in the house frequently, but it didn't seem like she was going to testify. The older Fawleys were the ones pressing charges, so they would have to fight against cranky, aging, pureblood maniacs. Willow couldn't wait to give them a piece of her mind about how they treated her mother.

McGonagall reassured them that Dumbledore had prepared a stellar defense. The Hogwarts headmaster was livid that so many of his students were being held at the Ministry when they should be enjoying their long-awaited summer with their families. They were sure to win the battle, whether the Minister wanted them to or not, and even a condemning case from the Fawleys and Lucius together wouldn't stand a chance against the wizened headmaster's evidence.

Willow didn't need reassurance. She just wanted to see her friends again.

After brunch, the adults spent time going over the plan once again, then broke off to distract themselves for the rest of the day. Willow understood all too well; their children had been taken away from them, and the prospect of losing them poisoned their minds with horror. They were strong to not give into complete misery. Only Deandra, Frodi, and Sirius appeared on the brighter side, as feelings go, but that was because they were finally safe after spending several long years outrunning pursuers.

Night arrived sooner than expected, and though Willow wished to God that she could go outside and sleep in the summer greenery, she couldn't risk being seen. Instead, she entertained herself by playing with her creatures, getting the last of their energy out before bedtime. She used her powers to create a nest for them (and a separate one for Buckbeak, who absolutely refused to sleep anywhere near Griffin). Though it pained her not to do it herself, she handed her wand to Sirius so he could levitate the nest. She'd found through telepathically conversing with Phoebe that they preferred to rest higher up, that it put them at ease. Willow couldn't agree more. If she got back to Hogwarts for her fourth year, she was going to create a perfect nest in the rafters of the secret room.

When. When I get back to Hogwarts.

The adults began to turn in for the night, one by one, until Willow was the only one left awake. Even Paige had gone off and found herself a spot to crash. Willow sighed, beginning to feel the exhaustion of trying to stay upbeat and optimistic under the crushing circumstances. Climbing into the nest with her creatures, she curled up between Griffin and Phoebe, stroking their fur as she stared at the ceiling.

Merlin help us.

"Stay close, keep quiet, and whatever you do, don't make eye contact with anyone."

Willow and Paige nodded. Mr. Weasley gave them a quick smile, then turned and disappeared in a flash of emerald flame. McGonagall and Abuela followed. Willow glanced at Paige when she didn't step into the fireplace. The older girl raised her eyebrows.

"You seriously think I'm going before you after what happened last time?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Ministry of Magic."

Before Paige could react, she knocked the ash out of her hand and shoved her through the fireplace. Willow laughed when the older girl flipped her off as she fell through the flames. Carlos shot her a look.

"What?" Willow challenged. "I'm the protector. There's no way she's topping me- and I don't mean it in that way, so stop looking at me like that!"

Carlos guffawed as his daughter stepped into the fireplace. For once, Willow managed to pull herself out of the floo network at the correct grate, and only half-stumbled upon exiting. She brushed herself off just as Carlos appeared behind her. Paige slapped her, then pulled her aside to where Mr. Weasley was gathering their small forces. Once Carlos arrived, he whisked them away, into the main passageway of the Ministry. Willow wondered why she'd never seen this part before; she'd been to the place twice now, and both times had been in the lower workings, in or near the dungeons. It much different than below, with its glass windows stretching several stories high overlooking the central fountain-statue. There was light. People were friendly. It was totally different than her previous experiences.

The crowd of commuting workers was shoulder-to-shoulder, making it hard to move, but Willow found herself breathing easy. Most of the Ministry workers smiled as she passed them by. She and Paige made sure to follow Mr. Weasley's orders to keep their heads down, but Willow couldn't help the occasional glance to take in the magic. Some of the architecture was definitely enforced by magic, such as bridges with no supports, water that danced without being routed, and carts that opened compartments without human help. There were paper airplanes everywhere, too, seeming to zoom of their own accord to some designated destination. Willow preferred owls, but the idea was ingenious.

Her initial nerves about turning herself into custody faded away as she stepped into the elevator with Mr. Weasley and the rest. They descended several floors below the main level until they finally arrived in a familiar hall. Willow swallowed hard and tried to forget about the sickening images she'd been shown in the conference room, the screams of her mother as she was tortured only meters away, the lonely hours in the dungeon only a staircase below; she'd have to throw that heavy stuff off her shoulders for now. It was a problem for a later time. Now, she had to focus on being strong for her courageous, stupidly brave friends. They needed her optimism to get through this.

Paige froze up beside her when the elevator doors slid open. Willow followed her gaze and immediately diverted her eyes before she could say something vulgar. Fudge stood only two meters away, a condescending smile etched into his face. Willow grinded her teeth as he exchanged a few words with Mr. Weasley and Professor McGonagall. Paige reached for her hand, and Willow took it, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

I won't let them get to your family. I just won't.

The Minister led them down the corridor, Carlos and Abuela still keeping Paige and Willow between them. They stopped in front of a familiar door. Willow held her head high and aggressively shoved away her memories. This was different. Grace wasn't being tortured, and she wasn't viewing the horrifying presentation, but all of her friends' lives were at stake now, and she had to get them out. She had to free them. Dwelling on what had already happened wasn't going to change the past, the present, or the future.

She had to suck it up and do it.

"Into the conference room you go," Fudge said, confiscating their wands in one sweeping motion. "Your friends will be inside. Try to escape, and there will be no trial, only an immediate guilty sentence, you hear me?"

Willow nodded. "Loud and clear." She turned to her father and grandmother. "Don't worry about me. I'll be safe."

Carlos gave her a quick hug. "You know I'll worry."

"Just don't break any rules this time, Nieta," Abuela said.

"I won't."

Fudge ushered them inside, and before she could even blink, the door was slammed behind them. Paige and she exchanged steely expressions. Silence, silence, silence. No words around Fudge.

"WILLOW!"

She would have recognized that voice anywhere. "Oliver!"

The dark-haired boy sprinted into her arms, laughing uncontrollably. Then, a whole mob of her friends attacked, surrounding her in a group hug, shrieking and chuckling and crying with the pure joy of seeing her alive and well. Fred, George, and Lee tackled Paige on sight. Willow struggled to unbury herself from the mound of teenagers.

"Guys! Hey! Whoa! Ah! Please let me up! You know about the five second rule!"

"I don't think that applies in this particular situation!" Lisa protested.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Lavender screeched.

"Of course she's alive! She's a professional at surviving near-death situations!" Dean said.

"What even happened to you? Did you fight off the aurors?" Colin squeaked.

"It's a little more complicated than that..."

Willow launched into her story before her friends could ask a million questions. She explained everything, from the moment she woke up in the hospital wing to the seconds leading up to her being locked away with them. They sat in a tense anticipation, hanging onto her every word, only interrupting to ask critical questions about Sirius. When she finished, they had a million questions about Paige, Deandra, and Frodi, and especially about how Paige's patronus would work in the prophecy. They were sorely disappointed that Paige didn't have her wand, because they were dying to know what would happen almost as much as Willow.

"So...we're just waiting here, then?" Lee said. "Being watched by a hundred hidden cameras?"

"It's only for a few days, then Dumbledore will prove us innocent," Sam reassured him.

"Yeah, Lucius doesn't stand a chance against him," Cypress snorted. "He tried to make some snobby remark when locking us up about us being worthless, and not even Slytherins; I put him in his place, and he couldn't even come up with a comeback. Idiot."

Willow grinned. "You are the best at manipulating people's words, though. Did he say anything actually important?"

"No. He just ran his mouth the whole time. Although he did grumble something about us ruining a gathering when he walked away; only a few of us heard it."

"Hm. Sounds about as irrelevant as the entire Malfoy family," Sally said.

"Hey, since we're stuck here for a few days, what if we play a game to pass the time?" Ginny suggested. "Preferably something that takes a really long time."

The rest agreed, and soon, they were playing a massive game of telephone. Cypress always came up with the greatest one-liners– which, inevitably, meant that they morphed into the greatest laughs they'd had in days. Parvati and Padma turned their ridiculous results into a sort of madlib, writing down their lines to create the craziest work of art they'd ever heard. Their paragraph somehow began as a king ruling the meat factory, then progressed to a fish climbing up a gutter, and finally ended as the heroine mole rat defeating the evil cloud spirits.

Willow laughed so hard that she stepped out of the conference room for some fresh air. Although there was nothing more to do in the corridor than the conference room, she found subtle ways to entertain herself, such as studying the plants in the hallway. There were some lavender flowers to her left, and far down the hall, a bushy miniature pine tree sprouted from its pot. During her examination, she noticed many hidden cameras aimed at her position. Willow figured this was the surveillance Lee had mentioned. Figures. They couldn't even walk down the hall to use the bathroom without being monitored.

A flash of white flickered in the corner of Willow's eye. She whipped her head in that direction. A figure darted into the men's restroom, the door left swinging on its hinge from his entrance. Making sure to act like she simply needed to use the restroom, Willow sauntered her way over, casually strolling into the men's side instead of the women's. She barely passed the first stall when she was suddenly slammed against the wall.

"What the hell- Draco?"

"Wisp! Keep it down, will you?" he hissed. "You're lucky I'm even here! My father would kill me if he found out I wasn't in his office!"

"Your father- what?"

Draco sighed frustratedly. "My father is here organizing the Fawley's prosecution against you, dumbarse. I hope Dumbledore put some time into his defense, because my father has some very damning things to say about you. And now- I can't believe I'm telling you this, but he's making me testify against you."

"What? How can you even add to the case?"

"Apparently I'm a witness for your 'erratic and inherently dangerous' behaviour at school. You did attack me for no reason this year."

"No reason?" Willow spluttered. "Apparently being a prejudiced, loudmouthed arsehole and taunting my friends is no reason at all for someone to put you in your place. Sure, I shouldn't have resorted to violence, but do you really blame me for shutting you up?"

Draco's eyes burned. "I shouldn't have come here. You don't deserve my help."

"Help? What help could you possibly give me?"

"I'm not testifying, dumbarse! I was going to tell you that my father was providing specific evidence from your attack on the Fawley family– such as the dead Fawleys you left in your wake, the photos of their destroyed living room, the blade you used to 'stab your mother', and video of Grace's 'brainwashing' that you induced on her– but I think that would be going too far."

Willow's mouth dropped open. "What- you're telling the truth? Every word?"

Draco nodded. His silver eyes flashed, a note of sadness flickering in their storm. "Like I said, you don't deserve my help."

The words hit Willow like a truck. She stared at Draco with a vortex of emotions fighting to suppress and express themselves all at once. There was confusion, anger, sadness, glee, and sheer pain. Willow didn't know which ones were real, which ones were true, and which one was what she was actually feeling. Draco released her, and she staggered sideways.

"Why- why are you doing this?" she coughed.

"Because we have more in common than you think, Willow. You'll realize it soon enough."

Draco stormed away, erasing all aspects of emotion from his face. Willow sank against the wall and sat there for a long time, his words echoing in her head. She knew exactly what he was saying, but the truth hurt more than the lie. She didn't want to think about Draco's life. His father was a terrible person, and his clear allegiance with dark forces would most definitely be forced on his son. Willow didn't want to same to happen to her. Draco's reality was so different from hers.

But if his warning was real, their realities were about to be much of the same.

Willow stared at the wall in silence for the millionth time that day, wishing to God she could at least use her powers to make something interesting happen. But they were being monitored 24/7. Hidden cameras were everywhere. She didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of going unspotted. If the Ministry, let alone the Fawleys, found out that she was the War Child...she'd never forgive herself.

Now that they'd been given three days to do practically nothing, Willow finally got a chance to chat with Miranda. She felt so bad about not being there for him when he was going through such a difficult time; she apologized profusely and promised to drop everything she was doing if he ever needed anything. Miranda waved her off, protesting that it was really painless. He explained that he had been sitting in bed the night after Willow had disappeared, mad at the world, when the shift had happened again. He had been so preoccupied being angry at everything else that he simply accepted it, hardly noticing it. That was when he'd come to the realization that there wasn't something wrong with him; he was simply genderfluid, so whenever his body metamorphed to female, he'd use female pronouns, and vice versa.

Willow accepted the new information with a glowing pride for her friend. Miranda had figured out his identity all on his own, and he was finally embracing himself with open arms. Willow remarked how cool his new name was, and loved how it was gender neutral, so it would stay consistent no matter how many times Miranda's body decided to shift. She did ask, though, how his sexuality would work, considering the fact that his gender switched in and out. Miranda replied that he had no idea, but had a feeling that he was bisexual because his male self was now attracted to females, and the feelings would probably carry over to his previously straight female self, making for a confusing sensation. Willow patted her friend on the back; and she'd thought being bisexual in itself was bad enough!

After a while of sitting in silence, Miranda got up to hang out with his Ravenclaw friends. Willow was alone for a little while longer, spinning in her chair, until George decided to come visit her. He asked her how Sirius was doing, being on the run again and all, then wondered if his mum was ready to kill him and Fred and Ginny. Willow laughed and replied that she was ready to "give a talking to" and appeared more worried than angry. George rolled his eyes, reminding her that Molly Weasley never gave just a talking to.

Paige had told him a great deal of what had happened since they were separated, but George was still curious about the prophecy deal. Willow sighed and related everything she knew to him. His eyebrows shot up in surprise when she told him that she'd have to follow Paige's patronus to the next step. He admitted that he'd forgotten there was a next step. Willow had to admit the same, realizing that whatever happened next would most likely be even trickier than figuring out the first task. Would she ever get a chance to live a peaceful life?

Willow pulled her locket off her neck, examining it in the palm of her hand. She handed it to George when she got bored of it, and he was kind enough not to ask about the picture, or the diamonds, or the reason she wore it all the time. A sad sort of emptiness overwhelmed her once again. She'd been so close to her mum only a handful of days ago, and now Grace Fawley was back in her place. She was so close! Her mum was still in there somewhere, buried deep beneath the pain, trauma, and brainwashing the Fawleys inflicted on her on a daily basis. If only there was some way to free her...

But Grace had made her choice five years ago when she committed that unspeakable act.

George handed her back the locket, and Willow put it back on, hoping to have it out of sight and out of mind. She steered the conversation back toward happy thoughts. After this whole fiasco was over, they'd get to go home! They'd get to enjoy summer! Willow would get to play in her summer soccer league, and George would get to pester his siblings for hours on end. So many fun times were ahead of them! In fact, George remembered that he was attending the quidditch world cup with his family that very summer! He had Willow sold at "quidditch" and she couldn't wait to ask her family if they could go.

They got into a full-blown discussion of quidditch after that. Wood had graduated, which meant there was an opening for keeper on the Gryffindor team, and although that wasn't Willow's position, she was one step closer to being full-time on the team. She hoped to God that someone on the team would decide to switch positions so she could be on the pitch. How cool would that be, bringing her house glory in front of the whole school, all while beating up another team on broomsticks? And then there was the quidditch cup! They could win for the second year in a row, and she would truly be a part of it!

In their excitement, Willow hadn't realized how close she'd drawn toward George. She glanced down and realized they were sitting right beside one another, not a millimeter between them. In fact, at some point, she'd taken George's hand, probably while trying to convey some sort of excitement to him. They made eye contact and blushed. Willow released his hand and put a few inches between them, apologizing for being so touchy. George tried to apologize at the same time, mirroring her exact words. They looked at each other for a long moment, then cracked up about it, their laughter a beautiful sound in the depressing, quiet room.

All of a sudden, Willow's ears throbbed from input down the hall. She honed in with her powers and recoiled from how loud it was. Raised voices were approaching from a few hundred meters away. There was also a pair of footsteps, irregular and choppy, like they were stopping and going inconsistently. Willow's eyes widened when she recognized the voices.

"Oh crap. I'm dead."

George furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Draco and his precious father are arguing in the hallway, and I think it's my fault." Willow jumped down from her chair and crossed the room, pressing her ear to the door. "Yep, it's definitely my fault. This can't be good." She listened some more as George stepped nearer. "Yay, this should be fun! They're talking about what they're going to do with me. As if they can touch me."

"Um, Willow? Lucius is a higher-up here," George reminded her. "He can pretty much do whatever he wants, even to prisoners."

"Wait, what?"

Before she could question him any further, the door burst open. A livid Lucius glowered on the other side. He took his time casting his cruel eyes over the children in the room, then ended by staring into Willow's soul. She pretended he was irrelevant and refused to make eye contact with him. Instead, she raised her eyebrows at Draco.

"What did I do this time?"

"You persuaded my son not to testify, that's what you did, you pathetic snake!" Lucius growled.

"Did you hear something, George? I think it was a fly, buzzing in my ear," Willow said, creasing her forehead. "Wait, wait, I think it's someone speaking...! Oh, no, that's the air vent."

Lucius suddenly snatched Willow by the shirt and dragged her out of the room. "You're officially being held under high security on my personal terms. Fight back, and you'll be punished further."

"What? You can't- "

Willow coughed violently, her stomach spasming where Lucius kicked her. She wanted so badly to kick him where the sun didn't shine, but she refrained, deciding to let it wait until after the trial. She kept her face neutral and refused to look at the vile man.

"Well, goodbye until the trial, I guess," Willow muttered.

Oliver, Lisa, and Padma sadly waved goodbye while the rest of her friends glared daggers at Lucius. He slammed the door shut and magically locked it, then roughly shoved Willow ahead, commanding her to walk. She begrudgingly did as she was told. Draco fell into step with her, but didn't say a word, and didn't even look at her. His face burned red- though from anger or embarrassment, it was impossible to tell.

Lucius dragged her into his office and held her against the wall. He nodded at Draco, who promptly announced his destination, grabbed a fistful of floo powder, and disappeared into the emerald flames. Willow still denied Lucius the pleasure of seeing her angry eyes when he turned back to her.

"Don't get any bright ideas. You are a...guest, at Malfoy Manor, and I expect you to behave as you are meant to. Enough of this blood traitor rubbish; you were born pureblood. Act like it while you are in our company."

"My blood status died with my mother's decision. The pure blood followed her, not me," Willow growled.

Lucius's lip curled. "You'll learn soon enough, Willow, that your pure blood is closer to the surface than you think."

Without giving her a chance to ponder his words, Lucius apparated, sending Willow's vision into pandemonium. Her stomach flipped at least seven times. At long last, they touched down on hard wooden flooring. Willow allowed her sense of equilibrium to return, then took in her surroundings.

The Malfoy Manor was darker than she'd imagined. The theme appeared to be dark grey; all the floors, cabinets, and arm chairs displayed the trend. It reminded Willow somewhat of the Slytherin common room. Fitting, really, for a traditionally Slytherin family. But there was something...sinister about the place. The way the walls seemed to listen, the way the paintings appeared to watch; it was downright creepy. Willow almost felt sorry for Draco. How could anyone raise a child in this cold environment?

The Malfoy prince himself stepped into the room after a few second delay, followed by a woman Willow assumed to be his mother. The woman gave her a stiff nod.

"Hello, Willow."

"Mrs. Malfoy."

Lucius painfully wrenched her arm as he dragged her toward his family. "Where should we put her? The dungeons haven't been used in a long while."

Mrs. Malfoy pursed her lips. "Maybe not the dungeons, Lucius. Don't you think that's a bit cruel?"

"Cruel? This girl got away with murder!"

"Excuse me? I did not murder anyone, thank you!" Willow protested. "I'm not capable of killing a fly, let alone my own flesh and blood! The Fawleys- "

"Are half dead because of you!" Lucius fumed. "You're going in the dungeons!"

"No."

Willow, Lucius, and Mrs. Malfoy whipped their heads in Draco's direction. His expression was stone cold, revealing nothing about his thoughts. He stared down his father for a good minute before he spoke again.

"She's not going in the dungeons, and I'm not testifying. Don't bother making dinner for me."

Draco stormed out of the room. Willow heard footsteps stomp up a long staircase, then the slam of a door above. She struggled to understand what had just happened; Narcissa and Draco were defending her? They had no reason to do so, even if they sensed she was innocent. Unless...was Lucius a bully to his own family?

"Narcissa, go talk to him. Now. He knows better. As for you," Lucius snarled, yanking Willow by the arm, "you're staying in the library. Try to leave, and I will hex you, then chain you in the dungeons."

Willow didn't protest. She was just fine with staying in a library all day. Lucius drug her down a surprisingly sunlit hallway, then tossed her through an open door. He smirked as she tripped and fell onto the library floor. Willow finally met his cold, malicious eyes with a hard stare. Lucius's mouth twitched into a frown when she didn't react. Apparently disappointed, he stalked away, leaving the door wide open. Of course. He was trying to bait her into leaving.

What an idiot. Like she would leave a library if she didn't have to.

Willow immediately began her search for a couple novels to read. The Malfoy library was still decorated with that dark grey theme, but well-lit enough to provide the perfect reading area. All sorts of magical and non-magical volumes alike lined the shelves, providing weeks' worth of reading material. Although the library wasn't as large as Willow's own, it was sufficient in its amount of new titles to keep her occupied, and provided plenty of spaces to curl up and read.

After gathering a few magical creature books by Newt Scamander, she settled into a mountain of bean bag chairs, shifted into an awkward position that she somehow found comfortable, and got to reading. She delved deep into the care of fantastic magical creatures, such as the snallygaster, hidebehind, and thunderbird. Willow fascinated herself with Newt Scamander's countless adventures documenting these creatures. She hoped to someday become as great a magizoologist as he.

"Wisp."

Willow finally glanced away from her book. Draco stood in the doorway of the library, arms folded, staring directly at her. Willow shrugged and went back to reading. Several minutes passed until Draco finally sighed and walked over to her, ripping the book out of her hands.

"Wisp, I'm trying to talk to you."

"I'm aware."

"Then why are you ignoring me?"

"Why did you allow your father to abduct me?"

Draco's nostrils flared. "He did not abduct you, he's just keeping you in a different place than the rest of your friends. Besides, now you've got entertainment. You're better off in this library."

"Fair point. But he kicked me, and you didn't say a word."

"Have you ever heard of picking your battles?"

Willow glared at him. "Yeah, I have. And I've picked some wrong ones, sure, but in the end, I fight for what is right, what is just, and what is fair. You only fight when it benefits you, Draco."

"I don't care about your moral code rubbish. You sound like a medieval idiot from one of these books." Willow cocked an eyebrow. "Contrary to popular belief, Wisp, I do read books outside of school, and some of them happen to be written by Muggles. Not many wizards have the brains to write good fantasy novels."

"Clearly."

Draco's eyes flashed. "Are you going to be like this the whole time I talk to you?"

"Are you ever going to stop pretending the past never happened?"

"Look, I'm sorry I hurt you, Wisp, but I'm trying to do something good for once!" Draco exploded. "Did you not hear the way I talked to my father earlier? He never tolerates me ordering him around. And I've refused to testify against you, too, so I'm likely to get punished for it sometime soon. I'm sticking my neck out for you, and you don't even care!"

"Aw, poor Draco, getting a slap on the wrist by his precious daddy."

"It's more than a slap on the wrist, Wisp! It's- " Draco suddenly stopped, his whole body stiffening. He straightened up and shook his head. "Nevermind. You don't care."

"Wait a second! Yeah, I do care! You don't have to tell me what's going on, but I've got an idea now, and I'm sorry." Draco looked at her skeptically. "I'm sorry, Draco, I really am. I don't want to get you into trouble."

"Well it's too late now, so thanks a lot." He plopped down in a chair a few meters away. "Whatever happened between us? What the hell did I mess up? Whenever I ask, you never give me a straight answer. What do you want from me?"

Willow gazed into his storming eyes. "The truth."

Draco looked like he was about to say something, then shut his mouth, for some reason thinking better of it. He stared at Willow for a long time. Neither one made a move. Then, Draco picked a book from the shelves, sat down across the room, and began to read. Willow rolled her eyes and buried herself in her book once more. She didn't need to glance up to know that Draco was constantly looking at her from over his book. He was brooding again.

She didn't care.

Three mornings later, Willow was standing in the Ministry of Magic, picking at the buttons on her suit. The Malfoys had done their best to impress certain pureblood behaviours on her during dinners, but so far, the only thing that stuck was dressing to impress. Willow still defied them in wearing a suit instead of a dress. Narcissa appeared to approve of her choice; in fact, Mrs. Malfoy didn't dislike Willow at all. She was a rather stoic woman, and she obviously couldn't care less about her husband's opinions. Lucius may have downright hated Willow, but Narcissa had no problem with the Gryffindor.

That's because she hasn't had a taste of my sarcasm yet, Willow thought smugly.

Lucius shoved her out of the elevator at the proper floor. They proceeded to the courtroom, Willow getting whacked with Lucius's cane all the while. She smirked at his annoyance. He wanted her to walk like a proper lady, but she purposely veered left and right, skipped whenever she felt like it, and altogether stopped to admire useless details in the walls, all in an effort to piss him off.

It worked.

The courtroom was already filled with people upon their arrival. In fact, they were the last ones there. Willow waved hello to her white-faced friends, then her determined family. She gave them a steely nod. She was confident in their defense. They would win; they had to win. Surely Dumbledore, arguably the greatest wizard of all time aside from Merlin, could pull this off.

Fudge pounded his gavel on the podium to begin the trial. Lucius gave his long, arduous speech, which unfortunately captured the attention of his audience. Some of the Fawleys clapped when he stepped away. Willow rolled her eyes. The pureblood maniac could convince fellow biased wizards, but there was no way he'd win the hearts of the jury like Dumbledore would. Willow watched with strong resolve as her headmaster stepped up and gave a beautiful, fluid, heart-wrenching speech about poor innocent children trying to go about their lives and save their families, expertly leaving out the Terrells' existences entirely.

Willow was called up to the stand as the first witness and defendant. Fudge eyed her carefully.

"You say that your mother was being tortured by Ministry officials; is this true, to your knowledge?"

"Yes, Minister."

"And you say that she's been brainwashed by the Fawleys, her own flesh and blood?"

"Yes, Minister."

"You are convinced of this serious accusation?"

"Yes, Minister."

Fudge shuffled a few papers around. "Are you sure it has nothing to do with your brother?"

Willow's blood ran cold.


	61. Summer of Year 4: Chapter 3

"He has nothing to do with this. Can we move on, please?"

Fudge peered at her from over his glasses. "Miss Guerrero, we must rule out the implication of revenge in this case. What happened to your brother- "

"-has absolutely nothing to do with this case." Willow gripped the sides of her chair with white knuckles. "Please, don't reopen old wounds. My brother has been out of the picture for years."

"But the fact of the matter remains that Orion- "

"-is not a part of this investigation. End of story." Willow's foot tapped the floor uncontrollably. "For the love of God, can I just give you my version of the story? You'll see that Orion has nothing to do with any of this."

"Minister," Dumbledore said calmly, "I believe it would be most beneficial for the defendant to state her testimony."

Fudge's face purpled slightly, as if he had counted on talking about Orion, but he eventually let out an exasperated exhalation. "Fine. Let the defendant state her case."

Willow stared down the Minister of Magic as she launched into her story. Her defiant eyes never wavered from his stern, cold gaze. She told him about the torture of her mother–of course, after the Minister had so conveniently left the room–and the mistreatment she'd received in the dungeons. She spilled her guts out about the effects of having her memory searched. She masterfully described in vivid detail the brainwashing her mother had and was still receiving from her own family. There was no error, no pause for breath, no stumble over words; Willow let them have it. She ended up on her feet, preaching to the rows of no-longer-stone-faced judges, telling them exactly the hell she'd been through. And somehow, through it all, she never once mentioned Frodi or Deandra Terrell.

The Minister's mouth twitched from a frown into a sober neutrality. He didn't appear nearly as affected by Willow's speech as the rest of the jury, but she'd made a dent in his view of her actions. Something about her candid words and raw, emotional tone had gotten through to him. Willow plopped back into her chair, glaring pointedly at Fudge.

"Happy now?" she said. "Orion was in no way a part of this. Until you brought him up, I'd finally managed to forget about him for a little while, so thanks for digging that up."

Fudge reddened. "Revenge motive has been set aside for now. We call to the stand Paige Adams. You may have a seat, Miss Guerrero."

Shooting Paige a pained glance at the mention of her former last name as they traded spots, Willow took a seat beside her friends. They crowded around her, asking all sorts of questions, especially about who this Orion person was. She hardly heard them. Each mention of her brother was another mallet swing to her heart. She felt like a piece of spider-cracked glass, only the slightest of touches away from shattering completely. When it got to be too much, she simply got up and moved to an empty section of benches. Her friends didn't follow.

Willow hardly paid attention to the rest of the trial. While her friends were called up one by one to be cross-examined, her mind drifted further and further away from the room. Memories invaded her brain: running in the rain, sledding down the side of a snowy hillside, long walks through nature preserves, and countless starry nights spent laughing until dawn. Willow desperately closed her eyes and tried to force them out, but the harder she tried, the faster they pressed in.

All of a sudden, like someone had thrown a bag over her head, Willow was enveloped by a powerful, piercing sadness, accompanied by the most livid anger she'd ever felt in her life. Why did Fudge have to bring up Orion now, after so many years spent forgetting about him? Why did he have to bring him up at a time when she couldn't afford to be vulnerable? How could he possibly be so cruel? She couldn't afford to let one of the biggest weaknesses in her life bring her to her knees, not now!

Willow could feel her steel will slowly bending to the sheer power of the memories. Her heart throbbed. Her head pounded. Her skin burned. She could feel herself gradually breaking, and her internal strength falling to its knees. Willow gripped the sides of her head tightly, digging her nails into her scalp in a last-ditch, frantic attempt to keep herself in the present. But it didn't work. Sensory memories overthrew her, and without warning, she was tossed haphazardly into the past.

The splash of small feet; the metallic tang of well water; the whistle of the wind between pine trees; the heavenly aroma of red velvet cupcakes; the sweet twittering of colorful birds; the burn of a skinned knee; the swish of the sprinkler turning on; the crisp first snowfall of the year; the crunch of autumn leaves underfoot; the delicate touch of a gentle hug; the taste of homemade shepherd's pie; the constellations winking down at them; the warmth in those grey-blue eyes–

"The accused are cleared of all charges," Fudge suddenly barked, hammering his gavel.

Willow peered around the room to see everyone exiting. When she saw her friends clearly moving toward her, she wanted to scream at them to stay back. She could feel her sadness and anger seeping into every fiber of her being, enhancing the destructive capabilities of her powers. She needed to leave, now, before they saw her like this.

"Willow, wait!"

"Where are you going?"

Heart breaking at their cries for her to stay, Willow hurried out of the room. She snatched her wand back from a Ministry official, then pulled her hood up over her head, purposely mixed in with the crowd, and jumped into a nearly full elevator right before the door shut. Her enhanced ears picked up the calls of her friends and family as she ascended to the main level. Shutting her senses down as low as she could, Willow numbed herself to the outside world. She darted out of the elevator the moment the doors opened, and within seconds, she disappeared into the flood of witches and wizards exiting the Ministry.

Minutes later, Willow was walking down the streets of London, hands shoved into her pockets, face downcast and grey as the weather. When it began to pour rain, she didn't even try to take shelter; on the contrary, Willow purposely walked right through the deluge, hardly caring about the cold liquid seeping through her t-shirt. The sun came out ten minutes later, seemingly mocking her with its hopeful warmth. Her dripping clothes dried in less than a quarter of an hour.

Willow had hoped to remain in the cold.

When she was cold, the memories stayed away. Her mind went as blank and numb as she felt in the crip air. But now, as the sun renewed the warmth in her body, the tide of emotional trauma could hardly be stemmed as it flooded over its barriers. Willow wanted to scream at the group of smiley, happy teenagers she passed; the atmosphere itself was mocking her with its positivity! Why couldn't she feel the same? Did she not deserve to feel at least some form of joy?

No, because like I said before, I don't deserve shit! I should have never told myself otherwise!

Will you stop feeling sorry for yourself? Cebba yelled. I told you, it's not- 

SHUT UP! I don't want to speak to you right now!

Cebba struggled to remove herself from Willow, and when she failed to stop the spirited woman, she ducked into an abandoned alley, her hands balled up into fists as the older woman appeared before her.

"Willow, you've let this emotional baggage weigh you down for too long," Cebba said, furious. "It's destroyed you ever since- well, ever since it happened, but you have to confront your trauma at some point before it kills you!"

"Let it kill me, then, I say!" Willow spat. "I'm not talking about it. If you already know about it, then you're about as much help as my family."

"They've been trying to help you for ages, but you won't let them in!"

"Yeah, I wonder why that is? They coddle me like I'm a pathetic crybaby! I'm a teenager now, and I can handle it! I handled it back then, and I'm handling it now. I don't need or want their stupid pity party."

"You call pushing it away handling it?" Cebba said. "That's called ignoring it, Willow, and you know damn well why that's dangerous!"

"I do, don't I?" Willow said coldly. She glared daggers at her mentor. "Why don't you tell me another thing about mental health that won't make a damn bit of difference, Cebba? I'm done trying to fix myself. I'm broken, and I just have to deal with it, like every other broken person on this earth. I'm not special. I don't want people hugging me and throwing me into therapy."

"I'm not saying you need that! All I want is for you to live!"

Willow took a few deep, livid breaths, holding Cebba's gaze with a tumultuous mix of emotions. "Well, I stopped trying to do that a long time ago. There's no use trying to duct tape shattered glass."

Before Cebba could protest, Willow threw her back into her body. Cebba shouted and cursed all kinds of obscenities at her, but Willow shut her voice out. Transforming into a hawk, she took off above the sprawling city of London, not caring where she was headed. She rocketed through the clouds, allowing their cold moisture to absorb into her very bone marrow. The numbness following it finally gave Willow the bliss she'd been hoping to enjoy from the rain.

Orion's soft, playful voice tickled her ears, but she was able to toss it over her shoulder like a crumpled-up piece of paper. The longer she flew, though, the harder it became to hold her hawk form and defeat her mind at the same time. Willow shook her head and plucked out a few feathers, trying her absolute best to stay in the present, but even the wind whipping against her wings couldn't prevent her from falling. She tumbled through the air, switching rapidly between human and bird forms in an effort to remain airborne. But nothing could stop her momentum. Willow begrudgingly landed herself in an open meadow.

When she was back on two feet, she realized that the adjacent street was actually the Smith twins' street. Sarah Brown's cozy little cottage sat just down the road, a pleasant sight for Willow's bloodshot eyes. She marched towards the building not because of it comfort, though, instead desiring to see someone she knew to be inside. She nearly gave Sarah Brown a heart attack when she burst through the door.

"Willow! What are you doing back already?"

She didn't answer the poor woman. Heart wrenching at her terrible behaviour towards the kind Hufflepuff, Willow stomped into the kitchen, finding Sirius exactly where she'd left him three mornings previous. He shot to his feet at the sight of her.

"How did the trial go? Did you win? What happened with- ?"

"Can I talk to you for a moment? Please?" Willow interrupted.

Sirius shot her a look, but Willow simply turned on her heel and strode into the living room. Sirius followed her, worry etched onto his face, but Willow hardly noticed.

"You had a brother, right? Regulus? Well, I haven't told anyone this, but I had a brother, too, Orion. He was two years older than me." Sirius's jaw dropped, completely floored. "Don't look at me like that. So yeah, I had a brother, and I was trying to forget all about him, because there's a lot of emotional trauma going on there, but just as I was beginning to think my friends were replacing his bad memories with good ones, Fudge goes asking about him at the trial. He said it was for ruling out the revenge motive, but I know better! That arsehole knew exactly what he was doing! He was purposely trying to throw me off balance, asking a question like that when he knew damn well Orion had nothing to do with it!"

"Wait, so did you win the trial?" Sirius asked hurriedly.

"Yes, of course, we had Dumbledore, but I didn't really pay attention to what went down after I was done. Fudge- he- he shouldn't have asked me that question. He knew better. He was playing with me. He knew what happened. He knew! My father and uncles work for the Ministry! They report directly to Fudge half the time! He knew what went down- he knew what asking that would do to me- he knew that it would dig up memories of camping trips, and sleeping under the stars, and eating desserts in London, and vacationing in New Zealand, and- and- "

Willow felt the lump form in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes. The sadness manifesting itself on the surface only pissed her off further. She forcefully pushed aside the sorrow and transformed it into rage.

"Willow, are you okay?" Sirius asked.

"No, I'm not okay! Fudge abused his power! He was trying to get me to say something stupid, then arrest me for it! I'm lucky that you all told me exactly what to say, or I would have exploded on him! He's lucky I didn't have my wand then! I could have blasted him to bits and not felt a damn bit of remorse. How dare he bring up Orion? Does he not know how much pain hearing his name causes me?"

Sirius took a step towards her. "Willow...you're not sounding like yourself. You would never hurt someone like that."

"Yeah? Well, Fudge deserves it!" Her blood absolutely boiled. She could have superheated the room, with the amount of pure rage pouring from her soul. "That bitch called me out in front of every person I ever cared about, aside from you and Deandra and Frodi! I didn't tell them about Orion because that was private! He- he spilled out my secrets in front of everyone! He made me weak in front of everyone! I can't get that back! I can't ever get Orion back!"

Sirius closed the gap between them to a single meter. "Willow, put the wand down. Please."

Willow glanced down to see her wand aimed directly at her heart. She looked up and noticed for the first time the intense fear in Sirius's eyes, the way he stood on the balls of his feet, ready to spring on her at any moment. Willow took a few paces backwards, stuffing the wand back into her pocket.

"I- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have- you don't need to see me like this- I need to go- "

Willow sprinted out the back door and into the garden, blindly heading towards the weeping willow. She crashed through the swishing branches and collapsed at the foot of the tree, gripping the trunk for support. No matter how hard she tried to stop it, the sadness welling up in her chest overwhelmed the anger. She took great, gasping breaths in an effort to calm herself, but it was no use. The memories invaded her mind at a pace she'd never know, and at long, long, last, Willow Guerrero completely shattered.

The tears flooded down her face. Her entire body shook. She could see Orion's playful, mischievous eyes in the back of her mind. The feel of his hand in hers as they stomped across the puddle-strewn sidewalk; the sound of his famous belly-laughs after he pranked Grace; the taste of chocolate chip cookies that he "made" with heavy help from Abuela; it all came flooding back, and the emotions with it as they cascaded down Willow's face. Everything she'd worked so hard to bury over the past five years was ripped up in the blink of an eye.

"Willow! What is going on?" Sirius questioned, brushing past the weeping willow branches.

"Go away! I'll- I'll blast you to the next continent."

"Like hell you will."

Through Willow's blurry vision, she saw Sirius lean against the tree trunk. He brushed her hair out of her face. Even though she drew her wand on him, Sirius stayed put, less than a meter away.

"I don't want you to see me like this. I don't want anyone to see me like this. Get out!" Willow shouted.

Sirius pushed the tip of her wand away. "Willow, I'm not letting anyone else suffer like I did in Azkaban. You're not the only one who lost a brother. Just let me help."

Willow wanted to kick herself. Of course she'd forgotten that Sirius had lost Regulus. "I- I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay, you didn't upset me." Sirius paused. "If...if you're not going to talk, will it help if I will?"

"I don't know."

Sirius sighed. "I'll talk. I don't know how it happened for you, but I found out about Regulus's death in the obituary section of the Daily Prophet, one night in Azkaban. It was like someone had taken my world and flipped it upside down, then twisted it inside out. Regulus was the only family I had left that was at least decent to me. Merlin, even if he was horrible to me all that time, there still would have been a gaping hole in my life. Learning that the only brother I'll ever have died...I can't compare any number of hopeless situations to it. For the longest time, all I thought about was his final fight with me, and how I'd- how I'd never get to tell him that I loved him before the end."

Willow peeked her head up, hearing Sirius's voice catch. She wiped her face only to see that he was crying, too.

"I had a row with him, the last time I spoke to him," Sirius said. "I was trying to convince him to leave behind all this Dark Magic. He was drifting towards Voldemort and his Death Eater goons faster than I could stop him. Then the whole Harry situation happened, and I couldn't stop him. I left him. My little brother, left to his own devices by his older brother, the one who was supposed to protect him, even if that meant protecting him from himself."

Sirius looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. "It took a long time to forgive myself, but eventually, I came to terms with the fact that his death was not my fault. I'm not responsible for the choices anyone else makes, not even my little brother. All I can do is hope; hope that he was good in the end, and that it was over quickly."

Willow sniffled. "Sirius...I'm so sorry. I never realized it happened like that."

"It's okay. It's been a while, so I've gotten over it for the most part."

Willow swallowed hard, coming to a painful decision. "Sirius, I haven't told anyone this, either, but since you talked, I better reciprocate...my brother was murdered right in front of me."

Sirius gasped. "Oh my God...that's awful. How old were you?"

"I was nine. He was eleven."

Sirius put an arm around her. "I'm so sorry, Willow. No one should ever have to go through that. Merlin...how have you not told anyone that? You've kept that inside you all this time, and somehow managed to keep living. I think I have an idea now of how you thrived with that prophecy hanging over your head."

"Yeah, I think I'm pretty much invincible after something like that."

They fell silent for a long time, simply there for one another, allowing the emotions to seep out of them. Eventually, Sirius let out a mirthless laugh.

"This world is pretty messed up, isn't it?"

Willow nodded. "It really is..."

Over the course of the next five days, Willow spent her time in a haze. She refused to go home, though Carlos had sent her thirteen owl messages begging her to come back, and even Oliver's pleas couldn't get her to leave. Sarah Brown kindly allowed Willow to stay after the Gryffindor apologized for her rude behaviour. She couldn't bring herself to face her family after such an emotional breakdown. It had been nearly two years since she'd last cried, and even longer since she'd crumbled in front of her family. She couldn't let them see her vulnerable, especially since she'd convinced them that she was over Orion's death. They would be livid at her for lying.

Willow struggled to sleep for fear of dreaming about her past, so she lived each day in an exhausted blur of sitting in the garden with Sirius, practicing soccer, making small talk with the Smith twins, and eating a small portion of Sarah Brown's dinner. The nights were long and lonely. Every time she thought she might drift off to sleep, Willow's mind found yet another would-be wonderful memory and dredged it up for her to feel all over again. She broke her own heart hour by hour, sitting alone in the dark, reminiscing over golden times that had long passed into grey.

Every morning, without fail, Iris and several other owls would rush through the open windows and drop off countless parcels. Willow knew that her friends were trying to contact her, but she didn't open a single letter. She feared the questions that lurked inside the sealed envelopes, the possible heartfelt messages to soothe her aching heart. She didn't want any of it. She didn't want sympathy, but she didn't want them to turn their backs on her, either.

Willow just wanted to be left alone.

Her creatures sensed her sadness, especially Fidget, who stuck to her chest pocket like glue nowadays. Griffin and Phoebe always insisted on cuddling her to death at night, but unlike human touch, they didn't seem to coddle her, so Willow didn't mind. She cheered herself up a little each day by looking into their innocent eyes and remembering that there were much worse things in the world than her sadness, such as disappointing her magical creatures. It would do her a whole lot of good to pick herself up and get living again– mainly so her creatures wouldn't have to make fools of themselves for her to laugh.

Paige appeared on the third day to speak with her aunt and grandfather, and during that time, Willow avoided her with complete success. She eavesdropped on her conversation with Sarah Brown about where the Terrels would be going. Though it piled on a mountain of guilt, she found out that they would be travelling between a series of safe houses around the world, each belonging to a trusted friend of Sarah Brown or the Guerreros. Paige would not be permitted to go with them for everyone's safety. She hugged Frodi and Deandra tight and told them not to do anything stupid without her, then floo travelled back to London, back to her crappy life with her adopted parents.

There were definitely worse things in life, Willow reminded herself.

On the fifth day, Sirius announced that he would be leaving that afternoon, before he endangered Sarah Brown or the Smith twins. They protested, guaranteeing that the Ministry wouldn't come looking for him here, but he had already made up his mind, and he had mapped out a great travel plan along the equator that was sure to keep the aurors off his trail. Willow abruptly got up and left the table following his pronouncement and strode into the garden. Sirius soon followed, finding her sitting on the edge of the koi pond.

"Willow, I'm sorry, but you have to understand, this is for your safety and mine," he explained. "If I don't go, then every single one of us will be sentenced to the same fate, and I can't have that."

Willow paused for a long moment. "When did you first come to Hogwarts?"

"Uh...Halloween, last year."

"You- you realize that you've always been a short run away?" Willow said hoarsely. "When you leave, I- I won't be able to just come and see you whenever. I'll have to contact you by owl. For the past several months, I've always been able to run right to you, and now you'll be countries away. It's just- it's just not the same."

Sirius sat down beside Willow, letting out a half-laugh. "Is this your way of saying you'll miss me?"

"Yes! You know how much you mean to me. I mean, you're pretty much the only reason I survived those two months after the prophecy this year. If it weren't for you, I'd be in some mental hospital right now."

"Willow, you know you mean equally as much to me. Hell, you technically saved my life three times in less than a year. Not being able to see you is going to kill me. That's why I'm giving you this."

Sirius handed her what appeared to be a simple wristwatch. Willow shot him a quizzical glance. He smiled knowingly, gesturing for her to put it on. The moment she did, the digital time blinked twice, then disappeared, now replaced with a live image of Sirius. Willow's eyes widened when she recognized the same watch on his wrist.

"Oh my God, Sirius, where did you get this?"

"Those Weasley twins dropped these off one morning while you were out. They said they're some variation of the name tag prototype they created a few years back. Thought you'd appreciate the ability to contact me while I'm on the run."

Willow shook her head in disbelief. Leave it to Fred and George to create a whole slew of joke products, then cram in time to make something special for her. They had such a ridiculous way of showing they cared, but she wasn't about to complain. Willow played with some of the buttons on the watch until she got the hang of calling Sirius.

"Wow. This makes goodbyes a little easier, doesn't it?" she remarked.

"Almost. No goodbye is easy, though, is it?"

Sirius's eyes twinkled when Willow finally looked up. She could see both the sadness and the relief of leaving fighting to the surface. Even a few hours later the emotions remained strong. Wrapping him in a tight hug, Willow realized that Sirius was right on; goodbyes sucked, no matter how connected they would remain afterwards. Nothing could replace being with the jokester in real life. He would always be a spontaneous personality, and not receiving that surprise element every time she saw him would wound Willow worse than a knife– and she knew exactly how awful that felt.

"Please, Willow, go home to your family," Sirius whispered. "If not for yourself, then do it for me."

"I will," she promised.

Sarah Brown cloaked Sirius and Buckbeak with as many repelling and disguising charms as she knew, and with one final check to make sure he had everything he needed, he was off, disappearing into the afternoon sky. Willow knew he'd be back at the equator by nightfall, far beyond the Ministry's reach. He would be safe, wherever he was going, and that was all that mattered.

She still had to fight the temptation to fly after him.

Within minutes of Sirius leaving, Willow could feel herself longing to fill the hole in her heart. There was only one place to go: home. She packed up her miniscule amount of items, gathered up her creatures, and thanked Sarah and the Smith twins for their incredible hospitality. They collected all of her letters and stuffed them into Willow's pockets. At long last, bracing herself from the onslaught she'd receive, she stepped through the fireplace with her creatures and popped out into her very own living room.

Everyone was outside on the porch, watching the sunset. Willow quietly secured her creatures in the greenhouse for the night, then crept to the sliding glass door, waiting for the right moment to appear. Her family wasn't speaking, though, as they normally were. Even her uncles stared into the distance, lost in melancholy thought, worry etched into their features. Willow took a deep breath and stepped into the last light of day.

Carlos perked his head up. "Willow? Oh my God, Willow!"

Within an instant, her father had tackled her in a huge hug. Willow tentatively hugged back, shocked by his reaction. She had been certain her family would be ready to scold her for hours.

"What happened? After the trial, you disappeared, we thought you'd run off with your friends, but you weren't with them, we were worried sick!" Carlos blabbered. He brushed the hair out of Willow's face. "Then we heard from Sarah Brown that you were at her house, but that wasn't until yesterday! You scared us! Why would you run off like that?"

"I- I guess I just wanted to be alone," Willow mumbled.

Carlos gave her a sad smile. He knew that look in his daughter's eyes far too well. "I know, Willow, I know.

Abuela fussed over how skinny she looked and forced her to eat five s'mores to make up for it. Oliver cried happy tears for at least thirty minutes, telling her over and over how happy he was that she was home. Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel told Willow about the "small" prank they'd played on the Fawleys and Lucius on their way out of the trial, involving (harmless) flaming robes, synchronized owl flying, and forced singing charms. Willow laughed so hard that she almost cried again.

When the sun finally set, Abuelo tossed her a guitar and declared that she owed the family a song for being away for so long. Willow rolled her eyes, but was perfectly willing to let singing be her punishment, remembering the embarrassing punishment Carlos had once given her for storming off the soccer field. She tuned the guitar for a moment, then began to strum a few chords.

Away, away, we go away

I see the meadow's fawns...

Oliver gasped. "I know this one!"

"Then join in!" Abuela chuckled.

The grass grows along the river's edge

And the current sings its song...

Willow's melodious notes rose above her family's as they joined her in singing the happy, light-hearted song. Her mood lifted with every verse, and her voice blended beautifully with each and every person present. Their harmonious sound rose above the trees, lifted to the sky, and covered the whole home with positive, cozy feelings. By the time the song ended, Willow knew that the hole in her heart had been filled, and she would finally be okay again.

The Guerreros stayed up late into the night. At long last, Oliver yawned and began to drift off, so Abuela announced it was time to turn in. Carlos picked up his adoptive son and carried him upstairs. Willow brushed her teeth and changed into her tank top. She returned to her bedroom, only to stop in the entrance, a smile spreading across her face. Oliver had moved his bed into Willow's room while she was gone. Only the night stand separated their beds. The last time she'd shared a room with someone had been when Orion was alive, but for some reason, this felt no different. She climbed into bed and clicked the lamp off, staring at the stars beyond her window.

So maybe I have lost a brother...but now I've got one more.

Willow fell asleep smiling for the first time in ages.

"Oliver, Willow, vamos!"

"Estamos viniendo!"

Willow and Oliver grabbed the last of their green accessories and raced down the stairs. Carlos opened the front door, and they stepped outside. They double checked to make sure they had their tickets, wands, tent, and other gear in their backpacks, then made the final preparations to apparate.

"Ready?" Carlos asked.

"It's the freaking Quidditch World Cup! Let's go!" Willow cheered.

Carlos held out his arms, and Oliver and Willow each took one. They braced themselves, then suddenly were whisked away to a whole other place. Willow stumbled when her feet met solid ground. Carlos helped her remain upright, then caught Oliver when he nearly keeled over sideways. They brushed themselves off and took in their surroundings with shining eyes.

"Ah, there you are, Carlos!" a Ministry official called, hurrying up to them. "You'll be in the second field, over by the woods. Be careful when you get to the Muggle, alright? He's been needing memory charms all day..."

"Thank you, Basil," Carlos said as the official hurried off.

They made their way down a hill and to a small cottage that Willow assumed was the campsite owner's house. A Muggle named Mr. Roberts greeted them. The Guerreros were in touch enough with Muggles, thankfully, to know how to deal out paper money instead of galleons. Mr. Roberts sent them on their way without so much as a suspicious blink. Oliver and Willow ran ahead with excitement.

The biggest gathering of wizards Willow had ever seen sprawled out before them. A whole city of tents, ranging from Muggle-worthy to downright magical, formed row after row after row of magical campsites. Wizarding families with small children and grown adults alike camped side by side. Willow peered around with sharp interest in the familial campsites. She'd always been interested in how normal wizarding families operated, raising their children surrounded by magic their whole life. Toy broomsticks, pet kneazles, kid-safe potions, and so much more nurtured young witches and wizards from around the world. Willow would have felt jealous, but growing up in the Muggle world meant getting the best of both worlds, so she remained in reserved curiosity.

They found their campsite with no problem and pitched the tent. Carlos discreetly pulled out his wand.

"Capacious extremis!"

Although no visible change occurred, Willow knew better. She led the way inside the tent and grinned at Oliver's flabbergasted expression. The canvas on the outside hardly looked big enough for one person, but once inside, the tent expanded into a four-room home away from home. There were two bedrooms to their left and right– each almost as spacious as their rooms at home– and a kitchen directly in front. An open living room equipped with a couch and a TV greeted them the moment they walked in. Carlos dusted off the sink and got the water running.

"There, make yourself at home!"

Willow and Oliver raced to the bunk beds and both claimed top bunks, laughing the whole time. They tossed their bags in the corner, then made sure their wands were tucked away in their pockets, and finally emerged into the sunlit field. Apparently, their campsite was on a thoroughfare, adjacent to the widest path in the whole campground. To their left, a sea of green announced the presence of Irish fans. Shamrocks and green glitter showered every tent within a square kilometer. To their right, an equally sized area was covered in burgundy, white, and green, after the Bulgarian flag. Each and every tent within the area sported a poster of the same player.

"Who the heck is Krum?" Oliver asked as they passed by his image.

"Apparently the Bulgarian seeker. Look how he's scowling!" Willow said.

"I- I don't mean to judge or be mean, but he's rather unattractive," Oliver giggled. "The scowling makes him look even worse."

"Agreed. I'm glad we're rooting for the Irish."

They checked in with Carlos, then headed back out to explore the enormous campground. In the Irish super-fan section, they found Seamus and Dean and stopped to chat for a little while. Willow noted that the boys held each other's hand when they got excited, but she didn't say anything, not wanting to spoil the moment. She and Oliver grinned knowingly at each other and laughed all the way across the field. They travelled all the way to the edge of the thoroughfare, and even a little ways into the woods, where a sort of path continued all the way up to the edge of a moor. Willow could just make out the outline of the enormous quidditch pitch on the edge of her vision. It was bigger than any building she'd ever seen, rivalling even the wizarding section of the London Zoo.

How many people are here to watch this match?

She began to get an idea of the sheer size of the event as the afternoon wore on. Willow saw flags from every country imaginable proudly strung up outside tents of all kinds. In one corner, couple of witches from Tanzania sat around a fire, dressed in brilliant light blue robes. In the middle of the first field, some Castelobruxo students made fun of each other in Portuguese. Willow even saw a group of at least fifty wizards from America tossing a football and grilling burgers. She'd gotten an idea of the global aspect of the wizarding world when she'd visited Uganda, but never before had she seen such a vast, global gathering of wizards. It was truly a sight to see.

Throughout their walk, Willow and Oliver talked with familiar and new faces alike. They caught up with Oliver Wood, who excitedly informed them of his signing with Puddlemere United's reserve team, and later found Angelina Johnson reading the Quidditch World Cup program. Miremba and a few of her friends from Uagadou came running up to Willow from behind. They had a great conversation about the research project going on in Kenya. Miremba excitedly explained how she, along with a handful of other students, had mastered self-transfiguring into an elephant, and now they were going into the neighboring country and studying the true effects of Muggle conservation efforts on the elephant reserves by actually communicating with the animals. Willow hoped she would get to do projects like that in her sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts.

When the sun finally set, Willow and Oliver returned to their campsite for a wonderful dinner of campfire enchiladas. The Ministry officials finally gave up on preventing blatant use of magic, and sellers of all kinds of souvenirs began to apparate along the thoroughfare. Omnioculars, self-moving action figures, and accessories of all kinds for both teams that squealed the players' names demanded attention. Carlos handed Willow and Oliver some galleons and told them to have at it, as long as they got him an Irish hat. They did as they were told, then bought a pair of omnioculars, a bright green Irish rosette, and an interesting pocket book that magically flashed quidditch tips across its front cover. Willow and Oliver were having the time of their lives.

After watching a cool competition between the Irish and Bulgarians to create the biggest and brightest fireworks, Carlos announced that it was time to head to the stadium. At long last, the moment they'd waited for all day had arrived. The three Guerreros adorned their souvenirs and joined the crowd streaming towards the woods. Willow had to be yanked back by her shirt several teams to keep her from running ahead. She couldn't help it! She was so excited! Quidditch was almost as amazing as soccer to her young mind, and to watch a world cup alongside a hundred thousand witches and wizards? This was the greatest night of her life!

The Ministry witch checked their tickets, then sent them to the highest seats the stand could provide. Willow and Oliver raced to the top, nearly shredding the elegant purple carpet that had been laid across the stairs. They tied, much to their lament, but they quickly forgot about it when they saw an entire family of familiar faces. The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione sprang to their feet to greet them.

"Blimey, Willow, you didn't tell us you were going to be here!" Fred cried.

"Oliver! Wow, you look good in green!" Hermione cheered.

"How are you doing, Carlos?" Mr. Weasley said.

Willow and Oliver took their seats beside their friends. Fred noticeably shoved his twin next to Willow, but she brushed it off. She thanked them for giving her the fancy watch, then discussed Ireland's chances of winning, along with questioning their sanity for betting all their savings on Ireland winning after Krum catches the snitch. It made sense, though, considering Krum appeared about as smart as a toddler troll. She wished them good luck and turned her attention to the teams warming up.

When the Malfoys walked in, the joyful atmosphere grinded to a halt. Willow could have sworn the temperature dropped ten degrees. After exchanging an icy glare with Lucius, she made sure to positively grin at Draco and Narcissa. The Weasleys and Carlos clearly only acknowledged the Malfoys because of the presence of the Ministers of Magic from both Bulgaria and Britain. Fred and George turned their backs the moment the Malfoys sat down and made snarky comments that they knew only the snotty family would hear. Willow couldn't help but smile at their crafty words.

The match thankfully began, and Willow's attention was redirected. The Bulgarian mascots presented their team in peculiar fashion. Willow realized only too late that the mascots were veela, beautiful, silver-skinned humanoids whose dances entranced wizards in a haze of love. She suddenly felt like she had to do something, anything to impress the women; maybe she could transform into a dragon and breathe fire into the stadium? No, she had to think bigger- there had to be something more impressive-

Suddenly, Oliver kicked her from behind. "Don't you dare. They're just trying to entrance you."

Willow blinked. "What?"

"Those are veela. You know that. They're trying to make you support the Bulgarians."

"Oh- OH." Willow blushed profusely. "Dear God, I didn't need them to prove my sexuality like that. They didn't affect you, did they?" Oliver shook his head. "Wow. That's sad."

Ginny giggled. "Willow's in love with the veela!"

"I am not!"

Thanking God that the veela stopped dancing, Willow turned her attention back to the field. The Irish mascots–a mass of leprechauns–threw gold coins from atop a rainbow as they raced around the field. Willow caught as many as she could and quietly handed them to Ginny, who beamed mischievously. The teams were introduced one by one, and the crowd, one hundred thousand strong, screamed and cheered and shrieked at the top of their lungs. When the teams took their positions, the referee blew the whistle, and the match began.

Willow had never seen such an unbelievably quick quidditch game in her life. The teams worked together like well-oiled machines, passing the quaffle around quicker than she could think. Oliver used the omnioculars to slow the action down, but Willow didn't want to miss a single second. She hardly dared to blink. The Irish scored goal after goal right off the bat, and she admired the speed and precision the team used to get the ball down the field. She had light years to go if she wanted to play for a professional quidditch team.

When the Bulgarians began to fall behind, their frustration translated into a whole slew of fouls. Beaters "missed" bludgers and clubbed players in the side of the head; chasers shouldered each other off their brooms; keepers were tackled from behind with no motive other than rage. It was getting increasingly dangerous by the second, and Willow would have been lying if she said she didn't love it. The bruiser attitudes of the players riled her up and helped her enjoy the game more than ever before.

All of a sudden, Krum dove after the snitch, the Irish seeker on his tail. Willow exchanged an excited look with twins; Ireland was up 170 to Bulgaria's 10! If Krum caught the snitch now, Ireland would win! The twins and Willow screamed louder than ever before for the Bulgarian seeker to catch the snitch. They were neck and neck- the Irish seeker shouldered Krum- Krum suddenly pulled ahead- the Irish seeker was crashing into the ground- Krum had the snitch!

"OH MY GOD! WE WON! IRELAND WINS! YOU WON YOUR BET!" Willow screeched.

"YEAH!" the twins cheered.

They high-fived, then executed a series of handshakes that Willow could hardly keep up with. Then, George turned to hug her, picking her right up off the ground and spinning her around. Willow laughed and cheered ecstatically. George set her down, then surprised her by suddenly pressing his lips to hers. Willow blinked in surprise when he pulled away. George apparently realized what he'd done, and his face turned beet red.

"Sorry- didn't mean to do that- "

Willow grinned and pecked him on the cheek, shooting him a wink. "Don't worry, I didn't mean to do that either."

George rolled his eyes and gently slapped her. He darted away with his twin to collect their gambling earnings. In his place came Ginny, hugging Willow and squealing, "We won, we won!" over and over and over. She put her arm around the excitable girl and watched the Irish receive their World Cup trophy. They yelled their lungs out in celebration, doing a sort of happy jig in the glee of the moment. All the way back to their tents, they skipped and laughed and cheered together, the joy flooding through their systems like a drug.

Willow only left her redheaded friends to head back to her tent with Oliver and Carlos. They watched the Irish launch celebratory fireworks and sing patriotic songs for a good two hours. Carlos made them cast-iron cherry pies, and they ate in a content silence, the night alight with enthusiasm. It was the best Willow had felt in ages. By the time she went to bed, still dressed head to toe in Irish gear, her face hurt from smiling for so long.

She was laying there for a good hour, watching the leprechauns zoom overhead, when suddenly she felt that something was wrong. Her entire body buzzed with that familiar electrical warning. Willow sat up, rubbing her sore temples. She willed her powers to enhance her hearing and listened hard into the night sounds.

That was when she heard the screams.

Willow scrambled down her ladder and poked her head outside her tent. She clapped a hand to her mouth in horror at the scene. A group of dark-robed wizards had drawn their hoods over their heads and masked their faces. They marched in a group, slowly, as if they were in a funeral procession, but with all the glee of a graduation ceremony, down the length of the thoroughfare. Mr. Roberts and his wife and kids were levitating above their heads. The dark wizards spun them around and laughed as they played with them, silencing their screams all the while. They lobbed fireballs at tents as they went by and cheered when they exploded into flames. Willow gripped her stomach, for a moment thinking she was going to be sick.

Then the anger arrived.

The sudden realization of what was truly going on released a wave of adrenaline into her system like she'd never felt before. These were Death Eaters, cowardly, sickening Death Eaters, and they were making a statement out of the Muggle Roberts family. How dare they torture those kind people? How dare they target innocent, defenseless human beings? How dare they destroy everything in their path just because they thought they were above everyone else? They were nothing!

"Carlos! Oliver! Wake up!" Willow cried, clanging two pans together. "Wake up!"

Both boys were up within seconds. Willow rushed them outside, and they took in the damage with wide eyes. Oliver began to cry and instinctively reached for his wand. Carlos gave them each and hug and kneeled in front of them.

"I have to go help those Muggles. You guys get out, and take with you as many people as you can, but don't you dare put yourself in danger, you hear me?"

Willow nodded. "Just go!"

Carlos sprinted off toward the other end of the thoroughfare. Willow placed her hands on Oliver's shoulders and looked him hard in the eyes.

"Okay, I know it's scary, but I know more than anyone that you're going to keep it together. Oliver, I need you to be brave for me. Gather up Dean and Seamus and the Weasleys and all the people you can find and direct them to the woods. Don't go anywhere near the fires and the bad guys. You have to get out of here. They're targeting Muggleborns."

Oliver nodded, wiping away his tears. He took a few deep breaths. "I can do it. What are you going to do?"

"I've got to get everyone out. Just go! Get everyone to the woods!"

Oliver gave her a quick hug, then set off towards the trees, calling at the top of his lungs for people to follow him. Willow watched him for a few moments, praying to God for his safety, then was galvanized into action by a stray fireball. The explosion missed her by mere meters. Hysterical laughter followed the detonation. Willow glared daggers at the Death Eaters. Steeling herself, she sprinted towards the mayhem, only stopping to dodge another spell.

"AAAH! Help me!"

Willow suddenly skidded to a stop. She frantically cast around for the source of the noise, but everything was fire, smoke, and screaming. She frustratedly enhanced her senses, and then she heard it: tiny, petrified shrieking, coming from the tent to her right. Willow darted inside to find two little girls trembling on the floor.

"Come on, come on! I've got you!"

The little girls ran into her arms, tears streaming down their faces. Willow waded through the smoke and finally emerged outside. She practically carried them away from their flaming tent, then shoved them towards the other end of the thoroughfare.

"Get to the woods! Run!"

The little girls took off as fast as they could, tripping over each other in their haste to get away. Willow turned on her heel and ran back into the mess. She shielded a few families from volleys of fire and directed them away, then began running into each and every tent, barely keeping ahead of the Death Eaters' pace. Countless young kids remained in their tents when their parents had already run away. Willow grabbed them by the arm, the shirt, the hood, and dragged them all to safety. A steady stream of children ran towards the woods from her actions. She was almost to the end of the thoroughfare when a ball of light exploded to her left.

Willow was thrown backwards by the impact, flying through the air for several meters, then landed hard on someone's tent. Her flaming shirt quickly lit the canvas. Willow stumbled to her feet, clutching her head, and swatted the fire out on her sleeve. But that only solved one of her problems. The tent had caught fire so fast, half of it was already enveloped in flames. It was one of those castle-tents, sprawling across several campsites, and it was beginning to collapse in the part where Willow had fallen. When a scream sounded inside, her flood froze. A family was trapped!

Willow leapt through the wall of fire and tumbled into the living room. Two wizards and their daughter cowered on the kitchen floor several rooms away, warily eyeing the growing hole in their roof. Willow motioned for them to come to her.

"Come on, let's go! There's still time!"

Much too slowly for comfort, the family took her by the arms and allowed her to guide them through the tent. But when they reached the entrance, they found it already blocked by a collapsed cabinet, fire, and smoke. Willow swore loudly. She cast around for another exit. There was no back door- the tent was nearly impossible to break- the roof!

Willow bit her lip. Going through the roof would mean transforming in front of these people, but they would soon be trapped inside the collapsing tent and become consumed by the flames if they didn't move. Willow hoped to God that they'd think she was an animagus as she detached their hands from her arms.

"It's all going to be alright!" she shouted above the chaos. "I'm going to save you!"

Concentrating with all her might, Willow began the transformation. Her limbs shortened, her back sprouted wings, and scales seamlessly covered her armored body. Willow opened her eyes and no longer felt the heat against her fireproof form. The family scrambled a few paces backwards.

No, no! Willow wanted to scream. Come on, get on my back, you fools!

She tossed her head towards her back, but the family still scooted away, the terror clear in their eyes. Willow heard the crack of the wooden supports and knew they only had seconds before the whole structure collapsed. She desperately waddled to the family and kneeled down before them.

Let's go! Get a move on!

The little girl hesitantly stepped onto Willow's back, and despite her fathers' calls for her to stop, she climbed between Willow's wings. She begged her fathers to get on the dragon's back. Willow wanted to scream at them to listen to their daughter, but she remained perfectly still, not wanting to upset the progress they'd already made.

MOVE!

At long last, the wizards made the life-saving decision the climb aboard. Willow unfurled her wings and faced the hole in the roof. She shot a jet of fire at it and succeeded in creating just enough space for her to slip through. Amid the creaking and cracking of the wooden supports, Willow launched herself off the ground and took to the sky. The wizards and their daughter screamed as the wind whipped their faces. Far below, the tent groaned and collapsed completely. Willow could have sighed with relief.

They flew over the campsite and finally landed in the woods, scaring a great deal of the fleeing witches and wizards. Willow tipped her body to one side and gently set the wizards and their daughter down, then transformed back into her human self, falling exhaustedly to her knees. A crowd of wizards suddenly pressed in, curiously staring at the girl that had just been a terrifying Chinese fireball. Willow reddened when one of the rescuees kneeled before her.

"You...you saved us. You saved our daughter. What is your name?"

"Oh, Willow, but it's not a big deal- "

The wizard put his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you so much for saving us- and our Lindie."

Willow saw the little girl peer over her father's shoulder, beaming excitedly. "Thank you, Fire Flier!"

"Oh- my name's Willow- you don't need to- "

"Let's hear it for the Fire Flier!" someone cheered.

Without warning, Willow was pulled to her feet, and the crowd jostled her around, chanting her new nickname. Willow blushed a deep scarlet and tried to tell them that she was just a regular witch, but they insisted upon calling her a hero. All the children and families she'd saved continuously chimed in with stories about her saving them. Willow thanked her lucky stars when Oliver, Fred, George, and Ginny fought their way through the crowd.

"Guys! You're safe, thank God!" Willow hugged each one of them in turn. "What happened to you? Are you hurt?"

"We're all fine," Ginny said. "Oliver found us. He helped all the people trampled by the stampede get to safety."

"Honestly, he should be the one they're chanting about," Fred commented.

Oliver blushed. "It's not a big deal."

"Bull! I'm sure they're telling the truth," Willow said.

"What happened to you? What's all this chanting about?" George asked.

"I went through all the tents in the thoroughfare and got everyone out before the fires could collapse their tents. These wizards and their daughter wouldn't leave their palace-tent thing, so I had to fly them out of there before it could kill us all. It was a last-minute decision, really, and it saved my life as much as theirs, but- "

"Make way, make way! I'm a reporter for the Daily Prophet!"

Willow's blood froze in her veins. Before she could stop it, a squat man in fancy robes dragged her to where the wizards and Lindie were gathered. Willow threw an embarrassed smile on her face right as the reporter snapped a blinding flash photograph.

"That'll make the front page, it will!" the reporter said. "Nothing less for the saviour of the Head Auror's daughter."

Willow blinked. "Did you just say- ?"

"Willow! Willow, where are you?"

She flicked her head in that direction. "Dad!"

The crowd finally began to disperse, and Carlos was able to fight his way to his daughter, accompanied by Oliver, Ginny, and the twins. Willow nearly crashed into her father in her hurry to get to him.

"Why are they chanting Fire Flier? What did you do?" Carlos fretted.

"Typical Willow stuff," George said. "You know, shape-shifting, saving the Head Auror and his daughter, the usual."

"You did what?"

Suddenly, the crowd let out a horrific scream. Willow glanced around to find everyone's eyes glued to the sky. She peered upwards only to stumble backwards in terror. A misty green skull, looming over the dark forest, sprouted a ghost of a snake from its mouth. The faint sound of screaming came from further into the woods.

"Is...is that...the Dark Mark?" Ginny squeaked.

Willow swallowed hard. "Yeah." She exchanged a glance with Carlos, fear eating away at her gut. "Does this mean...?"

He held her gaze for a long, impossibly tense moment, then gave a slight nod of his head.

Willow fell to her knees, closer to throwing up than she was earlier. The Death Eaters were here, making a statement. The Fawleys had to have been there. They were planning something. They were planning something big.

And that meant Grace was caught up in the middle of it.


	62. Year 4: Chapter 1

Willow walked through the barrier and arrived on Platform 9 3/4, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw the steam pour out of the Hogwarts Express. She smiled for the first time in days, seeing the first years step onto the steam engine in awe, the upper years wave goodbye to their parents, and tiny children beg to go to Hogwarts with their siblings. Oliver and Carlos appeared behind Willow, and they set off toward the train together, keeping an eye out for the Weasleys. They found them before long and loaded their stuff into the same compartment as the twins.

"Willow, Oliver! Vamos aquí por un rato, por favor!" Carlos called.

Willow stepped down from the train, grabbing Oliver's wrist as she went. They found their dad in a secluded corner of the platform. He put his arms around his children and drew them in for a tight hug.

"Listen to me," Carlos whispered. "I don't know what's happening with Grace or her family, but keep an eye out this year, will you? Watch each other's backs, and have your friends be on guard, too. Death Eaters don't mess around when it comes to wreaking havoc. If there's any danger, anything at all that seems out of the ordinary, owl me. I'm not losing you guys, too."

Willow and Oliver nodded. "We'll be careful, promise."

"Good. Now go have fun; you're in for a special treat this year. You probably won't want to come home for Christmas."

"Is that why we had to pack dress robes?" Oliver questioned.

Carlos beamed deviously. "You'll see when you get there." He kissed Willow and Oliver on the forehead. "Have fun this year! See you next spring!"

"Nos vemos, Papa!" Willow called over her shoulder.

The pair of Guerreros boarded the train once more. Oliver found Cypress and greeted him enthusiastically, immediately launching into a conversation about each other's summer holiday. Willow grinned as they walked away and slipped into Fred and George's compartment, not an inch of space between them. She really hoped Oliver got what he wanted this year; the pair were so cute together!

Without warning, Willow felt someone grab her wrist, then yank her backwards. She fought against whoever it was, but only caused herself to fall to the floor. Willow grouchily rose to her feet and allowed herself to be thrown into a different compartment. She hardly needed to look up to know who it was. Only one person drug her all over the place without her permission.

"Hello, Blondie."

"Care to explain this to me, Wisp?" Draco said, producing a copy of the Daily Prophet. "What's this that I hear about you being a snot-nosed hero at the Quidditch World Cup?"

"Seeing as you were too busy laughing at your father's antics, someone had to save all those innocent families from burning to death in their tents," Willow shot back.

"I was not laughing about- " Draco suddenly cut himself off. "Nevermind. What made you think to save the Head Auror's kid? Thought you were going to get some kind of plaque to put up in your dormitory, did you?"

"What- no, I was just helping innocent victims, unlike you!" Willow retorted. "Their tent was on fire, so I got them out before it could collapse."

"And now you've earned yourself a hero name. How cute."

"Draco, if you've summoned me here to taunt me the whole way to Hogwarts, I'm leaving now. This is pointless."

"So you do appreciate your nickname?"

Willow raised her eyebrows. "I wonder how this would look to the Daily Prophet: the Fire Flier, saviour of the Head Auror and his daughter, alone in a compartment with a member of the very family that participated in the destruction of the campsite. Boy, would Rita Skeeter love to whip up a story about that."

Draco's nostrils flared. "You're sickeningly arrogant, you know that?"

"Oh, I'm arrogant? Take a look in the mirror, Draco."

"Wisp, your family was there too, and you know damn well that they were the ones that started it all!"

Willow went silent for a long time. She glared daggers at Draco, who mirrored her expression. Then, she finally whispered, deadly quiet, "I am not a Fawley. I am a Guerrero, and no matter how much they want to recruit me into their ranks, I'm not going. I'd rather run myself through with a spear than call myself a Fawley. I will never be a Death Eater."

Draco's eyes grew stormy. "You may not get the choice, Wisp. Remember that."

Willow watched with a stony expression as he stormed off to the Slytherin compartments. She wanted to throw up and scream at Draco all at once. Of course they had a choice! They always had a choice! Becoming a Death Eater was completely a choice, whether their lives were threatened for remaining on the opposing side or not. Willow had vowed long ago to never, ever join their ranks, even if it meant her death. Draco was wrong. They could never break her will that far that she would torture innocent people for simply existing.

She would never become her mother.

Willow got up and left the compartment, heading as far away as she possibly could from Draco and his band of goons. She ducked into the Weasley twins' compartment, only to find them in nearly as terrible a mood as she was. They were practically shouting to each other about something, causing Lee and Paige, who sat on either side of them, to press their hands to their ears. To Willow's left, Cypress and Oliver struggled to ignore the ranting. Willow slid the compartment door shut, then slapped her hand on the table.

"HEY! Could you be a little louder?" she shouted.

Fred and George crossed their arms, glumly casting their eyes to the floor. "Bloody Ludo Bagman."

"Should never have trusted him-"

"-the dirty, cheating scum- "

"Stole everything we've saved up- "

"Whoa, whoa, what did Ludo do?" Willow questioned.

"He paid his bets in leprechaun gold!" Fred exploded. "Didn't realize it at the time, of course, but a few hours later, all our earnings disappeared! Gone! He cheated us out everything we've saved up over the past several years!"

"He- what? How dare he!" Willow fumed. "You won fair and square! If you want me to write to my father and have him set a graphorn loose in Bagman's office, I'd be happy to do so!"

"Don't bother," George grumbled. "We'll get him some way or another."

"Might prank him- "

"-or blackmail him- "

"-but either way, he's paying up."

The twins finally fell silent, burning holes in their shoes with their eyes. Lee and Paige awkwardly shifted in their seats, while Cypress and Oliver mouthed words of thanks in her direction. Willow tapped her fingers on the table, trying to dredge up a conversation topic that wouldn't set the twins off, when she was suddenly struck with an idea.

"Paige! We never tested out your patronus after figuring out the prophecy lines!" she exclaimed.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten," Paige chortled.

"Wait, you figured it out?" Oliver gasped. "You forgot to tell me! You've been home for weeks, and you forgot to mention a life-altering discovery to your own brother?"

Willow winced. "...Sorry?"

"Can we get on with the Patronus thing, please?" Paige requested. Willow nodded gratefully, and the older girl whispered, "Expecto Patronum!"

From the end of Paige's wand burst a gorgeous white mare, tossing its mane in an unseen wind. Although the compartment was rather cramped, the mare simply walked through the table and stood on Willow's feet. She was surprised to feel the weight of the corporeal Patronus; it was odd, like a ghost had placed one foot across Death's doorstep into the physical world of the living. Willow gently patted the mare's head, watching intently for any signs or symbols it would show her. But the mare simply touched its nose to Willow's chest, snorted, and galloped back into Paige's wand.

"Um...that's not a path," Cypress commented.

"No, but it was definitely trying to tell me something," Willow said. She tapped her chest where the mare had touched her, and she was surprised to feel the diamonds of her locket graze her fingers. "What...why would your patronus go for my locket, Paige? I thought it would lead us right to the next step!"

Paige shrugged. "I dunno. It was pretty clear, though: the next step has something to do with that locket."

"But...my Mum gave me this locket. Why on Earth would it be telling me to go to Grace? She's not even part of my family anymore! The house that once knew no lie...it doesn't make any sense! The Fawley house is where she lives now, and that house has known nothing but lies since its founding."

"So...we're back to square one?" Cypress said.

"Unfortunately, yes," Willow sighed. She massaged her throbbing temples. "The last thing I need right now is more reminders of the Fawley family. First they try and throw us in Azkaban, then they pull that Quidditch World Cup stunt, and now this...I don't want to think about them for the rest of the year."

"Well, you might not have to," Lee said, his eyes sparkling excitedly. "Forget about the prophecy for a while. You've got years to deal with that. I've heard that something special is happening at Hogwarts this year, and my parents wouldn't tell me anything, but they hinted that we're going to have some special visitors."

"Bill and Charlie were doing that to us, too!" Fred suddenly said. He and George appeared to have gotten over their sullen mood. "They dropped hints all summer, but whenever we asked about it, they hushed up before we could get a word out of them!"

"Huh. I wonder who these visitors are going to be?" Oliver said.

"Whoever they are, they better not mess with my potions," Cypress said. "Anyone except Oliver touches my cauldron, and I throw all the failed Delayed Detonators at them, and that was rather dangerous experiment."

"Warning heeded," Paige chuckled.

The rest of the way to Hogwarts, the group came up with wild and crazy theories about the event happening at Hogwarts. Would they be conducting a series of experiments for the Ministry of Magic? Or maybe they would have guest professors from around the world come to instruct them? Were these visitors human, or were they magical creatures? Willow personally hoped that they would get visited by the Magical Department of the London Zoo, but no one else seemed to think that was plausible. She still crossed her fingers.

The carriages that greeted them at Hogsmeade Station had their tops on, as the rain was coming down in buckets. Willow and her friends waded through the deluge to find an empty carriage. It warmed her heart to see the thestrals, who were still pulling the carriages, toss their heads and romp around in the fun weather. She and Oliver giggled when the thestrals let out a beautiful cry of glee upon stepping in a deep, muddy puddle.

"Have you two gone mad?" Lee asked. "What are you laughing at?"

"The thestrals, obviously," Willow said. When Paige and Cypress shot her a quizzical look, understanding dawned on her. "Oh! I forgot you guys can't see them...but how could you not know that something had to be pulling the carriages?"

"I thought it was a charm," Cypress admitted. He looked at the space in front of the carriage, his eyes lighting to an electric blue. "Thestrals only appear to those who have seen death, right?"

"Unfortunately, yeah, but I love them all the same," Willow replied.

"Hang on, who died?" Lee yelped.

Willow reddened. "My- uh- older brother. I don't talk about it, ever."

"Oh- sorry...I didn't mean to bring that up," Lee apologized.

"It's okay. I wasn't going to tell you guys, since it brings up bad memories and all, but Fudge had it his way this summer, so now everyone knows. I should probably have clarified before I ran off. Sorry about that."

"So that's why you left in a hurry," Cypress said.

"Hey, how did your vacation to America go this summer, Cypress?" Oliver suddenly said.

Willow shot him a grateful smile. The rest of the way to the castle, their chatter turned to more light-hearted matters. Willow almost forgot that Orion had been mentioned by the time they ran up the steps to the Entrance Hall. Peeves doused them with more water, which Fred and George thoroughly enjoyed, and Willow purposely ran back into the rain and gave Paige a watery hug. She slapped the younger girl and pulled her into a seat next to the twins and Lee. Oliver and Cypress parted ways and took seats at their respective house tables.

Before long, the Gryffindor table was filled with familiar faces. Dean and Seamus launched into a funny story about the Quidditch World cup. Across the table, Willow listened to Mia and Fay giggle about some sixth year boy that had just transferred to Hogwarts from Ilvermorny. Lavender, Parvati, and Hermione got into a discussion about classes they were looking forward to, and Sally and Sam greeted Neville enthusiastically. Willow breathed a sigh of relief to see Harry and Ron at the table, safe and sound, and actually in attendance for the Welcoming Feast. How they managed to miss it two years in a row, she had no idea.

At long last, two familiar, bubbly third years skipped through the Great Hall and took a seat beside Willow.

"Colin, Ginny! How were your Holidays?" she greeted.

"Incredible! Mum let me buy my own dress robes for this year!" Ginny exclaimed. "I don't know what they're for, but I'm so excited to find out!"

"My brother Dennis is starting this year!" Colin announced. His expression faltered for a moment, and he bit his lip. "I really hope he gets into Gryffindor. When I showed him around Diagon Alley, I may have convinced him to buy a few tokens of house pride."

"Don't worry, most families end up in the same house," Willow reassured. "Only Padma and Parvati managed to get into different houses, as far as I know. If anything, I'm sure the Sorting Hat will see his stubbornness to get into Gryffindor and place him there right away."

Colin grinned appreciatively. "He'll get into Gryffindor, I just know it!"

Not long afterwards, Professor McGonagall opened the doors to the Great Hall and led a line of soaking-wet first years into the room. Willow spotted a small boy with the same mousy hair as Colin and waved. Apparently, he had fallen into the lake, as he wore Hagrid's jumbo moleskin coat and was still dripping with excess moisture. Willow watched as Professor McGonagall got the first years in order, then pulled out the Sorting Hat. It sang its song, and before they knew it, the first student was sorted into Ravenclaw.

After a few students had been divided up into their houses, Colin pointed and squeaked, "Willow, Ginny, there he is! He's next!"

Professor McGonagall called out Dennis Creevey's name. The poor boy trembled, but bravely stepped up to the stool and placed the hat on his sopping head. Willow couldn't tell whether he was shaking from fear or cold, but either way, within seconds, Dennis Creevey was proclaimed, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Willow, Ginny, and Colin stood up and clapped for the boy, who scrambled to his brother's side and took a seat. They showered him in congratulations and cheers, then Willow and Ginny got to introduce themselves. Dennis accepted all the chaos like a trooper. Willow knew then and there that Dennis would be another one of those unflinchingly true-to-themselves Gryffindors, just like her. He would fit in fell. She promised herself right then that she wouldn't let anything happen to Dennis, especially considering what she'd just put his older brother through. The young Gryffindor was officially in her circle of protection.

After cheering herself hoarse for all the first-year Gryffindors, Willow enjoyed a wonderful meal full of all of her favorite foods. She gave Dennis a few tips about school, then settled down to listen to Dumbledore's announcements. His first announcement about Filch's list of banned items was mostly overlooked, of course, but his second one sent the whole school into an uproar: quidditch would not take place at Hogwarts this year!

"THAT'S BULL!" Paige and Willow roared in unison.

Dumbledore simply smiled at the pair over his spectacles, then continued on, saying that an entirely different event would be taking place in October and continuing through the rest of the school year. Willow suddenly remembered what her father had said about something special happening at Hogwarts and wondered if this was it. Fred and George exchanged intrigued looks with her, apparently on the same brain wave. If Quidditch wasn't happening because of this event, did that mean there was a more exciting way to earn glory for Gryffindor?

Before Dumbledore could finish telling them what this event was, the doors to the Great Hall burst open, and a rough-hewn figure of a man lumbered through. Willow noticed his magical eye, his wooden leg, and the scars crisscrossing his face. When he flopped into a chair at the staff table, his magical eye roamed all over the place, quite unlike his natural one. At one point, the electric blue iris pointed directly at her, and her sinuses were assaulted by a massive headache. Ginny looked at her when Willow let out a small sigh.

"What's wrong? Are your powers bothering you again?" the redhead whispered.

"Yeah..." Willow mumbled. "I think they're just warning me about that guy."

"Mad-Eye Moody? Well, that makes sense. He used to be an auror, and now he's a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. He's always glancing over his shoulder. Nearly went mad on the Ministry once."

"Great, now I'm going to have to take aspirin before every Defense Against the Dark Arts class," Willow grumbled.

Moody thankfully looked away, and the pain in her head receded. Willow tried not to make up her mind about the new professor so early, but with what Ginny told her, and the amount of electrical signals he was causing, she had a feeling he would not make her top ten list.

Dumbledore continued with his speech. He announced that a very special event called the Triwizard Tournament would take place at Hogwarts this year. Two other schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, would send a delegation of students to stay at Hogwarts and compete in the tournament. This was the first Tournament to take place in hundreds of years, as the death rate of the previous attempts had been rather alarming. Dumbledore said that they should be grateful to be a part of something so historic.

One champion would be selected from each school by an impartial judge, then those three would compete against each other in three separate tasks meant to test them in ways unimaginable. It would be dangerous, and once chosen, the champions would be bound to compete by a powerful magical contract. They would stand alone, but have the chance to bring glory not only to themselves and their house, but the whole school.

Willow elbowed Paige, her eyes lighting up in excitement. Glory? A chance to prove themselves? This was sounding like the chance of a lifetime! Fred and George expressed their interest, too, and the four feverishly whispered about what the tasks would entail. Dumbledore crushed their hopes, however, when a moment later, he announced that the Ministry had created a rule preventing underage wizards from entering the tournament, as they would not be knowledgeable enough, and the danger was possibly life-threatening.

Willow booed along with Fred, George, Paige, and pretty much the rest of the student body. Why shouldn't they get a chance at glory, too? Just because they were young didn't mean they were ignorant! Willow fumed, brooding over her lost chance. She was more than capable, probably a better candidate for a champion than half of the seventh years! And she wasn't the only one who should be allowed a chance! Heck, Paige was a descendent of Merlin! She could probably destroy the danger with a flick of her wrist!

Dumbledore waited for them to quiet down, then continued to finish his announcements by declaring Beauxbatons' and Dumstrang's arrival on October the 30th. They were sent off to bed shortly afterwards. Willow schemed with Fred, George, and Paige for a way to enter the tournament even though they were underaged. Maybe a bit of Aging Potion should do it. After all, when they were finished hoodwinking the judge, it wouldn't matter whether they were underaged, right?

Willow's wrist suddenly vibrated. She made a quick exit and slipped inside the secret room. Her creatures tackled her the moment she passed through the wall. She had a job of pushing them off so she could answer the call.

"Willow! How are you?" Sirius exclaimed, his image filling the watch screen.

"Pretty great! How are you doing?"

"Alright. Buckbeak's been digging up plenty of vermin for me. It's not ideal, but it's not horrible when I'm in my Animagus form. Dogs tend to love chasing after squirrels and rats and such."

"Sirius, you've lost weight again," Willow scolded. His shirt looked like it was filled with air instead of a torso. Patches of dirt covered half the fabric, and the other half was either frayed or torn. "I'll send Iris some food from the Great Hall. You're not going to starve to death. Not on my watch."

"Then take off the watch."

"Sirius! This is not a joke!" Willow said, though an inconvenient smile spread across her face. She gave up and let out a small chuckle. "Dang it, now you've gone and turned it into one!"

"A little humor never hurt anyone." Sirius left the frame for a moment, yelling at Buckbeak to stop crunching so loudly, then returned with an upbeat expression. "So, how was the first day back? Has anything life-threatening happened yet, or is that exclusively reserved for the end of the year?"

"Reserved for the end of the year. Fate values my education more than my life."

"Ah, yes, because that's not backwards at all," Sirius said. He chortled when Griffin and Phoebe nudged Willow out of the frame. "I see that your creatures successfully made it to Hogwarts. Have your other friends attacked you yet?"

"Nope, though I did talk to Paige and the twins, and they were kind enough not to bring up my disappearance. Miranda might be cooking up some scheme to get back at me, though. He hates it when I run away from my feelings." Willow let out a sigh. "That reminds me, though. Paige cast her patronus, and it didn't show us a path at all. It just touched my locket. What's that all about?"

Sirius paused in thought, then shook his head. "All I can think of is that you're supposed to go home, but you live in your mansion, so that doesn't seem likely, and the Fawley mansion is practically bursting at the seams with lies."

"That's what I said, too! And it gets me no closer to the truth than I was before!" Willow kicked a nearby tree root. "It's so frustrating! This stupid prophecy already has the audacity to threaten my friends' and family's lives, and then it won't come out and tell me what to do to fix it? Whoever came up with this crap better have suffered to bring it to life!"

"Well, all ranting aside, my suggestion is for you to have the audacity to defeat it," Sirius said. "You're a bloody headstrong Gryffindor, Willow. I know that you won't stop until this prophecy is conquered."

"I hope you're right..." Willow shook her head. "Look at me, bogging you down with more worries. Typical Willow Guerrero thing to do. I haven't even mentioned the big announcement Dumbledore made tonight! Sirius, have you heard of the Triwizard Tournament?"

Willow launched into an explanation of the Tournament, making it very clear how stupid she thought it was that she couldn't compete. Sirius contradicted her, though, reminding her that glory wasn't worth dying for; she still has a lot to do before she dies. The prophecy aside, she had magical creatures, a family, and friends to worry about, not to mention a future career in magical creature research & care. Willow conceded the point. It was probably better that she didn't compete after all...

Eventually, Willow yawned widely. "Sorry, I'm getting tired. I should go to bed before I pass out in here. You stay safe, Sirius, and I swear to God, if I find out you did anything that risks your capture- "

"-you'll see my beautiful face plastered on the front page of the Daily Prophet," Sirius teased, shooting her a wink. Willow gave him a look, and he relented. "Alright, I know, I'll be safe. Same goes for you, though. Keep yourself out of trouble. Don't you dare enter that tournament. And for the love of God, get with Paige, will you? I would like to have something more to smile about."

Willow blushed, but hid it well with an eye roll. "Got it. Good night, Sirius."

"Goodnight."

The screen went dark. The happiness that had previously lifted Willow up slowly let her down. Her neutral expression returned, and the optimism failed. She desperately wished that Sirius was only a light jog across the Hogwarts grounds, but that opportunity had passed. Sirius didn't need to put himself in danger day in and day out just because she was needy. She would get by with talking to him through her watch. She had to get by, because if she lost it, Sirius might, too.

Willow recreated a nest for her creatures and settled them in for the night, then discreetly stepped into the common room, which was slowly emptying of all students. Fred and George were still scheming by the fireplace when she walked up the spiral stairs to her dormitory. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her trunk sitting perfectly untouched on the bed, but her content mood was snatched away by the sound of cursing and arguing coming from the other side of the room.

"You're making a big deal out of nothing, Hermione!"

"You're not treating house elves like the thinking, feeling beings they are!"

"Hermione, they like serving wizards!"

"It's slave labor!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Willow said, stepping into the room. Everyone paused and turned to look at her. "What's going on? Why are we already arguing on the first night?"

"Hermione's spewing nonsense!" Lavender accused.

"I am simply defending the rights of house elves!" Hermione shot back.

Willow wanted to take a hammer to her own skull. Why were they always arguing about the most ridiculous of topics? Divination had come between the Gryffindor Sisters the year before, and now house elves were going to give her headaches? Willow vowed to dissolve the issue before it could blow up in all their faces.

"Look, Hermione, I understand what you're saying, but- " she began.

"Willow, do you have a house elf?" Hermione interrupted, cheeks flaring red.

"Uh...no?"

"And why is that?"

"I don't really know, actually, but I'm pretty sure my parents had something against owning a house elf," Willow said. "It's a personal choice. Really, Hermione, I don't see why- "

"See, see? Some people get it!" Hermione shrilled. "It's wrong! Owning house elves and forcing them to labor for you without pay is slavery!"

"No, it is not!" Fay argued.

"Yes, it is!"

Willow rubbed her hands down her face. "Everyone, shut it!" When everyone was finally quiet again, she looked at each one of them in turn. "We are not going to have a repeat of last year, okay? We call ourselves the Gryffindor Sisters for a reason. We're practically siblings to one another. Hermione, you're allowed to have your opinions on house elves, just as the rest of you are. It's not illegal to be a free thinker. I agree that some people really do abuse their house elves, and it's a shameful thing that should be pursued more persistently by the Ministry of Magic. I'm sure a lot of you feel that, too. We're entitled to our own opinions. But arguing over our own specific views won't change them, so keep your opinions to yourself unless you're informing someone nicely about a certain fact!"

Willow crossed her arms when she was finished. She tapped her foot to break up the silence that ensued after her speech. Finally, at long last, the girls broke off to rearrange their things, decorate their nightstands, or organize their toiletries in the bathroom. Friendly conversation resumed, and Hermione dropped her raging for the time being. Willow unpacked her trunk and placed Achelous on her bed. After a moment of hesitation, she took out a picture frame, adjusting it so that the image practically glowed in the lighting. She stared at it longingly for many minutes, lost in thought.

"Is that your brother?"

Willow fell off her bed and landed hard on the floor. "Merlin's beard, Sally, don't scare me like that!"

Sally reddened. "Sorry, I didn't mean to, I was just curious." She paused for a moment, then said, "Why did you never tell us about him? I'm guessing it's something bad, because you ran out on us this summer, so you can tell me to screw off if it's painful."

"Well, it's painful, but you should get an explanation. My brother doesn't deserve to be a secret anymore."

"You're talking about your brother?" Mia gasped.

"Can we hear, too?" Lavender pleaded.

"Yeah," Willow said, deciding it was time. "Come here, all of you, and I'll tell you a bit about Orion."

The Gryffindor Sisters seated themselves in an arch around Willow. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the picture frame, then handed it around to her roommates.

"Orion- I called him Rion- was two years older than me. He took great pride in being taller than me, all through childhood, so I got back at him by teasing him for being a 'dumb blonde' even though he was smart. We played soccer together, camped together, slept in the same room, and even read books together. We fought over who got to hold the book," Willow chuckled, a reminiscent twinkle in her eyes. "He was the best brother I could have asked for. I thought we were twins for a good three years before my dad pointed out our height difference, then different birthdays. I was a rather clueless little kid."

The light in Willow's eyes died, and she grimaced. "Rion was murdered when I was nine. He was eleven. My mum couldn't live with it, and it drove her crazy, and her family taking her in and brainwashing her didn't help. I basically lost half of my family in one night. It took a while to get over it, but I've mostly learned to deal with it now. I just don't like talking about Rion because...well, it's not fun to break down in front of your friends all the time, is it?"

Lavender's mouth had dropped open. "Willow...how have you lived with that?"

"My dad, mostly. He's stronger than anyone I know."

"I'm so sorry you lost Orion," Fay said, handing Willow back the photograph. "I can't even imagine losing my brother."

"Good. Don't imagine it, it sucks," Willow chuckled mirthlessly.

The Gryffindor Sisters buried her in a group hug, then backed away, murmuring their support as they each climbed into bed for the night. Sally was the last one to remain by her side, expression unreadable.

"If- if you ever need to talk, you know I'm here for you, right?" Sally said, her face oddly losing colour.

Willow nodded. "I know. Hey, are you okay? You're looking kind of pale there."

Sally forced an obvious fake smile onto her face. "Yeah, just fine! I'm- I'm going to bed now. Don't hesitate to wake me up if you need me."

"Thank you."

Willow turned the lights out, then climbed into bed, drawing the curtains over her four-poster bed. Sally's blanched face hovered in her mind's eye for many minutes. Willow laid awake, wondering if she'd scared the poor girl. Sally had lost her mother to insanity, after all, and the worry that she would lose Sam probably scared her half to death. If anything, Willow's low state probably scared Sally into thinking that she'd get too low. Willow knew that she'd never give into depression, but Sally probably wasn't as convinced. She promised to talk to Sally about it sometime soon.

Willow's breathing evened out and she began to drift off the sleep, watching the stars through the window.

Good night, Rion.

Willow, come quick!

Willow was running, following desperately after the sound of her brother's voice, but all she could see was darkness. She heard footsteps to her right, then her left, and suddenly Rion swept behind her.

Come on, you've got to see this!

Willow caught sight of Rion's blonde mop of hair. She darted after him, heart pounding, but her legs seemed to be made of cement. Rion skipped away, his image fading as he ran further into the darkness. Willow cried out for him to wait, but he only laughed, escaping her view even faster now.

Willow, what's wrong?

Without warning, the scenery changed, and Willow saw herself sitting on the back porch of her house. Nine-year-old Willow sniffled, defiantly wiping away tears as her older brother approached her. The present Willow tried to move closer, but her feet were rooted to the ground, and she could only watch the memory unfold.

Ashley shoved me into the mud again at practice, Young Willow spat. I chucked some mud at her for it, and coach said he'd kick me off the team if I ever do it again. Ashley didn't get a word for it!

Rion put his arm around his younger sister, and Present Willow could almost feel his touch, the memory so powerful it hurt. Don't worry about Ashley. She sucks, and if you keep playing the way you are, you'll take all her playing time anyway. Can payback get any better than that?

Young Willow cracked a smile. I guess not...but can I still kick a soccer ball at Ashley when the coach isn't looking?

Rion let out a laugh, and Present Willow's heart stopped. The joy that came from that sound was like a cool breeze on a hot summer day, the crackle of a fire in the depths of winter, the touch of sugar that made sweet tea just right; it was pure happiness. Willow felt her eyes mist up. Rion got that laugh from Grace. She missed hearing that laugh so much, in either of her family members, but now it could only be heard in dreams, such as this.

Willow cried out when the scene changed once again. She was once more a bystander to her own memory, helplessly watching the events unfold. She saw her nine-year-old self, sleeping peacefully in bed, the time barely past one in the morning. The moonlight streaming through the window cast a serene glow about Rion's face in the bed opposite her. Present Willow's heart seized when she recognized the memory.

No, no, no, not this again! she tried to scream.

But nothing could stop the time from passing. Willow frantically tried to wake herself up, pinching herself, kicking herself, even giving herself a nice shiner on the cheekbone. None of it worked. Willow heard footsteps in the hall just outside her door, then voices, hissing and cackling in all their glory. She could hear a woman's scream, and a man's followed. Willow felt herself suffocating beneath the weight of the moment, and as the door handle slowly turned, she lost it, her breath coming in panicked gasps.

When the door opened, she closed her eyes, but nothing could drive the memory from her head. She could see it all unfolding in her head. The woman, stepping close to Rion's bed; Young Willow opening her eyes, then freezing, too terrified to move; the woman pleading; then the man's screams, a whisper, and a single spell that wiped out the happiest part of Willow's life. Present Willow opened her eyes and saw the witches and wizards celebrating. She saw the woman hysterically sobbing. She saw the horror-stricken man on his knees.

She relived it all.

It wasn't the first time.

And it never got any easier.

Willow suddenly gasped awake, finding herself back in her dormitory. Cold sweat poured down her forehead. Her breathing was hitched and rattling. Panic had infused itself with every nerve in her body. Willow checked the time and discovered that it was half past four in the morning. Fidget sleepily peered up at her from her pocket, murmuring in a concerned manner. She took a few deep breaths and focused on feeling the duvet beneath her.

I'm fine, I'm fine...it was just a dream...yeah, it happened, but I'm fine now...I'm over it....

Willow finally regained control of her breathing. She repeated the reassuring monologue in her brain until her frayed nerves recovered. Recognizing that she'd never fall back asleep, she got up and quietly tiptoed out of the dormitory, sneaking down the stairs and into the common room. Willow got a flame going in the fireplace and settled herself in the large window overlooking the Forbidden Forest. She kept her mind busy with the scent of pine smoke and the sights the moonlit Forest provided.

Then, a thestral popped above the trees. Its massive wingspan dwarfed some of the treetops. Willow watched in awe as the beautiful creature swept above the leaves, rustling the canopy, then flapped its leathery wings and spiraled into the sky. A few more thestrals joined the other, and Willow realized the grey of dawn was approaching, their favorite time of day. She wondered what they did during the day, since she'd never seen them playing after the sun fully came up. Did they have a favorite spot to relax in the shade?

Suddenly, a flash of brilliant blonde hair caught Willow's eye. She stared in bewilderment at a figure loftily skipping toward the treeline, aloof entirely to the fact that it was super early in the morning, and that she was easily visible to a passing Professor. Willow wondered if the girl was unaware or if she simply didn't care about the danger of the Forbidden Forest. Either way, she wasn't about to let her run into the Forest alone, and before she knew it, Willow's feet were automatically carrying her to the nearest opening the the castle walls. She found an open window and launched herself outside, transforming into a hawk at the very last moment.

Willow spread her wings and glided to where she had last seen the girl. She found her almost immediately, the blonde hair startlingly distinct in the hazy dark grey morning. The girl had already passed the treeline by the time Willow landed. Concealed by a copse of trees, Willow shape-shifted once again into a black cat, keeping an eye on the girl. She bounded noiselessly after her without so much as cracking a twig. Willow thought this girl must have gone mad, skipping through the woods like she was. And what kind of crazy person got up this early?

You're crazy enough to love this time of morning, Cebba retorted.

Cebba! Not now! Willow hissed. This girl is walking into certain death!

You do it all the time, hypocrite.

I can literally transform myself into a dragon! It doesn't count as certain death to me!

Willow could almost see Cebba rolling her eyes. This girl seems capable enough. Where is she going, anyway? We've never been to this part of the Forest.

Probably straight into a trap, just our luck. Warn me if there's something coming, okay?

Cebba promised to do so, and Willow continued to track the blonde hair through the trees. The girl seemed to know where she was going, because she never once hesitated to turn right at a particular tree, or go straight when three half-worn paths forked off. Willow suddenly skidded to a stop when the girl reached the edge of a drop off. A wide bowl of underbrush opened beneath her. Smiling, the girl searched the skies, then let out a whistle.

To Willow's amazement, an otherworldly neigh glazed over her eardrums, and a group of thestrals landed in the clearing below. The girl carefully climbed down a series of rocky ledges, then landed on her feet only meters away from the thestrals. Willow's eyes widened in shock as the girl reached out a hand and stroked a baby thestral's mane.

She can see them too?

Willow moved a little closer to the girl, trying to get a good look at her face. But her right paw met empty space when she stepped forward, and gravity yanked her down, sending cat-Willow tumbling down the cliff face. She rolled head-over-heels into the clearing, letting out a loud yowl when she landed hard on her shoulder. By this time, the thestrals and the girl were looking at her, confusion written in their expressions.

Willow gave up the act. She was caught now. She transformed back into her human self and started towards the girl, who surprisingly showed no initial signs of shock.

"Hello, Willow," she greeted, her voice very airy and dream-like.

Willow stumbled over her own two feet. "What- you know my name?"

"The whole common room talked about you when you disappeared last term. Padma has mentioned you, too."

"You're friends with Padma?"

The girl nodded, smiling. "Padma was very kind to me when the other girls were not. She told me about your fight against the Ministry last year- and your bowtruckle friend," she added, gesturing to Fidget's surprise appearance.

Willow's nerves finally relaxed. "Oh." She shifted her weight onto her other hip. "Um...I'm sorry, but I don't know your name."

"Luna," the girl replied, patting a thestral as it rubbed up against her. Luna's silver-grey eyes intelligently scanned Willow's expression. "You can see the thestrals. You're wondering why I can, too."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to..." Willow trailed off.

"It's okay. I don't remember it very well," Luna admitted. "My mum was a brilliant witch. She loved to experiment with spells, especially charms, but one day it went badly wrong. I was nine."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Luna. I was nine when I lost someone, too." Willow wondered why she was spilling out her secrets so quickly to a stranger, but remembered why she was awake in the first place, and decided that it was better if she talked it out. "My brother was murdered in front of me. I have nightmares about it sometimes, and it helps if I come to the Forbidden Forest when that happens."

Luna took Willow's hand in her own. "I'm sorry. That must have been very painful." She searched Willow's eyes. "You understand the thestrals, too. Is that because you can turn into one?"

"What? Oh, no, I've just- did Padma tell you about my powers?" Luna grinned. Willow sighed, hoping that she could trust Padma's judgement when it came to dolling out her secrets. "I only shape-shift to help me sneak out of the castle and defend my friends. Communicating with them gets rather...how do I put this, exasperating? No, I understand them because they’re...well, because they’re like me, beautiful only through a broken lense."

Luna looked at Willow with an understanding the Gryffindor had never known before. "That's a poetic way of putting it. I like them because even though they're made fun of all day long, they don't hear a word of it. They just wait for someone to see them as they are.”

"That's...even more poetic."

Luna smiled, pulling a piece of chicken out of her pocket. She held it in her palm and patiently waited for the baby thestral to nibble it away. Willow watched with great wonder the way that Luna seemed to float across the ground, so aware of her surroundings, but effortlessly making herself aloof to all the world. It reminded her of Padma in a way, and she suddenly understood why the pair got on so well. She could see why some people would tease Luna instead of Padma, though; Luna didn't act quite as normal. But then again, was anyone actually normal, especially in Ravenclaw? Hogwarts was the biggest mix of personalities Willow had ever seen, and with Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students coming, the diversity was only going to increase tenfold. Willow enjoyed Luna’s presence, and she promised herself to find her bullies and give them a piece of her mind.

"What year are you in, Luna?" she asked.

"Third. Are you in the fourth year?"

"Yes. Do you know Ginny Weasley and Colin Creevey?" Luna shook her head no. "Well, I'll have to introduce you, because I have a feeling you'll get along with them pretty well. They're my only friends in your year."

"I'd love to meet them."

Willow paused in thought for a moment, letting the silence do its magic, then finally said, "Luna, do you come out here often?" When the blonde replied that she often sought the comfort of the Forest, Willow grinned from ear to ear. "I do, too. How would you like it if we- I dunno- turned this into a safe place? You know, for when we need some time away from the castle and being social."

Luna's eyes sparkled. "That would be the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"It's done, then. Watch this!"

Willow stamped her foot into the ground, sending shockwaves in every direction. Then, at her command, a cluster of trees grew tightly together, concealing a small portion of the clearing from possible onlookers. Willow drew up her memories of the Power House, way on the other side of the Forest, and copied its design. Soon, she was standing at the door of a cozy little cabin, equipped with chairs and a couch and even a bookshelf just in case. Luna smiled appreciatively.

"You're a wonderful person, Willow. It's a surprise that you didn't end up in Hufflepuff." Luna patted the baby thestral once more, beaming at the Gryffindor girl. "You're a great friend."

Willow couldn't wipe the stupid smile off her face.


	63. Year 4: Chapter 2

"Willow? Willow! Wake up!"

"I'm awake!" Willow suddenly said, sitting up straight. She swiped a few strands of hair out of her face. "M'fine, just tired."

Every single Gryffindor Sister fixed her with a stare that screamed B.S. Willow gave them a dirt-eating grin and stuffed her face with more rolls, burying herself in a Daily Prophet article. The silence from the opposite side of the table grated on her nerves, though, and before long, she slapped it down on the table, letting out a pent-up sigh.

"Fine! What do you want from me?"

"You weren't in bed this morning," Fay said. "How long were you up?"

Willow tilted her head back in thought. "Uh...since four thirty, I think? Don't worry, I did sleep, contrary to popular belief."

"For all of four and a half hours!" Hermione scolded. "Willow, you know better than that! Parvati keeps a sleeping potion on her night stand for any of us to use at any time! Why didn't you ask her for some?"

"Because...I didn't think of it?"

"Rubbish! You had a nightmare again!" Lavender accused.

"I don't think I did, actually, I just happened to- "

"Come off it, Willow, we all know that you sleep like a rock," Parvati interrupted. "You only run off in the middle of the night when something serious happens."

"Oh, would you look at that? I think it's time for me to go grab my books," Willow said calmly, stuffing two pounds of bread and sausage into her pockets. "I'll see you guys in Herbology."

"Willow Lucia Guerrero, get you butt back- !"

Before Mia could finish her sentence, Willow slipped into the entrance hall, then darted up the stairs, taking them two at a time to keep herself awake. Luna and she had spent the entire morning with the thestrals. Most of the time, they were silent, simply relaxing in the presence of such innocent, docile creatures, but every once in a while, they'd strike up a conversation, mainly about casual subjects such as school and family. Willow enjoyed how deep Luna's words could go even though the Ravenclaw spoke in simple terms. The girl was emotionally intelligent, for one thing, and her common sense beat out nearly everyone she knew. Willow was glad to have found such a unique friend.

Jogging up the steps of the Owlery, Willow entered to find a ridiculous amount of energetic raptors hooting above her head. Iris let out an excited chirp when she saw her and dove onto Willow's outstretched arm. The Gryffindor smiled, fondly stroked her tawny owl's feathers, then tied a parcel full of food to Iris's foot. Fidget climbed onto Willow shoulder, and Iris nuzzled the bowtruckle with her beak, almost cooing.

"Who would have ever thought my creatures would actually get along?" Willow chortled. She guided Fidget back into her pocket, then gave Iris her usual treat. "You be careful, you hear me? I don't want you giving Sirius away."

Iris hooted indignantly, like she was shocked that Willow would even need to mention such an obvious thing, then took off into the sky, disappearing into the clouds within minutes. Willow checked that she hadn't been followed, and once she was sure she was alone, she quickly descended the spiral steps of the Owlery and jogged to the greenhouses. She arrived just in time to start the lesson. Oliver, Neville, and Sam instantly descended upon her, insisting that she had to be their partner. She rolled her eyes. As if it were a question.

"Ugh, what is this stuff?" Sam said, taking note of the plant they'd been given.

"Oh, sweet, bubotubers!" Willow exclaimed. "We get to remove the pus from them! Sam, you're going to love this, watch!"

Sam most definitely did not love it. In fact, he looked closer to throwing up than smiling when Willow popped a large, black, slimy pod on the bubotuber plant, and a yellowish pus came spewing out of it. Neville collected it in a glass container for them. Sam gagged, complaining that it smelled awful. Oliver couldn't help but giggle at his reaction.

"How many plants do we get to work on?" he asked.

"As many as it takes to get Sam to vomit," Willow teased, earning her a slap from the strawberry blonde. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! We're supposed to do one plant each, I think. Stand over there, Sam, and you won't have to smell it as much."

"I can't stop smelling it. It's in my nose now," Sam whined.

"It gets better after a while, don't worry," Neville encouraged him. He nearly dropped a glass, and Willow caught it for him. "Thanks! How about you just pop the pods? You'd be good at that."

"As long as I don't pass out, sure."

Willow took care to work as quickly as she could, darting between the boys whenever they were about to drop something. They ended up doing some extra plants, then still managed to finish early, much to Sam's relief. Madam Pomfrey gave them ten house points each for their work and sent them to their next classes early. They all headed to Care of Magical Creatures and waited patiently on the hillside above Hagrid's house. Sam flopped on the ground and sprawled out in the grass.

"I am so done with today already," he groaned.

"Why? Bubotubers kick your butt?" Willow teased.

"That should not be legal to teach, with how bad they smell. But no, I'm actually worried about Sally. She was acting odd on the train ride here, then when I asked her about it this morning, she blew me off. We always tell each other everything. Why change now?"

"Maybe it's something super personal that she'd rather deal with on her own?" Neville offered.

"No, it can't be, she'd still tell me," Sam said.

"Then maybe she's dealing with a girl issue? You know, romantic things?" Oliver tried.

Sam grimaced. "If that's it, I'm going to throw up. She might keep that stuff to herself, because we've never talked about it. I'd say I hope that's what it is, but if she brings a guy to me, I'm not sure if I can do that stupid protective brother thing."

"Then don't. Sally can defend herself," Willow chortled. She patted Sam's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll talk to her about it if she keeps acting weird. I've dealt with drama in Gryffindor Tower since day one."

"Thanks," Sam said, looking rather relieved.

Willow heard the bell ring to signal the end of class. The four made their way to Care of Magical Creatures, where Hagrid was excitedly bustling about a massive crate. When the rest of the class gathered around, they made the unpleasant discovery that they would be doing a class research project on a new breed of magical creature called blast-ended skrewts. Even Willow had to admit that they were rather repulsive. They smelled ten times worse than bubotuber pus, their back ends exploded every once in a while, and some even had stings. Willow had a newfound appreciation for her own magical creatures by the time class ended.

It was a nasty shock walking from the perfectly cool outdoors into the stifling heat of Professor Trelawney's tower. Willow desperately wished that she was allowed to wear shorts and a t-shirt around the castle instead of the hot, sweaty robes that were a constant requirement. She picked a table with Oliver, Cypress, and Neville far from the crackling fire, next to an open window. Only Oliver seemed to be okay with the extreme temperature, but even he was rather red in the face.

Right off the bat, Professor Trelawney resorted to her mystical self, explaining the trials and tribulations of learning Divination through the movements of celestial bodies. Willow soon learned that she was born under Jupiter, and it reminded her of her mother's lessons on the stars. She quickly lost herself in a very good memory, when she was no more than five years old, sitting under the stars with her mum as she explained the astrological signs. She particularly enjoyed her description of Sagittarius, which was Willow's own sign. It was definitely a Gryffindor sign, that much was clear...

Suddenly, Willow found herself standing in front of her mother, but this was a different version of her. This was Grace Fawley, not the Guerrero woman Willow had grown up knowing. Willow stumbled about for a few moments in shock, wondering how on Earth she'd managed to get here when she'd been in the North Tower, then realized that her mum was staring at her. The wind grazed Grace's hair as the woman stared directly into her daughter's eyes. Willow wondered if she was frozen until Grace suddenly turned on her heel and walked away.

Racing after her, Willow discovered that she was on the Fawley lawn, and it was greyer than ever. Grace was walking calmly but purposefully towards the mansion. Willow followed her at a distance, still confused. Was this a dream? Was this a memory? Or was she somehow here, really present at the Fawley Manor? She swallowed her fears and continued to follow Grace. She was here, so like it or not, she'd figure a way out of the situation.

Grace stopped at the edge of the mansion. She pulled out a wand and tapped it to a door, then stepped back as it transformed. Willow didn't recognize this part of the house. It had an awkward brick wall that butted up against brown siding, and the black door jutted out like a rotten tooth. Willow watched as the wall shifted to swallow up the door entirely, revealing a dark, spooky passageway. Grace ducked inside and lit her wand. Willow followed, heart beginning to pound against her ribs. Was this a trap?

She marched through winding passageways for what felt like miles before finally coming to a stop. Grace had reached a dead end, and now she turned to face her daughter, presenting a very odd-looking item. Willow peered at what appeared to be some sort of magical creature. It looked like someone had taken a hydra, mixed it with a runespoor, then bred it with a tiger. Willow didn't recognize it to be any hybrid creature she'd read about. The token was hand-carved, though, and it looked like the artisan had taken a great deal of time to make sure the details were correct.

Grace's sad eyes found Willow's once more, and she nodded affirmingly at her daughter. The older Fawley disappeared, leaving Willow alone with the token. She panicked when the light dispersed along with her mother. This was a trap! Why else would her mum guide her beneath her very own mansion? But why would Grace show her the token, then? What was the purpose of it all?

With a sickening groan, then a massive crack, Willow felt the mansion far overhead collapse. The dirt piled on top of her, crushing, suffocating, deafening, and there was nothing she could do. Willow scrambled in the pitch-black darkness to find something, anything to pull herself out with, but her wand was nowhere to be found, and her lungs were filling with debris. The oxygen slowly depleted until she was left gasping for air, only drawing in more soil into her dry mouth. She was dying...

And then she was back in the North Tower.

Willow blinked slowly, realizing she was on the ground. Oliver, Cypress, and Neville were standing over her, Professor Trelawney's dewy gaze not far away. Cheeks flooding with blood in embarrassment, Willow sat up, quickly jumping to her feet. She inconspicuously dusted herself off, but there was nothing unobtrusive about the way the whole class was staring at her. Willow cleared her throat and sat down at her table. Professor Trelawney looked like she was about to say something, then closed her mouth, for some reason thinking better of it.

"Broaden your minds!" she encouraged, walking among the students once more. "Embrace the clairvoyant vibrations of the room!"

"Willow, what just happened?" Oliver asked. "You were fine, and then you passed out, and you looked like you were struggling to breathe. I was worried Cypress accidentally poisoned you or something..."

"I would not do that!" Cypress protested. "I'm very careful about which potions I slip into her pumpkin juice!"

Oliver shot him a look. "You tested a strength potion on her last year that almost resulted in another ceiling collapse."

"That's different!" At another glance from the Hufflepuff, Cypress folded his arms across his chest and pouted like a little kid. "Hey, I'm not the one that volunteered. She wanted to have upper body strength for once in her life."

"That's true," Willow chortled. "But no, I wasn't poisoned this time."

"'This time'?" Neville yelped.

Cypress waved his question away. "Long story. What did you see, Willow? Was it another weird vision?"

"Weird would be an understatement. I was back at the Fawley Manor, and Grace was there. She didn't say anything, though, just walked to a part of the house I didn't recognize. It transformed into a sort of tunnel, and I followed her in – don't give me that look, Oliver, I know I'm stupid – and it led me to a dead end. Grace showed me this carving of a hydra-runespoor-tiger thing, and then disappeared, and all of a sudden the tunnel collapsed, and I nearly suffocated before waking up."

"Willow, how many times do we have to remind you not to walk into obvious traps?" Cypress said.

"As many times as it takes to get through my thick skull." Willow tapped her chin. "I don't know what it means. It hardly seemed like a vision at all, more like those twisted warnings that I sometimes get at night." She yawned widely. "Ugh, for all I know, I accidentally fell asleep, and it was nothing more than a dumb dream. I certainly have no idea why my mum would show me something like that, anyway. I've seen every part of the house, and I didn't recognize this wall. It had to be a dream. It had to be."

"As long as you're sure..." Neville said nervously. "I hope it's not a warning for something worse."

"Knowing me, it probably is," Willow snorted. She rubbed her aching head, the fumes of the room getting into her sinuses. "Merlin, I hope that class gets out soon. Divination messes with my head. Oliver, remind me later to go out and work with Cebba on getting rid of these stupid visions. I've been meaning to shake off the unnecessary powers for a few years now, but I never got around to it."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" Oliver asked, eyes clouding. "These warnings have helped you recently."

"If you mean helped me get into deep trouble, yes, you're correct, which is exactly why I need to get rid of them," Willow insisted. "Trust me, if you saw your whacked-up mum in half your visions, you'd want to get rid of them, too."

Oliver squeezed her hand. "I trust you."

"I don't," Cypress said.

"Liar," Willow chortled.

"You do walk into fire..."

"Cypress, I'm going to test Fred and George's newest pranks on you if you make one more snide comment."

"Snide comment."

Willow rolled her eyes. At that moment, the bell rang, and the friends shoved their things into their bags and ran for the ladder. They parted ways and headed to their separate lessons, Willow and Neville specifically ending up in Transfiguration. Willow struggled to pay attention for the majority of the lesson. Miranda lit his desk on fire at one point ("It was an accident, Professor, I swear!") to get her to participate in a conversation. Willow ended up entertaining her friends by letting Fidget and her fire-dwelling salamander play together on her desk. Something about the vision had really messed with her, and now her mind was clouded with worry. She knew she should have switched to a different elective this year. Even Ancient Runes had to be better than Divination at this point.

Willow's cloudy mood followed her to the Great Hall for dinner, where she ate in near silence. Her Gryffindor Sisters pestered her to talk to them, so she moved further down the table, where Ginny and Colin were chatting amiably. Willow noted that a familiar blonde Ravenclaw had joined them. She grinned to herself when she saw Luna's eyes light up as she talked. Ginny and Colin hung onto every word, apparently baffled and intrigued all at once by the way she blessed the air with interesting words. If Willow could paint an image of Luna's speech, it would be a collage of every color the world possessed. It was brilliantly beautiful.

"Willow, come have a seat, Luna was just telling us about wrackspurts!" Colin invited.

"Wrackspurts?"

"Invisible magical creatures that float in your ears and make your head go fuzzy," Luna explained, smiling. "My father talked about them all the time when I was young. I think your head is full of them at the moment."

"My head's full of something, alright," Willow muttered.

"Did something happen?" Ginny asked. "Luna's right, you look distracted."

"Oh- I'm fine. Divination and Transfiguration back to back, that's all. Two of my worst subjects." Willow threw a beam on her face. "It's nice to see that you guys got along so fast. I only introduced you this morning, didn't I?"

"Yes, but we had Herbology and Potions today, and those are both with Ravenclaw, so we got to partner up all afternoon!" Colin cheered. "Luna's brilliant at potions! Even Snape has nothing bad to say about her!"

Willow arched an eyebrow. "Really? Absolutely nothing?"

"No, though he didn't appear very happy one day in my first year. He seemed upset, and I made a positivity tonic instead of a cure for boils..." Luna said dreamily.

"Wow. I bet Cypress would like you. He's my Slytherin friend that's a potions genius."

"Is he the one that's always around Oliver Rivers?" Luna asked. When Willow nodded, her silver eyes sparkled. "He's mad for Oliver. Wrackspurts are all over him when they're together."

Willow laughed. "I know, right? I hope he finally makes a move this year, because Oliver is way too shy to ask him."

"Aw, do you think they'll finally be a real couple this year?" Ginny said. "They've been putting it off for ages! They've been acting like they're together since the beginning of last year! Have you ever seen them not glued to each other's side?"

"Once, but that was a life-or-death situation," Willow said. "That was my fault. Oliver was too busy kicking Molly's butt for me."

"Ooh, look, it's Professor Moody!" Colin suddenly squeaked, pointing to the other end of the Great Hall. "I wonder what he's doing? We haven't had him yet, but I've heard he's- "

"...bouncing a ferret?" Ginny said.

Willow stared in utter confusion at the scene. Harry was standing near the Gryffindor table with his wand out, the shoulder of his robes smoking. Moody had pulled out his wand and was now bouncing a ferret ten, twelve, fourteen feet in the air, the poor thing emitting squeaks of pain all the while. Willow noticed that Crabbe and Goyle were standing nearby, looking utterly helpless. It took her a few moments to put two and two together, then, with a great sputtering gasp, she burst into laughter, along with the rest of the Great Hall.

"That- that's Draco!" Willow wheezed. "He's turned Draco into a ferret! Oh, I don't care how much crap happened today, I'm in the best mood I've been since June!"

"Professor McGonagall appears unamused," Luna said, though there was a small smile on her face, too.

After a brief exchange between a very frantic McGonagall and Moody, Draco was transfigured back into himself and ushered into the dungeons to confront Snape about his behaviour. Willow said a hasty goodbye to her friends and ran up to Harry and Ron, who were still struggling not to laugh.

"That was awesome! What even happened?" Willow said breathlessly.

"Well, Draco was rubbing a Daily Prophet article in our face, about Dad, actually," Ron explained, still laughing between pauses. "He was being a real prick, and Harry insulted him right back, so Malfoy fired a spell at him, and Moody caught him doing it."

"Brilliant!" Willow exclaimed. "Even Snape can't look past Draco's behaviour when Moody personally escorts him down to his office. Maybe he'll finally you alone for a second."

"I give him two days, and he'll be back, but I've got loads of ammunition now," Harry chuckled. "I can't wait."

"Just wait until you have a class with him," George said, passing by with his twin. "He's really been there, knows what happens in the real world. I'll bet he knows how to defend against every dark spell there is."

"Really? Cypress is going to love him," Willow remarked. "He's always wanted to learn a bit of dark magic."

Fred grimaced. "That bloke's downright terrifying when he gets to his experimenting. Don't let him get too close to Moody, or they might take over the Ministry."

"Nah, Oliver won't let that happen. He has Cypress wrapped around his little finger."

"Speaking of your friends, you're being summoned, Willow."

Before she could even protest, Willow was kidnapped. She rolled her eyes, recognizing Miranda's pale arms around her middle, dragging her along the corridors until they reached the marble staircase. Miranda shot her a cheeky grin.

"Long time no see. You're lucky I didn't prank you in the middle of the Great Hall."

"There's still the rest of term," Willow reminded him.

"Don't give me any bright ideas."

"Hey, Mandy!" a boy called. Willow tensed up when Miranda visibly winced. "Did you get fed up with dresses and flowers? I thought girls were supposed to have– "

Before the boy could finish his taunt, Miranda raised his wand, and without even looking, he aimed it over his shoulder at the boy and blasted him into the opposite wall. Willow's eyebrows shot up. The boy groaned and slumped to the floor, looking like he'd been hit by a truck. Miranda, still not facing the boy, struggled to contain his laughter. He bit his lip, but it couldn't conceal the beam spreading from ear to ear. Willow put her arm around his shoulder.

"It's almost like I'm rubbing off on you."

"Almost," Miranda chortled.

"MIRANDA BROCKLEHURST!" McGonagall roared.

"That's our cue!" Willow said quickly.

The pair ran for it, darting up the marble steps in front of them. They tore down the corridors, even though McGonagall had not given chase, and didn't stop until they got to Ravenclaw Tower. Miranda answered the riddle before Willow could even blink. They entered the tower, stopped for a moment to marvel at a painting a sixth year had just completed, then proceeded to the winding staircase that led up to the girls dormitories. Willow was about to follow Miranda when the stairs suddenly turned into a slide, tossing the boy head-over-heels back into the common room.

"Miranda! What just happened?" Willow squeaked in surprise.

To her bewilderment, Miranda was laughing. "I'm sorry, I forgot about that! The staircases do that to anyone of the opposite gender unless they're accompanied by a friend of the correct gender. It happens all the time. Sometimes, on confusing days, I use it to figure out whether I'm male or female."

Willow furrowed her brow. "So if someone's non-binary...?"

"They'd either have access to both or get rejected all the time."

"The second option would suck." Willow walked up the first few steps, then held out a hand to pull Miranda to his feet. The stairs didn't change this time. "Sweet! Let's go spend some quality time with friends, shall we?"

Padma, Sue, and Lisa were all waiting for them in the dormitory. Within the next ten minutes, Cypress, Oliver, and the Smith twins also joined them. They all exchanged fiercely loving hugs, then proceeded to catch up with one another. Sue had spent the summer in Japan visiting family. Her cousins that went to Mahoutokoro allowed her to join them on a trip to study zouwus travelling between China and Japan. Padma and her twin Parvati had simply had a relaxing time at home, and Lisa spent the majority of her summer reading and visiting historical Muggle sites.

Cypress and the Smith twins, however, had a completely different summer. Sally and Sam had gone on vacation to a place in America called Disney World in Orlando, Florida. They went on and on about the fairy tales coming to life in live shows, singalongs, various rides, and themed dining options. Willow wondered how she'd been to New Zealand, but not Disney World. Carlos had some explaining to do! Before she could get up and owl her father, though, Cypress launched into a funny story of how he tricked his parents into buying him a beautiful potions set that they believed to be for what Muggles called chemistry. He came up with multiple concoctions over the summer and couldn't wait to try them out for real in his lab down in the dungeons.

Willow couldn't help but notice that Cypress and Oliver were super close the whole time they talked. Oliver was practically in Cypress's lap, and the blonde subconsciously held Oliver's hand. When she thought about it, Willow couldn't remember the last time Oliver and Cypress were in the same room and not touching. And those weren't the only two sitting suspiciously close. For some reason, Lisa and Miranda were mere millimeters apart from one another. Whenever Miranda talked, Lisa's eyes shone with a light that Willow had only seen in Oliver's when Cypress was complimenting him. Was she going to have not one, but two couples to look after by the end of the year?

About halfway through their time, Sally abruptly got up and announced that she had to do homework. No one said anything, but one look around the room told her that everyone was thinking the same thing: what the heck was up with her? It was natural by this point for the friend group to do their homework with one another when they hung out for longer than fifteen minutes. In fact, Lisa and Padma had already pulled theirs out! Was Sally...avoiding them?

"Okay, something's up," Miranda said when Sally had gone. "We all know it. Sam, any ideas?"

He shook his head. "None. Willow and Oliver tried to help me figure it out earlier, but we've got nothing."

"Well, it's definitely not because of a boy, because she always tells us about that," Lisa deducted. "So it has to be something else."

"Did anything happen to her?" Willow asked. "She looked awfully shaken up last night."

"No, she would have said something."

"Huh. I guess we'll have to wait and see, then, because I'm not about to confront a Gryffindor," Miranda said.

"Wise plan."

The group descended into a comfortable silence, then eventually started their homework, already complaining about the markedly heavier load. Willow pretended not to be aware she was doing everyone's History of Magic paper for them, and Oliver was apparently not telling everyone the answers to the first half of the Herbology assignment. It was a wonder they never got caught "helping" their friends like this. When Willow came upon Cypress's Defense Against the Dark Arts paper, she gasped.

"You're doing research on the Unforgivable Curses?"

"Yeah. You haven't had Moody yet?" Cypress asked. Willow shook her head, and his eyes lit up. "Oh man, have you missed out. Wait until his first lesson. It's brutal, but worth paying attention to."

"That's what I've heard!"

"You don't pay attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Lisa said, eyes wide.

"Only when it suits my plans for world domination." At a look from Oliver, he flopped back on the bed, sighing. "Ugh, fine, it's not world domination, it's world redistribution of power. That better?"

Oliver grinned and ruffled his hair. "Yes."

"You two are so cute," Sam remarked.

Oliver reddened profusely, but Cypress only smirked. "If you mean Oliver's stolen all the cuteness for himself, you're one hundred percent correct. Aw, dang it, he's even cuter when he's blushing! Oliver, stop making me smile! I can't conquer the world if you keep looking at me like that!"

"Then I'm going to keep looking at you like this forever," Oliver chuckled.

"Wow, you couldn't care less if the whole of the world was firing spells at you, but Oliver takes one look at you and he brings you to your knees?" Miranda said. "That's so adorable and sad at the same time."

"It's a Slytherin thing," Cypress grumbled.

"Leave it to a Hufflepuff to tame a Slytherin," Sue said.

"Can you tame a Slytherin, though?" Willow asked. "I mean, a Gryffindor, absolutely not, but a Slytherin?"

"Let's face it, we're both insufferable," Sam admitted.

"Now that is the one and only thing Gryffindors and Slytherins will ever agree on," Cypress said.

Willow tapped her foot on the floor. Charms was always a fascinating subject, but when she had a double period of it, the extra practice got kind of boring. That, and she couldn't wait to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts. She needed to get another read on Moody, a thorough one, before she could judge the man. Sure, he seemed sporadic and dangerous, but hey, wasn't she? If everyone judged her for her face value, she wouldn't have any friends. She had to keep an open mind about this guy. Besides, from the way everyone was talking, he had a special treat lined up for them.

The bell finally rang, and Willow was the first one out of the door. She raced through the corridors, waved hello to a few friends along the way, and finally arrived outside Moody's classroom. The Professor himself arrived minutes later, and Willow followed her classmates into the room, peering excitedly at the new decorations. Moody had collected all sorts of old, new, and mysterious contraptions. There was an odd-looking mirror that displayed wispy, ghost-like faces that Willow didn't recognize, and in the farthest corner, a bigger version of what appeared to be a sneakoscope spun like a top on its own accord. The desks had been arranged into the classic rows and columns with a big aisle down the middle. The bit of natural light the windows let in seemed cold and impersonal. Unlike Lupin's style, this room was not exactly warm and welcoming, but it didn't scare anyone away, either.

Miranda, Lisa, Sue, and Padma took their seats behind Willow. She sat in an aisle chair, learning from previous experience that a quick getaway was a necessity when dealing with Dark arts. Catastrophe, whether her own fault or not, almost always occurred on a weekly basis. Willow made herself comfortable, putting her feet up on the desk like a punk. She noted that Moody's magical eye swivelled in her direction, but failed to call her out on her behaviour, instead making the announcement that they wouldn't need their books today. Willow smiled to herself. She was going to like this guy.

Moody called out the names of each student, then proceeded to the lesson. Willow nearly fell out of her chair when the professor said they would be studying curses right away. She wasn't expecting him to be so straightforward, but then again, this was the man that marched into the Great Hall amid a lightning storm and managed to ignore hundreds of curious eyes. Moody was a true veteran of magical law enforcement. Of course he would teach them about Dark magic straight away; if they wanted to defend themselves, they needed to know what they were up against!

Moody pulled out three jars of spiders. He placed one on his palm, then asked for the class to tell him the first of the three Unforgivable Curses. Ron gave the correct answer: the Imperius curse. Willow laughed along with all the others as Moody sent the spider into a series of acrobatics she doubted a free-willing spider would be able to perform. It even did a tap dance at Moody's command. The professor didn't laugh, though, and soon, the class realized why. Moody explained that he had complete control of the spider, and if he wished, he could make the spider launch itself out the window, drown itself, or even toss itself down one of their throats.

Willow knew this already, of course, as her father had taught her all about the Unforgivable Curses after Grace left, but the sudden shift in mood got to her. If any one of them was under the Imperius curse, they'd be in serious danger. Willow had seen the effects of the Imperius Curse firsthand, and she didn't know if she'd ever stop reliving the moment, wondering what was going on in the victim's head. It was awful, the things a Dark wizard could make an innocent wizard do. Murderers could take the blood off their hands simply by making someone else perform the task. Willow suddenly felt like her breakfast wasn't going to stay down.

Fidget poked his head out of her pocket, sensing her cloudy mind. She quickly tried to shove him back in, but Moody's magical eye had already swiveled in her direction, and his eyes narrowed. Willow gulped as he paused, the moment stretching out farther than time should have allowed, the class beginning to look in her direction in confusion. But Moody looked away and continued the lesson without giving her a second glance. That was the second time he'd let her get away with something. He had already called out two students for doing Divination homework during the lesson, yet he allowed her to have an illegal pet in his classroom. What was up with this dude?

The sound of Neville's voice yanked Willow out of her thoughts. Moody praised him for knowing the name of the Crutiatus Curse. Willow sucked in a sharp breath when he uttered the incantation. She fortunately had never seen the curse or been its victim, but she'd come close last year at the Ministry. They tortured her and Grace with horrible spells that caused enormous amounts of pain. She couldn't imagine the agony of a literal torture spell, but with the spider writhing in pain before her very eyes, she had an idea of what it would be like.

Willow's hand shot to her head when her powers practically electrocuted her temple. She glanced to her right to see Neville sitting across the aisle from her. At first, she wondered why she'd been warned, as he was whispering something to Dean and Seamus, but when he turned back to face the front, she gasped at how pale his face had turned. Neville gripped the sides of his desk with white knuckles. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the spider, being tortured mercilessly by Moody's curse. Hermione had apparently noticed, too, because she pleaded with Professor Moody to stop, and he finally released the spell. The damage had been done, though. Neville still stared at the spider, eyes wide, horror draining the color from his skin. Willow recognized that look, and it broke her heart.

That's what she looked like after a nightmare.

Willow swallowed her own pain at seeing Neville so terrified, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. She listened intently to Professor Moody's speech to drown out her own thoughts. She wished she hadn't, though, when she realized there was only one more curse left to show them. Willow dug her nails into her arm to ground herself. She'd seen it before, all right, but for some reason, the atmosphere of the classroom was getting to her. It felt like she was sharing the worst of her memories with the entire class. Her Gryffindor Sisters tried to get her attention to distract her, but Willow's eyes were glued to the spider, waiting for the inevitable, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

Moody aimed his wand at the spider. "Avada Kedavra!"

There was a brilliant flash of green, and as if she was watching in slow motion, Willow saw the spider topple over, sensed the life being snatched from its body, and witnessed it landing upside-down on Moody's desk. It was dead instantly.

All of a sudden, a tightness filled Willow's chest. Her mouth went dry. She tried to inhale but found her airways blocked. It was like someone had stuffed cotton balls down her throat. Willow desperately tried to move air through her chest, and again was unsuccessful. Her brain raced a thousand miles a minute. Sweat dripped into her eyes. She tried to close them and only saw that bright green flash, this time illuminating her brother's innocent face. Panic gripped her like an iron fist. She needed to get out. She had to escape, and now.

"Willow, are you okay?" Miranda whispered, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Willow jerked away. "Please – don't touch me right now – I need to go – I need to get out of here– "

"Willow, what– ?"

Before she even knew what she was doing, Willow was on her feet. Professor Moody called for her to sit down, but she hardly heard him, instead making a beeline for the door. Willow ran through the corridors. Black dots danced in front of her eyes, and her legs felt like jelly. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't see. All she felt was the swish of the spell as it brushed past her, hitting the one person she cared about more than anything in the world, and she kept reliving it, over and over and over, maybe a hundred times in a single moment. She had to save him – but it was too late – she should have acted sooner – he was dead, gone, right before her eyes–

And then Willow found herself in the girls' lavatory, all alone. Her stomach heaved, and Willow ran for the nearest toilet, where she lost her breakfast. She stumbled over to the sink and washed her mouth and face. She turned off the faucet when she was done, then leaned on the sink, her hands shaking violently as they supported her seemingly heavy weight. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw that her face had gone ghost white. She couldn't tell whether it was water or sweat dripping from her forehead. Everything was a blur. Everything was a mess. She was a mess.

Willow didn't know how long she stood there, staring at her reflection, but one moment she was there, and the next moment, she was hyperventilating on the floor, her memories threatening to swallow her. She tried the shut them out, to force them away, but today they had gained the upper hand. Willow relived it all from beginning to end, again and again, minute after minute. She wanted to cry so badly but couldn't summon the tears. She was wrapped up in her own panic.

Rion was sleeping – his face was so angelic in the moonlight – Willow smiled – then there were voices – footsteps echoed off the walls – the door burst open – there was screaming – a blinding flash of green light – Rion's eyes snapped open – then the light disappeared – Willow could see the stars in his eyes – she tried to scream – her voice caught in her throat–

"Willow. It's okay. You're safe."

Willow felt her voice grow hoarse and realized she was screaming. She shook her head, hovering between her memories and the present moment, feeling her soul trying to split apart.

"You're at Hogwarts. You're in the girls' bathroom. It's quarter past four, and you just finished Defense Against the Dark Arts class. You're safe."

Willow's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was a warm pair of brown eyes. Then she noted the wavy brown locks of hair. She felt two pairs of arms around her. She finally recognized Paige, then on her other side, George. Willow gasped and sat upright, scooting back from them, her body shaking from head to toe. She gripped her chest and realized she could finally breathe again. Willow propped herself up against the wall, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"What just happened?" she panted.

"You were having a panic attack," Paige said softly.

"What? No. Absolutely not." Willow shook her head, letting out a mirthless laugh. "Heck no. I don't get those."

"I hate to say this Willow, but I think you actually do," George sighed. "Sam came to get us. He said that you freaked out after Moody showed you guys the Killing Curse."

"Freak out is a much better definition," Willow said.

"No, Willow, it's not," Paige said firmly. "Jewel has them every once in a while because of her abusive parents. I learned a few tricks to help her with them. That one there? That was called grounding. It seemed to help you pretty well."

Willow's face reddened. "I do not have panic attacks. I'm fine."

"I think that's the closest you're going to get to a thank-you, Paige," George chuckled.

Paige rolled her eyes, but she gave Willow a certain look. "Fine. You're coming to dinner, though. I'm keeping an eye on you."

"What? No, I'm not even hungry." Willow got to her feet, instinctively backing up toward the door. "I had a really big breakfast – don't look at me like that, I skip lunch all the time – and I'd rather get a head start on homework."

"Are you seriously running off because you're embarrassed?" Paige scoffed.

"I'll admit to that as long as you stop saying I have panic attacks!" Willow called over her shoulder as she took off towards Gryffindor Tower.

George tossed a Puddle Pod at her, soaking her to the bone. Willow rolled her eyes. At least he knew how to lighten her mood after such an emotional breakdown. Willow avoided all the main passageways, preferring the quiet back way to Gryffindor Tower. She tried to block out the emotions surging within her. She would never admit it, but that was definitely a flashback, and even though she wouldn't call it panic attack, it was something equally horrible. Her throat was already sore from struggling to breathe so long. The last time something like that had happened was Halloween second year, and before that, months before her first year. Why did the Killing Curse affect her so much now, of all times? What if she'd broken down in the middle of class? Everyone would have heard her screaming to Rion! She could have outed her darkest secret!

Willow clenched her hands into fists as she jumped over the disappearing stair in the tapestry staircase. She had to get this under control. If everyone found out her secret...she'd never recover. Everyone would see her as weak. The professors would coddle her. Her fellow Gryffindors would try to comfort her at every turn. Willow clenched her fists as she stepped through the portrait hole. She was going to get rid of these flashbacks if it killed her!

Willow's senses picked up faint sniffling. She cast around the common room, then realized it was coming from upstairs. She climbed the spiral staircase until she reached the fourth year floor. Willow did a double-take when she realized someone was crying in the boys' dormitory. She quietly waited outside for a few minutes, then noiselessly pushed the door open, accidentally scaring Neville.

"Oh! I'm sorry – didn't expect to see you– " Neville stuttered.

"Neville? Are you okay?" Willow asked.

"Y-Yeah." Willow shot him a look, and he relented, slumping against the frame of his four-poster. She noticed the red rim around his eyes as he spoke again. "No, not really. Not at all."

Willow sat down beside him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Neville paused. "I...I don't know what happened. I saw Moody perform that curse on the spider, and I guess, I dunno, it freaked me out a little because of what happened – because of what happened with my, uh...parents."

"Your parents?" Willow had never heard Neville talk about his parents before, but she'd never wondered why until now.

"I don't really tell anyone this, but...they were in the Order of the Phoenix, when the wizarding war against Voldemort started. A Death Eater named Bellatrix Lestrange tried to force information out of them. They wouldn't give in. She used the Crutiatus Curse on them, but they still refused to give up, and she tortured them into insanity. They live in St. Mungo's, and that's why I stay with my grandma. I'm proud to be their son. It's just..." Neville sniffled. "It kind of sucks, when the parents that sacrificed everything for me don't recognize their own son."

Neville broke into quiet sobs. Willow put her arms around him, drawing the boy closer to her side. Neville clutched her shoulders like he'd fade into nothing if she let go. Willow's heart shattered into an infinite number of tiny pieces. She never thought to ask why Neville lived with his grandmother, and now she felt terrible about not supporting him sooner. She thought her life was bad with one crazy parent and one real one...Neville had none.

"I'm so sorry, Neville. No one should have to go through that," Willow whispered.

"It's not your fault," Neville whimpered. "I guess seeing what they went through, even in an educational setting, really got to me, made what happened to them real. I normally can handle talking about them, but...what happened to them was so much worse than anything I could have imagined."

Willow drew in a slow breath. "Neville, can I tell you something? I think it's only fair, since you spilled your guts to me."

"You don't have to..."

"Well, Oliver would want me to, so I'm going to." She exhaled to calm her racing heart. "When I saw the Killing Curse just now, I had a horrible flashback, about the day my mum went crazy. That's why I ran out of the room. I thought I was long over having flashbacks, since it happened so long ago, but I was wrong. I relived everything. What I'm trying to say is that there's no rhyme or reason to this kind of thing; it kind of comes and goes as it pleases, leaving us feeling like crap."

"I didn't know you had flashbacks," Neville murmured.

Willow let out a mirthless chuckle. "Well, it's not exactly something I like to talk about. I feel like others would see me as weak if they knew. I can't be seen as weak. If people don't respect me, then how am I supposed to be a leader?"

"Willow, people wouldn't see you as weak. They might think of you as more human, actually." Neville looked at her through broken eyes. "Having emotions is what keeps you human, you know."

"I do know, which is why I ignore them. I'm not human. I'm– " Willow paused. "What do you call a witch that's cursed with phenomenal powers and a prophecy?"

"A doomed human."

"Damn it, Neville, stop characterizing me as human," Willow chortled. A ghost of a smile touched Neville's lips. "I know, I'm a hypocrite. I say that it's okay for everyone else to be emotional, then refuse to cry myself. I actually haven't cried in months."

"That's not healthy."

"No, it's not. But it's how I deal with my emotions. I've learned to keep them in emotion bottles and eventually chuck them at someone or something. It's a very dysfunctional way of doing things."

"We're Gryffindors. Isn't that our forte? Dysfunctional?" Neville snorted.

"Is that a smile I'm detecting, Longbottom?" Willow gasped.

"Absolutely not. I'm all doom and gloom. How dare you insinuate me being happy."

"Now that's the happiness-and-rainbows Neville I know." Willow ruffled his hair. "Seriously, though, if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here to listen. I have no qualms about running right out of class to help."

"Well, don't get yourself detention, but thanks."

Willow heard the first group of Gryffindors reenter the Tower. She hugged Neville one last time, then left the dormitory, hoping to make it to the secret room before her friends could intercept her. She was thankfully successful, and slipped inside just as the majority of the Gryffindors returned from dinner. Griffin and Phoebe tackled her immediately. Willow laughed when V, Felicity, Patch, and even the fire-dwelling salamander jumped on top of her, too. Fidget fought his way out of her pocket and climbed on Griffin's head, chirping ecstatically.

"Hi, guys, I know you missed me," Willow chuckled. "How are you all doing? Did you get lonely already?"

Griffin bobbed his head up and down as if to say yes, he did get lonely, even though he saw more people on a daily basis at the castle than he did at home. Willow rolled her eyes and noted the collection of paintings, easels, and various colored pencils, pens, chalks, pastels, and paints that had somehow found their way into the room. The vast majority of the paintings were images of the creatures at play, whether individually or all together. Willow marvelled at the incredible detail the artist had put into his work. Dean and Seamus had obviously been spending a great deal of time in here. A few of Neville's exotic (probably semi-illegal) pet plants were scattered throughout the room, too. Willow was glad to be able to share the room with the Gryffindor boys.

A buzzing on her wrist alerted Willow to an incoming call on her watch. She tapped the screen, and Sirius's face appeared in it. Something was wrong, though. He looked like he was ready to jump through the screen.

"Sirius, what's wrong? Did you– ?" Willow began.

"YOU HAD A PANIC ATTACK?!"

"What? No, I didn't– damn it, Paige!" Willow groaned. "They tattled on me, didn't they? I should have known they had their own watches!"

"Are you okay? You haven't had a panic attack in nearly two years!" Sirius visibly paced around a small area. "They shouldn't be teaching you about Unforgivable Curses so young. They should have cleared it with all the parents first. You had no warning! Of course it caused you to have a panic attack, it would probably set me off, too– "

"Sirius, I'm fine," Willow interrupted. "It wasn't a panic attack, either, it was a flashback."

"Same thing!"

"No, it's not. I'm fine, I got a refresher on what I'm up against with the Fawleys, and I got another emotional breakdown out of my system. I should be good for another five, six months now."

"Willow, that's not how emotions work."

"Sure they do! For me, anyway."

Sirius gave her a look. "Joking around isn't going to get you out of this conversation."

Willow sighed, her fakely happy expression melting away. "Fine. But I'm not calling it a panic attack. I just had a not-so-wonderful reminder of what happened to Rion. I got to relive it more times than I ever do in a dream. It was...not great. I saved my pride by running out of the classroom, but Paige and George obviously saw me, so...yay. Now they're going to coddle me."

"They're not going to coddle you, Willow, they're just going to make sure you're okay – you know, something good friends do. I'd be concerned about your choice in friends if they didn't keep an eye on you."

"Well, I don't want them to worry about me, okay?" Willow snapped. "I don't deserve their concern! They need to worry about themselves!"

Sirius blinked. "Willow....are you sure you're okay?"

She slumped down next to Griffin, the anger melting away into numbness. She rubbed her hands down her face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. That's on me. Yeah, I'm okay, though. I have to be okay. I've got to save the world by the end of my schooling, right? I can't do that if my past gets the best of me all the time."

"It's okay to not be okay, you know."

Willow swallowed the lump in her throat. "I know."

"I really wish I could hug you through this screen."

"Yeah, well, I'm not much for hugs, but that's probably why you want to," Willow said, a ghost of a smile touching her lips. "I miss you. Siriusly."

"Did you just– ? You know what, I'll let that joke slide, just because it's a superior joke." Sirius gave her a reassuring smile. "I miss you too, Willow. Hopefully we'll get to see each other soon."

"Doubt it."

"There's that cheeky optimism I missed." Sirius sighed, the happiness draining from his expression. The sun was beginning to set in the background. "I've got to go. Don't do anything stupid without me."

"I'll try not to. Bye, Sirius."

Willow stared at the screen long after Sirius's face disappeared, the sadness lingering in her heart until well after she left the room.

The days dragged by. Willow missed Sirius more than ever. She talked to her friends and hung out with her Gryffindor Sisters frequently to offset the pain, but it couldn't replace the second father figure in her life. Willow desperately wished that Sirius could clear his name, that he would be safe wherever he went, that maybe, just maybe, he could move into the Guerrero mansion and not have to look over his shoulder, yet that wasn't the reality of the situation. The moment he came out of hiding, the Ministry would send a horde of aurors and dementors, and Sirius would be without a soul before she knew it.

So Willow lugged herself from class to class, bogged down with immeasurable amounts of homework, even on the weekends. She threw herself into each and every task with the hopes that it would quiet her raging mind. She learned all about various goblin wars, useful charms, deadly potions, tricky transfiguration methods, and interesting plants. Only Divination could bore her to death, with its planetary movements predicting her death at every turn. Willow was glad she didn't believe it.

A few weeks into term, Professor Moody decided that it was time to practice curse-breaking. The students pushed their desks to the sides of the classroom and put all their books and quills away. They weren't even allowed to use a wand. Moody lined them up, and one by one, he placed the Imperius Curse on them. The students suddenly became very talented, doing tap dances on desks, singing beautiful opera songs, and even performing perfect cartwheels across the room. So far, the only ones able to fight the curse were Miranda and Harry, and the latter had fully broken the curse after several rounds of practice. Willow certainly hoped she would break it; she was one of the few students in the whole school that practiced occlumency. Maybe that would factor into curse-breaking.

"Ready, Guerrero?" Moody barked.

Willow pulled her head out of the clouds. "Yes, Professor!"

"On the count of three. One...two...three! Imperio!"

The strangest sensation Willow had ever experienced befell her. Her mind went very fuzzy. She couldn't string two thoughts together. It reminded her of being in full flashback mode, but without the panic. She'd gone blissfully ignorant. Numb, that was the better word. Willow began to wonder why she was in a classroom, and why there were so many people watching her.

Do a handstand.

Willow furrowed her brow. Who was talking to her? Why should she do a handstand? The last time she'd done one of those was when she did gymnastics, and that was when her brother was doing it with her. Rion was always better at– 

Do a handstand, now!

Willow bit her tongue. She was about to yell back at the man. She didn't want to do a handstand! The students around her watched intently, and their gazes seemed to bore into her skull. She'd fall and embarrass herself if she did a handstand! Willow growled at the man in front of her. Moody. That was his name. And he was holding a wand, which he'd used to...what had he done to her?

DO A HANDSTAND!

NO! Willow screamed in her head. She was busy trying to figure out what was going on! What had Moody done to her? It was some sort of spell...and a bad one, too....the Imperius Curse! That's what it was! He was controlling her mind! Which meant...she was supposed to do what he said? No, wait, she was supposed to fight it!

"I'm not going to do a handstand today, thank you very much," Willow said. She could feel the bubble of numbness pop. The bliss that had accompanied the spell faded away, and she was grateful to have her independence back. "Wow. That does feel weird."

Moody clapped his hands. "Well done, Guerrero, well done!"

Willow blushed when the rest of the class clapped. "Uh, that's not necessary, I'm just– "

"One more round, and you'll break it right away!"

"Wait, what?"

Before Willow could blink, Moody had cast the curse on her once more, and the fog swirled in her brain. She cut right through it, though, this time remembering what she had to do within seconds. Willow pushed back against the oppressor, forcing her way through his commands, desiring complete, total independence. She couldn't stand being under anyone else's command! She closed her eyes and reached out in her mind, finally finding that tether that was tying her to Moody, and she pulled back on it. The ropes were under her command now. Willow yanked hard on the invisible cord, and a sensation of cold water splashing over her head snapped her eyes open.

Moody was doing a sort of happy jig around his desk, a deranged glee on his face. Willow clapped a hand to her mouth when she realized that was her fault. The curse had somehow rebounded onto its caster when she fought back. Willow desperately closed her eyes and willed for it to stop, mentally severing the rope. The bubble popped once more, and this time, when she looked to Moody, the man had stopped dancing. Instead, he was frozen in place, staring at Willow with both eyes.

"You rebounded an Unforgivable Curse," he growled. "That's near impossible. Do you have any idea how powerful your magic has to be to do that?"

Willow shrugged, trying to brush off all the stares of her classmates. "Oh, I'm sure it's a mistake, my magic can't be that powerful– "

"Oh yes it is, Guerrero. Only the most powerful of witches and wizards can rebound an Unforgivable Curse."

Willow couldn't take it anymore. "I'm just...gonna go now..."

She picked up her books in one swoop and hurried out of the room. Willow thanked God that the bell rang less than a minute after she left, and she was able to blend in with the crowd. She placed her free hand over her racing heart. How did she do that? How did she know to do that? Moody sensed the power in her. If he got too curious, he could discover her lineage, and even her extra powers. She knew she should trust her professors, but with Moody, she wasn't sure when to trust him and when to not.

Willow raced to the Great Hall and sat down between George and Paige. To her relief, they didn't say a word, obviously seeing her distraught face. She ran a hand through her hair and dove into a roast beef sandwich.

God, I need a therapist.


	64. Year 4: Chapter 3

"The hell is she playing at?" Miranda groaned. "We already have three extra books to read for Charms! How are we supposed to read this textbook tonight? When are we going to sleep?"

"We're not going to," Willow sighed. "Why isn't there a spell that allows me to learn this in two seconds?"

"There probably is, we're just not allowed to learn it," Lisa said.

"And I cared about rules when?"

Lisa shot a look at Miranda. "Since it could get you expelled."

"Aw, Lisa, don't tell me you'd miss my sarcastic comments," Miranda teased.

Lisa suddenly blushed. She accidentally dropped her wand, and Miranda caught it before it could clatter to the floor. Lisa was red as a tomato when her hand brushed Miranda's as he handed it back. "Um – sorry – I'm such a klutz – I should– I should get McGonagall – to check on us– "

Lisa stood up and hurried away. Willow cocked an eyebrow at Miranda, and he leaned back in his chair.

"Huh. I didn't know she fancied me."

"How did you figure that out so fast?" Willow spluttered. "It took me two years to know that Paige and George had an eye on me!"

"I'm very intuitive. Common sense is a thing, too, that you lack."

Willow rolled her eyes. "I know, I know, it's a typical Gryffindor thing. What are you going to do about Lisa, anyway? Do you fancy her as well?"

It was Miranda's turn to go scarlet. For a moment, he lost the ability to speak, then he cleared his throat and smiled evenly at Willow. "Okay. I was not expecting that. Have you always been this straightforward?"

"Forward, not straight."

"God, you're even getting better at bisexual puns."

Willow folded her hands and leaned over her desk. "Well? Do you or do you not fancy her?"

"I've never actually considered it, but...I don't know, maybe?"

"The amount of blood rushing into your cheeks screams otherwise." When Miranda deadpanned at her, Willow laughed. "You do fancy her! I knew it!"

"How does me looking at you constitute an answer?"

"It's all in your face."

"I thought you had zero emotional intelligence?"

"Well, I just got some." The bell rang, and Willow grabbed her books. She gave Miranda a giddy grin. "I'm convening with the Gryffindor Sisters later on the best way for you to ask Lisa out. There's no backing out of it now."

"I hate you."

"I love you, Miranda!"

Willow practically skipped to her next class. The prospect of making a pair of her friends over-the-moon happy vaulted her mood above the clouds. Not even an extremely challenging Potions hour could put a damper on her spirits. Draco forced his way to her side and made a point of not speaking to her for the entire class. Willow and he worked in tandem: her preparing all the ingredients, him brewing the potion, and each finishing their tasks right in time for the other. It was rather pleasing to Willow that Draco worked so well with her; it evidently ticked him off, as he couldn't find anything to berate her on for an entire class period. His spending the majority of his Potions classes with her in an effort to create chaos had now backfired in his face.

They finished the potion early, per usual, and Willow meandered her way over to Cypress's workstation. The Slytherin was so zeroed in on slicing a lump of what looked like fish guts that he nearly jumped when Willow said hello.

"Don't scare me like that when I've got a knife in my hand!" Cypress cried. "This thing could cut off your whole hand in a heartbeat!"

"Why do you keep your knives that sharp?" Willow countered.

Cypress shrugged. "For fun."

"For fun. Ah. Yes. That clears everything up." Willow avoided an elbow to the ribs. "More violence! I'm hoping your homicidal tendencies mean you're in full science mode?"

"Of course it does! I'm closer than ever to finishing this color-changing potion!" Cypress finished cutting up the lumpy, oozing substance, then threw it in his cauldron. He sighed when the bubbles turned blue. "Great. I'll have to break into Snape's private stores again...where's the Metamorphagus? I need a strand of his hair."

"You'll see him in Care of Magical Creatures next."

"But I want a strand of his hair now!"

"Cypress, patience is a good virtue– "

" –that I don't possess and is highly unnecessary when I'm in the middle of finishing a potion for Oliver. Now, if I could just find that dragon liver, and those fairy wings, I might be able to get started on another component of– "

"Wait, this potion is for Oliver?" Willow interrupted.

"Yeah, why?"

Willow folded her arms, smirking at her blonde friend. "So that's why you're making such a fuss about it. It's for his new plant, isn't it? He said something about wanting to change the color of the leaves to blue or purple."

Cypress shot her a look. "I swear to Merlin, if you tell him– "

"Cypress, it's obvious you fancy him. Why not make a move?"

"I'll make my move when the time is right. And right now, it's time for me to finish this potion before Oliver has Herbology tomorrow."

Willow took a step back, shaking her head. "Wow. Two pairs of my friends are into each other already. Before I know it, the love bug is going to ensnare us all in its deadly trap."

Cypress's head snapped up. His eyes sparked with icy blue electricity. "Wait, who else?"

"First off, you just admitted that you're into Oliver. Second, it's Lisa and Miranda."

Cypress gasped. "Oh. My. God. We have to get them together. When should we plan their first date? Oh, and they have to have a ship name! Liranda? No...Mirlisa? Yes, I like Mirlisa the best!"

"Don't worry, I'm asking Lavender and Fay the best way to help Miranda tonight."

"Beautiful! Let me in on that when you're done, will you?"

Willow promised Cypress all of the details. The bell rang soon after, and they headed off to Care of Magical Creatures together. Cypress somehow snuck up behind Miranda and yanked a hair off his head without the Ravenclaw noticing. He even managed a normal conversation with him afterward, and Miranda didn't suspect a thing. Willow seriously wondered if Cypress wouldn't end up being a great auror someday.

Throughout Care of Magical Creatures, Willow attended to all of her friends as they dealt with the blast-ended skrewts. Even though the creatures were downright ugly, they were growing on her. She gently handled them and avoided getting stung by the surlier of the bunch. Sam looked ready to pass out when one attached itself to his leg. Mia and Fay downright refused to feed them. Only Oliver, Neville, and Cypress managed to get through the lesson without so much as a hint of complaint. It wasn't until the bell rang to signal lunch that Willow noticed Sally was missing once again.

"Sam, where's Sally?" she asked.

"In the hospital wing. She's got a nasty cold again," Sam groaned. "Coughed so hard it gave her a bloody nose this morning."

"Ouch. I hope she gets better. Maybe we should visit her later today?"

"You're on your own with that. I'm not catching the plague." Sam shielded his eyes with his hand and peered up at the castle. "What's with the crowd in the Entrance Hall?"

Willow ran up the hillside with Sam hot on her heels. They managed to shove their way to the front of the throng of students, where they found a new notice on the bulletin. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would be arriving on October 30 at six in the evening. Willow could hardly contain her excitement as fervent whispers broke out among the students. She pushed her way back through the crowd and found Dean, Seamus, and Neville on her way into the Great Hall.

"Can you believe it? We're really going to meet students from other schools!" Dean cheered. "They're staying here, at Hogwarts! I wonder if they'll give up a few secrets while they're here?"

"Doubt it. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons are as secretive as it gets," Seamus said. "The locations of their schools are some of the closest guarded secrets they hold."

"I've heard Beauxbatons is notorious for veela girls," Sam remarked. "I hope they bring some with them."

Willow slapped Sam. "Don't wish that on yourself! You'll be drooling over them instead of doing your homework!"

"Since when have I done my homework?"

"That's a fair point," Neville said.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Alright, smartarse, it's your funeral. Am I allowed to laugh when you forget how to speak in front of the veela? Wait, I should take embarrassing photographs to keep as blackmail!"

"Now that's just cruel."

They found their seats at the Gryffindor table, which was already filling with excitable students. The prospect of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students had sent the Hogwarts students into a frenzy. Over the next few weeks, the castle was scrubbed clean, Filch terrified first years into hysterics over tracking in mud, and the professors went crazy over covering up their worst students' lack of talent. McGonagall was more strict than ever. She snapped at Neville more than necessary for his failures in class and became a sort of vigilante over Gryffindor students' choices of dress.

When October 31st came, classes ended a half hour early, and Professor McGonagall ushered all the Gryffindors into the Entrance Hall. Willow fought her way to the Gryffindor Sisters and handed her cloak to a shivering Parvati. Sally was missing once again, but Willow figured she'd gotten jostled to the side by the hundreds of students around them. The biting late October air felt good on Willow's skin. She hoped McGonagall wouldn't see her standing there in shorts and a t-shirt and give her a month's worth of detention.

First to arrive was the Beauxbatons carriage. Palomino horses the size of a small house landed on the Hogwarts grounds, tossing their heads in all their magnificence. The size of the Headmistress, Madame Maxime, explained the need for such an enormous mode of travel. Willow was certain she was half-giant, the same as Hagrid. She never thought she'd see one in her life, let alone two, but the wizarding world was crazy, after all. Maxime's students were plainly the opposite of her: small, lean, and rather frail. They drew their silken garments closer to themselves and muttered about the freezing temperature. Willow couldn't help but giggle under her breath. Wait until January gets here!

Durmstrang was next to arrive. After a few minutes of tense anticipation, a worn pirate-like ship rose from the depths of the Black Lake. The students donned heavy fur coats and seemed rather unaffected by the cold. Willow assumed they were from somewhere up north, maybe Norway. None of the boys struck her as remarkable aside from their muscular, heavy builds. The girls, though, were a different story. Most sported the same athletic body types, but their sharp eyes told of deep intelligence and strong beliefs. Their Headmaster greeted Dumbledore in a strong accent. Willow automatically distrusted him because of his wicked-looking smile.

The students from all three schools were herded into the Great Hall, where every Hogwarts house clambered for the new students to sit with them. Ron Weasley was going positively mad because of the presence of Viktor Krum among the Durmstrang students, but was disappointed when he sat with the Slytherins. Miranda, Lisa, Sue, and Padma glowed with pride when the Beauxbatons students chose to seat themselves alongside the Ravenclaws. Sue was already conversing in broken French with one of the girls.

She knows French, too? Does she know how to speak everything? Willow wondered.

Dumbledore quickly commenced the welcoming feast, and the Great Hall filled with the sounds of happy chatter. Willow noticed that several new dishes had been prepared tonight, no doubt to make the new students feel more welcome. Sally appeared out of nowhere and dared her to try every new French cuisine. Willow was happy to comply. Why would she pass up more food? She found that not only was the French food good, but the heavier Northern dishes, too, thanks to Lavender, Fay, and Mia's dare. When dessert appeared, Willow took advantage of all options present, and her Gryffindor Sisters goggled at her as she put away an inhuman amount of sugary sweets. She wondered if she would be able to eat for the next week as she finally finished.

"Good God, are you trying to out-eat Ron?" George asked, slipping into a space to her right.

"Or have you realized you're underweight again and need to bulk up for soccer?" Paige said, appearing beside George.

"Blame it on my roommates. They dared me to do it," Willow protested.

"Hardly! You ate all those desserts of your own accord!" Hermione said. "You're lucky they end the feast at some point before you can find more room!"

Willow grinned. "Eating is my specialty. Oh, that reminds me..." She stuffed a few rolls and a treacle tart in her pocket. When George and Paige shot her a funny look, she tapped her video watch, and they nodded in understanding. Sirius.

"Excuse me, are you Willow Guerrero?" a voice said politely.

Willow whipped around in surprise. A boy, likely from Beauxbatons, considering his silken garments, stood behind her. He looked younger than his age of seventeen, and his blue eyes twinkled kindly. His hair blonde hair was swept back into a short, curly ponytail, reminding Willow of an old English style of dress. She realized she was staring and awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Sorry, yeah, I'm Willow."

"Your friends Padma and Sue have told me much about you, and that it would be worth meeting you. Do you mind if I sit by you?"

"Oh, not at all!" Willow made room for the boy, who gracefully sat down, like he bent the wind to his command. He'd obviously been through some etiquette classes. "What's your name?"

"Benigno. I'm from France, but my mother is English, so I am bilingual. Sue tells me that you are very talented at both Spanish and English?"

"She forgot sarcasm," Willow snorted. "I'm very fluent in that, too."

"Ah, so are my friends. Fleur Delacour is very witty with the professors." Benigno glanced beyond Willow, and she noticed for the first time that George and Paige were watching the French boy very intently. "Have I done something to upset you?"

"Oh, no, they're just curious," Willow explained, shooting a glare at them. "Benigno, these are two of my friends, George and Paige. They're in the sixth year. I daresay they're some of the best pranksters this school has ever seen."

"They do pranks? Oh, I love it when students prank the professors, especially Madame Maxime!" Benigno quickly looked over his shoulder at his Headmistress, then turned back. "Don't tell her I said this, but the best one was when a sixth year slipped a shrinking potion into her drink, and she was eight inches tall for a whole day!"

"You're joking!" Willow said. "They must have gotten expelled!"

"Thankfully, Madame Maxime is a forgiving woman, even if she does not have the best sense of humor."

Dumbledore stepped up to his podium, and the Great Hall began to dial down. Benigno looked for a moment as if he were going to get up and leave, but in the end, he apparently decided it would be too embarrassing to move now. The Gryffindor Sisters sitting across from Willow finally noticed Benigno and gawked at his sterling appearance. They kept motioning for her to flirt with him, but she was absolutely disgusted by the idea and encouraged them to do so. It was them who were flipping out over him, after all. Benigno must have noticed them, judging by the pink tint to his cheeks, but didn't say anything, instead allowing them to scheme behind his back. Thankfully, before any chaos could begin, Dumbledore called the attention of the Great Hall.

At the Headmaster's bidding, Flich brought out an old jewel-encrusted casket, from which Dumbledore pulled out an old wooden cup. Only the blue flames sprouting from the top of it impressed the importance of the object on Willow. It was the Goblet of Fire, the selector of Triwizard Champions. She listened intently as Dumbledore further explained the Triwizard Tournament.

Students over the age of seventeen were welcome to put forth their name. The Goblet of Fire, the impartial judge, would select a champion from each school to participate in the Tournament. Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman had worked hard to create three difficult tasks that would most likely not involve the death of a champion. They would be on a panel, along with the Heads of the three schools, to award points to each champion after every task. At the end of all three tasks, the champion with the most points would win. Dumbledore warned once again, however, that once a student put their name in the Goblet, they were bound by a powerful magical contract to participate and see the Tournament through to the end if chosen. The danger was real. The Triwizard Tournament was meant to test a student's character down to the grittiest fiber of their being.

I still wish I could do it, Willow lamented.

Dumbledore announced that students had the next twenty-four hours to enter the Tournament. To prevent underaged students from entering, he would draw an age line around the Goblet. No one under the age of seventeen would be permitted to enter it. Willow sighed as Dumbledore abruptly ended his speech with another warning and dismissed them to bed.

"Is it sad that the age line makes me want to enter even more?" Willow said.

"No, it is truly tempting to enter such a Tournament," Benigno said. "I only turned seventeen a few days ago. I'm lucky I get to enter at all."

"Well, good luck to you all the same. I hope you get chosen. I'd definitely cheer for you from the sidelines."

"That is very kind of you." Benigno looked up at the same time as Willow to see Lee, Fred, George, and Paige huddled together and whispering in low voices. "There are four of them?"

"Five, actually, since they rope me into their pranks the majority of the time. They use me as a test subject for their new pranks them come up with, too. I've gotten sent to the hospital wing my fair share of times. They always make up for it, though, smuggling butterbeer into the castle and such. They're my biggest fans in quidditch."

Benigno's eyes shone. "They sound wonderful."

Willow noticed her Gryffindor Sisters pushing through the crowd, giggling their fool heads off. Her eyes widened, and she tapped Benigno on the shoulder, nodding in their direction. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Whatever are those girls doing?"

"That would be my roomates," Willow groaned. "They're a bit...much, at times. They get over excited to meet pretty strangers. I think Mia has a thing for blondes. You may want to make a run for it – well, a walk for it, in this crowd – while you can."

"Ah. I understand." Benigno politely kissed the back of her hand. "I hope to see you again, Willow. You are very kind."

"Good night, Benigno."

Willow made sure he was well on his way to the Beauxbatons carriage before returning to her Gryffindor Sisters, who were frantically looking around for the French boy. She quickly ushered them up the marble staircase and toward Gryffindor Tower before they could cause too much of a scene. They peppered her with questions about Benigno, practically swooning over the mere memory of his face. Willow refused to say a word until they got back to the common room. She was attacked before she could protest, thrown into an armchair, and surrounded by the Gryffindor Sisters.

"What was his name?"

"Does he fancy you?"

"What is his accent like?"

"Are his eyes sky blue or ocean blue?"

"Guys, hold up! I literally just met the guy!" Willow chuckled. "His name is Benigno. He has a French accent, yes, but he's bilingual. No, I do not think he fancies me, and why do you need to know what shade of blue his eyes were? I wasn't looking that closely."

"Oh, he's just dreamy!" Mia said. "You're so lucky, Willow! No one that beautiful would ever talk to me!"

"The only reason he did was because Sue and Padma sent him my way. He's very kind, and I think he's looking to make some friends. He's seventeen, though, so don't get any bright ideas. For all I know, he's got a girlfriend."

"Yes, but still!" Lavender sighed. "Why does Willow get all the hot friends?"

"Um...because they find me, I guess?"

"Save it, Willow, we all know you're the most beautiful one here," Hermione said. She patted her on the shoulder. "And you don't need to worry about love, anyway. You've already got two people chasing you like lost puppies."

"Paige and George don't– " Willow blinked. "Alright, they kind of chase me everywhere, but at least they're still great friends to me! They don't fight over me or push me to be in a relationship or any of that! They just...act like amazing friends."

"Huh. Maybe that's the secret to a relationship," Sally said. "Becoming friends first? Time consuming, but probably worth it."

The Gryffindor Sisters dissolved into a calm discussion on the best tactics for getting someone to notice them. Willow found her moment to escape and made a beeline for the staircase, only to be caught around both arms by her favorite pranksters. She rolled her eyes as Fred and George dragged her backward, into a secluded space of the common room, where Lee and Paige were already waiting. They sat Willow down closest to the wall so she couldn't escape.

"We're brewing an aging potion tomorrow morning," Fred explained, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Lee and George have agreed to split the earnings three ways if we get in and win."

"You're entering? I'm not surprised," Willow chortled. "I hope it works. Why isn't Paige participating in these shenanigans, then?"

"I've got my fair share of danger in life," Paige said lazily. "Don't get me wrong, glory sounds amazing, but I don't need to draw extra attention to myself, considering my heritage."

"Good point. Do you need help with the potion?"

"Nah, it's one of the easiest ones we've learned," Lee replied. "We should have no trouble with it. The only part we might have trouble with is a teacher catching us in the act."

"So that's why you've kidnapped me to a secret meeting. You need a bodyguard."

"Er, not a bodyguard, but something the likes of that," George admitted. "We can't have Professor McGonagall giving us detention for trying to bring glory to Gryffindor, now, can we?"

"Oh no, we can't have that. I'm in," Willow said.

"Great! Now then– " Fred leaned forward, crossing his arms– "who is this Benigno I've heard about?"

Willow groaned and slumped back in her chair. She shot deadpan looks at George and Paige. "You're seriously caught up about him? I literally just made a friend from another school."

"Friend?" Lee said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Friend, yes. I speak clear English. Do you not hear well?"

"Of course we hear well. We have eyes, too, you know," George said bitterly.

"Benigno's quite the flirt, and you're falling right into his trap," Paige added, equally unimpressed.

Willow exhaled slowly. "Wow. That's sad. I literally talk to one person from another school for less than an hour, and you think something is happening? That's the epitome of pathetic. Have you not met me? I only fancy people who have been my friends for a long time. Years, usually." Willow sat up and crossed her arms defensively. "You should be happy that I'm actually being social for once."

George and Paige exchanged a dark look. Willow wondered what was passing between them, but a silent conversation was definitely taking place. After a few moments, they finally turned back to her and slapped smiles on their faces.

"We're happy for you Willow."

"Good." She yawned. "Great, I'm falling asleep sitting here. I bet get the package to our special friend before Iris takes off for the night."

Fred, George, Lee, and Paige bade her goodnight, and Willow headed up to her dormitory, which was still mercifully empty. She opened and window and whistled. Minutes later, Iris swooped into the room, a feather fluttering onto Willow's bed in the process. She let Fidget play with it while she tied the bundle of food to Iris's leg. The tawny owl nipped her finger affectionately, then took off into the night. Willow watched her fly until she disappeared from sight.

I miss you, Sirius.

Willow turned out the lights, then helped Fidget into his little twig nest that she'd built for him over the summer. He curled up and let out a contented sigh before falling asleep. Achelous vibrated when Willow pet him. She smiled softly at the sight of her happy little creatures as she climbed in bed.

Someday. Someday, I'll make myself as happy as I make you guys.

GRACE, NO!

Avada...Kedav–

"GOD DAMN IT!" Willow hissed. She sighed. "I refuse to have nightmares after a good day. Just...no."

Willow checked her watch and groaned. It was only four in the morning. She wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon, so she threw off her covers and quietly slipped out of the dormitory. She entered the secret room and tossed a treat to a very sleepy Griffin. Phoebe moaned agitatedly because Willow was interrupting her beauty sleep. She rolled her eyes at the funny demiguise and patted her head. Seeing as her creatures were too tired to function, Willow noiselessly climbed into the rafters and launched herself out the window.

The shapeshifting was becoming second nature to her by this point. Willow relished the whipping of the wind through her feathers, the whistling in her ears, the sights and smells of the night. To be totally honest, she still hated night, and was downright terrified of the dark, but at least it provided a private sanctuary for her to be alone from time to time. Willow shifted from bird to dragon to other magical creatures one right after the other, enjoying her wide range of abilities. It reminded her after some time that she had a date coming up with Cebba to get rid of half of her pesky powers. She was more the ready to relieve herself of the terrifying visions during Divination.

When she'd nearly exhausted her powers, Willow landed in the thestral clearing, where some of the magical creatures were already up. She headed into the Insomniac Shack, as she and Luna had dubbed it, and grabbed a book off the shelf, opening to page she'd left off on. Willow grew a fresh patch of soft grass and got to reading. The younger thestrals popped in every so often, sometimes nosing Willow when she didn't pay them any heed, and she read a few pages from The Return of the King out loud to them. When she grew tired of reading, Willow walked into the clearing and played with the baby thestrals, the majority of which went nuts with all the attention.

"The Grey Lady told me you would be out here this morning."

Willow paused mid-play-fight to see Luna standing at the door to the Insomniac Shack. Her grey eyes perceptively picked up Willow's dual expression, and certainly did not miss the bags under her eyes.

"You have refused to sleep again. You are frustrated that you cannot ward off the nightmares with good days."

Willow sighed. "How are you so good at that?"

"I do not know. You are very easy to read."

"Isn't that inconvenient," Willow snorted. She tossed a branch across the clearing, and the thestrals ran after it. "What's keeping you awake at five thirty in the morning?"

"I believe it was the absence of wrackspurts. They seem to have left me alone for a few hours, and I woke up because of it."

"Huh. Wish I had those in my head. I might forget all the crap that I'm dreaming about for a few hours." Willow shook her head. "But who cares, right? I've dealt with it this long, I'll deal with it now. How are you doing, Luna?"

"Well. I discovered a new potion with Ginny and Colin yesterday morning. I think it might help in my search for nargles. They're infesting the castle lately."

"Nargles?"

"They hide in mistletoes, but I believe they have found hiding places in other plants around the castle."

"Ah. I see. I'll keep an eye out for them."

"Your friends are troubled by the Beauxbatons boy, Benigno. I could see their jealousy from a table away. Benigno is very handsome. But you only make friends with new people. Have they not discovered that yet?"

"No, unfortunately not," Willow sighed. "They cornered me about it yesterday evening. I told them the truth, that I'm not interested in pretty boys that I've just met. I think they'll get over it soon, but who knows? Us Gryffindors can be obstinate to a ridiculous level."

"They will see it soon enough. Benigno is not your type."

Willow spluttered. "You think you know my type?"

Luna smiled dreamily. "You fancy the adventurous, fiery spirits."

"Merlin, you know me better than I know myself. I guess that is my type, now that I think about it."

"You should talk with Benigno more. He seems very shy around most people, but he opened up with you. Maybe he just needs a blunt yet accepting person to help him be himself."

"Blunt and accepting just about sums me up, alright." Willow shot a glance at Luna. "You're a really cool person, did you know that?"

"I am not cold, but I am 'cool', I think."

"Okay, now I know you've been spending too much time with me," Willow said. "My sarcasm is contagious."

"Sarcasm can be a contagion?" Luna said, her smile bordering on a smirk.

"Nooo! I've corrupted Luna Lovegood!"

The rest of the morning passed with light-hearted back-and-forth talk. When the sun peeked over the horizon, Willow and Luna said goodbye to the thestrals and headed back to their common rooms. The Gryffindor Sisters were still conducting a snoring symphony by the time Willow returned to her dormitory. To her surprise, however, Sally was missing from her bed. She never got up early. Willow peered into the bathroom, but Sally wasn't there, and she hadn't been in the common room, either. Her forehead wrinkled as she tried to come up with an explanation for her absence. What was so important that Sally had to get up early and sneak out to do it?

"Willow! Psst, Willow!"

All thoughts of Sally were driven out of Willow's mind. Paige had cracked the door open and was frantically motioning for her to hurry out. The potion! Willow quickly scrambled down the stairs after the older girl, where she found Fred, George, and Lee already waiting by the portrait hole. They shared mischievous smiles as they silently made their way through the corridors and to their hideout. Willow noticed as she climbed the ladder that a cauldron and a slew of ingredients had already been set out and readied for brewing. Lee and Paige got to work right away.

Apparently, the twins had been colluding with Cypress to get the best aging potion possible. Willow had a feeling Cypress was working with the behind the scenes all along, especially when it came to some of their joke products, but she didn't say anything as she helped the older students perfect the potion. She took up her position as a guard and enhanced her senses to listen for intruders. Fred and George watched with curiosity as the other three stirred and cut and added. Willow knew that potions was one of their worst subjects by far. She quietly explained to them what Paige and Lee were doing, then finished off the concoction with a tap of her wand and the perfect words. Lee drained it into two tiny vials.

"That should do the trick! Go on, take them!"

Fred and George clinked their vials, then simultaneously downed them in a single gulp. Willow laughed at their priceless faces. The potion must have tasted awful. Within a few seconds, though, both were grinning from ear to ear.

"How are you feeling?" Willow asked.

"Older," Fred and George chorused.

"That's what I like to hear," Paige said. "Now go and enter that Tournament, will you? Someone's got to bring Gryffindor glory without quidditch this year."

Willow, Paige, and Lee hurried after the twins. They struggled to keep up with their excitable pace. Several students were already in the Entrance Hall by the time they arrived. They turned to look at the five when they paused near the Goblet of Fire, sizing up the thin golden ring surrounding it. Fred whispered excitedly to George, then bravely walked to the border, all eyes on him. He teetered on the edge for a few moments, and finally, with a courageous leap of faith, crossed the age line. Nothing happened to him. George gave a victorious cry and quickly followed his brother.

"Did it work?" Lee whispered.

Just then, there was a loud sizzling, and an invisible force hurled Fred and George out of the circle. Willow clapped a hand to her mouth as they landed painfully on the castle floor. Moments later, there was a loud pop!, and the twins sprouted gloriously long beards. Willow, Lee, and Paige howled with laughter along with the rest of the students in the Entrance Hall. Dumbledore appeared from the Great Hall and complimented the twins' beards before sending them off to the hospital wing. Lee and Paige immediately followed them, but Willow hung back, noticing the Beauxbatons delegates walking across the grounds.

"I'll catch up with you guys later! Take a picture for me!" Willow said, tossing Paige her camera.

The older girl saluted her, then took off after Lee and the twins. Willow leaned against the wall and waited for the Beauxbatons students to arrive. Led by Madame Maxime, they gracefully entered the hall and lined up, placing their names in the Goblet one by one. Willow noted that the majority of the Beauxbatons students seemed aloof to the stares of other students. She couldn't tell whether it was arrogance or practice, but either way, she wished she could ignore so many eyes on her. Willow shook her head to clear her thoughts when Benigno found his way to her.

"Congratulations, Benigno! You're officially a contender for the Triwizard Tournament!" Willow chirped.

"Merci," Benigno said sheepishly. "I doubt I'll be chosen. My best friend, Fleur, has been quite the magical force since her first day at Beauxbatons. My money's on her."

"Don't put yourself down like that! I'm sure you're just as capable! Besides," Willow added, eyeing some of the Durmstrang contenders, "I bet you've got more brains than all those burly boys combined. Karkaroff really went for size over intelligence, didn't he?"

"He must have," Benigno shrugged. He smiled radiantly at Willow. "You would have made quite the Champion yourself. Sue hasn't stopped raving about you all morning. She makes it sound like you're the most powerful witch in all of England. Is it true that you've taken on Ministry officials twice and won?"

"Yeah...it's a long story. But I had help. Sue and the rest of my friends are just as formidable." She led the way to the Great Hall, where most of the student body was beginning to gather for breakfast. She spotted some familiar faces gathering at the Gryffindor table. "Speaking of my friends, I haven't properly introduced you. Benigno, this is Lavender, Mia, Fay, Parvati, Sally, and Hermione. They're my roomates."

The Gryffindor Sisters whirled around with wide eyes at the sound of Willow's voice. Lavender and Parvati furiously whispered to one another, and a few squeals of delight were shared among the girls. They all giggled and said hi to a very confused Benigno. He looked between Willow and her roomates several times before saying, "Your roomates are most unlike you."

"I get that a lot." Willow took a seat across from her Gryffindor Sisters and motioned for Benigno to do the same. "There's a lot of names to remember, so don't worry about it. I've got a lot more friends than just my roomates. Actually," Willow waved to Ginny and Colin, "there's two more Gryffindor friends now. They're a year younger than me. And down at the end of the table are Dean, Seamus, Neville, Sam, Ron, and Harry. They're the Gryffindor boys in my year."

"That's Harry Potter, is it not?" Willow nodded. "He looks much...skinnier than I imagined. Is he not an international celebrity?"

"He is, but not to his aunt and uncle. They don't care much for the wizarding world. I have to send sweets to him half the time just to keep him healthy. And you'd never know it until you meet him, but he's the most sarcastic person I've ever met."

"Really?" Benigno shook his head. "I've imagined him all wrong!"

"I'm sure some parts are close to the truth. He's a downright prodigy at quidditch – youngest and best seeker the school's seen in years – and he's saved the school twice now. He almost died three times in his life now. I think he could teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts class at this point, too. He's a very powerful wizard."

"He deserves a happy life after the sacrifice his parents made," Benigno remarked.

"I only wish he'd get some peace and quiet for once," Willow sighed. "And the same goes for me as well."

"You have had a rough life?"

"That's the understatement of the year," Willow snorted. "I don't usually talk about it, but basically, I'm cursed, and I think the world is doing its best to crush me."

"Well, for the record, you look remarkably unscathed for facing down the forces of the world, so you must be winning."

Willow half-smiled. "Thanks."

All of a sudden, the Gryffindor Sisters surrounded Benigno, whispering and giggling to one another. Willow tried to signal for them to leave, but they waved her away, instead imploring Benigno to allow them to give him a tour of the school. He graciously accepted their offer and left the Great Hall with them, but shot a quizzical glance over his shoulder at Willow. She motioned for him to just go with it and she'd rescue him later. The moment he turned the corner, Paige and George appeared in his place, grinning too brightly for such an early time in the morning.

"Was that your doing?" Willow questioned.

"Was what our doing?" George said innocently.

"Okay, you did it, there's no hiding it now. Stop smiling like idiots, it's unnerving." Willow crossed her arms and stared down her friends. "Did you seriously get my roomates to separate Benigno and I so that you could spend more time with me?"

"What? No...I mean....what kind of awful person would do such a thing?" Paige said. Willow shot her a withering look, and the older girl put her hands up. "Fine, that was us, but we were only trying to help out your roommates! They wouldn't shut up about Berto or Banjo or whatever his name was."

"Benigno. And when will you get it through your thick skulls that he's just a friend?"

"It might take a few days. My skull is pretty thick."

"Well maybe this will get through it: until you stop being petty over Benigno, I'm going to ignore your presence entirely."

"You wouldn't do– " George paused when Willow went back to eating her breakfast. "Willow? Willow. I literally just got a magical beard removed, and now you're going to put me through this? This is abuse!"

"Ginny, do you hear that buzzing noise? I think it's a pixy," Willow said.

Ginny giggled upon seeing her brother's flabbergasted face. "I think so. Maybe you should hex the sound just in case?"

"You're right." Willow poked George's leg with her wand, and then Paige's arm, both of which ceased to function immediately. "That should do the trick!"

"Willow, seriously? We know you can't hold a grudge for more than a few seconds!" Paige pointed out.

"Colin, do you hear it again? I think I missed!"

"The jelly-legs jinx should fix it!" Colin chirped, a conspiratorial grin on his face.

"Thanks, Colin, I knew I could count on you!" Willow sent both Paige and George into a slight panic by turning their legs to a jelly-like state. She struggled not to cackle hilariously when they fell into the Gryffindor table. "You were right! The noise is gone! Thanks, guys, you're the best!"

"This isn't over!" Paige cried as Willow got up to leave.

Willow simply smiled to herself and went to rescue Benigno. The jailbreak proved rather tricky, as the Gryffindor Sisters were clinging rather tightly to his side. She managed to distract them long enough with a glimpse at another Beauxbatons boy to drag Benigno out of their grasp. He gratefully followed her out to the grounds. They enjoyed a fun morning of chatting about each other's schools, the different teaching styles, and even the soccer teams in their respective countries, as it turned out that Benigno was muggleborn and a big fan.

After lunch, Willow managed to sneak Benigno into the Gryffindor common room while her roommates were out. He enjoyed the color schemes and the comfortable furniture. It was most unlike his house back at Beauxbatons, Bellefeuille, which had a green theme. Benigno explained that his house valued bravery, sensitivity, loyalty and love of nature. Willow in turn told him what Gryffindor was all about, bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry. She related some information about the Hufflepuff house as well, and thought that Bellefeuille was kind of a combination of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.

After Benigno went on about the types of projects he'd been doing with magical creatures, Willow decided she could trust him just this once with a peek at her creatures. She quietly smuggled him into the secret room, and his jaw dropped at the sight. Griffin came running over to Benigno and sniffed him all over, and when he came to the conclusion that he was a good person, he flapped his wings and nuzzled his head against the French boy. Phoebe meandered over and climbed onto Willow's shoulders, though she begged to get closer to Benigno to comb through his hair. Benigno looked like he was ready to cry happy tears when V, Felicity, Patch, the fire-dwelling salamander, and Fidget all made an appearance around his ankles.

Willow would be lying if she said she didn't glow with pride.

Sooner than they anticipated, they had to leave the creatures behind to attend the Halloween Feast. Benigno took in the festive decorations, whispering about the magical creatures all the while. Willow was pleasantly surprised to see him sit with her once again instead of joining his Beauxbatons friends at the Ravenclaw table. As the Great Hall continued to fill up, more of Willow's friends came streaming through the doors, and her out-of-house friends took seats around her as well. They shot quizzical glances at Benigno as he chatted with Willow.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I have a few more friends to introduce you to, believe it or not," Willow said. Benigno raised a brow. "Don't look at me like that. I don't have this many friends by choice. This is Cypress from Slytherin, Oliver from Hufflepuff, and the rest you kind of know from Ravenclaw: Miranda, Sue, Lisa, and Padma."

"H-Hi!" Oliver squeaked, his cheeks going pink.

"Damn, they said blonde French boys were hot, but they didn't tell me they were that hot," Cypress commented.

"Cypress, I will slip your own potions into your pumpkin juice!" Willow threatened. She turned back to Benigno. "Sorry, he always does this with new people."

"I can speak for myself!" Cypress protested.

"Not another word!"

Cypress grumbled to himself and quieted down. Oliver struggled to regain the ability to speak, and the four Ravenclaw girls teased him to no end about it. Benigno smiled at Willow's friends.

"You are kind, yet you can scare them. Gryffindors very are interesting."

"Yep, we're all kinds of stubborn and crazy. Ooh, yes, the food's here!"

For the second night in a row, Willow managed to out-eat all her friends. Benigno laughed at her on multiple occasions for pretending to pout when Sally stole her bread rolls. Oliver continued to blush and drop things whenever Benigno looked his way, and even Cypress and Miranda fumbled with their words every once in a while. Willow was glad when the feast ended and all attention was turned to Dumbledore and the Goblet of Fire at the other end of the room. Dumbledore dimmed the candle lights so that the Goblet's blue-white fire was the brightest thing in the Great Hall.

The moment they'd been waiting for was finally here. Willow sat on the edge of her seat. The Goblet's flames burned red, then with a spout of flame, a single slip of paper shot into the air. Dumbledore caught it and announced that the Durmstrang Champion was Viktor Krum. The Durmstrang students exploded into applause. Next came Beauxbatons. Willow tensed up as Dumbledore scanned the name written on the parchment. To her and Beningo's lament, but not to their surprise, Fleur Delacour became the Beauxbatons Champion.

"Well, at least you have a higher chance of surviving to the end of your magical education," Willow said.

"There is always that consolation," Benigno agreed.

At long last, the Goblet spat out one more name. The entirety of the Great Hall was buzzing with anticipation. Hundreds of Hogwarts students waited with bated breath for their Champion to be called. Dumbledore held the simple piece of paper in his hands for a few seconds, then called out the name Cedric Diggory. Willow's jaw dropped. The Hufflepuff table nearly imploded. Willow had never heard such an ear-shattering cheer in her life. Oliver was screaming and hugging Cypress with joy. Hufflepuff was finally getting the recognition and glory it deserved! Cedric humbly walked to the back of the Great Hall and waved to his friends with burning cheeks before disappearing into the briefing room. Willow sincerely hoped he would win.

All of a sudden, to everyone's shock and amazement, the Goblet burned red once more. Dumbledore even looked taken aback when another parchment piece popped out of the flames. He snatched it out of the air and read it aloud, and when the name reached Willow's ears, the blood froze in her veins.

"Harry Potter."

"No," Willow breathed. "No. No, no, no! A fourth Champion? Is this even possible?"

"I'm afraid that the Goblet can't go back on any of the decisions it's made," Benigno said. "He's bound to participate now."

Willow felt like she was going to throw up. Harry was fourteen. Someone had entered him into the Triwizard Tournament without his permission, someone who was powerful enough to hoodwink the Goblet.

And that someone most likely wanted him dead.


	65. Year 4: Chapter 4

Willow watched Harry disappear through the back door and join the other Champions. Her stomach flipped, and she suddenly regretted eating all that food. She gripped her chest and willed herself to calm down. There was no need to panic. Either Dumbledore would find a way to get him out of the Tournament, or he would have to compete, but the new precautions would protect him. The Ministry had done extensive work to ensure the safety of the Champions. He would be okay. Yeah, he'd be okay...right?

"Off to bed, students!" McGonagall urged.

The noise level quadrupled instantly. Whispers turned to full on hysteric shouts. Conspiracies flew around faster than the speed of light. Harry had used Dark Magic to age himself, then he'd bewitched an older student to put in his name, then he'd made a secret compact with Dumbledore and the Ministry officials. Willow's head spun. Her ears rang. Suddenly, the light was too bright. There were too many people touching her. Her chest tightened, and her nerves prickled painfully.

"I need to get out of here," Willow rasped.

She ignored her friends' multitude of questions and shoved her way through the crowd. Her vision blurred slightly. She was hardly aware of all the odd stares she got. Willow simply made a beeline for stairs outside the Entrance Hall. She sat down out of view of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students, panic slowly seeping in as she realized her airways were tightening. She struggled to force deep, even breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth, just as her dad had taught her when asthma had affected her soccer training. Just picturing Carlos's face was nearly enough to calm her down. All she needed to do was forget about Harry...he was going to be fine...she needed to think about her family–

Grace, NO!

Do it now!

Ava...avada ke...kedavra...

No! Willow screamed at herself. Every time I think about my family peacefully! LEAVE ME ALONE, STUPID PAST!

But she could do nothing to stop it now. Memories rushed at her like a hurricane. Willow kept seeing Rion's smile, her mum's laughing face, her dad's joy, and all the good times, only for them to be swallowed up by horrible ones. The Fawleys busting down the door; Grace fighting with Carlos; Rion crying into Willow's shoulder after an argument; it was like being strung up by a yo-yo from Hell. Willow found it harder and harder to breathe. She couldn't anchor herself in reality anymore. She was slipping away faster and faster and faster–

"Willow. No estamos en peligro. No tenga miedo."

Willow's eyes snapped open. Someone was holding her arm. She finally recognized Paige, and George was there, too, on her other side. Willow realized what had happened and abruptly stood up, clearing her throat. Everything felt raw and raspy. The burning in her chest was fizzling out, but not fast enough that she could breathe properly. Willow couldn't look her friends in the eyes as she wiped away some sweat on her forehead.

"Sorry. You didn't need to see that." Willow drew in an uneasy breath. "That was stupid. I'm letting everything get to me again – better work on that – can't have me breaking down every five seconds– "

"Willow. That's the second time this year. Something's changed," Paige said.

"Nothing's changed. I'm still the same old me, just a little weaker, apparently, since I can't get my emotions under control– "

"Do you put other people down for having panic attacks?" George pointed out.

"No..."

"Then you're being a hypocrite to yourself," Paige concluded. "Stop it. You have nothing to apologize for."

"See, that's where you're wrong. Other people have panic attacks. I, however, do not. I simply allow myself to get wrapped up in my thoughts to a ridiculous point. I need to stop. It's my own fault, and I have complete control, but I'm choosing to be lazy."

"Is it just me, or is everything coming out of your mouth a lie?" George said.

Willow deadpanned. "I'm not lying. I'm telling the truth."

"And my adoptive parents smother me in love," Paige retorted. "You need help, Willow. There's plenty of people who can give it to you."

"I don't want help. I can get through this on my own. I have to get through this on my own." Willow let out a mirthless chuckle. "If I can't control my own emotions, how in the hell am I supposed to finish this prophecy?"

"You know it's okay to be human and a hero at the same time, right?" George commented.

"I don't think you understand. I need to get this crap under control. I have three years to get this done, or you all die," Willow reminded them. "If I bring any one of you into this, the prophecy isn't necessary. You'll die before it can even take effect."

"We're not afraid of a prophecy. We're afraid of losing you to yourself."

Willow balled up her fists. "Well, stop being afraid, because I'm fine. Guerreros don't lose themselves."

"You're not fine! Have you taken a look in the mirror recently?"

"Yes, I have! And you know what I see? A worthless piece of rubbish that isn't anything close to a Gryffindor! I'm trying to impersonate a version of myself that I'll never be! My brother died, and you know what? I could have stopped it! The warning signs were all there! My parents were fighting, the Fawleys were constantly stopping by, and Rion was getting scared of their conversations. And when he was murdered, right in front of my eyes, I laid there like a dead fish. I did nothing. I watched him die, and I could have stopped it!"

"You would have died if you tried to stop it!"

"Good! It would have solved a lot of problems! This stupid prophecy wouldn't affect anybody!"

"Do you even hear how suicidal you sound right now?"

"I'm not killing myself. That's stupid. The prophecy won't stop now that I've gained my powers. And I'm done wanting to end my life. That was a dark phase that lasted all of three months."

"What the hell– you never told us about that!"

"Well, maybe it's because I didn't want to talk about it! I didn't want anyone to know!"

"Willow, please," Paige pleaded. She stepped closer to her. "Let us help you help yourself. I can't stand seeing you this broken."

Willow swallowed hard. "I'm sorry. I really am. But you can't fix shattered glass, Paige."

Willow sprinted away, faster than Paige or George could follow. She found her way to the lowest level of Hogwarts, then followed the passageways to the Hufflepuff common room. She knocked on the barrel in a certain pattern, and it sprung aside, revealing the cottage door. Willow slipped inside and quietly shut it behind her. She looked around the common room and found Oliver almost immediately. He was the only one left up. He sprang to his feet when he saw Willow.

"What are you doing here? Did something happen? Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Oh, please don't tell me Snape gave you detention– !"

"I'm fine, Oliver, but can I...can I stay in the common room tonight?" Willow sighed. "I can't go to Gryffindor Tower right now."

Oliver examined her face. "You know I won't make you talk, but do you want to?"

Willow shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'll tell you what happened in the morning. Right now, I just want to sleep."

"Okay. I'll sleep out here, too."

"You don't have to– "

"I miss sleeping near my sister."

Willow couldn't help but smile. She pulled a few blankets from underneath the couch and spread them out. Oliver gathered the majority of them for himself and curled up into a ball on the closest reclining chair. Willow turned the lights out and laid down, watching the stars outside the kitchen area window. She eventually closed her eyes and listened to the sound of Oliver's soft breathing, her heart rate finally relaxing. She sighed with relief.

Why are you such a stubborn arse? Willow asked herself.

Monday morning dawned cold and partly cloudy. Willow had avoided her friends all Sunday, and even went so far as to spend a great deal of time with Luna in the Forbidden Forest. She refused to step foot in Gryffindor Tower. Paige and George were bound to be extremely pissed about the way things went down. She didn't like being on their bad side, and she certainly wasn't going to accidentally hurt them if her powers acted up. So Willow found herself crashing in the Hufflepuff common room once again, and although she knew the Hufflepuffs were perfectly okay with her, she felt bad about invading their safe space. Gryffindor had taken enough from them already.

Willow folded and tucked away her blankets. With no one else stirring, she made certain to open the door quietly and let herself out. She breathed in the deliciously cold air of the dungeon corridors. Her stomach growled when she picked up on the smell of freshly-baked rolls from the kitchens. She pondered whether to grab a few, then decided against it, realizing that tickling the pear might make it laugh too loudly and wake up Oliver. Willow sighed disappointedly and trudged up the stairs.

The entire castle was silent. Willow wouldn't have expected anything else. After a full day of exciting whispers and exhausting theories, the whole student body had to be sleeping like a rock. Willow still hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Harry about what happened with the Goblet, but she got the sense that he didn't want to say a word about it yet. Ginny had told her about the party Saturday night in Harry's honor, and although Harry seemed to be in the middle of it all, he had escaped to his dormitory the first chance he got. He didn't want to be in this tournament as much as Fred and George did want to be in it.

Willow risked a quick trip to her dormitory to rescue her soccer ball, and was already running through some drills by the time six thirty rolled around. She weaved through cones, flew across the field, took countless shots on the makeshift goal, blowing off steam bit by bit. It helped her forget about the prophecy, forget about her past, forget about anything and everything that made her worry. Stress rolled off her muscles the harder they worked. Willow imagined she was back on the Ugandan soccer field, fighting tooth and nail with that older boy for the win. Her mind transcended her body, and she was defeating player after player, scoring goals left and right, winning fifty/fifty balls with ease. She was so happy to be at peace for once that she almost forgot to pay attention to the time. At seven thirty, Willow sprinted up the steps to the Entrance Hall and grabbed an apple, then was on her way again.

It took fifteen extra minutes of waiting outside the Fat Lady's portrait until Willow was sure her roommates, Paige, and George were gone. She snatched her textbooks from her dormitory and was about to leave when she heard Dean and Seamus arguing outside the door. She quickly hid herself from view and listened in.

"You messed up that painting! I had all the details perfect, but you insisted on tweaking it, and now it's ruined!" Dean accused.

"I had to! A self-portrait of you has to actually represent the painter!" Seamus retorted.

"What do you mean, actually has to represent the painter? I painted myself exactly as I saw in the mirror!"

"Well, the mirror was lying! You were too modest to give yourself a jawline and muscle tone! And your dimples? Where were those? And your smile– not nearly bright enough!"

"Wait, what?"

Willow heard a soft shuffling. Seamus must have been uncomfortably shifting his positing. Willow could clearly imagine the red blush on his cheeks. Dean's too, for that matter. She had a feeling she knew what was going on better than the boys themselves did.

"I went too far," Seamus muttered.

"No, no, I think you were in the middle of complimenting me. Go on," Dean said, the note of laughter in his voice unmistakable. "Muscle tone? Jawline? I believe we left off somewhere in there?"

"Shut up..."

"You pay close enough attention to know about my dimples. And this thing about my bright smile? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're looking."

"I am not!"

"Would you still claim you're not looking if I told you I was?"

There was a pause, then Dean walked down the stairs, a slight smirk on his face. Willow stepped out of her hiding spot to find Seamus gawking after him. She burst out laughing when he looked back and forth from her to Dean, trying and failing to speak. Seamus couldn't meet Willow's eyes when he finally managed words.

"You heard that, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"I was accidentally flirting again, wasn't I?"

"Yep."

Seamus sighed. "Of course I was. Great. I always thought I'd flirt by blowing things up, or making cool fireworks, or something that involves fire. He's turning me into an art critic."

"If it makes you feel any better, he's very obviously flirting back," Willow said. "And the sheer amount of art with you in it? I know plenty of girls that ask for Dean to paint portraits of them, but he refuses."

"That does not make me feel any better. He has the upper hand– again. How the hell does he do that?"

"I wouldn't know. I stuff all my feelings into glass bottles and chuck them against the wall."

Seamus deadpanned at her. "You need serious help."

"You need to ask Dean out."

"Fine. Let's agree to a not-doing-either-of-those-things truce."

"Truce. Now get your Herbology book before you forget again."

Willow waited for Seamus to grab his textbook, then they were on their way to Herbology. To Willow's disappointment, the tension level in the greenhouse had never been higher. The Hufflepuffs gathered on one side of the room, refusing to look anywhere near Harry. Only Oliver was still talking to him normally, but that was because they were close-ish friends. Harry had stolen the glory from Hufflepuff, and the spotlight rarely shone on that hardworking house, no matter how much they deserved it. What astounded Willow most of all, however, was cold Ron and Harry were acting toward one another. They spoke to Hermione, who sat between them, but other than that, they exchanged zero words. Willow could hardly believe it. Was Ron seriously jealous of Harry?

"Good morning, class!" Professor Sprout said. She pulled a vibrating pot onto her table. "Today we'll be repotting Bouncing Bulbs. They're tricky, these ones are. You have to get a firm grip on them, or you might find yourself sporting a few bruises by the end of the lesson. Make sure you bury them deep and pat in the soil very firmly! Off you go, then!"

Willow grabbed her group the tray full of Bouncing Bulbs and brought them back to their station. Neville, Oliver, and Sam helped the best they could as she repotted the Bulbs one by one. Willow understood very quickly what Professor Sprout meant about a firm grip. The first chance they got, the Bulbs slipped out of her hands and bounced all over the place. Willow got smacked in the ear, then the arm, then the collarbone. She slammed her open palm down and trapped it on the table.

"Well then. I guess gentle handling is not a requirement with these guys," she said. "Sam, you actually get to handle the plants today!"

"Rude."

Sam did, however, enjoy wrestling the Bulbs into their pots. Neville and Oliver winced every time he and Willow had to rough up the Bulbs, but in the end, it did the trick. The resilient little things didn't scratch or break under high pressure. Willow found a spot on the top of the Bulbs that, when squeezed, rendered them motionless. She helped Sam find it, and afterwards repotted the rest of the plants in minutes. Professor Sprout awarded five house points to each of them for their work and moved on to check on Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry lost control of one of the Bulbs as she passed by.

"Careful, Potter!" she barked. Ernie and Justin snickered. "And make sure you bury them deeper than that!"

"Her too?" Willow said. "They really are a little cold with Harry today."

"I wish they wouldn't be like this," Oliver sighed. "But we're all a bit stubborn. When someone steals the spotlight, we end up disliking them as an entire House."

"I get it. I wish Hufflepuff would get more attention, too," Sam pointed out. "You guys are amazing, yet half the Gryffindors don't think much of Hufflepuff at all. You're literally the only sane ones in this school, and the only ones who are kind no matter what. Sarah Brown? Best person in the world? Hufflepuff."

"I wanted to be in Hufflepuff before I got sorted," Neville remarked. "I guess I was so stubborn about it the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor."

"We are a bull-headed bunch, aren't we?" Willow said.

"Hufflepuffs can be even more bull-headed," Oliver reminded her. "We just compromise better in the end."

"Teach me how!" Sam wailed dramatically. "Sally and I have had so many stalemated arguments, it's not even funny."

"That, I cannot help you with," Oliver chortled. "Sibling rivalries are impossible."

"I'm doomed..." Sam groaned.

When the bell rang minutes later, the four headed over to Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid was carefully walking out of his garden by the time they got there, balancing several crates of skrewts. He set down the precarious pile near Willow, and she peered inside to find a three-foot cross between a crab and a scorpion. Her eyebrows shot up. The gray, shapeless creatures had now evolved into armoured, giant fire-farting monsters, even though no one had yet figured out what they ate. Willow wondered what on Earth Hagrid had planned for them today, given that most of the students wouldn't possess the strength to handle the skrewts. She soon found out: they were going to take them for a walk to expend their extra energy.

"You must be joking," Miranda groaned.

"Well, it's not a joke, so we might as well get to it," Willow suggested.

After tying a tether around a skrewt for each of her friends, she led the way around the grassy Hogwarts grounds. Every once in a while, a skrewt's end would explode, and they'd shoot forward several meters, dragging a student behind them. Willow couldn't stop herself from laughing when that very thing happened to Sam. He yelled at her to stop it, but that only made her laugh harder. Cypress ended up taking the skrewt and walked it for him. Willow was beginning to have the most fun Care of Magical Creatures class ever when a familiar drawl reached her ears.

"You really think he'd make it to the second task? That imbecile? No, I guarantee they'll have to send him to the hospital wing with permanent brain damage ten minutes into the first task."

"I wish I was allowed to give you permanent brain damage, Blondie," Willow retorted. She smirked as Draco whipped around. He sent Crabbe and Goyle ahead. "I might not have to hear your whining anymore."

"I would say the same, but I doubt the wizarding community would allow their precious Fire Flier to go to waste."

Willow was caught off guard by the nickname. "What are you talking about?"

"You haven't read the Daily Prophet lately? You're in every issue now. The Head Auror is still raving about how you saved his daughter and husband from the fire. And now everyone is claiming that they've seen you in action before, at places you definitely haven't been to."

"Let them talk. I don't want the spotlight, anyway. I just want to live my life in peace."

"Oh, no, I think you do want the spotlight. All of you bloody Gryffindors do. You seek it out every chance you can, vying for a shot at getting your name in the history books. And now, just because you have extra powers, you want to use them to stand out. You're getting an awfully big head, Wisp. Don't forget where you came from."

Willow's powers reacted before she could. Tree roots grew right out of the ground and wrapped around Draco's ankle, sending him sprawling. To make matters worse, his skrewt exploded, and he was dragged several meters across the grass. Willow tightened her hands into fists as he scrambled to his feet.

"You think I can forget where I came from?" she seethed. Draco took a step backwards. "I wish I could, but it's been burned into my brain more times than I can count. I hate that awful name. I wish I could destroy that house and all the people in it without looking back. But I can't. I'm powerless to change anything right now, and even if I could, I wouldn't be able to live with myself after killing so many people."

"God, you're such a goody-two-shoes," Draco muttered.

"And you're such a prick! You don't mind that your family is still actively oppressing Muggleborns!"

"I do mind!" Draco thundered. He looked around, then lowered his voice. "You think I actually like what my father does?"

"You don't let on otherwise, bullying Muggleborns at every turn, making loud comments about blood status, and constantly raving about your father– "

"I have to do that, Wisp! If the others question my allegiance, they'll question my father's, and then when they start moving again, there might be consequences!"

Willow peered at Draco's whitening face. "Hang on...'when' they start moving again? Not if?" The rest of the colour drained from Draco's complexion. "Something's coming, isn't it? That's why you're being, well, you, more than usual."

"I don't know anything specific, but there's been too many whisperings to ignore. My father has been disappearing more often and not saying a word about what happens when he does. I think they're starting to meet again. The only reason I can think of for them to restart their gatherings is– "

"–Voldemort." Willow's heart skipped a few beats. She ignored Draco's wince. "Sorry, I forget people are afraid of his name. You really think he's making a comeback, though?"

"He has to be. They wouldn't be gathering otherwise."

Willow gulped. "That means the Fawleys are there, too, which in turn means Grace is getting roped into the festivities. How wonderful. My mother's going to die brainwashed and scared."

"You-Know-Who wouldn't kill her straight away," Draco said. "She turned away from her new family and rejoined the loyal Fawleys. That's got to count for something."

"Thanks, Draco, that makes me feel so much better," Willow said sarcastically.

"I didn't mean it like that! I'm just saying you don't have to worry about her. She'll be safe as long as she stays loyal."

"But she isn't always loyal. Every once in a while, I see my actual mother break through their brainwashing, and she is so against the Fawleys, she'd be horrified to know what she's done. If Voldemort happens to find her during one of those episodes...it's game over."

"That won't happen."

"How do you know that for sure?" Willow asked, looking him right in the eyes. "How can you be so certain?"

Draco's gray eyes stormed. "Because I have to be."

In that moment, a thousand words of understanding passed between the two. Willow finally realized what was going on with Draco. He was so scared all the time, because if Voldemort came back, his entire family would be tested, day in, day out, for their loyalty. Draco had been forced to follow in his father's footsteps to protect not only himself, but his mother as well. He had to stand out as loyal to pureblood mania, or there would be too many questions. He had to be a bully. He had to convince himself that his father would be okay when Voldemort returned. He had to do all of this, because if he didn't, he could lose everything.

"I'm...sorry," Willow whispered.

Draco only nodded. He wouldn't look at her. Willow exhaled slowly, and swallowing her pride, indiscreetly walked alongside Draco and took his hand. He tensed up for a moment, then relaxed. To Willow's surprise, he didn't shove her away or drop her hand. He just ignored her completely, but in his own way, Willow could tell he was begrudgingly appreciative. She finally stepped away after a few moments.

"If you want...I'm open to trying this friendship thing again," Willow murmured.

Draco's head snapped in her direction. "You seriously want to be friends? After all that fighting?"

"I think I understand now. I won't bother you about your bullying. I won't bother you about the snide remarks. You never take it too far, and I see that now. Just...prove to me every once in a while that it's not fun for you, alright? I do value a little honesty."

"I don't know how I'd do that, but...I guess it's worth a shot, if only for some light-hearted bickering now and then," Draco admitted, smirking. He held out his hand. "Shall we start this over?"

Willow grinned as she shook his hand. "Gladly. I'll tease you later, Blondie."

"Can't wait to make fun of you, Wisp."

Willow practically skipped back to her friends. They raised their brows at her glowing expression. Oliver and Cypress were the only pair without grass stains all over their robes, and Neville was downright covered in mud.

"We missed your help over here. Please tell me something went well?" Miranda said.

"Perfectly well, actually. I might have an excuse to prank the Slytherin common room later. Does anyone know how to enhance frog-spawning soap? I've got a few ideas I'd love to try out..."

A few days later, Willow still hadn't slept in her dormitory, and she refused to go anywhere near Paige and George. Fred and Lee had managed to corner her on Wednesday of that week, but she wouldn't tell them what was going on, even when they grilled her with question after question. They pleaded with her to talk to George and Paige, that they said to tell her they were getting extremely worried. Willow only clammed up further. She felt bad about ghosting her friends, but she couldn't let them get to her with this anxiety crap. She didn't have it. She never would. All she needed to do was get a little tougher, and she'd be fine...right?

Cypress managed to sneak Willow into the Slytherin common room one night. He helped her come up with an intricate plan to get back at Draco for his recent comments about Harry and Gryffindor in general. It may or may not have involved several of Cypress's newest potions; neither would ever tell if someone asked. They schemed late into the night without managing to turn any heads, and Willow passed out on a couch close to the fireplace. She couldn't say she didn't enjoy the colder temperature of the dungeons.

The next morning, Willow headed down to breakfast with Cypress and even sat at the Slytherin table with him. Oliver joined them, and Willow got to enjoy their light-hearted banter. Cypress made a comment about Oliver's green eyes shining even brighter in the cloudy weather, and the Hufflepuff couldn't stop blushing, even after breakfast was finished. Willow traveled back to the Slytherin common room with Cypress to pick up his books, and they were off to Divination.

"When are you going to ask him out?" Willow pressed. "You two are like the couple that everyone knows is a couple, but you're somehow not officially dating."

"I told you, I'll ask him when the time is right," Cypress said. "I have a feeling this year is the year, though, so get your creativity ready. I'll need to pick your brain for the perfect plan."

"God, you're such a romantic. It's disgusting and adorable at the same time."

"Spoken like the true Willow Guerrero."

"I'm always the true Willow Guerrero."

"Are you, though?"

Willow scoffed. "What is that supposed to mean? I'm always me."

"Says the one that pretends to be a social butterfly all day long, when you really want nothing to do with human interaction." Willow stuck out her tongue at Cypress. "Hey, if I take over the world, you don't have to interact with anyone if you don't want!"

"Wow. It's almost like you're tempting me not to stop you."

"Is it working?"

"No."

Cypress stuck out his lip and pretended to pout. "One of these days, Willow, I'll get you on my side. But then I've got to deal with Oliver's puppy eyes...that's going to be a work in progress forever, isn't it?"

"Definitely."

The pair reached the North Tower. Willow let Cypress climb up the ladder first, then followed, immediately getting hit with the horrible perfume of the Divination classroom. She did her best to breathe as minimally as possible and cracked open a window to let some fresh air in. She rubbed her forehead where a headache was already beginning to pound against her skull.

Professor Trelawney performed as she usually did, that misty voice of hers hardly penetrating the sleepiness threatening to shut Willow's consciousness down. Instead of paying attention as she usually did, Willow entertained herself by watching Oliver and Cypress accidentally flirt with one another– well, "accidentally" only applied to Oliver. Cypress just outright flirted with Oliver all the time, whether anyone was watching or not. Willow couldn't wipe the stupid grin off her face if she tried. The pair were so perfect together: chaotic neutral, lawful good. They always pulled one another in the opposite direction, and in the end, it balanced them out. Willow had never seen them leave a disagreement unresolved. In fact, their "fights" usually led to laughter and teasing five minutes later. It was downright adorable.

Willow must have drifted off at some point, because one moment she was giggling over the ship name Cyver, and the next, she was standing in front of her mother's mansion. She groaned and tried to pinch herself awake, but it did no good. Willow was stuck in the same vision she'd had earlier in the year. Her legs forcibly carried her after Grace into that weird, creepy tunnel, and she saw the item once again, and Grace said the same exact thing she'd said before. Willow sighed and braced herself for the collapse of the house, and she patiently waited for the dirt to half-suffocate her before waking up.

But she didn't wake up this time. The dirt slowly filtered away, and Willow found herself standing in a massive crater. The Fawley house stood broken, decrepit, and water-soaked around her. Precious artifacts had been destroyed, paintings ripped in half, and furniture scorched. Willow wondered for a moment if someone had set off a bomb, but then she saw a figure standing at the edge of the destruction, wand still aimed at the center of the crater. She squinted her eyes, trying to get a clear image of who it was, but the figure only blurred, and Willow was suddenly ripped out of the vision. Oliver was shaking her awake.

"Willow, come on, you can't fall asleep during every lesson!" he scolded. "How do you do your homework if you don't know what you're doing?"

"I make it up," Willow snorted. "Trelawney loves a good tragedy." At Oliver's pointed look, she sighed and put her hands up. "Fine, fine, I'll pay attention today. Maybe I'll get ideas for an even more interesting death sentence."

"What did you see in today's vision?" Cypress asked. Willow furrowed her brow, and the blonde rolled his eyes. "Come on, Willow, you think we haven't noticed the difference between you napping and passing out from a vision? You were saying things while unconscious again. Something was different this time, wasn't it?"

Willow nodded. "I saw a little more. After the explosion, or whatever it was, I dug myself out, and I was standing at the bottom of a crater. Someone was standing at the top. Their wand was drawn. I think it was the person that destroyed the house."

"But you didn't see who it was."

"Of course not. Why would any of my visions actually be helpful?" Willow sighed frustratedly and picked at a scab on her shoulder. "I really, really need to start working with Cebba to get rid of these prediction things. They're starting to grate on my nerves."

"I thought they were grating on your nerves two years ago?"

"Oh, shut it, Cypress, you've procrastinated worse."

"I wouldn't procrastinate this long if the fate of the world was at stake."

"The fate of the world can wait. I've got at least three years before it all goes to Hell. In the meantime," Willow said, leaning back in her chair, "I'm going to learn how the movement of Saturn is going to cause my immediate death on a random day."

Cypress chuckled, and they dropped the conversation. Trelawney droned on and on for a seemingly super long time. Willow struggled to fight sleep the whole class. When the bell finally rang, Willow praised the Lord and darted out of there, Cypress and Oliver on her heels. They had a quick lunch together, then Oliver parted ways to go to Transfiguration, and the other two headed down to the dungeons for double Potions. Willow and Cypress skidded to a stop when they saw the Slytherins gathered in front of Snape's classroom.

"What the hell is this, some sort of legacy meeting?" Willow said.

Draco snickered. "See for yourself, Wisp."

The blonde tapped a button on his chest. At first, it glowed with red letters, spelling out "Support Cedric Diggory– The REAL Hogwarts Champion," which was bad enough as it was, but at Draco's touch, the letters disappeared and two green words replaced them: "Potter Stinks".

"Wow, how very clever of you," Willow said, rolling her eyes.

"I know, it took me hours to get the charms right," Draco agreed. He pulled another button out of his pocket and offered it to Cypress. "Do you want one, Mudblood? All the other Slytherins are wearing them. You should join your house for once."

"If the greatest insult you could come up with is 'Potter Stinks', I'd be insulted just to wear something created by someone so unoriginal."

"Whatever, Mudblood." Draco turned to Willow. "And I suppose you don't want one, since you're constantly following after Potter like a lost dog. Do you know how he got his name in the Goblet? Was it Dark Magic? I always wondered if he hadn't gained an affinity for it, after what happened with You-Know-Who..."

"He didn't put his name in, and some people are above using Dark Magic to get their way, Draco," Willow said, shooting him a glare. "And by the way, I don't follow anyone."

"Ah, I forgot, you're committed to going against the grain at every chance you get. How does it feel, being the first blood traitor of the Fawley family line?"

Willow whipped out her wand and pressed it into Draco's neck. He calmly backed into the wall, actually smirking at her. Willow only got more frustrated and raised her fist.

"I am not a Fawley," she growled. "Don't you ever use that name with me in public!"

"Careful now, Willow. You wouldn't want Snape to give you a month-long detention, would you?"

Willow begrudgingly released him. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Draco wasn't doing this because he liked it. He has to act like this, she reminded herself. But looking at his smug face and gleaming, silvery eyes, she struggled to not ignore everything he said the previous day. Either he was a really good actor, or he was lying to her. Willow preferred to believe the former.

Cypress pulled her away before she could do anything stupid. Draco went back to cracking jokes at Harry's expense with the other Slytherins. Willow dug her nails into her palms to keep herself from going crazy. Letting Draco back into her life was going to be especially difficult, but she couldn't deny the similarities between them, however dark. If Voldemort really came back, she couldn't leave him to the wolves. They would both be caught between a rock and a hard place. They might even end up relying on each other to make it out alive. Willow wished it was anyone else, but since when had life ever granted her wish?

Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived on the scene moments later. Willow saw them too late, and she couldn't prevent Harry from seeing the "Potter Stinks" buttons. She clapped a hand to her forehead when Draco got into a heated exchange with the Gryffindor– again. Draco eventually insulted Hermione with a Mudblood comment, and both boys drew their wands. Willow groaned and pushed Cypress farther down the corridor. Draco always baited Harry into fights, especially around Snape, because the Slytherin was too smart to know that he wouldn't get punished when Harry was in the mix.

The boys fired off their spells, and the aftermath didn't surprise Willow one bit. The spells, of course, ricocheted, and now Goyle and Hermione were dealing with the consequences of the fight. Goyle was sprouting nasty boils all over his face, and Hermione was covering her mouth, refusing to let anyone see her. Willow was about to step forward and help when Snape swept into the corridor.

Great, now Draco's going to get off scot-free, she thought as the Slytherins simultaneously launched into an explanation. Snape quieted them and specifically asked Draco what happened. Willow's blood boiled at his innocent version of the story. She was proud of Harry for interrupting and telling Snape that both of them attacked one another. Snape sent Goyle to the hospital wing, then forced Hermione to show him what happened to her. Willow gasped as Hermione revealed super long front teeth. They were still growing, and now reached the top of her chin. The Slytherins burst into laughter. Snape said he saw no difference. Hermione burst into tears and ran away.

That did it. Willow was done. Right as Ron and Harry hurled a torrent of expletives and insults at Snape, Willow joined right in. Snape didn't hear her, however, and took fifty points from Gryffindor before giving Ron and Harry detention. He wore an ugly smile as he disappeared back into the classroom. The Slytherins howled with laughter and pointed at the boys. Willow rounded on Draco and punched him in the chest. He smashed into the wall and sank to the ground.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" Draco coughed.

"You want to laugh at other people's pain? You have to be able to laugh at your own, then!" Willow kicked him in the shoulder, and he let out a strained grunt. "How do you like it now, Blondie?"

"I think you broke something," Draco spluttered. He winced as he gripped his shoulder. "Or popped something out of place."

"You want a real injury to complain about? I'll give you a real injury."

Willow grabbed Draco by the ear and dragged him down the corridor. Draco scrambled along beside her, a chorus of ow's following. Willow forced him up the steps and through the castle, all the way to the hospital wing, where she paused outside the door. She held Draco against the wall with her palm on his chest.

"You're a damn good actor, Draco. Did you actually enjoy that?"

"What do you think?" he snapped. "You think I wanted to hurt anyone? The only part I enjoyed was seeing Potter's face when I showed him the button. It took a lot of work to make these, I'll have you know!"

"I can deal with rivalry, but not what you did to Hermione. Answer me. Honestly."

Draco's eyes stormed. The grey suddenly darkened a few shades. "No."

Willow released him, but not before getting in another sharp blow to his shoulder. He recoiled and put his other arm up in a "What gives?" gesture. Willow rolled her eyes. "I'm helping you, idiot. Your father would be over-the-moon to hear we're rivals. Tell him we got into a fight and you won. Embellish it as much as you want. You're good at that."

"You know, some people would call this a very unhealthy friendship."

"Nothing about me is healthy. Now go make sure Madam Pomfrey fixed Hermione, and get yourself checked out. You're welcome. I got you out of being poisoned by Snape."

"I didn't say thank you."

Willow grinned and pushed Draco towards the door. "Go, Blondie. I've got a greasy-haired arsehole to deal with."

"Have fun with detention, then."

"You know I will," Willow called over her shoulder.

She took her sweet old time returning to Potions, much to the frustration of Professor Snape. His jaw was so tight that Willow could have imagined it wired shut. He didn't say a word as she made her way to Cypress's brewing station, instead glaring daggers. Judging by the fact that Harry was missing and Snape's attitude was even more sour than usual, the Gryffindor had been stolen away on Triwizard Tournament business. Karma had worked fast that afternoon. Willow smiled patronizingly and sat down in Cypress's spinny chair. He was already hard at work on another concoction, muttering to himself as he added pickled frog legs to the cauldron.

"Please tell me you've been working out a way to get back at Snape," Willow said under her breath.

"As if it's even a question," Cypress hissed. "That man only lets me do my thing because I'm a Slytherin and a potions prodigy, the only two kinds of people he doesn't kick around. Getting back at him will be a sweet revenge. He won't give me detention, and he certainly wouldn't dare deduct points from his own House. There's no way he can retaliate, especially if we're discreet about it."

"What do you have planned?"

"Oh, just an old favorite of mine. I used to be quite the pyrotechnic before I knew I was a wizard. Now I just enhance my talent with magic." Cypress used a ladle to scoop out a vial full of brownish-orangish liquid. "Aha! Easiest thing I ever made. Only takes ten minutes, if you're practiced." He eyed Snape, who was passing by some Gryffindors. Willow figured he would check on them any second now. She caught Cypress's eye, and she nodded. "Just follow my lead, and it'll go fine."

Willow did her best to suppress a conspiratorial grin as Snape prowled behind them. Cypress went to hand her the vial, but at the last second, almost imperceptibly, he released two fingers from it, sending the vial hurtling toward the floor. Willow jumped backward, and the glass shattered. Cypress began to warn Snape as he backpedaled, but he was purposely too late. The potion reacted with the impact and exploded. Dark soot covered every exposed inch of Snape's skin. His robes were singed. Willow and Cypress pretended to be beside themselves with concern and immediately mopped up the mess.

"I'm so sorry, Professor! I should have been more careful in handling the situation!" Willow wailed.

Snape turned his menacing cold face to her. His eyes narrowed. "Maybe next time you should be more careful of your actions, Miss Guerrero. Actions...speak far louder...than words."

Snape stormed across the room, already repairing his robes with his wand. He growled in frustration when the black marks wouldn't come off his face. Cypress high-fived Willow while the Professor's back was turned.

"I hope he knows that those ashes don't come off for two hours!" Cypress whispered, eyes sparking with electricity. "He's going to make a fool of himself at dinner!"

Snape would have made a fool of himself– if he had shown up at dinner, which he wisely did not. Willow could hardly believe her luck. She didn't get detention, she'd pissed off Snape, and she'd gotten back at Draco without destroying their fragile friendship. Hermione wasn't at dinner, either, but Willow assumed she was still working with Pomfrey to fix her teeth. The rest of the Gryffindor Sisters had trapped Benigno at the Gryffindor table, loudly going on about how he should have been Champion, that he was very talented, and much more. Benigno shot a desperate look at Willow, and she silently promised to save him after dinner.

At the end of the table, Harry sat completely and utterly alone, appearing rather exhausted and downcast. Willow seized the chance and dropped into an empty space to his left. Harry showed her a strained smile, then dropped the act.

"What did they do to you, throw you in a fighting arena?" Willow chuckled.

"Worse. They let some woman named Rita Skeeter interview me."

Willow winced. "Ouch. That woman couldn't tell a truthful story if her life depended on it. Let me guess, her magical quill kept writing down false observations and embellishments?"

Harry nodded wearily. "And she insisted on putting me front and center for the photograph."

"Yuck. As if you don't have enough going on. How are you holding up, anyway?"

"Just amazing. Ron thinks I put my name in the Goblet, so now he won't talk to me. Hermione thinks he's jealous of all the attention I'm getting. I think he's being a pain in the arse."

"And they said girls cause the most drama," Willow chortled. "At least our seriously crazy friend is still talking to you, right?"

Harry cracked a smile. "Yeah, I've been owling him back and forth about this Tournament. He's back in the country now, all because I told him my scar was hurting over the summer."

"He's what?"

"I know. I tried to get him to play it safe and stay south, but he refused. He's well-hidden, wherever he is, so I'm hoping he'll be okay. I still hate the idea of him so near the dementors..."

Willow shuddered. "Me too. I've got enough problems without those creepy bastards digging up my worst memories. I don't need to remember more death."

Harry's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, you remember a death, too?"

Willow nodded. "My brother."

"What?!"

"Oh, look at that! I have to go rescue Benigno from my roommates," Willow said, abruptly getting up. Harry spluttered as he scrambled to find words to say. "No need, Harry. I don't talk about him much. You'll learn about him sometime. For now, please don't die before that sometime. Go get yourself ready for this death Tournament."

"Will...do?"

Willow skipped away, and within moments, she'd come up with a viable excuse to get Benigno away from her roommates. Benigno thanked her profusely. Willow apologized on her Gryffindor Sister's behalves; she promised, they could be a bit much, but once they settled down, they were extremely caring. Benigno took her word for it and parted ways with her. Willow waited to make sure he caught up to Fleur without being intercepted by more girls, then turned to leave the Entrance Hall. She stopped short of the marble staircase and froze.

"Hey, Willow," George greeted.

Willow's face flushed. "I...I'm sorry, I know you don't like seeing me with Benigno – I'll go now – no need to linger and bother you– "

"Wait! You're not bothering me," George said. Willow shot him a quizzical look. "I've been trying to find you for the past several days now! Fred and I came up with the perfect prank to use on Draco, and we wanted you to be the first to test it."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "You're serious? What is it?"

"We call it the Ferret Finder, in honor of Moody's disciplinary actions earlier this year." George handed her a tiny rocket. When she peered closer, she could see it was roughly shaped like a ferret. "All you have to do is tap it with your wand, and it will do the work for you. Fred and I charm these to find a single person at a time, and when they find said person, they'll explode into fireworks. I charmed this one to find Draco."

"What are we waiting for, then?"

Willow pulled her wand out and did the honors of tapping the Ferret Finder. It sprang to life and scuttled along the floor, making a direct beeline for the Slytherin table. Draco didn't notice the device as it crept closer to him. When it touched his shoe, the Ferret Finder went crazy and launched itself into the air. Fireworks shaped like ferrets exploded over Draco's head. The whole Great Hall burst into hysterical laughter, and the Slytherin did his best to hide his reddening face. Willow and George made a dash for it when the professors tried to figure out who started the madness. The pair didn't stop until they were safely in the pranking hideout.

"That...was the best thing...you've ever created!" Willow panted.

"The look...on his face...priceless!" George agreed.

They high-fived, then collapsed to the floor, dissolving into intoxicating guffawing. Right when they were beginning to settle down again, Willow pointed out Crabbe and Goyle's stupid expressions, and they laughed all over again. They eventually had to calm down to be able to breathe again, but Willow could have cared less how much her chest hurt. It had been a long time since she'd laughed this hard. She and George sat on the edge of the tower and hung their feet off the tiny balcony, watching the stars slowly blink into view.

"I'm sorry I shut you and Paige out," Willow suddenly said. "That was stupid. You guys are only trying to look out for me."

"We're sorry, too," George admitted. "We didn't mean to push you that far. We were just worried."

"You know, it's good to be slightly paranoid every once in a while. It might prevent you from getting pranked yourself."

"What do you m– ?"

Willow seized the opportunity and tossed the Puddle Pod from her pocket directly at George. The ginger was knocked over by the force of the water. He wiped a wet strand of his hair out of his eyes and gaped at Willow.

"You used my own prank against me!"

"Yes I did," Willow said, smirking. "You're lucky I didn't use both."

"You're saying you have another?"

Willow realized what he was saying too late. George dove forward, stole to Puddle Pod out of her pocket, and dropped it over her head. Willow was nearly washed off the balcony. She tackled George in retaliation, and the two of the them tried and failed to pin one another. Eventually, they gave up and collapsed beside one another.

"We're good now, right?" George said.

"Yeah, we're good," Willow replied.

"Great, I just wanted to make sure this wouldn't tick you off."

Willow barely threw up her arms in time to stop a tiny pod from hitting her in the face. When she removed her hands, she saw that her robes had turned bright pink, and George was howling with laughter. Willow tackled him to the ground and pinned him, trying to be angry, but ultimately giving into uncontrollable chuckles.

"You – you know – I hate – hot pink!" she wheezed.

"Personally, I love the colour, but I take no offence," George said.

"Change it back."

"No."

"Change it back!"

"Nope!"

"Ugh, please? I can't go walking around school in magenta robes! McGonagall would have a heart attack! I'd be misrepresenting the school, or dishonoring my ancestors, or some other bogus!"

"Oh no, we can't have that," George said sarcastically. Willow shot him a look, and he relented. He pulled another pod out of his pocket. "Fine, here you go."

Willow dropped the pod on herself, and her robes turned back to their normal colour. Her hair, however, was highlighted lime green in a few different places. Willow rolled her eyes to the heavens as George beamed mischievously. They made eye contact for a few seconds, then, as if simultaneously giving up, they both burst into a giggling fit again. Willow found that fluttering feeling clambering around in her stomach, and before she knew it, she leaned down and quickly pressed her lips to George's cheek. The redhead blinked in surprise when she pulled away. Willow bit her lip to keep herself from blushing.

"Thanks. I've always wanted my hair highlighted like this."

Before she could do more damage, Willow got up and escaped down the ladder, walking towards Gryffindor Tower at a brisk pace. She couldn't tell whether it was because she was happy or terrified, but either way, in the back of her mind, she could imagine George grinning like an idiot, and that alone put a smile on her face.

Willow arrived at the Gryffindor common room and collapsed on a couch. Paige entered moments later. The older girl furrowed her brow at the new hairstyle.

"George's doing," Willow explained.

Paige's face brightened in recognition. "Ah. That was my brilliant plan. So we're all cool with each other again, right?"

"Right."

"Good, because I missed you." Paige laid lengthwise along the couch and placed her head on Willow's lap. "Don't you dare call me clingy, or I'll hex you into next week."

"I missed you too, Paige," Willow chuckled.

"By the way, the hair makes you look even hotter than before."

"Are you purposely making me blush?"

"Is it working?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "I'm not answering that."

The girls teased each other the whole night between talking, laughing, and helping each other with homework. Even after everyone else went to bed, they remained on the couch together, Paige in her typical upside-down position, Willow fast falling asleep. The younger Gryffindor smiled to herself when Paige threw a blanket over the two of them. She certainly had missed her, more than she was willing to admit. She'd missed both of her sixth-year friends.

Paige and George...why can't my emotions make up their mind?


	66. Year 4: Chapter 5

"Are you ready?"

"Pfft, no, why would I ever be ready?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Cypress, just do the mad scientist-potion-protege thing."

"You got it!"

From the corner of the Slytherin common room, Cypress rolled a potions vial towards Pansy Parkinson and a few other girls. They didn't happen to notice the little glass of bright green liquid clink against the leg of a coffee table. Willow waited with bated breath as Cypress pulled out his wand. He muttered the incantation for the severing charm. The vial cracked precisely down the middle, then a second later, Cypress magically lit it on fire. The potion suddenly exploded into a cloud of green smoke. Pansy screamed as her teeth dispositioned themselves, her ears enlarged, and her freckles turned into moles. The other girls' faces contorted with rather unpleasant changes as well. Willow and Cypress high-fived and made a beeline for the exit.

"CYPRESS!" Pansy shrieked.

"What was that? I can't hear you through your buck teeth!" Cypress called over his shoulder.

Willow nearly tripped over herself, she was laughing so hard. Cypress smirked at Pansy's ensuing rage fit. The pair dashed through the corridors, clambered up the stairs, and finally came to a stop in the Great Hall. They simply could not stop laughing; the prank had gone according to plan, and it couldn't happen to a better group of girls. When Rita Skeeter's article about the Triwizard Tournament had come out the day before, detailing a false love story between Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, the Slytherin girls had ruthlessly teased Hermione about it. Willow and the rest of her Gryffindor Sisters flaunted the better parts of the article, most of which described Hermione's "stunning" looks and "brilliant" mind, as Skeeter herself had claimed. Still, Willow had felt it was time to remind Pansy Parkinson that pureblood mania didn't make one any more beautiful, and Cypress had been more than willing to help, as he'd just created the perfect potion for the job. Willow thought her message couldn't be any clearer.

The Weasley twins, Paige, and Lee asked all about the prank, and Willow happily reported all the details. They boosted Cypress's ego with even more praise for his potions and asked him to create a specific one for a prank on Snape later that week. Willow thought the blonde would never get off his high horse now. She pulled Cypress out of the conversation before the Weasleys could say anything more and dropped him off at the Hufflepuff table with Oliver. Willow smiled to herself as Cypress instantly resorted to his usual mood and recounted a highly embellished story of their prank. She shook her head and returned to the Gryffindor table, where Paige and George were positively quivering with excitement.

"Willow, we have to show you something!"

"Finished it just last night!"

"We've been working on it for the last two weeks!"

"Ooh, another specialty pranking device?" Willow guessed. "One specifically made for Draco, I hope?"

"Nope! This one's for you!" George proudly handed Willow a small explosive device. She shot a quizzical look at the ginger. "We call it the Flashback Attack. It's like a grenade, but much less dangerous. If you detonate it, the pod blocks out all noise and sensory information for two minutes, giving you time to leave the situation. Since you refuse to believe you have panic attacks, we thought this would give you a chance to deal with the 'mystery emotional distressor' causing you to panic."

Willow turned the pod around in her hand, mouth slightly agape. "You made this...just to help me?"

"Duh, we had to pay you back for doing our Potions homework somehow," Paige snickered. At the look George shot her, she added, "But in all seriousness, this is our way of helping you out, since you won't go and get real help."

"I...I don't know what to say," Willow stammered.

"How about thank you?" Paige said.

Willow rolled her eyes. "I was getting to that part. Thank you, guys. This means a lot."

"You're welcome. Just make sure you use it, or we'll tell Miranda and Cypress that you're having panic attacks, and God knows they'll drag you to get help themselves," George reminded her.

"Trust me, I'm planning on using this." Willow smiled sheepishly. "Seriously, you're the best friends ever. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably pass out and die from lack of self-care."

"That's...probably true," Willow chuckled. Iris suddenly swooped in and dropped a letter on her lap. Willow quickly scanned it with George and Paige. "Huh. Hagrid needs me again. It looks like he wrote this in a hurry."

"You better get out to him right away, then. The skrewts might have blown up his hut. We'll see you later, Willow."

The young Gryffindor stuffed one last roll in her mouth and ran down the steps of the Entrance Hall. In the distance, Hagrid stood at his front door. He waved to Willow as she came running. There was an unmistakable sparkle in the gamekeeper's eye, one that told of a secret too exciting to keep hidden. Willow wondered what on Earth Hagrid wanted to show her this time; was it another crossbreed of his own creation? Was it a highly dangerous creature that posed a serious fire hazard? Or was it another creature he'd acquired while gambling, like Fluffy the three-headed dog or Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback?

"Hagrid, what's going on?" Willow questioned.

"Come on, follow me! Be real quiet, mind yeh!"

After a short trek through the Forbidden Forest, they came upon a clearing. At least thirty wizards Willow didn't recognize were bustling around, casting charms, and moving massive equipment. Hagrid moved her along until she was a little ways into the area, and with the clearer view, Willow could better see what was going on. That's when she saw them.

Dragons.

Four real, live dragons, all of varying sizes and colours, fought against their restraints. The witches and wizards running around their cages sported multiple bruises and burns already, and the dragons were only half-conscious, having recently come to after a round of stunning spells. An entire team of wizards had been set to work putting out fires from the feisty creatures. Their majestic patterns gleamed brilliantly in the setting sun, and their eyes reflected the blazing light. Willow could hardly contain her glee as the handlers magically positioned the dragon cages in equally spaced out areas within the clearing.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Hagrid sniffled, a tear running down his cheek.

Willow couldn't help but chuckle. "It is, Hagrid, it really is." She suddenly gasped. "Is that– Is that a Swedish Shortsnout?"

"It's good to know that someone's been teaching these young ones their dragon species!"

Willow whirled around to see a familiar shock of red hair. The man was unmistakably a Weasley, but this was one that she'd never met. His heavily freckled face and sun-darkened skin told of many days spent in the hot sun– or, quite possibly, in the burning in the heat of dragon flames. He had a friendly smile and a unique gait that was a cross between confident and muscular. There was a sort of mischievous twinkle in his eye that reminded Willow of Fred and George, though unlike the twins, he was toned like a true athlete. Willow had never seen such a cool person in her life.

"Ah, Willow, here he is!" Hagrid exclaimed. "This is Charlie Weasley."

"Charlie! That's the one!" Willow said, finally remembering Ron's stories about his older brother's work with dragons in Romania. She held out her hand, and Charlie shook it. "Willow Guerrero. It's nice to finally put a face to the name."

"The same goes for you!" Charlie said jovially. "You're the one Ginny has told me so much about! It's a shame Ron hasn't taken to you as well; I thought he'd be smitten by now."

"Well, he's got his hands full, what with Harry getting into trouble all hours of the day," Willow remarked.

"Ah, that's alright. George talks about you enough to make up for it," Charlie said, shooting her a wink. "I hope you're giving him hell?"

Willow smirked. "You know it."

Charlie grinned at Hagrid. "I like this one!" He turned and motioned for her to follow. "Come on, then! It's not every day you get a front-row seat to dragon handling!"

Willow bounced after him. Charlie, being younger than the majority of the handlers present, had been assigned to the Common Welsh Green, the smallest of the four dragons. This particular creature seemed to recognize the wizard as he approached. She stomped around and huffed, causing smoke to pour from her nostrils. Charlie talked to the dragon while he tended to her bonds. He reinforced all ten of them with magic as the dragon followed him with her eyes, never blinking as she stared him down. Charlie finished, and when he put his hands on his hips, the dragon sighed expectantly.

"Oh, alright, you have behaved rather well," Charlie relented.

He pulled a slab of meat out of a nearby cooler and tossed it into the cage. The dragon snapped it up in a single gobble, then, without warning, shot a jet of flames right at Charlie. He danced out of the way just in time to avoid being burnt to a crisp. Willow's eyebrows shot up as Charlie laughed all the way back to her and Hagrid.

"Dragonology is a fickle job, it is! Just when you think the beast is taking to you, it tries to make you dinner. Always on your toes around these beauties, always!"

"Untamable, but beautiful," Willow commented. "I should know. My family's worked with them off and on for generations."

"Have you ever considered becoming a dragonologist?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, but I'd rather be a magizoologist in general, and take care of all the creatures in the wizarding world," Willow admitted. "I've got a soft spot for dragons, of course, but they're not nearly as friendly as a demiguise and a griffin."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience."

Willow grinned. "Yeah, I am. I seem to have accidentally started a rescue for magical creatures. So far, I've got an adolescent griffin, a demiguise, a jarvey, a knarl, a jobberknoll, a fire-dwelling salamander, a bowtruckle, an owl, and a puffskein. McGonagall may or may not have given me a secret hideout off the Gryffindor common room where they stay all year."

"Really?" Charlie let out a puff of air. "Why didn't she let me have that?"

"Because you would have let a dragon into the castle and tried to raise it."

"Fair enough." Charlie shot Willow a sideways glance. "Mum tells me you've got these special animagus-like abilities. Would said ability allow you to transform into these creatures of yours?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

Willow grinned mischievously. She shape-shifted into a griffin, then a demiguise, and last but not least, a Chinese Fireball. She shot flames at a nearby bush, then stomped them out, enjoying the feel of the heat on her scales. Willow grunted at the Hungarian Horntail, and it chuffed response, communicating something along the lines of toleration. Charlie's face had gone slack by the time Willow was back to her original self.

"You – How – That's incredible!" Charlie exclaimed. "You just communicated with a magical creature! Do you have any idea what the implications of these abilities are? Years of research could be completed in moments with you in the field!"

"I never thought about it that way. I guess it would be cool."

"Cool is the understatement of the millenia! Newt Scamander would have killed for those kinds of abilities! To be able to connect with a creature, to possibly live among them for a period of time...it would enhance the research process a thousandfold! Someone needs to get Dumbledore and have him graduate you early!"

"I wish it were that simple," Willow sighed. "But there's kind of this...thing...that I've got to finish before my seventh year. It's pretty important."

"Ah, well, we can wait a few years, if that's what it takes." Charlie took another look at Willow. "Honestly, George needs to step it up. He's nowhere even close to deserving you!"

Willow hated the flush in her face. She cleared her throat. "So...is this what the first task involves? Fighting a dragon?"

"I suppose so. They never tell me anything, honestly. They asked for nesting mothers, and to switch out their eggs, but I have no idea why they would do such an awful thing to these poor creatures. I'm hoping the task is a little more doable than a duel against a dragon."

"Anything involving a dragon is still going to be tough."

"I suppose you have a point there. Hopefully someone will tip off Harry. I can't imagine how Mum would react if she knew he would be going up against one of these four. She'd probably fly all the way here just to stop the Tournament."

"I can't believe they're letting Harry compete," Willow sighed. "It feels...wrong."

"It does, but there's nothing they can do about it now. Right or not, Harry's a Champion, and as of Tuesday, he'll be hashing it out with a dragon."

"Merlin help him..."

Willow shut the door of the Three Broomsticks, sealing the chilly November wind on the other side. She found a table in a secluded corner and sat down, motioning for Benigno, Ginny, and Colin to do the same. She'd been showing the three around Hogsmeade all morning, as it was the first opportunity any of them had gotten to visit the wizarding village. Ginny and Colin bounced with excitement at every turn. They bought immeasurable amounts of candy at Honeydukes, and Willow had coerced them into purchasing a few pranks from Zonko's. Benigno was much more interested in the scenery than the shopping, though Willow had, inevitably, convinced him to buy a magical stationary that would make words appear and disappear according to the user's preference– in other words, a cheat sheet. Now, the young Gryffindor had brought them to the Three Broomsticks for a mug of the best butterbeer money could buy, and even when Benigno insisted on paying, she refused.

Willow tossed a menu his way, then handed two more to Ginny and Colin. The four enjoyed some of the heartiest beefsteak sandwiches they'd ever tasted. Madam Rosmerta graciously served them a bucket of fresh-cut fries, and Willow nearly ate herself into a food coma. The Gryffindor tipped Rosmerta very generously, and she was off again, already promising Ginny, Colin, and Benigno another exciting destination.

The post office was rather interesting to view. Owls of all shapes, sizes, and colours flew about in a chaotic yet orderly fashion. Tiny owls perched themselves below a sign that read, "Short Distances Only", while the enormous eagle-owls were permitted international travel. Ginny absolutely adored the smaller raptors. After several minutes, Willow managed to pull her away, and they were again exploring the nooks and crannies of the charming little village. They visited a few more sites, then Willow decided to show them the greatest destination of all: the Shrieking Shack.

They made their way to the edge of the village, then descended the winding, rocky slope to the thin pine forest below. Willow picked her way through the trees with ease. She found the well-worn path made by generations of students and followed it until the familiar rusted iron fence came into view. Benigno, Ginny, and Colin gasped upon seeing the vast, untamed property before them, and in the distance, a leaning, rickety, splintering, two-story house. Willow explained that it had been abandoned for years, but people still swore they heard howls echoing from the property every full moon.

"I thought you said no one lived here?" Benigno said, pointing into the distance.

Willow squinted against the harsh sunlight, and to her great surprise, a figure was moving within the house. He flashed by a few windows, then suddenly disappeared down the stairs, vanishing from sight. Willow caught a blur of strawberry blonde hair and instantly knew it was Sam. She furrowed her brow. Why was Sam, of all people, wandering through an abandoned house? He was terrified of ghost stories! Willow bit her lip in worry. Something weird was happening to the Smith twins, and it was only getting worse. She had to confront them, and soon.

"It's probably a ghoul still hanging around," Willow deflected. She motioned for her friends to follow her. "Come on, let's get going. We've got a lot to see yet!"

After another round of the candy store and a visit to the Hog's Head just for sightseeing, Ginny and Colin were exhausted. They opted to return to the castle while Willow and Beningo stayed behind. The pair struck up another conversation about the similarities between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, especially considering their top-notch quidditch teams. The rivalries at Beauxbatons went all three ways, and apparently, it made for some interesting traditions during the matches. Willow was in the middle of explaining the Slytherin-Gryffindor beef when Draco suddenly made an appearance.

"Wisp, I need to talk to you, now," he hissed.

At that moment, Madame Maxime called for her students. Benigno said his goodbyes and hurried to catch up to his classmates. Willow exasperatedly sighed as Draco pulled her into a back alley.

"What do you want this time, Blondie?"

"My father is here."

"Your– wait, why is he here?" Willow questioned. "I thought he'd be busy doing cult things with his Death Eater buddies in the Ministry or something."

Draco made a face. "Being a Death Eater is not a full-time thing, Willow. He's here because the Minister of Magic is here, checking on the Tournament preparations."

"Perfect, so he'll stay away from me."

"Exactly the opposite, Wisp! He'll purposely search you out! You have to stay away from him, do you understand? You lie worse than a Hufflepuff! You'll give away your mother faster than you can say hello."

"Ouch. I'd like to think a little more highly of myself than that."

"It doesn't matter what you'd like to think, it's the truth, and the truth could get your mother killed," Draco said. "I'm actually helping you for once. Don't make me regret it."

"Got it, Blondie," Willow said, rolling her eyes. "Go back to whatever dark magic thing you were doing."

"I don't do dark magic!"

"And Cypress is a genius at Transfiguration. I'll keep your legacy cult secret, don't you worry."

"I'm not– ! Ugh, you're infuriating, Wisp!"

"Don't I know it!" Willow called over her shoulder.

Even though her words were teasing and playful, Willow was feeling exactly the opposite of what her tone conveyed. Her stomach was queasy and dizziness threatened to throw her off balance. Memories of Lucius and Molly roping Grace into their violence at the Ministry not once, but twice, tormented Willow's mental state. She kept to the shadows and made her way to the other edge of the village, where no respectable witch or wizard would dare travel with the Minister of Magic. Some trash heaps levitated around a too-full dumpster, and the pair of houses on the end were crumbling at their very foundations. Lucius would never find her here. Willow pulled out her watch and called Sirius before she was even aware of what she was doing.

"Willow? What's happening? Where are you?"

"Oh! Sirius!" Willow fumbled around with the screen until Sirius could properly see her face. "I – uh – I'm in Hogsmeade. Lucius Malfoy decided to tag along with the Minister, so...I'm hanging out away from him."

"Is that common sense I hear?"

"No, I wouldn't go that far," Willow chuckled. "Draco warned me against it."

"Draco? Lucius's son? I thought you wanted nothing to do with him?"

"Unfortunately, I'm known for forgiving, forgetting – kind of – and empathizing. We formed a half-friendship, half-alliance. thing. We're trying to watch each other's backs as the Death Eaters get more riled up."

Sirius's expression fell. "They are at it again, aren't they? This whole year is turning out to be suspicious so far. First, a Muggle family is scared to oblivion in front of thousands of wizarding families, then Harry gets entered into this God-forsaken Tournament, and now Lucius is making himself the Minister's pet. I see a pattern here."

"I wish more people would," Willow snorted. "Anyone with a pair of eyes would see Lucius for what he truly is."

"Wizards are renowned for their lack of logic and common sense, Willow," Sirius chortled. "You fit in perfectly."

"Rude. Well, in other news, the Smith twins are being suspicious again, and I'm honestly concerned if Molly has gotten into their heads again. They had a breakdown last year because of that horrible woman."

"Molly Smith has been extremely active lately. Reports of a short blonde woman sneaking around shady areas are coming in almost daily. McGonagall nearly convinced Dumbledore to send someone to track her down. They're both worried about her getting to their students, especially Sam and Sally. I'd keep a close eye on them, if I were you."

"I do that even when the wizarding world isn't in a slow-motion landslide towards war."

"That is true. You're awfully protective. You should start worrying about yourself, though. There's no telling what the Fawleys are scheming up in that hellhole of a mansion."

"I'll be fine. I'm always watching my back."

Sirius worriedly gazed at the screen. "I wish you'd have someone else watching your back, too. Manipulation and exploiting weaknesses is the Death Eater agenda. You might not see them coming."

"Neither will you. Stay safe, Sirius, please, and for the love of God, don't do anything stupid for me."

"I'll try. Now get together with Paige already, will you?"

Willow's face flushed. "Bye, Sirius."

The screen faded to black. Willow leaned back against a nearby wall and closed her eyes. She felt better after talking to Sirius, but nothing could truly relieve the pressure. The wind whipped through her robes like cutting sheets of ice. Winter was starting to rear its ugly head. Although it was freezing, Willow enjoyed the numbness that followed the breeze, like an ignorant bliss to the shifting tides around her. She wanted to forget, if only for a moment, about the looming threat on the horizon. She wanted to forget that Grace was no longer safe. She wanted to forget that Voldemort and the Death Eaters even existed.

I want to sleep, for like...eighteen hours, Willow thought, smiling.

But she didn't sleep. She found her unfailing strength once again. She got up, and she faced the world. Willow took a deep breath. She emerged from the alley, beaming, pushing all storm clouds out of her head. She could worry about the Death Eaters later. Right now, she was in Hogsmeade, and she was going to have a great time with her friends, Lucius Malfoy be damned. Willow found them right away and drug them to the outskirts of the village. They took a walk through the cobbled streets, chatting amiably.

"Have you guys been noticing Dean and Seamus acting strangely?" Lisa asked.

"Strange isn't the right word," Miranda snorted. "I'd say it's more 'gay panic' than anything. I wish they'd just get together already and stop dancing around the question."

"Hm, I know another couple that could use that advice..." Sue said, shooting a mischievous grin at Cypress and Oliver.

Oliver reddened. "Oh – um – I don't know what you're talking about– "

"It's okay, Oliver, we all know it's not you we're waiting on," Willow assured him, pointedly raising her eyebrows at a certain blonde Slytherin. Cypress made an indignant sound.

"Excuse me, but I have a certain dramatic flair that requires a considerable amount of planning to pull off."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll take the seven hundredth bullcrap excuse. We all know what's really going on here."

"If you're assuming I'm a scared, you're sorely mistaken."

"Yeah. Sure." Willow ignored Cypress's playful shove and turned to Padma. "How's the research going? I heard you were coming up with new healing methods for major injuries, and if I remember correctly, you are really good at charms."

Padma blushed, but a pure grin spread across her face. "It's going very well. Next time you go running off into battle, I'll be ready with my new coagulation spell. You won't bleed out on my watch."

"Good! I'd rather go out with a bang."

"I'd rather you not go out at all," Lisa said quickly.

"Lisa, it's a miracle I survived first year. I'm on borrowed time here. I might as well make the most of– "

"Excuse me, are you Miranda Brocklehurst?"

Willow whirled around with the rest of her friend group. Her jaw dropped to the ground. Standing behind them was a Durmstrang student, but not just any Durmstrang student. This was the girl rumored to have beaten Krum at arm wrestling. Willow could see why. The girl was rather tall, and more muscular than any teenage boy could hope to be. Her jawline was prominent, and her dark hair swept back into a restrictive braid, but despite her tough, disciplined first impression, Willow could see the easy-going smile in her deep brown eyes. Miranda blinked when the girl held out a hand.

"My name is Yrsa."

Miranda tripped over his words as he shook Yrsa's hand. "You– You know my name."

"One of your classmates said you were extremely interested in Ancient Runes, especially ones from Norway, where I am from."

"Oh, yeah! I've always loved Norse mythology, so studying their runes as an elective definitely sounded better than Divination."

"Norse mythology was all I wanted to read about growing up!" Yrsa exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "I adored those stories about the female viking warriors leading their own fleets!"

"Those were my favorite!"

"Really? That's amazing!" Yrsa drew her wand and showed it to Miranda. "I had the symbols for 'warrior' and 'strength' carved into my wand. They've honestly helped me with my spellwork."

"They must have helped you with your workouts, too. Not many people can boast about besting Krum."

Yrsa shyly beamed. "He started it. I told him to shut it, and he said to make him, so I did. He thought he'd beat me in arm wrestling. I was simply stronger."

"Look, Willow, it's another modest superhuman!" Miranda said. "You two have a lot in common!"

"I feel your pain," Willow commiserated.

"I'm heading back early," Lisa suddenly announced.

The whole group froze as the blonde Ravenclaw turned on her heel and stormed away. Willow and Miranda exchanged bewildered glances. Sue and Padma shot an apologetic look to their friends and took off after Lisa. Cypress and Oliver awkwardly shifted from foot to foot. What just happened?

"Did I say something?" Yrsa asked.

"What? No, I don't know what's wrong with Lisa," Miranda assured her. "She gets like this sometimes."

There was an excruciating silence. Willow couldn't stand it anymore and cleared her throat. "Have you seen the books on Nordic runes in the shops?"

Before they knew it, Willow had smoothed over the interruption, and the conversation was flowing normally again as they browsed the bookshelves of Hogsmeade's cozy little bookshop. Willow smiled to herself upon seeing Cypress and Oliver holding hands. They casually spoke in soft voices about books that they recognized from the Muggle world. Willow had to tear her eyes away before she could squeal; the pair was just so damn cute.

Miranda and Yrsa went back in forth in a very, very fast exchange about Nordic runes. Willow hardly understood rune magic to begin with, but this? She lost them after the second sentence. It was cool to watch Miranda open up to a new person so quickly. Normally, he despised meeting new people, fearing that when he came out as genderfluid, those formerly friendly people would turn tail and run out of his life. But now here he was, chatting it up with a total stranger. Willow could scarcely believe the amount of words Miranda was speaking to another human being that wasn't in his friend group. It was scary, how common interests could make an antisocial person bloom. If only Lisa had stuck around to see it...

Yrsa was eventually called back to the ship by her headmaster, and she parted ways with Miranda. He watched her go, then exhaled deeply, turning back to look at Willow, Cypress and Oliver.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever spoken that much in my life," Miranda remarked.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were preparing to start a Nordic Runes club with her," Cypress said.

"No, that sounds like a lot of work. It was just nice to have someone to spill my guts to about a very specific interest." Miranda's expression suddenly clouded. "Is Lisa still gone? What happened to her? Is she feeling okay?"

"I'm afraid she's not," Cypress sighed dramatically. "She's suffering from a terrible affliction called jealousy."

"Jealousy? Why would she– ?" Miranda's eyes widened. "Shit. She thought I was flirting, didn't she?"

"Is that what happened?" Willow questioned.

"You didn't know?" Oliver gasped. "Willow, we talked about emotional cues!"

"You didn't teach me anything about romantic emotional cues!"

"Either way, I messed up, big time," Miranda fretted. He paced back and forth between two front porches. "What if she hates me now? What if she stops fancying me? What if– ?"

"Oh, quit worrying, she'll come around," Cypress said.

Lisa most certainly did not come around. To their everlasting surprise, she had locked herself away in her dormitory by the time they got back to the castle. Sue and Padma couldn't get her to come out. Even when Miranda knocked on the door and apologized and explained over and over again, Lisa wouldn't budge. They decided to give her some space and went their separate ways to catch up on homework.

Willow had every intention to actually complete her Transfiguration assignment, but she didn't even make it to the common room before she was swept up by Fred, George, Lee, and Paige. They kidnapped her (though it wasn't exactly against her will) to the kitchens, where the house elves treated them like five-star resort guests. Willow ate every manner of dessert they sent her way and then some. For a moment, she forgot all about the drama happening between her friends.

Fred and Lee went off to plan some more pranks, but George and Paige weren't through with Willow yet. They drug her to the tower hideout and forcibly tested some new inventions on her. Paige particularly enjoyed throwing a highly flammable explosive in her vicinity and watching Willow's panicked reaction when her robes appeared to catch fire. The older Gryffindor assured Willow that it was fake fire, but the flames were very convincing. George simply tossed a puddle pod at her to put out any doubts.

At a ridiculously late hour, when Willow could hardly keep her eyes open, Paige finally gave in and took her back to the common room. George stayed behind to work on some more firework combos. Willow drug her exhausted body through the portrait hole and collapsed on the couch, refusing to take one more step. Paige laughed and sat on her.

"Get your fat ass off me."

"Make me."

"You asked for it!"

Willow suddenly flipped Paige over, pinning the older girl beneath her. After a few seconds, Paige smirked, and Willow realized what it looked like. The younger Gryffindor refused to blush.

"Damn, you really are a top," Paige teased.

"And you're such a bottom."

"God, you spend too much time with me. And false. Very false." At Willow's mischievous look, Paige added, "Don't you dare. Stop looking at me like that. You know I'm not able to prove it."

"And I'm entitled to my own beliefs."

"Just shut up and go to sleep already," Paige groaned.

Willow willingly granted her wish. She tossed a blanket over the older girl, then leaned back on the couch herself, covered with only her robes, but already feeling plenty warm. Willow's nerves fireworked when Paige touched her knee.

"I'm still stronger than you," Paige mumbled.

"Don't worry, that'll change."

Paige grinned and drifted off to sleep. Willow sighed contentedly and stared out the window at the stars. As tired as she was, she couldn't fall asleep. Everything felt restless, down to her very bone marrow. Too many things had been left unsaid today. Lisa and Miranda were fighting, Cypress and Oliver still weren't together – though that had remained an unfortunate fact for two years now – and now Willow's brain kept revolving between George and Paige, unable to figure out what her emotions were doing. Did she fancy one of them? Both of them? Neither?

Why can't you just not? Willow asked herself. Is it too much to ask to not fall in love?

Per usual, there was no response. Willow sighed agitatedly. Around one in the morning, she gave up on sleep and quietly tiptoed out of the common room. She headed to the grounds and found the familiar path at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Without even having to think about it, Willow's feet carried her to the thestral clearing, where the Insomniac Shack stood like a beacon of hope in the empty space. The young Gryffindor slipped inside only to find two people already there.

"Hello, Willow," Luna greeted mistily. "I was wondering if I would see you tonight. You tend to rest uneasily when the nargles gather in larger numbers."

"Uh...yeah. That might have something to do with it. What's Lisa doing here?"

The smaller Ravenclaw was silently fuming in the corner, her arms crossing her chest, her foot tapping impatiently. Willow had never seen Lisa so worked up in her life. She had wondered if the blonde was even capable of being angry like this. Now that she saw her, Willow was loathe to say it, but she was slightly terrified by the rage permeating Lisa's perfect shell.

"I noticed that Lisa was pacing alone in the common room. She looked very troubled, so I brought her here, hoping that the nargles would float away."

"It's not nargles, Luna, how many times do I have to tell you?" Lisa suddenly snapped. "It's Miranda."

"Lisa, he's not– " Willow began.

"–flirting with that Yrsa girl? Yeah, right. Anyone with eyes would be flirting with a girl like that. I don't care what you say; there's no way Miranda would pass her up for someone like me."

"He should fancy you. I think you are a treasure in most eyes," Luna said.

"Thanks, Luna, but it won't change what Miranda thinks." Lisa stood up with a huff. "He doesn't care about me. He'd rather have Miss Muscle. All that rubbish about runes? That was just to get Yrsa to talk to him."

"Actually, they're two nerds that just wanted to converse about Nordic Runes with someone other than themselves," Willow pointed out. "It's a pretty niche interest, Lisa, you've got to admit. All their talking was innocent."

"Yeah. Sure. Go ahead and try to make me feel better. I know the truth. Why would anyone want me? Why would anyone want a pathetic self-pitying anorexic when they could have all that muscle and beauty? I mean, he doesn't even have to say it, I just know, every time I have a relapse. I'm a hassle, and he would never admit it, but his eyes don't lie. Who would want a screwed-up-in-the-head girl with an eating disorder?"

Willow's frustration bubbled over. "Oh, for the love of God, Lisa, Miranda is not falling for Yrsa! He's head-over-heels for you!"

Lisa's mouth dropped open. "What...really?"

"Yes! You're not a burden in his eyes, or any of ours, for that matter! We all have different personal battles, it's just that yours can be seen on the surface. Miranda doesn't mind. He's there for you in an instant because he cares too deeply about you to let you hurt yourself. The way he was going on after you left, when he realized he upset you? He was downright petrified that he'd messed up his chances with you. Miranda thinks he's the luckiest person in the world simply because you fancy him!"

"What– then why – why didn't he say anything?" Lisa stammered.

"I don't know! What do you expect? This is Miranda we're talking about here, the most complicated person I've met, other than me!"

Lisa's face flushed. "I...didn't know he cared that much."

"He cares for you very deeply," Luna said. "I have seen it when you sit together in the common room. He is very gentle with you, even though his anger could easily get the best of him."

"He holds back his anger for me?"

"Every day, even when all he wants to do is take it out on the nearest person. He refuses to let you hurt because of him."

Lisa wrung her hands. "I guess I should have been paying more attention. He cared so much, this whole time, and I turned on him in half a second for some innocent ancient rune discussion. Now I feel like an idiot."

"Hey, you're not an idiot," Willow reassured her. "Just go talk to him. In the morning, preferably, when you're both cooled down. He'll understand. Hell, he'll probably be falling into your arms."

Lisa blushed. "I hope not. He's put on some muscle, and I'm not that strong."

"There's the cheeky Lisa Turpin I remember!" Willow said.

The next morning, Willow sprinted right to the Ravenclaw common room, if only to be emotional support and encouragement. Lisa got out of bed of her own accord and went right up to the boy's dormitory. She knocked softly, and Miranda immediately answered. Willow hid herself from sight so she wouldn't disturb them. Both Ravenclaws started babbling at the same time.

"Lisa, I'm an idiot, I shouldn't have been talking so much with Yrsa, it made you uncomfortable, it was so stupid– "

"Miranda, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that, I made you worry, it was all my fault– "

Both suddenly cut off, then tried to speak again, then finally dissolved into an apologetic silence. Lisa finally summoned the courage to continue.

"Look, you did nothing wrong. It was just a harmless conversation with a new friend that shares your interests. I see that now. I'm the one that should be sorry. I made you worry for nothing."

"But– you're sure? You're not mad?"

"Not at all. Just ashamed of myself for being so selfish."

"Hey, you're not selfish. Jealousy is natural. Having emotions is what makes us human, after all."

Lisa sighed and leaned her forehead on Miranda's shoulder. "I wish I could keep them under control. I'm a mess because I can't. The anorexia relapses, the constant anxiety, the paranoia at night– "

"–is a part of you, just like my past is part of mine." Miranda let out a chuckle. "You think I'd give up on you because a few little pieces are out of place? I've got enough family drama to fill nine seasons of reality TV, and that was before I came out as genderfluid and...whatever label suits my love orientation. Complicated?"

Lisa tipped her head up to look Miranda in the eyes. "It doesn't have to be."

He gazed down at Lisa, examining every inch of her face. There was a moment of anticipatory silence. Willow could feel the energy vibrating in her very bones. Lisa glanced at Miranda's lips.

Oh my God, just kiss already! Willow screamed silently.

Lisa averted her gaze and blushed. "You don't have to if you don't want– "

Miranda cut her off with his lips. Lisa suddenly embraced him and kissed back with all the passion she'd been holding back all along. Willow pumped her fist in the air and silently celebrated. She internally shrieked YES! so loudly that she was certain it would wake up the whole castle. But it didn't, and more importantly, it didn't disturb her friends. Lisa gripped Miranda's waist and panted against his chest.

"Damn, if I'd known you were that good of a kisser, I wouldn't have waited so long," Lisa laughed.

"I guess I just have a talent for it," Miranda said cheekily.

Lisa backed up a pace and brushed herself off, redder than she'd been in her whole life. "I should – uh – go get properly dressed – breakfast will start soon– "

"Oh, right, breakfast," Miranda said. He cleared his throat. "I guess I'll see you– at breakfast."

"Um...bye!"

"Bye!"

Willow waited until Lisa had disappeared into her dormitory, then she clambered up the stairs, only to find Miranda silently celebrating. They quietly jumped around together and noiselessly screamed with elation.

"Mirlisa is a thing! It's finally a thing!" Willow whispered.

"You seriously have a ship name for us already?" Miranda hissed.

"Of course I do! I've been rooting for you for months now!"

Miranda ran a hand through his hair. "What do I do now?"

Willow grinned. "Sweep her off her feet."


	67. Year 4: Chapter 6

By Sunday evening, all of Willow's friends knew about Mirlisa becoming a real thing, and by Tuesday, nearly all of Ravenclaw was cheering them on. Willow had never seen Lisa blush as often as she did those first few days. Miranda took it in stride and made his happiness very obvious. The pair constantly held hands as they walked around the castle, and every once in a while, Miranda would peck Lisa on the cheek before leaving for class. Willow was happy to be the one that finally got them together.

Meanwhile, Cypress was taking his sweet old time asking Oliver out, and it was driving Willow insane. She didn't know how Oliver had the patience; she would have definitely asked Cypress out by now if she were in his shoes, but then again, she was a domineering personality, and Oliver was one of the shyest people on the planet. Willow decided to give them a few more months before she stepped in to rectify the situation.

On Wednesday morning, Willow woke with a start. She clapped a hand to her mouth when she realized what day it was. The first task of the Triwizard Tournament was happening today! Her gut roiled with sickening regret; she hadn't tipped Harry off about the dragons! She hoped against hope that someone else had gotten to him in time and he'd put together a plan. If worse came to worse, Willow was prepared to jump into the arena and tackle the dragons herself. What were they going to do? Expel her for protecting her friend? Harry wasn't supposed to be in the Tournament in the first place!

After a hasty run, a quick shower, and completely forgetting about breakfast, Willow joined up with Paige, the Weasley twins, and Lee on her way to the stadium. They seated themselves among their fellow rowdy Gryffindors. Willow wished she shared their enthusiasm. Just thinking about Harry facing one of those dragons made her sick to her stomach. She made sure she had an aisle seat in case of an emergency, and her wand was firmly in her grasp. She didn't care if the Ministry took all the precautions in the world to protect the Champions; the only way to protect against a dragon was another dragon. Revealing herself as an "animagus" might get in the papers, but if all she got for saving Harry was a newspaper article and some teasing, it was well worth the pain.

The Gryffindor Sisters surrounded Willow the moment they found her in the stands. They picked her up and set her on her feet. So much energy and enthusiasm radiated from that small group of girls that Willow questioned if they weren't high on unsafe levels of caffeine. They handed Willow a sign that read, in bold letters, "THAT'S OUR SEEKER!" Willow rolled her eyes but held the gift up proudly. A few minutes later, she noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Sally?" Willow asked.

"She isn't feeling well again," Parvati sighed. "I told my sister to bring her a famous draft of her Super Pepperup Potion after the task. Poor thing, always getting sick and never getting any sleep..."

"Huh. This is the third time this year," Willow realized. "Hopefully her immune system isn't getting run down from the extra stress."

"We've already got a plan, don't worry!" Lavender giggled, winking. "We're going to get her a real boyfriend that will help take her mind off things without hurting her in the process."

"...Whatever works?" Willow said.

As her Sisters dissolved into further chatter about possible dates for Sally, Willow's attention turned toward the task. The arena was circular, bordered by sturdy metal fences, and encased with strong chains to prevent escapee dragons. The floor was very rocky with multiple nooks and crannies in which the Champions could hide. A nest of dragon eggs was planted in the exact center of the arena. For some reason, amid the stony grey real dragon eggs, a golden one was shining between them. Willow wondered what on Earth the task was when the announcers answered her every question.

The Champions were tasked with successfully stealing the golden egg from each dragon. The one to do so the quickest and with the least amount of damage would receive the most points. Madame Pomfrey was ready in the Champion's tent for the moment they returned. Willow thought she was going to throw up. Dragons were bad enough, but mamma dragons, protecting their soon-to-be babies? That was ten times worse than an already impossible situation. Willow fond Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Colin huddled together, faces a rather sickly shade of white. She scooted over and let them squeeze her arms until the bone nearly shattered.

"He'll get himself killed," Ron breathed. He swallowed hard. "He– He did this to himself, though, didn't he?"

"No way in hell," Willow said. "He wouldn't have signed up for yet another near-death experience, Ron."

"It's alright. It will go smoothly," Hermione said, though Willow wasn't sure whether she was reassuring them or herself. "Hagrid showed Harry the dragons. We worked on summoning charms so that he'd have his firebolt. All he has to do is perform the spell correctly, and he'll be fine. He'll be fine, right?"

"Come on, guys, this is Harry Potter!" Colin chirped. "He already bested You-Know-Who. Anything short of that is a piece of cake, right?"

"Right, Willow?" Ginny squeaked.

Willow threw a smile on her face. "Right."

The whistle sounded, and the first task of the Triwizard Tournament began. A Swedish Shortsnout was pushed into the arena to many gasps from the crowd. Moment later, Cedric appeared from a gap in the enclosure wall. His face drained of all colour when he laid eyes on the dragon. Sticking to the shadows, he remained out of sight. He pulled out his wand and whispered an incantation. Moment later, a rock was transfigured into a chocolate labrador. Cedric sent the dog in the opposite direction. The dragon instantly pounced on the intruder, giving Cedric the window he needed. He sprinted out of his hiding spot and snatched the golden egg. A massive roar went up from the Hufflepuff section of the stadium.

"That was quite clever!" Willow applauded.

Just then, the dragon shattered the rock. The moment it realized the "dog" was actually a decoy, it whipped around, only to catch Cedric red-handed. The dragon unleashed a jet of flame faster than Willow could blink. Cedric dove out of the way, but not in time. He let out a heart-wrenching cry as his right arm caught the worst of the heat. Willow shot to her feet. She fought against Hermione and Ron as they held her back.

"They've got this, Willow, no need to intervene," Hermione whispered in her ear.

Willow took a deep breath and forced herself to sit down. "Sorry. Instincts."

To her enormous relief, Cedric escaped the arena without any other complications. Ludo Bagman announced that Cedric had successfully completed the task and would be awarded points shortly. Willow seriously hoped that Madame Pomfrey was prepared for the severity of Cedric's burns. Her heart refused to settle. As much as she reminded herself that Cedric was in good hands, it did nothing to cure her desperate need to jump into action and help.

You can't do anything right now. Let the adults take care of their mess, Willow scolded herself. She tightened her hands around her knees. It's not like when Rion died. Make Paige and George happy. Just because you feel like you have to save everyone to make up for the one time you chose not to doesn't mean you need to jump into a literal pit of dragons.

Willow found her muscles relaxing. She opened her eyes and genuinely smiled. She glowed with pride. Maybe her mental health was improving, after all.

The next dragon to enter the arena was the Common Welsh Green. A minute later, Fleur emerged from the Champion tent, focused and determined to complete the task at hand. Willow heard Benigno cup his hands around his mouth and cheer the loudest for his best friend. She politely chanted Fleur's name along with the Beauxbatons students. At first, she got a few weird looks from her fellow Gryffindors, but as Fleur danced out of the way of a jet of flame, the whole stadium took up the cheer. The half-veela stoically faced down the dragon like she did it in her sleep. Within a few minutes, she got a clear shot, and Fleur fired a spell at the dragon that rendered it unconscious. Fleur practically floated to the nest and picked up the golden egg.

"WELL DONE!" Bagman boomed over the loudspeaker.

The stadium rumbled with the stomps, claps, and cheers of the students. Fleur unfortunately made the mistake of turning her back to the dragon as she walked away. The Welsh Green's eyes snapped open, and within milliseconds, a fireball rocketed towards Fleur. She dove out of the way, and unlike Cedric, only the fringe of her skirt caught fire. She easily put it out with a water spell and jogged into the safety of the Champions' tent.

"I enjoyed watching that one," Ron admitted.

"Oh, shut it, that's just because she's part-veela," Hermione snapped.

Ron sheepishly smiled. "She's pretty and brave, Hermione."

"At least he's honest about it," Willow chortled.

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms. Ginny and Colin giggled and teased Ron about having a new French girlfriend. The poor boy flushed a deep shade of red, refusing to speak for the rest of the task.

The next dragon was the Chinese Fireball, one of Willow's personal favorites. She watched Krum march out and attack the dragon right off the bat. The creature hardly got a glimpse of the Bulgarian before its eyes were struck with a nasty spell. Krum stayed out of the way as the dragon blindly stomped around, roaring in frustration. Willow cried out when the dragon crushed its own real eggs, leaving the golden one as the sole survivor.

"Ooh, that's going to lose him some points," Bagman lamented.

Krum darted in and snatched the golden egg when the opportunity presented itself, then left the arena as quickly as possible. The dragon's vision only cleared several minutes after Krum disappeared. Willow felt terrible for the poor creature as it crooned sadly over its crushed eggs. The dragon handlers took the grieving mother away before Willow could start crying her eyes out.

"Last but not least, let's welcome Harry Potter to the arena!" Bagman cheered.

Willow's head snapped up. She clapped a hand to her mouth at the sight of the agitated Hungarian Horntail prowling around the arena. Of course Harry would get the nastiest of the four dragons. It was just his luck! The Gryffindor looked ready to be sick as he entered the arena, shaky on his feet, barely holding himself together.

Come on Harry! You got this! Willow shouted silently.

"Accio Firebolt!"

"That was the correct incantation, alright," Hermione muttered. "I only hope he focused enough...he struggled with that every time..."

The wait was agonizing. Willow's feet tapped at an incredible rate. Every second that dragged by seemed like an eternity. Had the spell worked, or was Harry stranded to deal with the dragon on his own?

Then, out of nowhere, the firebolt zoomed into the arena, and Harry was soaring through the air. The entire Gryffindor section shot to their feet and exploded into whistles and screams. Harry dodged flames, escaped snapping jaws, and dove right past fireballs. His fancy flying was mesmerizing to watch. When he finally grabbed the golden egg, Willow screamed herself hoarse along with the rest of the stadium.

"AMAZING! WELL DONE, HARRY, WELL DONE!" Badman thundered.

Hermione and Ron were already sprinting the Champions' tent. Willow soon followed, and moments after she arrived, Hermione burst out of the canvas, positively howling. She crashed into Willow and threw her arms around her.

"Boys — are so — stupid!" Hermione hiccuped.

"I take it Ron and Harry finally made up, then?" Willow chuckled.

"Yes!" Hermione wailed.

Willow patted her back and laughed. "Alright, you don't have to worry about them anymore. Let's go celebrate Ron and Harry getting over themselves and not dying in the process, shall we?"

Right as Willow turned to go, Harry called out for her to wait. She turned around to find Harry placing a few small, moving objects in her hand.

"The four of us thought you might want these," Harry explained.

Willow looked down and squealed. Four miniature versions of the dragons the Champions had faced wrestled in her palm. Willow grinned from ear to ear as the little creatures looked at her with curiosity in their beady eyes.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Willow squealed.

"You're welcome!"

"Oh, Hermione, you can head back with Harry and Ron, I've just had an idea!" Willow exclaimed. "I'll be back soon!"

Willow ran around the arena just in time to see Charlie carting off an unconscious Hungarian Horntail. He whirled around in surprise when she called his name.

"Charlie! I've got something for you!"

Willow deposited the Common Welsh Green and the Hungarian Horntail in Charlie's hand. He freaked out and shrieked unintelligibly as he stroked the Welsh Green's wings. Willow let out a pure laugh.

"Charlie, are you crying?"

"Yes," Charlie sniffled. He wiped his face with his sleeve and gave Willow a one-armed hug. "You are officially my favorite person. Don't tell Mum I said that!"

"Your secret's safe with me. Take care of them, Charlie!"

"You do the same!"

Willow couldn't stop smiling all the way back to the castle. She found her friends still screeching and chanting Harry's name. The whole school (minus the Slytherins, of course) now seemed to rally around both Cedric and Harry as their Champions. Willow was glad to see the positive change. For once, all of Hogwarts stood in solidarity, and though she knew it would only be a brief moment, it was one of the brightest days the castle had seen in a very long time.

Willow went straight to the secret room first chance she got. She intended to slowly introduce her miniature dragons to her other creatures, and eventually her friends, but it ended up happening all at once. All of the fourth-year Gryffindors had crowded into the secret room and were either busily preparing Dean's art supplies, or, in Sally's and Parvati's cases, entertaining Willow's creatures amid the chaos. The Swedish Shortsnout growled with the sudden introduction of so much noise.

"Willow! Perfect timing!" Dean called. "Help me with this layout, will you? We've got seven banners to make within the next two hours!"

"Ah, you're party planning, I get it now," Willow realized. She spread a massive sheet of parchment over the floor and held it down with four paint buckets in each corner. "So I'm taking it we're boosting Harry's ego here?"

"And preserving the memory of Cedric setting himself on fire," Seamus chortled. Dean shot him a look. "But that's beside the point!"

Dean ran over to Lavender, Fay, and Mia to help them with moving an older canvas painting out of the way. Willow turned to Seamus and raised her eyebrows at him.

"So you want the upper hand, yet you're letting him boss you around?" she teased.

"What? No– I am not!" Seamus protested.

"Please. You're practically acting submissive, as long as it makes Dean fancy you even more." Seamus opened his mouth to retort, but Willow waved him off. "Nope! No denying it! All I'm saying is don't change the way you act just to win a relationship."

Seamus crossed his arms and shot Willow a glare. "You're hardly helpful."

"Don't I know it! I'll still be there when Deamus is a thing!"

Seamus's mouth fell open at the ship name. Willow teasingly winked at him as she skipped away to her creatures. She introduced the tiny dragons to Felicity, who was more than happy to share his tree with the creatures. Fidget crawled out of his day nest, which Willow had helped him build when she realized she couldn't take him with her all the time, and he appeared to take to the dragons rather well. The little bowtruckle gladly found a pair of nooks in the network of branches and got to work assembling a makeshift nest until Willow had more time to give them a proper place to sleep.

While she watched them work, Willow noticed out of the corner of her eye that Sally was looking remarkably well for someone who was too sick to attend the Triwizard Tournament only a few hours prior. The Tournament was back for the first time in centuries; even if she was deathly ill, Willow would have forced someone to levitate her to the stands. Sally wasn't even that fazed, if she was sick at all, because she still had all the colour in her cheeks, and she was moving around and helping like nothing was wrong with her. The only thing out of place was the odd shiftiness in her gaze. She constantly wrung her hands and couldn't stare at anything for more than a few seconds.

Something's definitely up, Willow thought.

Instead of fretting over her friend's odd behaviour, she busied herself with coming up with names for the newest additions to her creature collection. The Chinese Fireball became Ruby, and the Swedish Shortsnout Sapphire. Ruby and Sapphire appeared very happy with their new accomodations and even sneezed fire at Willow as a sort of thank-you.

"You're welcome," she giggled.

"Willow! The Weasley twins are calling for you!" Neville announced from the doorway.

"Ah. Duty calls." Willow scratched the dragons' heads. "Sorry, I got to go. I'll be back later to make sure Phoebe isn't messing with you."

Leaving her dragons behind, Willow jogged to the doorway — definitely not failing to see Dean teaching Seamus proper brushstrokes, both with flaming cheeks — and discreetly closed it behind her. She hoped to God her friends wouldn't destroy the secret room as she made her way to Fred and George. The twins excitably explained what they needed from the kitchens, and before Willow could comprehend their lightning-fast speech, she was already being dragged out of the common room with them. She gave up thinking and just started acting.

Three trips, a run-in with Filch, and a booing by the Slytherins later, the three had almost gathered everything that they needed. Willow offered to grab the last few boxes of butterbeer while the twins helped Paige and Lee finish setting up the common room. She made her way down to the kitchens and tickled the pear again. The house elves graciously offered up some leftover desserts as she passed by. Willow couldn't help but grin and take one of the treacle tarts. She praised them for their work, and a few burst into happy tears. Willow was glad to make the house elves' day. She resolved to make a point of thanking the house elves in person at least once a week.

Having nabbed the last three cases of butterbeer from the twins' personal pantry, Willow exited the kitchens and took care to shut the door nicely behind her. She was about to turn the corner and head upstairs when she nearly ran into someone.

"Willow! I – uh – hi! What are you doing here?"

"Sam? What are you doing here?"

Sam's eyes widened. "I was just – you know – looking for the best place to – prank the Slytherins!" At Willow's look, he cleared his throat. "They jinxed Neville on the way back from the Tournament. I thought a prank involving that very jinx would be a good way to get back at them."

"You should let the twins and I in on that one. We're experts at pissing off the Slytherins by now."

Sam smiled weakly. "I might do that."

Willow motioned for him to follow. "Come on, pranking can wait until later. The party's this way!"

Sam, almost ashamedly, fell into step with Willow. They silently made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. Willow didn't believe Sam's BS excuse for one second. Even she lied better than that on her good days. Sam was obviously sneaking around for some other reason, a reason he didn't want to explain to one of his closest friends. Did Sally know what was going on? Willow highly doubted it, seeing as Sally was keeping something from Sam, too. It sickened Willow to think that the previously open twins were now being secretive with not only their friends, but each other. Something terrible was going on between them, and even if it was the last thing she did, Willow was going to get to the bottom of it.

I'm not going to see another pair of siblings get torn apart.

When they got back to the common room, Sam found Sally across the room and immediately pulled her into a hushed conversation. Willow couldn't watch anymore when it got heated. She forced the matter temporarily out of her mind and slapped a smile on her face. She delivered the butterbeer to Lee — with the traditional warning not to spike hers, which he would likely ignore — then ran off to find Fred prepping the party trays with exorbitant amounts of food. She jumped into action and spared him half the time it would have taken to prepare it alone.

"Thanks for that," Fred said. He smirked mischievously. "Don't tell George I warned you, but watch out for the custard creams. We've hexed them. They're our newest invention, called Canary Creams."

"Oh, I'm still eating one later, just for fun," Willow chortled.

"I can always count on you for free advertising."

"And testing. And marketing. And ethics. And— "

"—scaring us half to death with near-death experiences?"

Willow beamed. "Hell yeah, I can. I've got four to go, if I'm averaging once a year!"

"Blimey, Willow, don't go giving us a heart attack," Fred chuckled. "At least wait until we've written our will."

"You're in luck, Fred. I'm fresh out of ideas that could get me killed." Willow glanced over to Lee, who was hard at work setting out the bottles of butterbeer. "Please tell me he'll actually listen to my request."

"Oh, there's no way he'll let you leave this party without making you more fun than before. It's a Triwizard Tournament celebration. We can only do this three times in our lives."

"Guess I'll be sticking to water, then," Willow laughed.

"Smart choice, but he'll find a way around it. He always does." Fred shot a glance at his twin and Paige. "Those two are going to fight over you tonight."

"Let them. I'm going to make them dance with each other."

Fred burst out laughing. "That might just be the worst and most brilliant idea you've ever had. I'd like to see that."

"Oh, you will." Willow tapped her watch. "It's nearly time. I'm going to help Dean hang up his posters. Save one of those Canary Creams for me, will you?"

"Will do!"

Willow darted back into the secret room, emerging less than a minute later with seven giant posters in hand. Dean artfully helped her position the banners so that they shimmered properly in the party lighting. Parvati and Mia charmed the paintings so that drawing-Harry zoomed in and out of the frame, pausing every now and then to bask in a glorious golden sheen. Willow shook her head. Leave it to her fellow Gryffindors to inflate Harry's ego yet again.

While the girls skipped away to attempt to find Benigno before the party, and Neville and Sam went back to their dormitory for a few minutes of quiet, Willow returned to the secret room to help Dean and Seamus clean up their art supplies. She successfully cleaned and put away the paintbrushes, but inevitably, she spilled paint on herself while putting it on the shelves. She cursed under her breath and went to wash her hands at the sink when she heard Dean and Seamus talking behind her. She turned off the sink to hear them.

"—wondering what it would be like if you had been in Harry's shoes," Dean said. "What would our resident expert pyrotechnic do?"

"Probably set off and explosion to distract the dragon," Seamus snorted. "It won't hurt them, will it?"

"No, they're fireproof," Dean chuckled. "I wonder why no one else thought of bombarda or the like? It would have been simple for Cedric and the other two."

"Because none of them are as brilliant as me."

"Oh, please, your ego needs no inflation. It's Harry that's the brilliant one tonight, remember? This party is in his honour."

Seamus groaned dramatically. "Forever the sidekick."

"You're not even the sidekick. You're...a background character."

"Ouch. I didn't ask for the truth."

Dean tossed a paintbrush at Seamus. "But I gave it to you anyway, so you've got to take it."

"I'll take it if you give me something else."

Willow's breath caught in her throat. She peeked around the corner to see Dean staring at Seamus like a deer caught in the headlights. The latter was smirking triumphantly. Willow silently celebrated. Seamus had finally gotten the upper hand, just as he'd wanted! It was finally Dean's turn to redden and clear his throat awkwardly.

"If you're talking about a painting, I've given you six, but I can do another portrait."

"Oh, shut it, you know what I'm saying. You've been a right flirt lately, you know that?"

Dean bit his lip. "Yeah, I'm well aware. That was on purpose. I was...trying to see how many times I could make you speechless."

"You don't have to try, Dean. It's not hard when I'm around you."

Willow muffled a squeal by clapping her hand to her mouth. Dean raised his eyebrows. "Wow. That has to be the most poetic thing you've ever said. What crappy romance poetry have you been reading?"

"My mum may or may not have made me read Shakespeare when I was younger." Seamus pretended to gag. "Romeo and Juliet was the worst love story I've ever read."

"Good thing you're not Romeo, because I'm no Juliet. It takes more than poetic declarations of love to win me over. Although...a visit in a garden? Alone? At night? Pretty romantic, if you ask me."

Dean winked at Seamus, then walked out of the room, leaving the latter boy starstruck. Willow gave him a few moments before she stepped out of her hiding spot. Seamus nearly jumped out of his skin when she walked in front of him.

"Blimey, Willow, don't scare me like that!" he gasped.

"You got the hint, right? You can't possibly have missed it," Willow said quickly. Seamus shot her a quizzical glance. She clapped a hand to her forehead. "Seamus! He was dropping the hint that to win him over, you've got to ask him out, preferably on a starlight date in a natural setting! Don't let the chance slip away!"

Seamus's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "He wants me to — to go out with him — on an actual date?" Willow nodded vigorously. Seamus let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Alright. T-That's fine. I can't plan, let alone execute a plan. How am I supposed to pull this off?"

Willow beamed. "You've got help. Nine second-year Gryffindors, to be exact."

"You'd really do that?"

"You think Lavender and Mia haven't been planning it for you this whole time?" Willow chortled. "They've been rooting for you for over a year now. With a bit of adjustment, their plan is nearly foolproof. We'll start scheming with you tomorrow. For now," Willow said, ushering Seamus to the exit, "we've got a party to enjoy."

They unobtrusively stepped out of the secret room to the roar of the crowd. Harry had just arrived, and to Fred, George, and Lee, that meant the party had started. Willow was jostled around by a pack of sixth-year boys, then ended up in the middle of the common room. Sally and the rest of the Gryffindor Sisters bounced her way with Benigno and Yrsa in tow.

"We found them walking together and discussing you, Willow!" Fay chirped.

"We just had to show them how Gryffindor throws parties," Lavender emphasized.

"Ooh, is that butterbeer?" Parvati squealed.

The girls immediately rushed to Lee's table, leaving Benigno and Yrsa alone with Willow for a single moment. She smiled apologetically and made sure they hadn't been totally kidnapped against their will. Although Benigno seemed a bit flustered, both assured her they were fine. Yrsa was actually interested in observing a Hogwarts party, especially a Gryffindor one, considering they were so rare (and forbidden) at Durmstrang. Willow quickly wished them luck as her roommates dragged them off to another part of the common room.

A dance floor had been cleared in the middle of the space, and even a few minutes into the party, it was packed to the last millimeter with overzealous Gryffindors. Willow couldn't help but laugh as the multitude of students let go and had a great time. Ginny and Colin drug her into the mix within seconds. The three wouldn't have cared if a spotlight was shining on them; they were happy to be free with themselves for once. Willow herself was a terrible dancer, but that didn't stop her from showing off "moves" she'd picked up over the last four years of parties.

After a session of more flailing than dancing with her Gryffindor Sisters, Willow took a break from the action. She grabbed two butterbeers — eyeing Lee all the while — and plopped down on the nearest couch. She gulped one drink down in thirty seconds, then savored the other, deciding to observe the semi-controlled chaos in a content silence. So many moving bodies, so much noise, so many sights and smells...it wasn't her scene. But to sit there, seeing the pure joy on others' faces, hearing their free laughter, watching the extroverts be themselves? It warmed Willow from her head to her toes.

Paige and George joined Willow on the couch. They chatted quietly (well, as quietly as the din allowed) about the party and all things fun, then fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying their break from the action together. Their peace was only broken by Lee's roaring proposal.

"WHO WANTS TO PLAY SPIN THE BOTTLE?!"

Several hands within the crowd shot up to a multitude of cheers. Willow shot a questioning glance at Paige and George, and they each groaned and pressed their hands to their temples.

"Lee should not be allowed to use that microphone anymore," Paige sighed. "Spin the Bottle is a game for idiots, Willow. A group of people take turns spinning a bottle on the floor, and whoever spins it has to kiss the person the bottle points to."

"Oh God," Willow chuckled. "That does sound like a terrible idea."

"It sounds great when you're as gone as Lee is. Why he insists on spiking his drinks, I have absolutely no idea, but apparently, he enjoys it enough to dismiss awful hangovers."

"Enough to sneak a bit into mine as well," Willow said.

"Oh no, did he try and bring out the extroverted Willow again?" George teased.

"Tried and failed. I'm all good...for the most part."

"Willow! You didn't!" Paige gasped, though she was failing to conceal a laugh.

"Paige, George, Willow, you're playing!" Lee suddenly announced, throwing his arms around them. He pushed them into a large circular couch with multiple others amid their protests. "Come on, it will be fun!"

Willow, Paige, and George exchanged exasperated glances. When all the players had arrived, Lee gave them the saving grace of not having to go through with it if they didn't want to, but they had to do a shot instead. Willow was glad she brought her own untampered butterbeer and poured it into three glasses, for Paige, George, and herself. Lee began the game, and Willow had to cover her eyes multiple times to avoid throwing up.

Finally, it was her turn. Willow prayed to God that it would point to herself and spun the bottle. It swirled around for several agonizing seconds, then began to slow. Willow's heart hammered against her chest. Please point to me, please point to me, please point to me! The bottle slowed down — it was merely rolling now — it was going to stop — it was so close to her—

George...and Paige?

Willow's cheeks flamed. Of course. Great. This was her luck! The bottle stopped directly between the two people she fancied, and the two very people that fancied her considerably more. Lee and the other players gasped and cheered her on. Multiple people whined that Willow was so lucky, that she got two people in one spin. She didn't quite think so. Willow finally averted her eyes from the floor and glanced between Paige and George.

"Remember, you don't have to," Paige reminded her.

"We'll make sure Lee doesn't call you a chicken," George reassured.

Willow gulped. Her first instinct was to take a drink. She hadn't spiked it, after all. It was the safest option possible. And the least embarrassing, of course. But deep down, Willow had always wondered if this was what she truly wanted. She now had a chance to test her feelings for both Paige and George all in one go. This could finally reveal the answer to her burning question: one, both, or neither?

Lee and the others chanted Willow's name, slowly at first, then picking up speed. Willow bit her lip and hid a nervous smile. She glanced up at George first.

Here goes nothing...

Willow brought her lips to George's. The contestants cheered. George froze in surprise, then suddenly returned the gesture. Willow pulled back after a few seconds and could hardly look him in the eye. Her face was on fire. George's cheeks matched his hair colour. In the background, Fred very indiscreetly celebrated.

"You still got one more, Willow!" Lee chuckled.

Taking a deep breath to clear her fuzzy head, Willow turned to Paige. The older girl raised a questioning eyebrow, but Willow didn't hesitate. She kissed Paige in front of everybody. Lee and the rest of the players went crazy. Paige blinked when Willow pulled away.

"You did that," Paige breathed.

"With both of us," George said disbelievingly.

"The bottle did point between you, did it not?" Willow said teasingly.

Paige and George gently slapped her at the same time. Willow grinned, but internally, she was screaming. Both kisses felt right. Neither made her uncomfortable. She doubted she fancied one over the other now more than ever. Willow wanted to cry and punch a hole in the wall all at once. Why couldn't her feelings sort themselves out? It seemed like even fate knew she was destined to struggle between two people forever. Willow knew she wasn't polyamorous for certain now; she wasn't into relationships with more than one person, and neither were George or Paige. So what on Earth was she supposed to do?

Rion help me...


	68. Year 4: Chapter 7

All throughout November, Willow did her best to take her mind off her conflicted heart. She practiced soccer and quidditch nonstop. She threw herself into countless hours of studying. She played with her creatures, and she even devoted more hours to homework sessions (more like copy-and-paste essay sessions) with her out-of-house friend group. Even that didn't do the trick, so she hung out with Harry more in those ensuing weeks than she ever had in the whole time she'd known him. She'd forgotten what it was like to talk with him, the both of them care-free, forgetting that their fates were slowly attempting to destroy them. Willow refused to tease Harry about being the Chosen One and didn't bring up the Tournament even once; she just wanted the both of them to enjoy some golden hours together before everything went to rubbish.

Once, after a hangout session with Oliver and Cypress, Willow and Harry stole a newly crafted bottle of Bully's Bane from the Slytherin's potions workshop. They headed to the dungeons and snuck into the Slytherin common room while everyone else was at dinner. After planting the explosive, they ran for their lives and plugged their ears. Moments later, they heard a massive BOOM! that shook the corridors. Willow and Harry stopped near a possible escape route and laughed their butts off.

"Did we seriously just explode the Slytherin common room?" Harry wheezed.

"Not only did we do that, but we flooded it," Willow chortled.

"Do you have any idea what's in the Lake?"

"I don't want to know, but I guess the Slytherins will be able to confirm or deny the myths now that the merpeople are moving into their common room."

"Willow! You didn't enforce the door?"

Willow smirked mischievously. "Why would I do that when I could see the Slytherins suft down the dungeon corridors?"

Harry shook his head. "You're bloody mad."

"So I've been told." Willow adjusted her body to settle in for the tense wait. When she looked up again, she found Harry staring at her eyes. "What? Do I have a lightning scar on my forehead?"

"No, but I can tell you've been spending more hours busying yourself than sleeping. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I told you, I'm fine. I'm always fine."

"Rubbish. I can hear you wake up screaming through the nearly soundproof walls."

"Then you're not sleeping much either, hypocrite," Willow shot back playfully, though her eyes lost their glimmer.

"Willow. Don't do this with me. You don't give me an inch of breathing room when I brush you off, so I'm reciprocating the act. I did use that word correctly, right?"

"Reciprocating? You don't know how to use that word?" Willow snorted.

"Don't change the subject." Willow rolled her eyes, and Harry crossed his arms. "You blew me off last time you mentioned your brother. We've got at least twenty minutes until the Slytherins return. Is there really a better time to tell me what's giving you nightmares?"

Willow stiffened. "No, but I'd rather you not see me differently."

"I lost someone too, Willow. I hardly think I'd see you much differently."

She sighed. There was no escaping this now. She owed Harry this much, after blowing him off so many times. Willow took a deep breath and shakily let it out. She recounted her story to Harry in the quickest, most painless version she could possibly provide. The torture was over within 60 seconds, but it felt like 60 hours to Willow. How else could reliving the worst moment of her life feel? As soon as it was over, Willow averted her eyes, forcing calm breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth. Her heart raced. She waited in a tense silence for Harry to respond.

"You've been carrying all that for nearly six years?" Willow nodded. Harry swallowed thickly and adjusted his glasses. "Wow. I didn't even know. You acted like nothing even happened. How do you bury that?"

"Not everything stays buried," Willow said hollowly. "I had it under control for the first handful of years, but in the last several months especially, it's been dug up more times than I care to recount. The Minister of Magic brought Orion up at my trial this summer, and I guess...it set me off. I've been having flashbacks and nightmares for the first time in years."

"Willow, that's serious. You should have asked for help!"

"Well I don't want any goddamn help!" Willow snapped, shooting to her feet. "I just want my family back!"

Harry instinctively backed up a few paces. His hand curled around his wand. "Willow..."

She blinked. The anger passed as soon as it had come. She glanced down to see her body beginning to sprout characteristics of a dragon. With a sickening wave of nausea, Willow ashamedly retracted her features and sank to the floor.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm not mad at you. You're right. You're totally right. I just...I'm not ready for the world to know who I truly am."

"Willow, your past is a big part of you, but it doesn't define you," Harry said.

Willow glanced up. "Did you just say something poetic?"

Harry reddened. "I guess I did..."

"Dang it, where's a video camera when I need it," Willow chuckled. "In all seriousness, though, you're right. I shouldn't be afraid of what happened to me; I should be more afraid of who I am and what kinds of trouble I'm going to end up knee-deep in."

"Speaking of knee-deep trouble..."

Willow followed Harry's gaze to see the Slytherins rounding the corner for their common room. The Gryffindors huddled together in a fervor of excitement as they watched the Head Girl speak the password. The moment the stone passage slid open, a huge wave of water burst out of the common room. Willow and Harry guffawed as the tide washed all the Slytherins back down the corridor. They were practically howling by the time one of the Slytherins managed to seal the door back up.

"WISP!" a familiar voice boomed.

"That's our cue!" Willow yelped.

The pair of Gryffindors took off like a bullet down the passageway. They didn't stop running until they were in the safety of the Great Hall, where they snagged a quick snack behind the crowd of exiting students. Willow stuffed a few rolls into her pockets for Sirius and handed the crumbs to Fidget. She and Harry mixed in with the crowd and managed to escape the Slytherins that stormed back up the marble staircase. Willow suggested they split up, just in case, so she shoved him ahead. She made sure Harry got through the portrait hole and into the safety of the Gryffindor common room, then not a moment later, a familiar shock of platinum-blonde hair yanked her by the back of the shirt and drug her down the corridor.

"Hey — ouch! — stop it — Draco, seriously, you're — "

"This can't possibly hurt you, Wisp, you've been hit with the Crutiatus Curse before," Draco drawled.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Honestly, it's like you're a bully or something. Did your precious father tell you the details of my Ministry injustice last year?"

Draco shot her a look. "I'm not a bully."

"Bull. And you didn't answer my question."

"I'm not obliged to." Draco finally tossed her into the nearest suit of armor. Willow barely managed to avoid crashing into it. Before she could regain her footing, Draco pinned her to the wall with his forearm. "You spilled the Black Lake into the Slytherin common room."

"Is that a question, or a statement?"

"I found an empty vial with your name on it."

"Huh. I could have sworn I told Cypress not to write my name on his explosives." At Draco's withering look, Willow relented. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry, I'm sure Snape will fix it in no time. I made sure one of you shut the door before you flooded the castle!"

"You're an arsehole, you know that?"

"I could say the same about you. Which Muggleborn did you bully today?"

Draco scoffed and roughly released Willow. "No one, actually."

"Wow, you're slipping. You might upset your father. Are you running out of acting ideas?"

"What? No, it's just — " Draco stepped back and fidgeted with his robes. Willow watched in a stunned silence as he stumbled for words. She'd never seen him fidget before. His confidence had up and disappeared. " — something is happening within the castle. Don't go blabbing about it to McGonagall. I don't know any specifics, but...someone is feeding information from the inside."

Willow froze. "You're joking."

"I'm not. I'm dead serious, Wisp." Draco stared intensely at the wall, his grey eyes storming. "Things are gaining momentum faster and faster, and no one can see it. There's something horrible coming, but there's nothing we can do to stop it."

"There has to be! We can find the rat, we can help them plant false information, we can — "

"No, Wisp, just — stop. If we get involved, we're going to get the rat killed, and possibly ourselves in the process. What if the trail leads right to your mother? What if she is the one asking for information? What will you do then?" Draco shook his head bitterly. "It all ends with someone dead, Wisp. We have to do nothing."

Willow crossed her arms, glaring at the floor so hard she nearly burned a hole in the stone. "I'm not good at doing nothing, Draco."

"Promise me you won't do anything."

"What?" Willow spluttered. She furiously whirled around to face him. "You expect me to sit here and watch the world burn?"

"You expect me to put my entire family in harm's way?" Draco retorted. "If they find out I'm meddling with their efforts, they'll assume my parents are traitors, too. They'll kill all three of us."

Willow set her mouth into a hard line. Draco had a point; they couldn't risk their families' lives. But that didn't stop the burning feeling of guilt and rage eating away at her insides. She knew someone was doing wrong, and she was morally obliged to stop them. She normally wouldn't think twice about throwing herself head-first at the problem to fix it. But now, with the lives of her loved ones on the line...she was trapped between a rock and a hard place.

"Someone's coming," Draco suddenly hissed, snapping Willow out of her thoughts. He shot her a meaningful look. "Promise me!"

"I will, as soon as I know there's absolutely no other way."

"Damn you, Wisp!"

Draco quickly darted down the stairs just as a pair of footsteps approached. Willow recognized Sally's voice, but the other came as a surprise. She peered around the corner to witness a rather odd scene. Mad-Eye Moody, the grumpiest, most secretive professor she'd ever met, was chatting amiably with Sally about their latest lesson, which involved defensive charms against a banshee. Willow kept herself out of sight as they passed. She was absolutely dumbfounded, seeing Moody genuinely smile at Sally. She thought the man was incapable of the gesture. Apparently, when paired with the right person, there was a side to Moody that wasn't...well, moody. Willow was beginning to wonder if she was just seeing things when Sam crept up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"I'm not crazy? That's really happening?" Willow questioned.

"I'm seeing the same thing you are," Sam confirmed. His eyes were flinty, and he appeared rather hurt. "Sally's been spending an inordinate amount of time with Professor Moody lately. I don't know why she'd take to him; she hates grumpy people."

"But Mad-Eye seems almost...relaxed around her. That's not normal either."

"I'm going to keep a closer eye on her," Sam declared, half-turning away from his twin. His eyes glittered sadly. "She doesn't go anywhere that I can't follow. I just...I want to know that she's not in trouble, you know?"

"I share the feeling." Willow rubbed his shoulder. "We'll get to the bottom of this one way or another, Sam. I know we will."

Sam sighed. "I hope it's sooner rather than later."

November faded into December, and still Willow was dancing awkwardly around George and Paige. The older Gryffindors acted like nothing was wrong, but Willow knew better. They were barely keeping their friendship intact with Willow's indecisive love driving a wedge between them. Both would jump at any chance to prove themselves to her now, and it was getting to a point where she could hardly stand it. Willow was almost tempted to declare herself single forever and just be done with this confusing love thing.

It only got worse when, one mid-December afternoon, McGonagall announced after Transfiguration that the Yule Ball would be taking place on Christmas day as a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament. It was, first and foremost, and dance, and the house of Gryffindor would be expected to put their best foot forward and be on their best behaviour. Willow noticed that her Gryffindor Sisters instantly burst into giggles and a fervor of whispers. She couldn't figure out why, but Miranda spelled it out for her before she could ask.

"Everyone takes romantic partners to a ball, Willow. It's basically a once-in-a-lifetime date."

The young Gryffindor nearly spat out her water. "It's a date?"

"That is, unless you go without someone."

Willow groaned and face-planted into her desk. "You must be joking. The already ridiculous rate of drama is going to skyrocket. Someone knock me out and wake me up when it's over."

"I was...actually...going to ask for your help," Miranda admitted.

Willow glanced his way as they exited the classroom. "My help?"

Miranda reddened considerably. "I've been wanting to ask Lisa on a real, formal date for several weeks now, and this might be my one opportunity. Problem is...I have no idea what I'm doing."

"You know you're asking the person with no real relationship experience, right?"

"That's exactly what I'm going for, though! Something original, something no one's ever thought of! Lisa isn't the type of person to swoon over traditional crap, like flowers and signs and cheesy lines. She likes creativity, ever-changing thought process, and a fair bit of wit thrown into the mix, too. How am I ever going to live up to that?"

Willow paused in thought. "Whenever I think of creativity...I tend to think of creative writing...so maybe..." Her eyes lit up. "Aha! I have an idea! What if you wrote a poem, an parabel, of sorts, about you realizing your feelings for Lisa, then transformed it into a song?"

Miranda gasped. "Oh my God, Willow, you're a genius!"

Dragging Willow at a breakneck pace through the corridors, he brought her to the Ravenclaw common room, then stole her up to his dormitory. The two poured through countless works of romantic prose until they found their inspiration. Willow set to work polishing Miranda's raw ideas the moment they poured onto the page, and within half an hour, they were satisfied with the poetry piece. Then came the even harder part: putting the lyrics to notes. Willow and Miranda flopped onto their backs in frustrated anguish more than once. When the hour was nearly up, Willow left Miranda to continue his work and headed down to the dungeons. She regretted not eating lunch, but when it came to Mirlisa, she'd do just about anything for them.

Snape was in a pissy mood, per usual, and barked at the students every fifteen seconds to hurry up while preparing their ingredients. Willow rolled her eyes when Snape swept by her and Draco's desk. It was like the brain of a whiny child got trapped in the body of a greasy adult man. Willow shook her head and resumed handing slimy bits of god-knows-what to Draco. When she'd finished all their preparations, she left Draco to his potion-brewing ("NO, Wisp, for the last time, you'll mess it up, so go away!") and sauntered over to Cypress's corner.

"What specialized detonator is on trial today?" Willow casually remarked.

Cypress didn't respond. Willow glanced to her right to see him furiously scribbling in a notebook in the messiest scrawl she'd ever seen. Cypress's handwriting was normally atrocious, but today, with as fast as he was writing, it horrendous. The situation was made worse by the fact that every few seconds, Cypress would grumble to himself and cross out everything he'd just written. Willow squinted to read the barely-legible lettering and gave up after a few failed attempts. She tapped the table to get Cypress's attention.

"Cypress, what on Earth are you doing?"

The blonde nearly jumped out of his seat. "Oh! Something — for Oliver — been working on it since yesterday — "

"Can you even read your own handwriting?" Willow said, trying and failing once again to decipher the seemingly foreign language.

"Doesn't matter....got to get this done...only have a few days..." Cypress mumbled, resuming his frantic scratching.

Willow suddenly gasped. "Oh my God, you're asking him to the Yule Ball, aren't you?"

Cypress dropped his pen and fumbled around to catch it. "Yes, I am."

"FINALLY! So this is the perfect moment you've been waiting for! It took long enough!" Willow raised her eyebrows at the blush creeping up Cypress's pink cheeks. "Wow, I've never seen you turn red before. This must be a big deal."

"This is a big deal. This is the biggest deal of all big deals. Oliver deserves for everything to be perfect, which means I've got to make everything perfect. I need to make a plan — it's rubbish so far — and everything from the official proposal to the last dance has to be executed perfectly. I can't — seem to — do it!" Cypress sighed frustratedly, scribbling out yet another page of ideas. "None of this is worthy of Oliver!"

"Cypress, quit overthinking it," Willow laughed. "Oliver will be floored any way you ask him. He's been patiently waiting forever, and he won't care how you do it so long as you actually ask him out."

"You're not helpful. I need ideas, Willow, not logic and reasoning."

"Alright, alright! Start with what you know he loves."

Willow and Cypress got to work. They drafted nearly half a speech in thirty minutes, touching on all the things Cypress knew so well about Oliver, such as the Hufflepuff's infatuation with all flora, his sweet nature, and his love language of touch. If someone had asked Willow about it, she would have told them Cypress went overboard with the vocabulary and near-torrential downpour of compliments, but it was his speech, after all, and if that was how he wanted to ask Oliver out after years of waiting, then that was how he was going to do it. There was no changing his mind now.

Right as Cypress was getting past the halfway point, Willow was called back to her table. Draco smiled smugly as Snape inspected their potion. They received full marks, and Snape was on his way again. Willow rolled her eyes as Draco silently taunted her.

"What? You think you would have gotten us anything other than a troll mark?" Draco scoffed.

"I'd like to think I would be equally exceptional at potions if somebody would actually let me brew them," Willow retorted.

"Like I said before, Wisp, I'd rather not lose my perfect grades because of a poor partner." His eyes glimmered. "That reminds me, has someone finally summoned the courage to ask you to the Yule Ball, or are you driving them all away again?"

"I have better things to do than bow down to society's expectations of romantic events," Willow snorted. "I'd rather go by myself and have fun with my friends than waste my time fawning over some idiot that's just going to ditch me for a pretty girl."

"That's just a fancy way of saying you're too ugly to get a date."

Willow threw a book at Draco upon seeing his teasing smirk. "So you've got it all figured out, then? You've already got the girl and know exactly how the evening is going to progress?"

Draco suddenly spluttered. "I — I mean — I did — no, I do have it figured out — not yet, though — "

Willow gasped. "No. Way. You got turned down, didn't you?"

"I did not!"

"Draco, your face is the colour of a tomato. You're lying through your teeth." Willow sat back in her seat, letting out a breath. "Wow. The Slytherin Prince got shot down right when he thought he could get whatever he wanted. Who was it?"

"No."

"Tell me."

"No."

"I'm friends with Cypress. I'll find out one way or another."

"Ugh, fine." Draco sulked in his seat. "It was...Daphne Greengrass."

Willow let out a bark of laughter, which earned her a stinging slap to the arm. "No way! She said no? To you?"

"Keep your voice down!" Draco hissed. Willow begrudgingly shut her mouth as he leaned his forehead on the table. "Yes. Daphne Greengrass said no to me."

"Aw, it's okay, Draco, you'll get used to rejection at some point." He shot her a glare. "Welcome to the real world, Princess. Come on! I'm sure there's a whole flock of girls clambering for your attention. You just have to figure out which one isn't...well, obsessed. From there it's a matter of sweeping them off their feet, which I'm sure you've had plenty of practice doing."

"You think I spend all my free time strutting about the castle, making girls faint?"

"What else do stuck-up rich bad boys do?"

"You're a miserable pain in the arse, you know that, Wisp?"

"Oh, I don't know it, I own that role." Willow shot Draco a wink. "If you're really feeling rebellious, you could always take a blood traitor. You might even make the Daily Prophet. I can't wait to see the headlines."

The bell rang at that moment. Willow got up and walked to the door, leaving Draco stammering. "What — Wisp, get back here!"

"You know what you're doing!" she called over her shoulder.

Draco thankfully didn't give chase. Willow sauntered her way through the corridors, enjoying a free period at last to roam the castle while the rest of the school was mostly empty. She needed some quiet time and — well, if she was being honest, a fair few hours of sleep. It had been weeks since she'd gotten restful sleep without being plagued by nightmares or stressful dreams in general. Willow spent more time at night with Luna in the Insomniac Shack than she did in her dormitory. She caught up with some naps here and there, but it never completely removed the haze of exhaustion that tampered with her mental state. Maybe she really should seek out professional help soon...

"Willow! Blimey, quit walking so fast!"

Willow turned to find Seamus nearly running to catch up with her. "Sorry, force of habit."

"I need your help! I still haven't asked Dean out, and now the Yule Ball — "

"You didn't ask Dean out?!" Willow yelped. "I literally dropped you off with my roommates for two hours that one time! How did you not come up with a plan?"

"We did! I just...didn't execute it?"

Willow face-palmed. "Seamus! You're lucky Dean is patient! You need to get a move on before it's too late!"

"Why do you think I came to you?!"

Willow groaned. "That's it, scrap all ideas, you're coming with me right now. You're the Gryffindor Sisters' newest assignment."

"You've got this!" Willow whispered.

"Merlin help me," Seamus groaned.

"Oh, come on, I did most of the work, you just have to sit there and look pretty."

"I'm going to pay for this in some subtle way later, aren't I?"

"You bet! Shoot, here he comes, play it cool!"

Willow darted behind a cluster of trees as Seamus frantically smoothed out his robes. The distant sound of swishing grass grew closer and closer until Dean emerged from the meadow. His eyes lit up at the sight of Seamus.

"H-Hi, Dean!" Seamus stuttered. He furiously cleared his throat. "You look even better today than yesterday."

"As do you." Dean eyed the path behind Seamus. "A night walk through the Forbidden Forest? Under a half-moon? Hm, it's almost like somebody suggest this to you."

Seamus smiled uneasily. "Well, I hope you still like it, because I made a few adjustments. Shall we?"

I made a few adjustments, Willow snorted to herself. She shook her head as Dean took Seamus's arm. Together, the boys followed the semi-worn path into the trees, finally coming to a stop when they reached a series of wooden pergolas. Dean gasped at the sight.

"No. Way."

Yes way! Willow thought. The boys strolled into one of her greatest creations yet. An entire garden, complete with two stone fountains and a natural stream, flourished within the invisible boundaries. Vines and ivy tangled their way across the overhead beams, producing beautiful flowers every so often. Bushes bearing all kinds of fruit filled the chilly air with a sweet fragrance. Undergrowth wove together with a massive ground-covering of vibrant-coloured flora. Willow added a few magical touches to the flowers to make them change colours and perk up whenever someone passed them. Dean was beside himself only a few steps into the garden.

"You did all this...for me?" he spluttered.

"I mean, I had help, but...yeah," Seamus admitted, now redder than a tomato.

"There's magical flowers here that only bloom in the moon. You really took this 'moonlight stroll through the garden' thing seriously, Seamus. I'm impressed."

"Oh — um — thanks?"

Dean laughed, causing Seamus to nearly pass out. "You never were one to take a compliment." Dean noticed one of the decorations and peered closer. "Is this — Is this a Shakespeare quote?"

"From Romeo and Juliet," Seamus agreed. "One of Mercutio's famous quotes, I believe."

Dean shot Seamus a knowing smirk. "Those two were — "

" — far too close, I know," Seamus chuckled. "You said you were no Juliet, and you were right. You're definitely more of a Mercutio."

"You're not wrong. Constantly calling out my 'best friend' for his romantic bull? That's pretty much all I do."

Seamus rolled his eyes. "You also create extraordinary paintings."

"That's beside the point!"

Seamus cheekily grinned as he led Dean to the stream. Parts of it were already frozen from the mid-December temperatures, and it created the most intricate ice sculptures Willow had ever seen. Not even her powers could match the beauty of nature in this case — Who am I kidding, in all cases, she thought — and she wouldn't have it any other way. Dean traced with his finger the splashes that were frozen in time. Seamus looked on, fidgeting with his fingers more than usual. Dean eventually noticed and looked at him with a knowing smile.

"You're trying to build up the courage to say something. I can see it." Seamus nodded, even more blood rushing to his cheeks. "I'll make it easier for you: any way you ask is going to result in the same answer."

There was a beat of silence, then Seamus took a deep breath and said, much too quickly, "WillyoucometotheYuleBallwithme?"

"Yes, Seamus, I've been waiting for you to ask me forever!" Dean laughed.

Seamus's eyes widened. "You — You will? You're serious?"

"Yes! I was wondering if I'd have to ask you myself!"

"Oh...sorry about that." Seamus ran a hand through his hair. "Wow. I psyched myself up for two seconds of fear?"

"So does everyone else on this planet," Dean said. He intertwined his fingers with Seamus's, causing the Irish boy to nearly faint. "I just like watching you do it better."

Willow silently did a happy jig from her hiding spot. Her heart soared. Dean and Seamus were finally together after months of dancing around one another! Deamus was actually happening! As Seamus explained their plan for a switcheroo with Lavender and Mia during the Ball (Seamus had been quite self-conscious about going with a boy, so a deal had been made to allow for him and Dean to "go" with Lavender and Mia, then Lavender and Mia would leave them to dance with as many Durmstrang boys as possible), Willow imagined the boys dancing together. Seamus struck her as the type with two left feet, and Dean probably wasn't much better, which made the image all the more romantic. They would get to learn ballroom dancing together on the fly. Willow could already hear her roommates squealing from the cuteness overload.

"I should come and paint this place sometime," Dean whispered, pulling Willow from her thoughts. "It's like Mother Nature became an architect out here. Even the stream is picturesque."

"If by 'Mother Nature' you mean Willow, you'd be partly correct," Seamus chortled.

"Willow-powers or not, this place is beautiful, and it's the only scene worthy of painting you into it." Dean smirked at Seamus's blush. "One of these days you'll get used to compliments. It has to happen eventually."

"No it won't," Seamus groaned.

Dean let out a laugh. "It's a good thing you're cute when you blush, then."

The boys spent another fifteen minutes simply listening to the night. Willow felt remotely like a stalker, but she didn't care. She wouldn't miss this opportunity if someone offered the world to her. When the boys finally got up and began the long walk back to the castle, she followed loosely behind, her senses on high alert for any dangerous creatures. Thankfully, there were none, and the boys arrived at the edge of the Forest without incident. Dean turned to Seamus when the latter stopped short.

"Are you coming?"

"No, you go ahead, I'll catch up," Seamus insisted. "You're less likely to get caught than me."

"You are a bit of a klutz — " Dean paused, eyeing Seamus knowingly. "Willow was following us the whole time, wasn't she?"

The latter spread his hands. "What? You think I'd wander into the Forbidden Forest at midnight with no protection?"

"I'd think you're crazy if you did." Dean waved to the trees. "Thank you, Willow!"

No need to thank me when I got to see my friends be happy together, she thought.

Dean beamed at Seamus. "Thank you for tonight. It was more than I could have dreamed of."

To Willow's delight — and Seamus's extreme surprise — Dean leaned forward and kissed the Irish boy on the cheek, then jogged up to the castle, leaving Seamus in a stunned silence. When Dean was safely behind the stone walls, Willow jumped out of her hiding place and ran to Seamus.

"You did it! You honest-to-God did it!" she cheered. "You're going to the Yule Ball with Dean!"

"I'm going to the Yule Ball...with Dean?" Seamus spluttered. "I'm going to the Yule Ball...with Dean. I'm actually going to the Yule Ball with Dean!" Seamus broke out into a giddy grin. "We're seriously going together! It's happening! For real!" Seamus froze. "Merlin help me...I've got to get dress robes, don't I?"

Willow put a hand on his shoulder. "Leave that to the Gryffindor Sisters."

Seamus was taken care of within minutes when Willow announced his successful proposal to the Gryffindor Sisters the next morning. Willow hastily left her roommates to take care of his wardrobe and escaped just in time to find George and Paige leaving the common room. She caught up to them in a heartbeat. They nearly jumped out of their skin upon seeing her and fumbled for words. Willow thought it was rather odd for the usually suave Gryffindors, but she forgot all about it by the time the reached the Great Hall. They ate breakfast together in a happy bliss of fun chatter, though Willow noticed both older students were redder than usual.

On her way to Care of Magical Creatures, Ginny, Colin, and Luna caught up to Willow. The pair had become a nearly inseparable trio by now. Willow was glad to seen the energy of the Gryffindors combining in a yin-yang sort of fashion with Luna's calm, contemplative tendencies. The three frantically asked her questions before their Herbology test — Luna just wanted to brush up, Ginny had fallen asleep while studying, and Colin had forgotten about it entirely — to which Willow nonchalantly answered and explained. She laughed when Colin literally tripped over himself in his worrying and fell face-first into the grass. Luna and Ginny hauled him to his feet and thanked her profusely for her help before running to class. Willow checked her watch.

"Ah, that would make me late for the...seventeenth time this year," she said, wincing.

Thankfully, Hagrid did not hold it against her. Willow jumped right into the lesson and allowed other students to pawn their work off on her. For some reason, the skrewts took to her like they did Hagrid, which really didn't mean anything special other than they wouldn't outright attack or set them on fire. The creatures were extremely well-armored now and almost impossible to handle. Willow, Hagrid, and a few brave souls were the only ones left able to feed and walk them. While dancing out of the way of yet another blast of fire — and ignoring Draco's "Fire Flier" taunts — Miranda approached her in a rather disheveled state.

"Willow, today's the day," he panted. He nervously ran a handa through his hair. "I'm asking Lisa to the Ball today."

"FINALLY!" Willow shrieked, startling a few nearby students. She lowered her voice. "How are you going to do it?"

"That's just it...I need your help, and all of the others'."

The moment classes ended for the day, Willow and Miranda gathered every single one of their friends in the Entrance Hall, barring Lisa, of course, who was distracted by a study session. Together, they braved the chilly December winds and set to work in the meadow, preparing a scene worthy of Lisa Turpin. Willow nearly exhausted herself with the amount of times she used her powers, but it was worth it. She was happy to make someone else happy!

By the time she was finished, everyone else was almost done with their part of the project. Miranda sent Willow off to find Lisa with instructions to bring her to the marble staircase. All of their friends would hide for the duration of the proposal and surprise Lisa at the end. Giddy with excitement, Willow practically skipped through the castle. She found Lisa outside the Ancient Runes classroom and engaged her with a conversation about Potions. Lisa didn't even noticed where Willow was taking her until the Gryffindor stopped mid-conversation.

"Maybe try compressing the beans instead of cut — hey, what's this?"

Willow did her best to keep a straight face as Lisa gasped. A trail of beautiful blue flowers began a mere ten meters ahead of them. They were spaced out perfectly for Lisa's stride. The blonde picked up the first bundle of petals and sighed at their sweet scent.

"Blue hydrangeas. Those are my favourite...where do you think they lead to, Willow?"

"Let's find out!" the Gryffindor practically squealed.

Lisa followed the hydrangeas down the steps, through the Entrance Hall, and outside into the grassy meadow. Here, instead of bundles of the flower laid on the ground, there were bushes of the blue petals. Lisa squeaked happily and picked a few, placing one strand in her braided hair. Willow seriously hoped Miranda wouldn't pass out at the sight of her.

Through the meadow they went, the bushes of hydrangeas getting bigger and bigger until they came to an abrupt stop about a hundred meters away from the Forbidden Forest. Here, the grass had been clipped short, creating a circular clearing amid the tall grass. The faint strumming of a guitar reached Willow's ears. Lisa's eyes wandered around the space until they landed on the far edge, and that's when she saw him.

"Oh my God," Lisa whispered.

"Go to him!" Willow encouraged, pushing her forward.

Lisa approached one of the most beautiful scenes in the history of the world. Miranda was gently plucking his guitar strings beneath a white-painted wooden pergola. Baskets full to the brim of pink, white, and blue flowers hung from the wooden beams. Ivy trailed down the four posts, and in the back, a whole honeycomb-designed wall filled with plants of all types and glorious scents brightened the atmosphere. Some bricks had been laid to create short walls on the left and right of the structure, and that's where Miranda was seated. Lisa positively trembled with happiness and anticipation as she placed herself across from him.

"I wrote a song for you," Miranda said, still strumming his guitar. "I hope you like it."

Lisa folded her hands and leaned on her knees, her eyes already glassy. Willow silently cheered them both on as Miranda transitioned into the opening lyrics.

I told you to run but you still stayed

I told you the truth, and I tried to drive you away

But you're still here, stubborn voice in my ear

Reminding me that love's not a sin

What if I try to let you in?

Willow could literally feel the raw emotions in the air. Lisa was nearly in tears already. She made an effort to control her breathing, pressing her knuckles to her lips. Miranda put more pressure on the strings now, launching into the chorus.

I can't feel a thing but then you crash into my life

Numbness subsides; passions alight

Clouds part to reveal your face and there you stand aglow

Babe, I swear I see your halo

But the moment I love, is the moment I leave

'Cause I've got a habit of running from my feelings

By that point, Lisa was crying. Willow had to shut down her senses to prevent the emotional overload through her powers. She hugged her arms around her middle as Miranda looked up at Lisa with the most adoring face Willow had ever seen. Miranda switched the chords again, letting the melody fall into a more hopeful mood.

But what if I love?

And then I don't leave?

What if we try this and throw away misgivings?

Darling I can promise you this, right from the start:

I won't let me break your heart

Miranda finished the song with a cool chord, a note that said "This isn't over yet," as if there were more to the story that has yet to be written into the song. Willow hardly prevented herself from jumping up and down. Miranda put his guitar down and carefully walked toward Lisa, who cupped her hand over her mouth as happy tears ran down her face. Miranda placed a necklace of blue morning flowers around Lisa's neck. The blonde was hardly keeping herself together.

"I've got something to ask you, Lisa," Miranda said quietly. He tipped Lisa's chin up to look at her, beaming as he did so. "Alright, this is going to be incredibly cheesy, but...will you keep me from being blue and go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Lisa let out a chuckle and quickly wiped her face. "Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!"

Miranda picked her up and spun her around, laughing the whole time. When he set her down, Lisa stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, causing Miranda to melt into her embrace. By that point, Willow lost all forms of self-control. She whooped and hollered and called out their ship name. The rest of her friends chose that moment to jump out of the tall grass and cheer. Miranda and Lisa blushed furiously at all the attention. Willow bounced over to Cypress and Oliver, probably the two most excited out of all of them. She noticed that Cypress was nervously tapping a piece of paper in his pocket. That's when she realized it was his speech for Oliver.

Oh my God, he's going to ask him! He's finally going to do it!

Cypress tried to say something, but another roar of approval from the Ravenclaw girls drowned his voice out. Willow wanted to scream at her friends to quiet down. Cypress was finally asking Oliver out after two years of waiting! This was the moment he was waiting for! This is the moment I've been waiting for! Willow could hardly contain her excitement! Just as the volume lowered, Oliver suddenly spoke.

"Hey, Cypress, do you want to go to the Ball together?"

If a human being could physically melt, Cypress would have. Willow shrieked out loud. Oliver beamed shyly at Cypress, his cheeks flaming. The Slytherin took Oliver's hands into his own and nodded vigorously.

"Yes, definitely," Cypress said, his voice rather pitched.

Oliver noticed the speech in his other hand and blushed profusely. "Did you prepare a speech for me? You can still say it — "

"No amount of words could ever be worthy of you, Oliver," Cypress admitted.

Willow thought her heart would explode. She cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed, "OLIVER AND CYPRESS ARE GOING TO THE BALL TOGETHER!"

The Earth nearly shook at the assault of noise from the teenagers. Cypress only smirked at the attention while Oliver flushed so red that Willow wondered if it was healthy. She didn't care, though. She was far too happy to stop celebrating now.

"Willow, you haven't asked anyone, have you?" Sam said, raising an eyebrow at her. "I wonder if — "

"Shhh!" Sally shushed, elbowing her brother in the stomach. "Don't spoil it!"

Willow glanced between the Smith twins with the light of curiosity in her face. "Don't spoil what?"

At that moment, a letter magically fluttered into her hands. Willow stumbled backwards in surprise, and by the time she recovered, the letter had unfolded itself to display a simple message:

Turn around. Follow the trail.

Willow pivoted to find a bunch of Bantam Bursts exploding sequentially, as if they were leading her towards something. She heard Sally squeal with anticipation and suddenly realized what this was. Butterflies assaulted her stomach once more. Forcing the red out of her face, Willow purposefully followed the fireworks to certain confrontation — with her emotions.


	69. Year 4: Chapter 8

Willow picked her way along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, following the trail of Bantam Bursts. Her heart pounded like a drum. What would she find at the end of this trail? Would it make her happy, or would her emotions ceaselessly confuse her like they had before? Another, even more frightening thought occurred to her as she turned left into the trees: what if George and Paige both turned out to be not right for her? She didn't want to disappoint either one! They were her friends, and she wanted to be happy with at least one of them!

The path wound through a patch of brambles, then suddenly, it stopped in a small clearing. Willow waited for the fireworks, but they had completely run out. She waited in nervous anticipation. She found herself rubbing her hands together for no particular reason. What was taking them so long? Was this another prank?

Then, without warning, a sequential array of fireworks burst out of the undergrowth. It took Willow a moment to recover from the shock. When her heart finally settled, she realized the fireworks were individual letters, and they were spelling out a message in green lettering. Willow's heart skipped several beats when it was complete:

Yule Ball? It's up to you.

George and Paige stepped out of the bushes, shy grins on their faces. Willow confusedly stared back and forth between the two.

"What do you mean, 'It's up to you'?" she asked.

"Well, we know you're into either one of us," George began.

"And we obviously fancy you," Paige added.

"So we decided instead of fighting over you, we'd come to a truce and leave the decision up to you."

"Because at the end of the day, it really is whatever makes you happiest," Paige said. "We can't make you love either one of us more than the other; that's something that has to come from you."

"So here's both of our proposals, Willow: tell us which one of us you want to go with — "

" — and we'll be happy for you either way."

Willow gaped at them, absolutely stunned. She'd expected a challenge, or an outright question of "Which one of us do you really love?", or even George and Paige fighting it out on who got to ask her. She never in a million years would have expected this.

That's very mature of them, Cebba noted. Are you sure you can't have both of them?

I'm not polyamorous! Willow shouted. And you're not helping very much, Cebba!

I can't help you on this one, Willow. I don't know what you feel, only what you see.

Willow internally grimaced. She shuffled her feet uncomfortably. Paige and George watched her patiently, not a hint of anger in their faces. They truly wanted this. They were fine, no matter what outcome this would happen to be. They were just happy to be Willow's friends, and she recognized that, but it didn't make her feel any better. She was relieved to know that they would all go on being friends, but terrified that it had all come down to her.

How am I supposed to make a decision when I don't know what I'm feeling in the first place! Willow screeched.

She bit her lip in thought. She'd known George for slightly longer. He was one of the first to welcome her into the Weasley family, and the first to teach her the art of pranking. He had been nothing but kind to her, and he rivaled most other Gryffindors in his courage to be himself. George was the epitome of fun. He was a genius when it came to Charms, yet an absolute horror show when it came to History of Magic. Willow recalled many gruelling tutoring sessions that resulted in them going off and pranking Snape instead. She'd had so much fun with him!

But Paige — where could she even begin? Willow couldn't ask for a better partner to go through life with, a double-sided axe and a battering ram all at once. They'd been through some heavy stuff together. Hell, they'd nearly died for one another several times. Paige was a diamond in the rough, a rarity among rarities, and a genuinely unique person that was unafraid to punch life in the face. Willow blushed all over again at the number of memories she had teasing the older girl into oblivion and vice versa. Life with Paige was an adventure.

Ah, so you've finally boiled it down to a defining question! Cebba cheered. What do you want out of your relationship, Willow: a fun time, or an adventure?

Willow blinked several times. Her heart jolted. She imagined herself pranking Snape with George, then skiving off class to work on another pranking project together, then winning a quidditch match and kissing in celebration for the whole school to see. It was an exciting prospect. Then Willow imagined herself facing down the Fawleys with Deandra, Frodi, and Paige at her side, running off to find magical creatures to study, and hunting down all the Death Eaters until not a single one remained unpunished. Willow's heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. Which one was better, fun or adventure?

Finally, for no rhyme or reason, with no way to describe how it happened, Willow glanced to George, and then to Paige, and she knew.

"Paige," Willow whispered.

The older girl broke out into giddy laughter like Willow had never heard before. George smiled sadly, but high-fived her nonetheless.

"You owe me at least five test rounds for the new invention now," he chuckled.

"I expect no less," Willow laughed.

Paige walked up to her and put her hands on the younger Gryffindor's shoulders, searching her face intently. "You're sure? No one pressured you into this? This is your final decision, and you're happy with it?"

Willow nodded excitedly. "Positive."

Paige smiled so happily that she was on the verge of tears. She threw her arms around Willow and very nearly sobbed into her shoulder. Willow's heart soared as she embraced her back. She was free. She was finally free. She'd figured out her emotions, and she was free.

"WILLOW'S GOING TO THE YULE BALL WITH PAIGE!" George called.

Without warning, Fred, Lee, and every single one of Willow's friends crashed out of their hiding places and swarmed the clearing. It was a frenzy of hugs, shrieks, and exuberant exclamations. Willow's face hurt from smiling so much. She was walking on clouds; she was dancing in the pouring rain; she was on top of the world.

And it felt amazing.

"Willow! Willow, wake up! It's Christmas!"

"I'M awake!" Willow gasped, jolting upright. "What time is it?"

"Seven in the morning!"

"THERE'S SO MANY PRESENTS!"

Willow gleefully jumped out of bed, Fidget clambering into her pocket at the last moment. She gasped at the sight of their live Christmas tree. In the corner of their room, the lighted boughs sparkled even brighter with the mountain of presents beneath it. Lavender and Fay were already tearing into the array of festive colours, organizing piles for each person by name. Mia, Sally, Hermione, and Parvati yawned and rubbed their eyes, which glittered excitedly once they recognized the presents.

"I call opening the first one!" Mia exclaimed.

The girls clambered onto the floor, hoarding their respective piles closer to themselves. Within minutes, the joyful sound of wrapping paper being ripped apart and shouts of glee filled Willow's heart with warmth. Hermione freaked out over the newest book her parents bought her, and Mia shrieked excitedly over a state-of-the-art makeup kit her dad sent her. Willow's eyebrows shot up when she held a box of quills and fancy parchment paper from her grandparents. They knew her writing habits too well!

Many more presents followed. From Carlos, she received a broom polishing kit and his famous homemade white chocolate-covered oreos. Willow shamelessly ate three of them as she moved onto the next two packages, which were mysteriously unmarked. She instantly recognized the particular hippogriff feather attached to the newest Newt Scamander book, and the cursive T on the package of cauldron cakes was unmistakable.

"Why does Willow always get the best gifts?" Lavender huffed.

"Oh, shush, you get plenty of great presents!" Parvati scolded.

Willow shook her head. She opened a few smaller packages from her friends, all of which contained assorted treats from Honeyduke's, then moved onto her final present. This one was marked with handwriting that Willow would have to be blind not to recognized.

Why would Grace send me something? she thought.

Untying the beautiful ribbon, Willow carefully carved open the box. She pulled out a hunk of wood that she eventually realized was a carving. Willow stared at it for a few moments, then suddenly dropped it, clapping a hand to her mouth.

No way...

But it was exactly what she thought it was. Hydra, runespoor, and tiger blended together to create a terrifying magical creature. It was the token from her visions during Divination. Willow's heart hammered against her ribs. This couldn't be real. The vision was fake. The token wasn't supposed to exist. Yet here it was, physically in her hands. The warning couldn't be any clearer.

Mum's breaking through. She's trying to warn me against something, but what is it?

Willow subconsciously gripped her locket, which had grown hot against her chest. Worry gnawed at the young Gryffindor. If Grace was discovered to be consorting with her daughter, she would be killed without hesitation. Willow suddenly hated herself for hoping in the past that her mum would come back to her; if that wish came true, she wouldn't have a mum.

"Hey, this fell out of your present," Sally said, shaking Willow from her thoughts.

"Oh! Thanks, Sally," Willow said, accepting a small piece of parchment. There were only a few lines on it.

I found this in the basement and thought you should see it. I don't know what it's for.

I recently learned your locket can block the Killing Curse up to three times. Use it wisely.

Merry Christmas

Willow sat there for several moments, stunned. So Grace didn't know what the carving was for, either. That wasn't comforting, but the part about her locket blocking Unforgivable Curses...that was shockingly comforting. Her mother was still in there, trying to protect her, and she must have known three years ago, deep down inside her confused heart, that the locket was some form of protection for her estranged daughter. Willow smiled sadly.

Thank you, Mum.

Willow hid away the token and Grace's note, then put the rest of her presents away. The girls spent the rest of their morning checking out each other's gifts, playing with them, and inevitably breaking and repairing a few of them more than once. They headed down to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, then Willow split off to find Benigno and Yrsa. She wished them a Happy Christmas with much flourish.

Not thirty seconds later, her out-of-house friends dragged her off to the Ravenclaw common room to celebrate the day together. Sally and Sam were notably missing, but they had fun nonetheless. Cyver and Mirlisa, as the couples were now called, were made fun of per friendship traditions for their sweet gifts to one another, and Sue and Willow had a great time laughing at Miranda for stumbling over his words.

Inevitably, the topic turned to the Yule Ball, which would take place that evening. Padma squealed about her and her sister being able to go with Harry and Ron. Sue was simply happy to go by herself. Cypress — naturally — critiqued their final makeup plans and made sure every colour matched perfectly with their dresses. When Willow was asked what she was wearing, she shyly admitted that dressing up wasn't her thing, and that she'd decided on a dress robe style that was traditionally worn by guys, similar to a tuxedo in the Muggle world. Cypress adored this choice — "Oh, it'll suit your frame so much better than feminine dress robes!" — and Miranda insisted that Willow let her roommates do her hair, considering that Lavender, Fay, and Mia were renowned for their cosmetic abilities. Willow blushed a deep hue of scarlet with all the attention.

In the late afternoon, Fred, George, Lee, and Paige started a snowball fight, so naturally, Willow raced outside to join them. She and her friends created a miniature fort, then the event became an all-out snow-throwing frenzy. Willow had never laughed more in her life. She was pelted in the face a few times by George, but she got him back within seconds. At one point, Willow was knocked off her feet by the force of Fred's throw, and the whole field laughed at her. She laughed the hardest, even though she had no air left in her lungs.

Finally, the time came for everyone to get ready for the Yule Ball. Willow giddily ran up the stairs to her dormitory to be greeted by her excitable roommates. They immediately got to work on her, obsessing over the best way to style her hair, her makeup, and her accessories. Lavender settled on an emerald necklace that brought out the beauty of her locket. Mia decided on a natural makeup style ("I promise I won't put too much on!") and Fay went all out with her hair. When they finally gave her a mirror, Willow gasped.

"You guys are truly miracle workers," she whispered.

Mia had brought out her natural dark complexion perfectly. The bright highlights on her cheeks hid the ruddiness of her face, and instead her smile glowed. A bit of eyeshadow and touch-up mascara made the deep brown of her eyes pop against her lightly tanned skin. The foundation had only further identified the sprinkling of freckles on her face, and her hair was unbelievable. Fay had tamed it into beautiful waves and fishtail braided it behind her ears. Cypress had been right about the dress robes, too; she looked absolutely stunning in the more tuxedo-like style. She practically demanded respect and authority just by looking at someone.

"Damn, Willow is hot," Sally remarked.

"SALLY!" Willow exclaimed, blushing furiously.

"She's not wrong!" Parvati giggled. "Just wait until Paige sees you! She's going to faint!"

"Has anyone seen Hermione?" Willow asked, desperate to get the attention off of her.

"Oh, she insisted on her appearance being a surprise!" Lavender said. "She's been practicing with her hair for days now, and I don't even know what her dress robes look like. I can't wait to see her!"

"Hey, can someone zip up my dress?" Fay requested.

Half an hour later, all preparations were complete. The girls checked their appearances in the mirrors one last time, complimenting each other to no end, until they were finally ready to head downstairs. They gathered in the common room, where many other people were mingling with one another, laughing and smiling shyly in their gorgeous new looks. Willow could hardly stand all the attention she was receiving. She seized the distraction of the boys coming downstairs with immense relief.

"Dean! Seamus! Perfect, Lavender and Mia are waiting for you by the fireplace!" she said.

Dean gasped upon seeing Willow. "You actually let them touch your hair, and put makeup on you?"

"Trust me, this is one of the only occasions that I'll relent, albeit unwillingly," Willow grumbled.

"You look stunning, nonetheless. Great choice in dress robes, by the way."

"Thanks," Willow said shyly.

After leading the boys to their "partners", Willow bounced over to Harry and Ron, making sure to lift their spirits after seeing how ghostly pale they were. Typical fourth-year boys, fretting over a silly dance with girls they'd known for several years. Parvati and Padma were very understanding! They didn't need a perfect night! Neville, unsurprisingly, was a basket case, too, considering he was going to dance with Ginny. Willow calmed him down as much as he could, but when he saw a drop-dead gorgeous Ginny walking down the stairs, he lost the colour in his face all over again.

All of a sudden, Angelina and Fred appeared out of the crowd, George and Lee in tow.

"Willow! There you are!"

"We've been looking for you for ages!"

"Wow, if I'd know you were this beautiful all fancied up, I would have asked you to the Yule Ball, too," Lee joked, shooting her a wink.

Willow rolled her eyes. "I hardly let Mia touch me."

"Yet the little bit she did made you even prettier!" Angelina insisted. "Take pride in your natural beauty, girl!"

Willow's face flushed again. "I'll work on that sometime. Where's Paige?"

"Still getting ready," Fred groaned. "She takes forever, that girl. Honestly, it's like she's trying to take her time."

"She said to just meet her outside the Great Hall," George informed Willow.

"Got it," Willow said, cursing the quaking in her voice.

The Gryffindors made a mass exodus from the common room. The sound of clicking heels and jubilant laughter followed in their wake. Willow was glad she found a pair of fancy shoes that weren't heels; she couldn't walk in those shoes to save her life, let alone dance in them. When they reached the Entrance Hall, they joined a throng of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Those with dates from other houses fought their way to one another. Willow's out-of-house friends found her almost immediately and nearly bowled her over in their excitement.

"You're so beautiful!" Lisa squealed.

"No, you!" Willow laughed.

"Oh my God, those dress robes are perfect for your frame!" Cypress said. "What did I tell you?"

"You were right!" Willow said. "You called it spot-on!" She grinned at all of her friends in turn. "You guys are literally the prettiest people in this entire school, hands-down."

It was true. Miranda had used his metamorphagus abilities to lengthen his hair and tie it back with a blue and bronze ribbon. The green glitter on Oliver's cheeks brought out his emerald-green eyes. Sue had braided her hair and tied it into a tight bun, and Lisa had curled her hair to frame her adorable face. Cypress was — well, Cypress was his usual handsome self, just with a bit more effort put into his appearance. Padma and Parvati wore brilliantly coloured dressed and fishtail braided the middle portions of their hair. And Sally and Sam were twinning, per usual, with similarly styled dress robes and matching yellow topaz bracelets. Everyone was smiling so brightly at one another Willow was surprised they didn't become their own light sources.

"Oh my God...Willow, turn around," Oliver whispered.

Willow whirled around only for her jaw to drop. For a moment, she feared she'd have a heart attack.

"You are the luckiest girl in the room," Sally breathed.

Paige was standing at the top of the marble staircase, beaming brilliantly at Willow and her friends. Her hair was tied back in an intricate partial braid, and her face was glowing with lightly applied foundation and mascara. Her lips were painted with vibrant lipstick that popped against her caramel skin. Her dress robes were bright red and v-cut in such a way that it was almost scandalous. The ultimate cherry on top was her shoes — high-heeled black boots whose straps criss-crossed all the way up to her knees. Willow swallowed thickly as Paige descended the stairs and stopped in front of her.

"What do you think?" Paige said.

"I'm struggling — to form — coherent thoughts," Willow stammered.

Paige let out a laugh, which only jolted Willow's heart harder. "I'll take that as gorgeous, then."

Willow still struggled to string together more than a few words as Paige drifted over to a few sixth-years to say hello. Fred, George, Lee, and Angelina approached the younger Gryffindor with raised brows.

"Is that — Is that really Paige? Are you sure that's not someone else?" Angelina gasped.

"That's our Paige, alright," Lee said. "Only she would dare to wear something that bold."

"You doing okay, Willow?" Fred asked.

"Oh God," Willow wheezed.

"Don't forget to breathe, Willow," George chuckled. "It's just Paige. You'll be alright. Just remember to be yourself, because the moment you try to impress her is the moment you'll lose her."

"...Got it."

The doors to the Great Hall were flung open. Students from all three schools filed inside, taking seats at the circular tables spread out among the vast space. Willow chose a table that could seat all of her friends, and Paige sat next to her, still appearing as a goddess fallen to Earth. The younger Gryffindor had to remind herself to keep breathing as her friends placed themselves all around her. To her surprise, Benigno and Yrsa sat across from her.

"What are you guys doing here?" Willow squeaked.

"We decided to go to the Ball together," Benigno said graciously, grinning at Yrsa.

"I've learned quite a bit about Beauxbatons, and I would love teach him about Durmstrang," Yrsa informed her.

"Wow, that's great!" Sue exclaimed. "That's what this Tournament is about, after all, isn't it? International cooperation and friendships!"

"Friendships indeed!" Yrsa said.

Willow suddenly found herself more relaxed. Paige's appearance no longer terrified her, and she was looking forward to the dance more than she had before. When Paige beamed at her, Willow was able to return the gesture without falling out of her chair.

Soon, the feast began, and Willow dug into some of the best food she'd ever tasted in her life. Lately, she'd been developing a taste for leafy greens, and the homemade caesar salad only reinforced her love. There was also magnificent beef stew, luxuriously glazed carrots, and, of course, lots and lots of rolls. Paige flicked her fork at Willow when she went to take her fourth piece.

"Don't mess up your appetite for dessert, pendejo."

Willow mocked an affronted expression. "Are you calling me fat?"

Paige cocked an eyebrow. "Do you want me too?"

"No gracias, culona."

"I don't need to speak Spanish to know what you just called me."

Willow grinned evilly. "I know."

Dessert came faster than they anticipated, and Willow helped herself to a little of everything. At one point, Cypress was laughing quietly about something Oliver said, Lisa was giggling at Miranda's inability to speak, and Dean and Seamus were making faces at one another from across the table. Willow shot a knowing smile at Sue and the Smith twins. The evening hadn't fallen apart yet for the couples. In fact, it was going quite well.

But the dance was just around the corner. Willow glanced up when the Weird Sisters walked on their makeshift stage. The Champions and their dates assembled on the dance floor. Willow's heart pounded in her ears. The moment was drawing near. In a few minutes, she'd get to dance with Paige for the first time. She couldn't dance to save her life! How was this supposed to work in her favor?

"Oh my God, that's Hermione!" Parvati shrieked.

Willow and the rest of her roommates gasped. No wonder Hermione kept her date a secret! Hermione was dancing with Viktor Krum, quite possibly the most sought-after date in the whole school. Willow admired the way Hermione had transformed and tamed her appearance to one of a mature, beautiful young woman. Her hair was straight and soft, her makeup was applied just so, and her dress — where to begin? She'd chosen one that perfectly framed her young body. Willow seen the clever girl pull off many impressive feats, but this one was by far the most impressive.

"I had no idea she cleaned up so well!" Lavender hissed.

"She could go into a career of modelling, with the way she looks right now!" Mia squealed.

"Oh no..." Sam groaned. "I'm going to deal with boy drama again. Look at Ron."

Willow searched the crowd for the typical shock of red hair, only to find him slouching in his chair nearby. Ron looked ready to spit venom at Hermione. Willow had seen Ron get angry before, but this was a whole other level of hurt. This was deeply personal.

"I wish those two would get together already," Sally sighed. "They've been dancing around one another for so long. I'm sick of watching them get angry at one another for not making the first move."

"Don't worry, we'll get them together eventually," Fay giggled. "No one escapes the Gryffindor Sisters' rules! Hermione has to date at least one person before she leaves Hogwarts!"

"Good luck with that. Ron's a stubborn arse when he wants to be," Sam groaned.

Seconds later, the Champions' dance ended, and it was time for the real dance to begin. The students rose from their tables and flooded the dance floor. Willow offered her hand to Paige, who took it immediately. They found a space far enough to the side that they wouldn't get jostled around by the crowd. The rest of Willow's friends followed suit, and the moment the music began, everyone started dancing.

The first song was so upbeat, it was impossible not to have fun. Willow and Paige joined the Weasley twins, Lee, and Angelina in their wild, crazy movements. They laughed until they had no air left to breathe. The second song was a little more mellow, and even though it wasn't anything close to a slow song, Willow jokingly slow-danced with Sue. Benigno and Yrsa took turns teaching them traditional dances from their home countries during the next two songs, then the moment of truth finally arrived. The music quieted. The beat slowed. Couples came together. Willow took a deep breath and approached Paige.

"May I have this dance?" Willow asked.

Paige beamed and nodded yes. Willow cursed her trembling limbs as she placed her hands on Paige's waist and the older girl put her hands on Willow's shoulders. They swayed to the music, closer than they'd ever been. Willow's heart skipped beats as she gazed into Paige's deep brown eyes. There was so much passion sparking within those beautiful irises that Willow almost melted into the floor.

"You don't have to be nervous," Paige whispered.

"I'm not. You're just impossibly beautiful, and my brain is struggling to comprehend what it's seeing," Willow smartly replied.

Paige reddened considerably. "Wow, it's only the first slow dance and you're somehow managing to make me blush."

Willow smirked. "I have a gift with words."

"Just shut up and dance," Paige chuckled.

Willow complied easily. She twirled Paige around, pulled her close, and swayed with her to the music. It felt surreal, being so close to the person she'd fancied for so long, sharing such a romantic moment with her. Willow captured every inch of Paige's face in her memory, storing it away just in case she woke up to find it all a dream, but even if it was a dream, Willow was happy to have it. Her heart was loving freely for the first time in years; it felt good to wear her heart on her sleeve. And if this was the only moment in time where she would ever feel entirely safe in her feelings, and wrapped in unconditional love, then she would still live happily ever after, because in a moment like this, where everything felt warm and fun and bright, it was hard to imagine life had ever been any different.

The song struck its final notes. The sound of the violin trailing off soothed Willow's ears like honey. She pulled Paige close, and the older girl raised her eyebrows at the embrace. Willow had never been this unafraid in her life; she was actually touching another human being of her own free will. She couldn't remember the last time she was this comfortable with human contact. Apparently, Paige couldn't either.

"That's the most genuine smile I've seen in a while," she remarked.

"This is the most genuinely happy I've felt in a while," Willow chuckled.

Paige grinned at her. "I'm glad I get to help you feel that way."

"Oh, it's not you, it's totally the occasion."

Paige scoffed. "Don't make me take off my boots and throw them at you."

"I'm tempted to now..." At a look from Paige, Willow dissolved into laughter. "Alright, alright, you win! Take all the credit. You deserve it anyway."

Satisfied, Paige skipped away to spend some time with the Weasley twins, Lee, and Angelina. Willow returned to the rest of her friends. She was sad to see that Sam was missing, and Sally was searching the crowd for him. The twins were really being secretive from one another lately. This was yet another example of their distancing relationship, but it wasn't beyond repair. Willow just hoped she'd find some answers and bring them together sooner rather than later.

As Sally slumped her shoulders and stomped off in Professor Moody's direction, Willow was seized by her Gryffindor Sisters and thrown into a frenzy of untamed dancing. Three upbeat songs in a row kept their blood pumping. A few Durmstrang boys eventually approached their group, and Lavender, Fay, and Mia excitedly agreed to dance with them. Willow watched with soaring spirits as her friends had the time of their lives.

Then a slow song ensued, and couples rearranged. Paige waved Willow off and had fun making a joke of the song with George and Lee. Willow turned to her friends with a giddy expression her face. It was time to encourage some couples after years of inching them in the right direction. She gave Cypress a withering look when he appeared to hesitate, and moments later, he was pair up with Oliver. Willow gave Miranda and Lisa a thumbs up as they danced together. Finally, she picked Dean and Seamus out of the crowd, who were standing and staring at one another like deer in the headlights. Willow rolled her eyes and shoved them into one another.

"Just do it already!" she hissed.

Dean and Seamus each reddened considerably, but at long last, they came together and placed their hands on each other. Willow practically glowed with pride. She hovered nearby with Sue and called their attention whenever necessary to correct something. Seamus was a terrible dancer, but he wasn't as bad at slow dancing, which was nearly impossible to mess up. When the boys finally got the hang of it, they caught each other's eyes, and they visibly relaxed, though still quite ruddy in the cheeks. Willow and her roommates silently cheered.

At one point during the slow dance, an unexpected couple caught Willow's eye. Her jaw dropped to see Neville dancing with Ginny. He was smiling confidently, and though he messed up every so often — the poor thing always had two left feet — he seemed to be enjoying himself, and even guiding Ginny along. The young redhead seemed very happy to dancing with such a good friend. Willow grinned to herself. It was nice to see Neville looking so much more comfortable with himself after spending half the year tripping over his feet whenever he saw a Beauxbatons or Durmstrang girl.

The song was heading into its final chorus. Willow turned back toward her friend group only to freeze. She was standing probably five meters from Oliver and Cypress, but she could feel their emotions through the pair of seventh years separating her from them. Both boys' faces were ablaze, but they'd never looked happier than they were now. Willow reached out with her senses to hear their soft exchange.

"...thought you'd never ask, you know," Oliver chuckled.

"Oh, I was planning to all along, but couldn't come up with a deserving situation to ask you," Cypress explained. "I couldn't just up and ask you to go on a date with me. That's too plain. You deserve the world and only the best it has to offer, so a simple asking-out doesn't fit the bill. I wanted to make a more grand event out of it, but unfortunately, that didn't happen when I finally tried. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"Maybe that's how it's supposed to happen, though," Oliver whispered. "I don't need a grand, rich life. I just need family, friends, and you." He smiled shyly. "And my plants."

Cypress let out a soft laugh. "Man, and to think I was so close to being the only thing you need, only to be beaten out by a tree."

"It's not just any tree! Magical fauna is — "

"I'm messing with you, Oli," Cypress said.

Oliver blinked. "Did you just call me Oli?"

Cypress smirked. "Would you rather me call you something else? Because I've been trying to work out the best pet name for you forever, and nothing's come even close to being worthy of you."

"I like Oli a lot, but I'd rather you call me yours," Oliver said shyly.

Cypress froze with shock just as the last chord hit. He gazed at Oliver with so many endearing emotions that Willow could hardly keep herself from squealing. The boys were so close, their noses were practically touching. Cypress had never blushed this much in all the time Willow had known him. The sheer scope of the emotions the boys shared was almost daunting. The magnetism pulling them together was more powerful than gravity, more potent than the magnetic fields of the poles. It was positive and negative, lawful and chaotic, two ends of the same spectrum rushing toward one another at the speed of light, and nothing could stop them from coming together.

Cypress glanced at Oliver's lips. "Would it upset you if I — ?"

Oliver answered him before he even finished the question. He closed the gap between them, and Cypress's eyebrows shot up. Then the blonde kissed Oliver back, and the two were embracing each other so tightly Willow thought they would break a bone. The beauty of the moment took her breath away. They'd been resisting the pull for so long that now, after years of straining against it, their unification was more powerful than it ever could have been before. Willow's heart glowed with pride. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

"Hey, I don't want to see th — !" some fifth-year began.

Willow whacked him in the face with the back of her hand. "Shush. I've been waiting for this for four years. Take your unhappiness somewhere else and let me enjoy this."

The fifth year stood there for a moment, stunned, then sulked away. Willow clasped her hands together as Cypress stole one more soft kiss from Oliver.

"Wow. That was..." he trailed off.

"...about time," Oliver chortled.

Cypress grinned. "Yeah, you're right." He finally brushed his thumb across Oliver's cheek. "So does this mean you want to be my boyfriend, or do I have to ask you — ?"

"Yes, please, for the love of God, let me finally be your boyfriend," Oliver laughed.

Cypress beamed. "Boyfriends it is."

Willow couldn't help it. She let out a few joyful shouts and ran over to her brother, embracing him in a bone-crushing hug, then repeated the gesture with Cypress. The boys then endured cheers of congratulations from the rest of their friends, which managed to turn both of them a shade redder. Willow almost worried they'd burst a blood vessel. But she forgot about her worries as the rest of the songs lifted the mood to an all-time high, and they danced the night away. The collective happiness of the friend group could have lit up the whole world for a week.

Without warning, Willow was yanked away from her friends. She found herself incidentally dancing with another person along to the medium beat of a relaxed song. Willow rolled her eyes when she realized it was Draco.

"I thought you were busy making Pansy faint," she teased.

Draco grimaced. "God no. I've only just succeeded in ridding myself of her. She's so...clingy."

"Poor you. It must be so hard being Draco Malfoy, with beautiful girls hanging all over you wherever you go — "

"Wisp, let me forget about them for two seconds, please."

"Alright, alright, you're off the hook." Willow suddenly smirked at Draco. "How must this look, a pureblooded golden child such as yourself dancing with a blood traitor? I thought this was the opposite of what you're trying to do?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Like anyone's going to see us."

"It's your funeral."

"That's not funny."

Willow grinned. "Hey, at least you're a good dancer. George and Lee are downright nightmares. Where did you learn to dance, anyway? Etiquette school for pureblooded elites?"

"Yes, actually. It was the best time of my life," Draco said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He shook his head. "I learned from my Mum, Wisp. She refused to let me go this year unless I knew how to 'properly' dance."

"Speaking of her, any news?" Willow asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. That's why I grabbed you." Draco's eyes clouded. "The informant is in our year. I don't know who they are, but they're definitely our age."

Willow's heart missed a beat. "You must be joking. I would have thought Death Eaters waited to recruit their children until at least sixth year. A fourth year? That's a whole other level of messed up."

"I know. I wanted to tell you right away." Draco shot a glance at Willow, and she saw the conflict break through his carefully constructed expression. "You could be close to the person, Willow. Don't let your guard down. You can't trust anyone anymore, not even your friends."

Willow scoffed. "I'm a fairly good judge of character, you know."

"You never know, Wisp. Be careful."

He paused, as if he really wanted to say something, but to do so would hurt him so deeply that it would shatter his expression. Willow instantly knew what he was about to say. He was going to warn her that the Fawleys might come for her any time now, seeing as they were willing to recruit a fourteen-year-old to be their own spy. And his parents might ask him any time, too.

"We're closer to the danger than we thought, aren't we?" Willow whispered.

Draco nodded. "Just...be careful, will you? I'd hate to attend your funeral and have to deal with your crying friends."

Willow scoffed. "You'd be one of those crying friends."

"Yeah, no." Draco separated from her. "Enjoy the rest of the Yule Ball, Wisp. And congrats on managing a date."

Willow gaped at him. "How did you know about her?"

Draco smirked, but didn't say anything as he turned and walked away. Willow shook her head. Leave it to Draco to dig into my love life. Mierdita. She returned to her friends, who were staring at her as if she'd just returned from the dead. Seamus and Dean tried to pepper her with questions about her dance with the Slytherin Prince, but she waved them off and went back to dancing as if nothing unusual had just happened. They'd known her long enough that they should have known not to ask about her rocky friendship with Draco.

The Gryffindor Sisters had another take on it, however. Parvati and Fay insisted that Draco was trying to make a move on her. Willow couldn't stop laughing at the suggestion. It took several minutes for her to stop wheezing, but when she finally did, Lavender and Mia had joined the conversation, and now they were trying to convince her that Draco was after her. Willow was practically backed into a corner. She wanted to forget about Draco altogether at that moment; his warning was still burning its way through her mind, and it was making her uncomfortably paranoid amid the crowded environment. She just wanted to enjoy the rest of this once-in-a-lifetime night and worry about the looming prospect of Voldemort later.

Willow spotted her opportunity seconds later. Paige was taking a break on the edge of the dancefloor, sipping a small glass of butterbeer pensively. Willow approached her, taking an obvious look between her and the doorway to the garden nearby. She raised her arm and shot a questioning glance at Paige.

"May I?"

Paige grinned brightly. She got up and looped her arm through Willow's. "You may."

The girls walked out into the garden together, silently admiring the fairy lights. Thoughts of danger and the prophecy faded away. It was like they were walking through a dream, side-by-side, sharing this small moment of peace together. Willow glanced up at the clear night sky. Constellations smiled down upon them. The stars winked. Willow could hardly believe her luck. She'd danced with Paige, taken her to the Yule Ball as a date, and now they were here, walking in the garden together, alone with God and the creatures of the night as witnesses to their love.

It couldn't have been more perfect.

Willow found a flat stone for them to sit on. She held Paige's hand in her own, and they watched the distant Forbidden Forest in a contented silence. Eventually, Paige spoke.

"You've liked me for a while, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I just didn't realize it for a while," Willow admitted. "I kind of had to figure out that I was bi first."

"You are pretty dense when it comes to your emotions," Paige chuckled.

"Oh, shut it. We're all bad at something." Willow paused. "In all seriousness, though, why me? You could have had any other girl in the school. Why the emotionally ignorant mess with a prophecy trying to kill her loved ones?"

"Because there's so much more to you than that," Paige said. "Yes, you're a mess, and yeah, you're kind of an idiot, but you're real. You've always been grounded. And you're so damn empathetic, you'd give someone your life force if they needed it. You won't run from anything, either. If you've got a problem, you've learned to face it. Most people don't figure that out. You're an eclectic bunch of interests, too, like soccer and music and writing, and you're somehow good at all of them. You're incredibly smart — smarter than Fred, George, Lee and I combined, actually — and I don't know if I've told you this enough, but damn are you hot. And your sarcasm? On point."

Willow let out a laugh. "Wow. That's a lot. I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Paige said, glancing at Willow's lips.

Willow's heart skipped a beat. She let her gaze linger on Paige's mouth for a moment. The older girl shot her a questioning look. Then Willow closed the space between them, connecting her lips with Paige's. The older girl jolted in shock, then leaned into Willow, following her lead. Willow wrapped her arms around Paige, holding her close. Electricity alighted her entire body. She'd kissed Paige before, but this time was different. This time it wasn't a dare.

Paige pulled back for a moment, her cheeks hot, raising her eyebrows at the younger girl, but Willow rolled her eyes and brought their lips together again. She had never realized how much she wanted to kiss Paige. Her heart beat so fast. Willow didn't want to go too far, but she'd waited so long, and it felt good.

Willow ran her hands through Paige's hair. The older girl sighed. Willow instinctively brought Paige onto her lap, letting her hands explore the older girl's body. She roamed her back muscles, touched her exposed shoulders, trailed her fingers down her chest. Paige moved with her. Willow brushed her stomach, framed her hips, and gripped her thighs, all much to the older girl's delight. Paige disconnected their mouths only for a moment to moan slightly.

Then their lips crashed together again, and Willow roughly kissed the older girl. Paige was gripping Willow's back, almost digging her fingernails into her skin. Willow traced the older girl's abs, then her muscly legs, and finally her hips once more. Paige was practically beside herself now. Willow kissed her once more, then they finally rested their foreheads together, leaning gently against one another. Paige's breath tickled Willow's skin.

"Did we really just do that?" she whispered.

"I think so," Willow said.

Paige let out a chuckle. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for that, have you?"

"I know now." Willow glanced at the older Gryffindor. "I'm assuming we're girlfriends now?"

"As long as you keep kissing me like that, I don't care what our label is," Paige said.

Willow's stomach jolted. She could hardly believe it. That was her first real kiss. This was her first real relationship. And it was Paige. She never could have dreamed of this moment, never in her entire childhood.

It was better than a dream.


	70. Year 4: Chapter 9

On Boxing Day, though the rest of the common room was full of sleepy and half-aware Gryffindors, the fourth-year girls dormitory was alive with chatter. Willow couldn't help but join in as her roommates practically grilled Hermione with questions about her night with Viktor Krum. The smart girl's typical curly hair had returned to its natural state, but she still appeared as radiant as before with a shy smile and rosy cheeks as she talked about Krum. It turned out that they were simply good friends. Krum had been hanging around the library for months, trying to summon the courage to ask Hermione to the Yule Ball, and when he finally had, they'd kindled a very cool friendship where both sides shared as much as they could about their totally different lives. Hermione even got the quidditch player to pronounce her name correctly, which was a highly commemorable achievement, considering the Durmstrang students had such thick accents.

Parvati, Lavender, Mia, and Fay had the time of their lives with boys from both Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. In fact, both Parvati and her twin sister had secured dates with their dance partners for the next Hogsmeade visit. Lavender and Mia weren't as lucky in a dating respect, but they were becoming fast friends with a pair of Durmstrang boys that had talked their ears off all night. Willow could hardly believe there were people out there that could keep up with the pace of the talkative girls' conversations. She hoped those poor boys knew what a wild ride they were in for.

After a morning full of excitable chatter (and many squeals), the Gryffindor Sisters made their way to the Great Hall for lunch, where they met up with Ginny, Luna, and Colin. Luna and Colin were asking questions as fast as the poor redhead could answer them. Willow swooped in to save her, and before she knew it, she was practically being interrogated about her dance with Paige. Luna ended up having to prevent Colin and Ginny from losing their minds with excitement by removing them to the other end of the table, shooting a knowing smile at Willow. The older Gryffindor thanked God for a receptive friend like Luna.

"Where is Paige, anyway?" Hermione asked. "Shouldn't she be with the twins?"

"You would think, but knowing her, she's attempting to sleep the whole day away," Willow chuckled. "Don't worry, Lee's been employed as the wake-up call for years now. She'll be up as soon as he gets back from lunch."

"Wow, you guys really are polar opposites," Ron remarked. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Trust me, we're more alike than you think," Willow said. "Not many people can say they've had a shared life experience like we've had. And both of us are now tied to a life-altering prophecy, so I'd say we're literally tied together by fate at this point."

"Good point."

All of a sudden, a commotion erupted in the Entrance Hall. At first, Willow ignored it, thinking it was just another squabble between mates, but when she recognized a pair of familiar voices, she immediately dropped her toast and ran out of the Hall. She wanted to throw her head through a wall at the sight of Sally and Sam tumbling across the floor.

"Guys, seriously?" Willow said.

"She's sneaking off to meet with someone at night!" Sam accused.

"He's doing exactly the same!" Sally shrilled.

Willow groaned. "Petrificus totalus."

Sally and Sam froze mid-tousle. Willow dragged them apart, then grabbed them by the hem of their robes and drug them through the doors of the Entrance Hall. She didn't stop until she was far enough outside that no one would hear them. She dumped the Smith twins in the snow, a good eight meters apart, then finally undid her incantation. The twins immediately sprang to their feet, aiming wands at one another.

"You're being so weird lately! Why won't you talk to me?" Sam yelled.

"I'm being weird? You're skiving off classes to do God-knows-what for no reason!" Sally fired back.

"HEY!" Willow shouted. The twins suddenly stopped to look at her. "Put your wands away. Now." The twins begrudgingly did so. "That's better. Now can you please talk about this at a decibel that won't destroy my eardrums?"

Sally crossed her arms. "You don't have to do this, Willow. This is a private matter between Sam and I."

"It's obviously not private enough to prevent you from yelling and fighting in the middle of a very public area," Willow retorted. "So out with it. This has been going on long enough. What in the hell is going on with you two lately?"

There was a long beat of silence. Willow tapped her foot impatiently. She was about to force them to take turns when Sam finally said, "I'm just worried about our Mum. Molly has been sending owls to her every week since term began, each one along the same lines of 'You can have my kids in the flesh, but their hearts and minds are mine.' It's really getting to me. I don't want Mum to deal with Molly all the time, especially since she took us in so willingly. We're the cause of so much pain to her on a daily basis. I guess...I didn't know how to cope, so I've been getting out of class when I can't stop thinking about it to do something to take my mind off of it."

Sally's face fell. "Sam...why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to worry about me, alright?" Sam snapped. "I'm already causing Mum worry, so I'm not going to cause you and all our friends to worry, too."

Willow's heart sank. "Sam, you know it's healthy to talk to other people about your stresses, right? We're all here for you. We'd rather you tell us what's bothering you, because by skiving off class and acting out of character, you cause us to worry much more than telling us would."

"This, coming from the girl who bottled up an entire freaking prophecy?" Sam fired back.

"Alright, I deserved that one. But seriously, you need to talk to us, because I know firsthand what bottling it up does to someone. I don't want anyone else to go through what I do."

Sam's features softened. He let out a pent-up sigh. "Fine. I'll talk to you guys whenever I need to — if I've got enough courage at the particular moment. But I'm definitely not going to say another word until Sally spills what's going on with her."

Willow turned to her friend. She raised her eyebrows to prompto her. "Sally? Care to share why you've been shady lately?"

"I'd rather not, but..." Sally turned incredibly red. "I've been...meeting with...Professor Moody...trying to...you know...learn some particular...spells. Just in case Molly...comes back."

Sam threw up his arms in exasperation. "And you couldn't tell us that why?"

"Because I'm — oh, Sam, you know how embarrassed I get about asking for help!" Sally exploded. Her cheeks were the darkest shade of red Willow had ever seen, and her eyes practically glimmered with tears. Did asking for help really upset her that much? Willow was one of those stubborn individuals that refused any sort of assistance unless it was absolutely necessary, so it embarrassed her when she actually asked for it, but this was a whole other level of embarrassment. Sally looked completely and utterly defeated.

"Sally...it's okay," Sam said. His green-hazel eyes shifted so that their sharpness melted away, replaced by a sad twinge of softness. "I know that you hate asking for help. You're more stubborn about it than Willow, and that's an accomplishment. But learning spells to fend off our biological, former-Death-Eater, abusive mother? That's something that you should ask for help with, and I don't know why you wouldn't tell me. I'd love to learn what you're learning if it's benefiting you."

"I'm sorry. I should have told you, but — " Sally looked at a loss for words. She hugged her arms around her middle, seeming to pull into herself as she threw her gaze to the ground. "It's not working. I'm not finding any spells that I can use yet. And it's — it's deeply personal for me that I can defend you, because...I couldn't last time, and...look at what's it's done for us."

Willow's heart broke for the twins. They still hadn't recovered from Molly's torturous rule over their young lives. The vile woman was still getting into their heads, wreaking havoc on all the progress they'd made with their mental health. Every time they thought they were over her, she'd reassert her position in their minds, driving them away from their friends and each other, whip in hand. Willow was sick of seeing the terror Molly instilled in her innocent children. What had these two beautiful souls done to deserve this absolute torture?

Sam took a few steps forward. "Sally. Sally, look at me." She finally lifted her eyes to meet Sam's. Two pairs of identical irises gazed at one another, dissecting the emotions they recognized so well, reading the feelings like they were words on a page, until they practically exchanged verbal words through the empty space between them. Then, Sam stepped forward, and he gently wrapped his arms around Sally. The girl crumbled in his arms like a faulty dam. Willow's heart burst with sadness as the twins embraced each other like they'd lose each other if they let go.

"You have to talk to me, okay?" Sam sniffled. "I'm not going to lose you, too."

"Same goes for you, dumbarse," Sally said shakily. "You're the only family I've got left."

Willow wanted to throw something at her alarm when she woke up on the first day after the Holidays. She could have sworn someone stole the time away. It barely felt like she'd gotten any rest, between the Yule Ball, testing out pranking products, teasing Paige to death, and a near-literal mountain of homework (the girls dormitory had been filled to the brim with teetering piles of books and parchment stacks). Willow sighed angrily and got ready for the day anyway. At least her first classes back were Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures.

Sam, Neville, and Oliver greeted her at the greenhouse. Oliver, per usual, was shivering violently from the cold, but today he had a bright smile between his wind-burnt cheeks.

"Is it just me, or does dating Cypress make you eternally happy?" Willow teased.

"It's definitely just you," Oliver said.

Willow rolled her eyes. She got out a giant pot full of little vibrating bulbs that they were using for today. "So I take it that you had a great time letting Cypress stay in the Hufflepuff common room last night?"

"It was awesome! Did you know Cypress can actually bake?" Oliver's eyes sparkled. "He made me a cherry pie, and he only needed to ask our Head Girl for help once, but he didn't even come close to burning the kitchen down!"

"Wow, Willow, you and Paige better step it up," Sam chuckled. "Oliver and Cypress are beating you in the cutest couple category."

"Like there was ever going to be competition," Willow snorted.

"How are you and Paige doing?" Neville asked. "You looked so happy at the Ball!"

"Oh, we're doing fine. Paige and I are the same as before. The only difference is we're officially girlfriends and spend a little more time together." Willow grinned mischievously. "I guess there is one more difference: I make her blush on purpose now."

"Why can't I have a girlfriend?" Sam sighed miserably.

"Because you're emotionally unavailable."

Sam scoffed. "Ouch. Not true. I'm totally emotionally available. Right, Neville, Oliver?"

"Well..." Neville trailed off.

"No comment," Oliver said quickly.

"Great support, guys, really. What supportive friends you are."

Willow tossed a spade at him. "Don't worry, Sam, at least the plants love you."

"Jerk."

The four dove into their work. Per usual, they finished early in their repotting of the odd, nervous-looking bulbs. They took up conversation around the Triwizard Tournament, speculating what the next task was and how it would go, what Harry's chances were, and more. Willow was just about to point out a connection when Dean and Seamus caught her eye. The boys were standing really close, cheeks rosy, but not from the cold. They'd finished their project, too, and were having a light-hearted conversation to pass the time. At one point, Dean's hand bumped Seamus's. The irish boy didn't brush him away. In fact, he slowly but surely took the English boy's hand in his own. Willow's mouth fell open.

"Is that...Dean and Seamus...holding hands?" Neville said. His expression brightened. "It took them long enough!"

"With the way they were dancing at the Ball? They should be an item by now," Sam said.

"You left before the night was halfway over," Willow pointed out. "You didn't even see the best part."

"Then they should really be together by now!"

Professor Sprout suddenly walked by. Dean and Seamus immediately sprang apart, but the moment she was gone, they quietly resumed their hand-holding and closeness. Willow sighed.

"They're shy about their relationship. I wish I could give them more confidence that no one's going to give them trouble about it."

"Oliver and Cypress and you and Paige are already together, and you're having no trouble," Neville said. "That should give them confidence!"

"Let them take their time," Oliver said. "They haven't even come out yet. Openly displaying their relationship, however on the down-low that would be, is still like two surprises in one. It scares them to take that big of a step."

"Oh. I never thought about it that way," Sam admitted. "That's a sensitivity lesson that I never thought I'd learn."

"As much as the Gryffindor Sisters have been pestering them to get together over the past two years, they deserve a break," Willow chortled. The bell rang. "Come on, let's see what crazy lesson Hagrid's got planned for us today."

The four walked down to Hagrid's hut, only to be met with an unfamiliar sight. An older witch with sharp features and beautiful grey hair stood on the hastily cleared path by the pumpkin patch. She pretended not to notice the curious whispers as the students arrived. Even when some more outspoken Gryffindors demanded to know what happened to Hagrid, she replied curtly that he was indisposed, as if she were dealing with nosy grade school children. Willow immediately disliked her.

"Who does she think she is, talking down to us like that?" she whispered to Miranda as he arrived.

"Who knows," he sighed. He glanced over Willow's shoulder. "Huh. Hagrid's blinds are even closed. I've never seen that before. What do you think happened to him? Skrewts finally got him?"

"Pomfrey would have fixed that right away," Oliver pointed out.

"I'm worried about him," Willow admitted. "Hagrid would never miss a class, even if he was on his deathbed. He loves magical creatures too much to not want to teach about them."

"Class, this way!" Grubbly-Plank called.

Willow continued to whisper theories with her friends as they made their way along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A short way through the trees, they reached a small paddock that was practically swallowed by the underbrush. Professor Grubbly-Plank halted beside it, and before Willow hear her explanation, her ears were assaulted by a pair of squeals.

"Oh my gosh, it's magnificent!" Lavender shrilled.

As if the attention had summoned it, a shy creature peeked its head around a tall shrub. Its coat gleamed so pearly white that the snow looked grey in comparison. Oliver's bag slipped out of his hands and crashed to the ground.

"No way," he breathed. "That's a unicorn!"

Willow realized with a jolt that he was right. The horse-like magical creature looked exactly as it did in her textbook. Even its timid demeanor was spot-on. Cypress, Oliver, and Sam incidentally took a step closer, drawn in by the purity of the creature before them. The unicorn instantly pricked its ears in their direction and took a cautious step backward.

"Careful, now, they prefer the woman's touch!" Professor Grubbly-Plank warned. "Girls, this way! Come on Guerrero, Brocklehurst!"

Miranda turned an extreme shade of red. He looked like he was about to protest, but the professor didn't appear to be in the mood for a correction. She motioned hurriedly for the pair to join the group of girls. Willow put a calming hand on Miranda's arm, and he got the message. He took a deep breath and followed Willow to the edge of the paddock.

"Easy does it," Professor Grubbly-Plank encouraged them. "Approach him slowly now. Not so fast, Miss Brown! You'll scare him away!"

Willow and Miranda stuck to the back of the group. Mia and Fay were the first to reach the unicorn, and the moment they pet him, the unicorn seemed to relax. Professor Grubbly-Plank applauded their efforts. She began to spout off information about unicorns as she called them up in pairs. Willow had to admit, the woman was knowledgeable, but she was no Hagrid. She didn't have the practical experience and undying love for all magical creatures that the oversized man possessed.

"Guerrero, Brocklehurst! Come, now, don't make him wait! You're the last ones!"

Miranda bit his lip. Willow gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as they approached the unicorn. At first, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Willow found herself easily able to pet him. His fur had one of the softest, silkiest touches she'd ever felt. She lost herself in simply running her hands through the unicorn's mane.

Then, the unicorn let out a frightened neigh, and it quickly retreated behind its bush. The whole class looked to Miranda, who had frozen mid-pet, his face rather scrunched up and red.

"Sorry," he hissed.

Professor Grubbly-Plank blinked a few times. "Oh. You're a boy, aren't you?"

"At the current moment," Miranda admitted, wincing.

Professor Grubbly-Plank shook her head. "Ah, I should have known you were the one Hagrid mentioned. Miranda, isn't it? I'm sorry, my dear, I should have asked before I assumed. Next time holler at me so we don't scare the unicorn away, alright?"

Miranda stared at the older witch with wide eyes. "...Alright?"

The professor shot him a warm smile, then turned to usher the girls out of the paddock. Willow exchanged a surprised glance with Miranda. Did Professor Grubbly-Plank just...correct herself? Willow suddenly felt bad for assuming the older woman was transphobic; not every adult was going to argue over the genders of their students. In any case, Miranda smiled brilliantly as he and Willow returned to the boys.

"That's amazing! A unicorn is like nature's gender indicator!" Oliver exclaimed.

Willow nearly tripped. She broke down guffawing to the point that she was wheezing. Cypress and Miranda were practically rolling on the ground, they were laughing so hard.

"Oh, Oliver, you're too cute," Willow said.

"Laughing over the latest mistake that oaf's made, have you?" a familiar voice suddenly drawled.

Willow stopped laughing immediately. She shot a quizzical look at Draco, who was standing in front of Crabbe and Goyle, all three wearing suspiciously triumphant grins on their faces.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Haven't you read the Daily Prophet? It came out this morning!"

Draco tossed her a rolled-up copy of the magical newspaper. Feeling like a bomb was about to be dropped, Willow cautiously opened the paper, her eyes landing on a particular section. Her stomach tightened, then felt so queasy that she almost gagged. That awful woman Reeta Skeeter had been snooping around again, but this time, it had been around Hagrid. It turned out, Hagrid was half-giant — and now the entire wizarding community knew.

"What — How — I thought she couldn't get on Hogwarts grounds anymore!" Willow spluttered. She gripped her stomach. "Oh God...this is bad. Hagrid's got to be feeling awful. How did she even find out?"

"Keep reading," Draco urged.

Willow's eyes traveled further down the page. She thought she'd read the worst of it when Reeta continued on her destructive path — she kept denouncing Hagrid as "vicious" and "hazardous" because of his bloodthirsty-giant heritage — but there was something even more pitiful in that hellish article. Willow hardly read over the words "Draco Malfoy" and "Crabbe Vincent" when she tore the paper to shreds.

"Hey, my father paid good money for that — !" Draco protested.

Willow whipped out her wand and marched right for the blonde. Draco's eyes widened as the Gryffindor got in his face. He backed away as fast as he could, but Willow tripped him, effectively pinning him to the ground with her rage. She jabbed her wand into the Slytherin's chest.

"You absolute disgusting, vile, backstabbing arsehole!" Willow shrieked. "Bullying Muggleborns was one thing, but attempting to get Hagrid fired, and outing him to the whole wizarding community? This is a whole other level of treachery, you little rat!"

"Wisp — I — "

She dug her wand into the side of Draco's neck, cutting off some of his air supply. Willow's outrage practically radiated off of her. Her powers threatened to lash out. Everything felt so twisted, so backward, so wrong. She'd trusted him with her friendship. She'd given him a second chance. And this is the way he chose to use it? To throw it away, like her empathy didn't even matter?

"Wisp — please — I can explain — " Draco gasped.

"Don't even start," Willow threatened. "Why should I trust you? Hm? Give me one freaking reason why I should believe you even care about another human being. Because at this point, it's going to take one hell of an explanation to make me believe any word that comes out of your mouth."

"I didn't mean to — !"

"MISS GUERRERO!" Professor Grubbly-Plank shrieked.

Willow groaned. She pocketed her wand, then backed away from Draco, putting her hands in the air like a prisoner about to be arrested. She braced herself for the incoming onslaught of reprimands. She was right to do so, as a seemingly never-ending stream of scoldings and threats poured out of Grubbly-Plank's mouth. The whole class stared, but Willow hardly cared. In fact, she didn't even pay attention to what the professor was saying, let alone heard it. She was seething so intensely from Draco's betrayal that she could think of nothing else, feel nothing but pure anger, and taste nothing except the bitterness of heartbreak.

"...thirty points from Gryffindor, AND detention!" Professor Grubbly-Plank finished.

Willow rolled her eyes. The detention would probably be fun at this point. If Fred and George managed to cause trouble by the end of the day, they might be able to use it to plot their revenge against the Slytherin Prince. Draco tossed Willow a conflicted look before scurrying after the professor. They walked up to the castle in a tense silence, the only break in it a fervent whisper from Pansy to Draco about what happened. To Willow's satisfaction, Draco shoved Pansy aside and ignored her presence entirely.

It still didn't make her feel differently about the little ferret.

Willow was so angry at lunch that she couldn't bring herself to eat. She shoved her plate aside and stormed out of the Great Hall. She didn't know where her feet were taking her, but she didn't care. Even the biting wind outside couldn't put a damper on the fire brewing in her gut. She practically melted the snow beneath her feet. If steam came pouring out of her ears, she wouldn't have been surprised. It was shaping up to be one hell of a first day back...she was downright livid.

Why would I ever think I could trust him? Willow asked herself in disgust. What could have possibly changed him dramatically enough that he would stop cowering behind that bullying mask?

His parents could have disowned him, Cebba offered.

What? No! That was rhetorical, Cebba!

I knew that. I'm just trying to lighten the mood.

"Good luck with that," Willow muttered.

She found herself in the clearing by the Insomniac Shack not long afterwards. The thestrals were mostly napping by this time, but a few of the babies instantly perked up upon seeing the young Gryffindor. They seemed to sense her anger, because they approached her cautiously, though persistently, refusing to let her pace without at least patting them. Willow absent-mindedly stroked their bony necks, her head a chaotic vortex of raging thoughts.

You idiot!

You could have saved him!

He did this to himself!

Will you turn out like him?

Both of you are going to die!

You'll never be anything more than a Death Eater!

Cebba suddenly tugged herself out of Willow's mind and stood before her. Willow gasped at the chilling sensation, then shot a dirty look at her mentor. She hardly registered the concern etched into the older woman's face before she set off pacing again.

"Willow, you have to calm down," Cebba warned. "I can feel you breaking."

"Yeah? That tends to happen often when I've got Death Eaters for family and life-threatening prophecy hanging over my head," Willow spat.

"No, I mean something else is breaking, something more important — "

"Then let it!" Willow shouted, whipping around to glare at Cebba. "It might be good for me to start fresh!"

"Willow, I'm serious, this is not something you can fix. I'm afraid for you."

The Gryffindor turned away, crossing her arms so tightly that they dug into her ribs. "Don't be. I'm fine."

"You need to pay more attention to yourself. You've been suppressing your powers for so long, and with these extra emotional surges, something horrible is bound to happen! Look at me, Willow!" When she refused, Cebba grabbed her hands and whirled her around. "I said look at me! This is serious!"

"I'm fine!" Willow screeched.

Cebba eyed the saplings beginning to grow around the clearing. A note of panic entered her expression. "Willow, listen to me. You're collapsing. You're going to hurt yourself."

"I don't care if I hurt myself! It might teach me a lesson about trusting people like the Malfoys!"

The ground rumbled. The thestrals whinied frantically. A flock of birds shrieked and flew away. Willow didn't seem to notice, but Cebba was practically beside herself with fear. The younger Gryffindor ignored the enormous emotional input her senses were receiving.

"Willow, I'm begging you, just take a deep breath. Calm down. Why don't you practice with your powers? Now would be a good time to get rid of the excess ones. Find a better release for you anger than this, please!"

Willow wanted to listen to the woman. She wanted to lie down on the forest floor and cry. She wanted nothing more than to run to her friends and sob out everything that was hurting her. But she didn't. Her senses were on fire. Her mind was a wreck. Her whole body trembled with rage. The Forest around her hummed with a dangerous hint of power, and all life braced or took cover. Every little thing that had been bothering the young Gryffindor over the past several months — the revelation of Rion to her friends, the unfairness of Sirius's situation, Deandra and Frodi being on the run, her mother's warnings, the prophecy, everything — came crashing in at once. Willow balled up her fists so hard that she drew blood. Electricity crackled within her palms.

"I CAN'T!"

All of a sudden, Willow's world exploded. Fire incinerated her stomach. Her nerves electrocuted her spine. Her limbs seized up, her blood turned to lead, and her vision went white. Her lips parted in a silent scream. She'd never felt pain like this in her life.

And then it stopped.

Willow's eyelids fluttered open. She coughed out a lungful of ash. Her throat was raspy and sore, and her mouth tasted like soot. She thought for a moment that she'd broken her ribs, but when she sat up, her body was only vaguely sore and fatigued. Willow groaned as she heaved herself to her feet. She glanced around the clearing, peering interestedly at the damage she'd done. It looked like someone had taken a grenade full of grey paint and tossed it right where Willow was standing. The shockwave had caused a perfect set of concentric circles to radiate from the origin, like ripples on water after a stone was thrown into it. Willow would have called it beautiful if she hadn't felt so queasy.

"Willow? Are you okay?" Cebba asked.

"Just...give me a second..." Willow suddenly keeled over and vomited. Cebba yelped with fright. The younger Gryffindor wiped her mouth. "Sorry...I feel alright...my head's a little fuzzy though...and my whole body is sore...and kind of...vibrating..."

Cebba's face drained of all colour. In her halo of bluish light, she looked more ghostly than Willow had ever seen. "No. Don't tell me..."

"Don't tell you what?" Willow questioned.

"Take of your shirt."

Willow spluttered. "Excuse me?"

"Take of your shirt. Now."

Willow glanced around the clearing, her cheeks reddening. "Cebba, I don't understand how — "

"Just do it!"

Something in Cebba's voice got to the young Gryffindor. Willow peeled her shirt off, but wrapped it around her shoulders immediately afterward, feeling more self-conscious than ever in the chilly winter breeze. "There's literally no tree cover. Anyone could see me — "

Cebba shushed her. Willow peered at her mentor curiously. The older woman stepped closer to Willow, gently brushing her fingers across the Gryffindor's abdomen. Willow's face flushed.

"Cebba, what are you doing?"

"Oh my God," Cebba breathed.

"Uh, Cebba? You're kind of freaking me out," Willow said, her gut twisting painfully.

Cebba clapped a hand to her mouth. "No. No, no, no! You can't have...not again...you..." A tear leaked from the older woman's eye as she turned them mournfully to Willow. "I tried to warn you, but you didn't listen, and now look what you've done!"

Willow glanced down at her stomach, only to suck in a sharp breath in horror. There appeared to be a black stain just beneath her skin. It slowly reached for her veins, its movement almost imperceptible, but unmistakably there. Willow's nausea came back in an instant. She wasn't in pain, but she somehow knew that this thing was a silent killer.

"You've turned your powers on yourself," Cebba explained. "I've seen this happen before, with this particular blood curse. Instead of being able to manifest them outside of your body, they're now working their way through the inside of your body."

"So my powers...are killing me?" Willow rasped.

"Unfortunately, yes. Every time you try to use them, it's only going to accelerate the damage."

"I just won't use them, then, and it won't do anything, right?" Willow said hopefully.

Cebba shook her head. "It's hard to do, Willow. Your emotions are so out of control that any stress will activate them, just like before. It's going to be nearly impossible to stop their effects unless you keep yourself out of emotional pain entirely, which is not an option for you, so your only other route is to try and learn to control them, and for Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore to work on a suppression potion."

Willow paled considerably. "Oh. That's...wonderful."

Cebba shook her head. "I've been trying to get you to get help for years, Willow, but you refused, and now this is the result. I've seen this happen before, and I tried to steer you away, but you're so damn stubborn!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Willow demanded. "I would have sought help if I knew my life was in danger!"

"Because I didn't want you to worry!"

"Well, look where that got us! I'm dying because of this stupid — !"

Willow gasped. She fell to her knees, the pain in her abdomen starting up again. She forced herself to breath deeply. Cebba rushed to her side, putting comforting hands on the Gryffindor's shoulders. She instructed her to inhale and exhale to certain counts. Soon, the pain went away entirely, and Willow was able to stand again. She threw a sickened glance at Cebba.

"I'm sorry, Willow," Cebba apologized. "I should have told you. But the past is in the past. I'm going to do everything I can to help you now. I'll go to Dumbledore and Pomfrey and explain the situation. You, in the meantime, have to get some books on learning to relax, because you'll have to do a lot of it soon."

Willow swallowed hard. "Is there any hope at all of me recovering and getting my powers, you know, out again?"

Cebba smiled sadly. "There's a ton of hope, Willow. It's entirely possible. But you have to believe it first. This is going to be one of your biggest challenges yet, because it's all a mental game from here. You either succumb to the pressure, or learn to let yourself feel again — in a healthy way."

Willow wanted to scream.

Tell Paige.

No.

TELL YOUR FREAKING GIRLFRIEND!

NO!

Willow threw a smile on her face and ignored Cebba's furious string of insults. She was too nervous to deal with the prospect of her newly self-destructive powers. It had been a couple weeks since she'd imploded, and she wasn't getting much better at controlling her emotions, but that was entirely due to the fact that she refused to do anything about it. Willow simply didn't care right now. It didn't hurt too badly, and she avoided Gryffindor Sister drama as much as possible. Every time she got worked up, she simply took a draught of the suppression potion Dumbledore and McGonagall had given her, then knocked herself out with a sleeping potion, and she'd wake up perfectly calm. No one had to know, and she didn't have to worry.

That's completely idiotic! Cebba yelled.

Yeah, well, you try telling Paige what happened, because I'm definitely not dealing with her explosion, Willow said.

Cebba sighed. You're impossible, Willow!

Hey, I'm not dead yet, right?

That's not the point — !

"Willow! There you are!" Oliver exclaimed.

Willow broke out into a grin. Cebba resigned herself to muttering in the back of her mind as the young Gryffindor approached her large group of friends. "I'm not late, am I?"

"Nope, you're actually here early for once," Cypress remarked.

"Perfect. I don't look horrible, do I? My clothes aren't going to warrant an hour's worth of teasing like last time?"

"No, you match," Lisa chuckled. "Seriously, Willow, how did you not know that navy blue and black don't go together?"

"It's not my fault that I was raised in a soccer uniform!" Willow protested.

Suddenly, she found herself flipped upside down. Everyone laughed hysterically as Willow hit the snow particularly hard. She rolled her eyes and shifted onto her knees, already knowing that Paige was standing behind her.

"What, you wanted me to fall for you? I've already done that," Willow chortled.

"I just wanted you to fall harder," Paige said. She tossed Willow onto her feet, then spun her around so that she was locked against her chest. "Did it work?"

Willow smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Paige rolled her eyes. "You're such a tease."

With the blink of an eye, Willow had escaped Paige's grasp, then spun the older girl around so that her back was against Willow, and her arms were folded behind Willow's. She glanced up at Willow with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"So we're fighting for who's the top now. I see."

Willow spluttered as Cypress laughed hysterically. "What — that's not what — Paige!"

"You know I'm right."

Willow sighed. She released Paige, then whirled her around to plant a quick kiss on her lips. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Take me on a date. Duh. That was the plan, wasn't it?"

"You are impossible."

Paige shot her a mischievous wink.

The walk to Hogsmeade was a blur of pure white snow, doubled-over laughter, friendly banter, and downright insults. Willow was careful not to let her heart get high off the elated mood, which was a shame, considering Hogsmeade visits were some on the only instances where she felt pure happiness. She again regretted her idiocy in ignoring Cebba's warning about her powers.

It is what it is, Willow thought.

Thankfully, Paige didn't seem to notice her careful balance of emotions, though whether that was because Willow was always trying to supress before her powers imploded, she had no idea. They arrived at Hogsmeade with glee-filled grins and pockets full of change. Willow didn't have to ask her friends where they wanted to go first; they'd discovered a pattern in their visits, beginning at Honeyduke's, moving on to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, then finally ending up at Madam Puddifoot's or The Three Broomsticks. Today, they roamed a little less than usual, so they had plenty of time to spend at the eating establishment of their choosing.

"Which one is more romantic?" Seamus whispered.

"Madam Puddifoot's, by far," Cypress replied.

"Madam Puddifoot's it is, then," Willow decided.

The servers kindly allowed them to push a few tables together in the back, where they all gathered as a single, large friend group. Couples sat across from one another, and Sue and the Smith twins crowded the end of the table. Willow ordered tea and sweet snacks for them all — no one else would have gotten it right in a million years, with as many different tastes as her friends had — then put it all on her own tab before they could protest. Paige gently kicked her under the table.

"You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I'm aware, but considering my family literally doesn't know what to do with our money, I'd rather spend it on you guys," Willow said.

"Rich kids," Paige scoffed.

"I'd give it all up for you if it comes to it."

"Alright, now that is just the cheesiest romantic thing you've ever said to me."

"Is it working?" Willow said mischievously.

Paige bit her lip to hold back a smile. "...No." When Willow shot her a look, she relented. "Damn you, Willow, you always know my soft spots. Why did I get stuck with an observant girlfriend?"

"Because you deserve someone who knows how to make you glow — more than you already do, that is."

"Willow, if you make one more flirtatious comment, I'm going to throw up," Sam remarked.

"Flirtatious comment."

The whole table roared with laughter. Their food and tea came shortly after that. Willow enjoyed the light-hearted conversation within her friend group. They'd grown to know each other so well. In fact, they'd come a very, very long way from their first year together. Willow could still remember Oliver's muteness, Sue's lack of self-esteem, Lisa's backward self-image, and Miranda's discomfort. Then they found each other, and it was like a light bulb switched on. The Smith twins opened up. Cypress came crashing in — quite literally. Dean and Seamus finally threw off the role of bystanders and joined in the fun. Now, here they were, most of them having become couples at last, and they were all even better friends for it. It was incredible, the way everyone's shining face somehow shone brighter in the presence of one another.

As much as Sam complained about the couples flirting, it really wasn't that horrible, in Willow's opinion. They weren't all over each other, verbally or physically. They simply took every opportunity to put a smile on their significant other's face, then rejoined the conversation, the overlapping relationships of friends and lovers fitting hand and glove with the rest of the friend group. No one made the others uncomfortable. They actually rooted for their friends who had grown into something more. They trusted each other, as good, genuine people, so there was no need to worry. No "bro code" had to apply in their situation.

It was honestly refreshing.

After their food was consumed, they broke off into smaller groups, each heading their own ways. Lisa, Miranda, and Sue ran off to look at the Shrieking Shack, while Dean, Seamus, Cypress, and Oliver made a beeline for Zonko's. The Smith twins decided to head back early, though Willow suspected they need some quality sibling time to strengthen their newly-repaired relationship. That left Willow and Paige alone.

Willow arched a brow at the older girl. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Willow, it's impossible to know what you're thinking most of the time," Paige chortled.

"Brilliant. It's a surprise, then."

Willow took Paige's hand and darted off toward the edge of the village. The older girl laughed as Willow dragged her along, weaving through alleys, dodging magical trash heaps, and finally emerging onto the mountain path. Paige questioned where they were going, but Willow continued to say it was a surprise. Up the trail they went, their boots crunching in the snow, wind whistling in their ears. It was sheer bliss. Willow could hardly contain her emotions from spilling over.

At long last, they reached the top. Willow rounded one more bend, then stopped, pointing to the village far down below. Paige gawked at the incredible sight.

"Hogsmeade is even more beautiful from this vantage point," she panted. "How did I not know this trail was here?"

"I found it over the Holiday. It's amazing, isn't it?"

"It's beautiful." Paige turned her head to smirk at Willow. "Just like you."

"Oh, now that's beyond cheesy, that's downright plagiarism," Willow chuckled.

"Hey, you were the one that started it."

The girls gazed at the village for a little while longer. Hogsmeade glittered beneath the bright January sun, practically blinding to stare at, but even more beautiful because of it. Little tufts of smoke emerged from chimneys every so often. Children ran between houses, and little old witches took nice, easy strolls together. Willow suddenly realized that no one could see her and Paige up here. They were utterly alone.

"Paige..." Willow whispered.

The older girl turned around, and their eyes met. Willow stepped forward until she was inches away from her girlfriend. Her arm encircled Paige's waist, almost subconsciously, and she brushed a thumb across the older girl's cheek. Willow's eyes flicked up in question. Paige glanced to her lips in answer. Willow instantly leaned forward and brushed her lips against Paige's.

At first, it was just a soft, intimate moment, but it was practically inevitable that it would grow into something more. Willow's hands instinctively trailed lower on Paige's body. Her touch electrified the older girl. Paige let Willow's hands roam lower and lower down her back. Their lips parted for a single moment for Paige to let out a content sigh. Willow looked to her for permission, and Paige instantly nodded.

It wasn't long before Willow's tongue slipped into Paige's mouth. She was terrified for a moment, thinking she'd gone to far, or it would make herself uncomfortable, but Paige reacted so ecstatically that she kept going. Willow realized she liked the taste of Paige's lips, the way her body moved when she touched her. She liked it a lot.

Willow's hands traveled down Paige's stomach, then brushed her hips. The older girl whined. Willow didn't know why she like that vulnerable little sound so much. Paige's arms found Willow's waist as well, and she fell victim to her entrancing touch. Then Willow was kissing Paige even more roughly, and suddenly the older girl was in Willow's arms, and they were in the snow.

Willow held Paige beneath her as she gently traced the older girl's body with her hands. She touched her waist, caressed her hips, and, with a touch of bravery, and a consenting glance from Paige, felt her chest. Willow felt Paige's body convulse with pleasure as she let out a shameless moan. It electrified Willow to her very core.

That was when her emotions tipped over the edge.

Willow froze. Her powers reacted with such force that it nearly knocked her unconscious. They fought back against her, tearing apart her insides, burning her to her very core. Paige sat up and was by her side immediately.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go so far — I hope I didn't upset you — " she fretted.

"It's not you," Willow said. The hoarseness in her voice shocked her. "It's just — "

Willow was overtaken by another wave of agony. Her powers attacked once more, punishing her for the instability. Willow gritted her teeth and fought off a visible wince.

"I understand, you know," Paige said. "You think you're ready to be passionate, then you suddenly regret it, not feeling ready at all — "

"It's not that, either," Willow coughed. Panic was setting in. How was she going to play this off to Paige? "It felt right."

"Then it's me."

"No, it's not you, I promise — "

Just then, Willow's entire body jolted. Her vision went white. Searing pain pierced her like a poisoned arrow, spreading so quickly on contact that her whole body was on fire within seconds. Willow fell back into the snow, unable to stop herself from crying out. Paige was there instantaneously. Her voice was pitched as she spoke.

"Willow, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Willow wheezed. "I just need to — "

"Oh my God, what is that?" Paige gasped, brushing a strand of Willow's hair aside. "Is that...your veins? They're not supposed to be that dark. Something's gone horribly wrong."

Paige went to pull Willow's shirt down, but the younger Gryffindor snatched Paige's wrist, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Don't. Please," Willow begged.

"I refuse to grant that death wish," Paige said evenly.

With her strength against Willow's weaker arms, Paige managed to pull down the younger Gryffindor's neckline to reveal a concerning sight. Willow didn't need a mirror to know it looked bad; she'd learned that wherever it burned the most was where the dark stain concentrated itself. Paige clapped a hand to her mouth in horror.

"Willow — What — Is this — Are you poisoned?!"

"Paige, please, calm down," Willow coughed.

"Your veins — They're filled with something dark — You're going to die — "

"I'm not going to die, Paige."

"Then why do you like like it?!"

"Because...I technically am."

Paige glanced at her, an angry tear running down her face. "Tell. Me. The truth."

Willow let her head fall back against the snow. She was defeated. "I...accidentally...imploded. My powers are emotionally based, so when I get angry or sad, they lash out, right? Well, I was stuffing so many of them down at once that I may or may not have...turned them inward. I can't use them without hurting myself, and whenever my emotions get even slightly out of hand, they lash out at me."

"So...your powers are killing you?"

"Until I sort out this mess, and figure out how to deal with emotions separately from my powers, yeah."

Paige glared at her. "And you didn't think to tell your girlfriend because why?"

Told you she'd be mad, Cebba chided.

Willow couldn't meet Paige's eyes. "Because I didn't want you to worry. I haven't told anyone yet because I don't want anyone to worry. I'm fine for now. I'm still breathing, right? So I've still got a chance to sort it out."

"Willow, when are you going to realize we're here to help you?" Paige said. "You won't hurt any of us by confiding in us. Please, just let us help you, because there's no way you're going to figure out your emotions on your own."

Willow swallowed the lump in her throat. "You're probably right. But...just keep this between us for now, okay?"

"You'll have to tell the others at some point."

"I will, but for now, I just want to figure it out...together."

Paige brushed Willow's hair out of her face, her eyes searching her girlfriend's. She leaned forward and kissed Willow sweetly, her salty tears lingering on Willow's lips. The younger Gryffindor embraced her girlfriend with all the strength she possessed until her veins cleared. She let out a sigh.

This is going to be a lot harder than I thought, Willow admitted.


	71. Year 4: Chapter 10

Of course, if Paige knew a secret, that meant Fred, George, and Lee knew it, too. Willow found herself being helped by all four sixth years by the end of the week. They tested out all different ranges of emotions, from fear to anger and despair to glee. Willow enjoyed the pranks they did, but other than that, she was in a constant state of fighting against her powers. It was exhausting, trying to balance her emotions, especially when she was so used to simply ignoring them. Fred and George were remarkably patient with her, even when she copped quite the ungrateful, aggressive attitude after one particularly difficult sadness session.

Paige was always respecting her boundaries. Willow was so grateful that the older girl was okay with long periods apart from one another. Any physical touch generally made Willow uncomfortable, but even with Paige, whom she was pretty comfortable touching, her heart began racing upon first contact, and it became hard to reign in the powerful emotions the touch generated. Willow longed for the day when she would finally be able to take a nap without waking up to a jolt of pain through her ribs.

Above all, she missed being able to shove aside her emotions.

Two weeks before the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, Willow headed out to yet another Care of Magical Creatures class sans Hagrid. Draco was still wary of standing anywhere near her after what happened last time. He seemed rather sorry about straining their relationship again; he was never this quiet around so many subjects to entertain. Willow ignored him yet again, however. The last thing she needed was to get angry with him again and have her powers lash out for the whole world to see.

Professor Grubbly-Plank amiably chatted with the girls on their way out to the paddock. She'd taken a particular liking to the Gryffindor Sisters, what with their numerous relative questions and curiosity about the subject in general. Willow would have connected with the Professor, too, but she'd kind of left a first impression that was hard to forget. The woman still edged carefully around the explosive Gryffindor whenever she checked her work.

If only she knew my powers have me on a leash, Willow grumbled to herself.

Today, the lesson dealt with unicorns again, but this time, they were unicorn colts: brilliant, shiny, golden little creatures that shyly approached anyone with a treat. The boys could actually interact with the little ones, as they hadn't grown fearful of men yet. Willow looked over at Miranda too see her throw her hands up; the first time she was female during Care of Magical Creatures all year, they were working with animals that didn't prefer women to men. Figures.

Willow's heart warmed to see Dean and Seamus holding hands as they worked with their own unicorn foal. The pair had finally become less shy about being a little affectionate in public. People began to notice, and to their pleasant surprise, everyone seemed to root for them. Not a soul dared to badmouth their untraditional relationship — though that might have been because they were afraid of what Willow and the Gryffindor Sisters would do to them otherwise.

When the bell rang, Willow began to trudge up to the castle when she realized Hagrid's hut wasn't even puffing out smoke anymore. The temperature had dropped significantly over the past few weeks; it must have been positively freezing in there by now. Willow risked a glance over her shoulder to check if Professor Grubbly-Plank or the Slytherins were watching. When she recognized they were all absorbed in getting back to the castle, out of the biting wind, she quickly escaped down the hill to Hagrid's front door. No one saw her as she quietly slipped inside.

Immediately, the smell of burnt meat singed Willow's nostrils. She wrinkled her nose at the foul scent. Checking the fireplace, she confirmed that the fire had, indeed, sputtered out. A slab of of God-knows-what sat blackened and charred to a crisp on a bent grill grate. The smoke still hung in the stale air around it. In fact, the whole cabin seemed stale, with boots scattered across the floor, tools covered in dust, and buckets tipped over sideways, their contents hardened on the floor.

"What are ya doin' 'ere?" Hagrid slurred. "Come ter sack me? I gotta pack me stuff...Fang's been scatterin' it all o'er the place..."

Willow glanced up to see Hagrid hunched over in the corner, sitting on a wobbly old stool. Fang was passed out at his feet, but when he opened his eyes and saw Willow, he let out a joyous bark and scrambled for her attention.

"Hagrid, I'm not here to sack you," Willow said carefully. "I'm here to check on you."

"Willow?" Hagrid sniffled in disbelief. "Why aren't you in class?"

"Dumbledore...excused me from Divination from the time being." It was true. The class had been driving her prophetic powers crazy, nearly causing her to pass out every time she stepped into the North Tower. McGonagall provided her with an excuse to remotely learn the class. "How long has it been since you left your cabin?"

"Oh, it doesn' matter...not like I got much time left 'ere anyway...someone else'll have ter take up gamekeeper duties..."

"Hagrid, what do you mean?" Willow said.

"The letters'll start pourin' in before ya know it. No parent wants their kid learnin' from a half-giant, now, do they?"

"I'm pretty sure that's the least of their worries, Hagrid," Willow soothed. She stepped across the room until she was right next to the burly man. "In fact, I'd rather learn about magical creatures from you than any other professor. You're the only one that understands them properly and has the ability to take care of them when they get rowdy."

"But giants are dangerous!" Hagrid howled. "They're gonna want me behind bars for hidin' it all these years, I reckon! They'll send me back to Azkaban!"

"Hagrid, no one's going to send you to Azkaban. People are becoming more open-minded these days, you'll see. And with Dumbledore at the top, you really think they'll get past him if they somehow, in an impossible, backward way, come after you?"

Hagrid blew his nose. "No...pro'bly not..."

"See? You've got nothing to worry about." Willow removed the grate from the fireplace and relighted the wood. She tossed a few more logs on. "You can't worry about what others think of you, Hagrid. Everyone who's met you thinks very highly of you unless they're one of those Malfoy ferrets. Most people know Rita Skeeter's a blind cow, anyway, so they take her writing with a grain of salt."

"Oh, I guess you're right..." Hagrid blubbered.

Willow shoulder-bumped him. "Come on, let's at least clean up your house. You'll feel better if you do something."

After a long moment of wiping the tears off his face, Hagrid slowly rose to his feet and joined Willow in cleaning up the hut. They opened the door to let some fresh air in, swept out all the dust and dirt, scraped the grime off the floor, picked up buckets full of tools, and replaced many odds and ends that had fallen onto the floor. Willow put some tea on and brought some more wood into the house. Hagrid shrugged off his fur coat as the temperature rose, then rinsed off his salt-stained face in the snow. He was looking a lot better by the time Willow poured him a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Willow," Hagrid said. "Yer a right kind soul."

"I was raised right, that's all," Willow replied.

"Naw, there's always been somethin' special about ya, you just don't see it."

Willow's heart warmed exponentially. "Thank you, Hagrid."

She gave Fang one last pat on the head, then left for the Great Hall. The warm grin on her face couldn't be wiped off by the freezing cold of February, nor the prospect of being in close proximity to so many people. She was just about to enter the Entrance Hall when she realized her emotions had gotten too giddy.

"Oh shit — Not again — "

With a flash of pain, Willow's consciousness was stolen away, and she hit the stone stairs

"Are you serious?"

"No, I'm Willow."

There was a familiar groan. "She's back. She's definitely back."

Willow's eyes fluttered open. Fred, George, Paige, and Lee were standing above her, looking down at her crumpled form. Willow's cheeks tinted when she realized a few first years were peeking from behind the Entrance Hall doors. She brushed herself off and quickly rose to her feet, albeit shakily.

"Wow, that was a powerful one," Willow muttered.

"You think?" Lee chortled. "You've been knocked unconscious a lot in your lifetime, Willow, but never from your own happiness."

"It was happiness, right?" Fred asked.

"Fortunately, yeah," Willow admitted.

"Good. At least if you'd died, you would have died happy this time," George cheekily remarked.

"GEORGE! Do not joke about that!" Paige scolded.

George put his hands up. Paige sighed exasperatedly. She unobtrusively checked Willow over for any signs of major injury, but found none. The younger Gryffindor appeared perfectly normal aside from the festering black stain within her bloodstream reaching up to her neck. Paige's jaw hardened when her gaze passed over this particular point, but she said nothing, not wanting to worry the twins and Lee.

"She's good. Thanks for helping me wake her up, guys," Paige said.

The twins and Lee bounced off to their next class, none the wiser. Paige, however, discreetly brushed her fingers over Willow's stomach.

"How is it?" she whispered, guiding the younger Gryffindor through the Entrance Hall and up the marble staircase.

"Receding, for the most part," Willow breathed. She winced when she accidentally slipped on a step. "But still a pain in the arse, that's for sure."

"Is any of it lingering?"

"Sometimes, yes, but it always goes away when I take that Sleep Potion and the Suppression Potion together."

"You can't live your life relying on potions to keep you afloat, Willow."

Willow glanced to her left to see Paige's forehead creased with worry. The brown in her beautiful irises had deepened. Willow read them like she was reading the lyrics to a heart-wrenching song, and it pierced her heart with sadness. She was dragging Paige down with her. The older Gryffindor didn't deserve this sort of torture. But she was still here, somehow, sticking by her side, and Willow felt more in debt to her than she ever had before.

Paige stopped outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She took both of Willow's hands in her own.

"Don't you dare skive off class again," Paige warned. "I'll know before Professor McGonagall does."

"Same goes for you," Willow chuckled.

She gave Paige a quick kiss, then ducked into the classroom, quickly taking her seat in the back. For once, she was early, but that wasn't exactly a gift. Willow had been arriving to all her classes late in an attempt to prevent her Gryffindor Sisters from dragging her back into their mess. As much as she hated drama, though, she would have given anything to be helping them with it right now. She never realized how much she missed their company until it was taken away from her.

Thankfully — and unfortunately — the Gryffindor Sisters did not notice Willow as they entered. They were too busy whispering about some cute Ravenclaw boy to pay attention to anything else. Willow tried her best to convince herself it didn't hurt to be excluded from their plans.

"So you're snogging Paige in the hallways now. Great way to keep a low profile, don't you think?"

Willow flicked her wand, and Draco was immediately pinned against his desk. "I'd hardly call it snogging."

"Ouch, Wisp, you're hurting me!" Draco complained.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is that desk digging into your arm? I should have thought before I acted."

Draco directed a withering gaze at her. "Are you seriously holding that over my head?"

"Yes, actually, and until Hagrid recovers from it, you're in the doghouse. You've got a lot of making up to do."

Draco groaned. "Look, Wisp, I'm sorry! How many times can I say it? I didn't think that Rita Skeeter was going to write so...terribly about him. I just thought it was going to be an expose."

"Well, it's not, and now Hagrid's a mess because he thinks he's going to lose his job. He's afraid the parents will come raining down on the school with demands to sack him." Willow shot Draco a meaningful glance. "Just try to use that dusty thing up in your cranium every once in a while, will you?"

Draco opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Professor Moody swept into the classroom. All fell silent.

"At some point in your magical career, you're going to be faced with a threat you can't defend against. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Willow rolled her eyes as a few Slytherin girls jumped. Moody had been barking that phrase since the first day of class. To be honest, it was getting old. How had they not gotten used to it by now?

"You're on your way back to your house, on your doorstep, and suddenly a Death Eater corners you. They've got Dark Magic. You don't."

"That's what he thinks," Cypress hissed from behind Willow. She had to stifle a knowing giggle.

"What are you doing to do when they start using curses you hardly dared to learn the names of? What happens when you forget every charm you've ever learned?" Professor Moody's eye roamed the class. "WEASLEY! Stand!" Poor Ron scattered his papers in his hurry to comply. "Come over here, son, and stand right by the window. That's it. Now — on the count of three — I want you to cast the jelly-legs jinx at me. Got it?" The redhead nodded nervously. "One...two...three!"

"Locomotor Wibbly!" Ron commanded.

"Protego!" Professor Moody countered.

A jet of pink light shot out of Ron's wand, but with the blink of an eye, Moody's spell surrounded him in a translucent barrier. Ron's spell bounced off harmlessly. The class oohed and ahhed at the brilliant charm.

"That there is called a shield charm," Moody explained. "It will repel most spells if cast correctly. The better you get, the more powerful the shield becomes. The wand movement is simple: straight down, circle around. Now pair up and practice. Only cast the jelly-legs jinx for now! CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Willow was about to ask Cypress to be her partner when Draco suddenly yanked her to the other side of the room. She aggressively threw off his hand as soon as she got the chance.

"What are you playing at, Malfoy?" Willow said.

Draco winced. "Please don't ever call me Malfoy again. It's just not right coming from you."

"What, would you rather me call you a dork?"

Draco rolled his eyes. He raised his wand. "Come on, then, this is one of your only chances to attack me with permission from a teacher. Don't waste it."

Willow conceded the point. She hardly gave Draco a chance to ready himself before she fired off the jelly-legs jinx. His shield charm managed to block it, but it sputtered out moments later. Willow opened her mouth to tease the Slytherin Prince when he leveled his wand at her. She quickly uttered the incantation for the shield charm. Hers proved more successful, taking on a full cover and staying strong even after the curse hit it. Draco raised a brow.

"So you are good at one subject after all," he teased.

"Oh, you did not just insult my intelligence," Willow chuckled.

She shot another jinx right for his legs, then fired off another one too quickly for Draco to summon another shield charm. The Slytherin Prince found his legs locked together in an instant. He scoffed at Willow's laughter.

"So we're playing it dirty, now, are we?"

Before they knew it, it was an all-out battle between the pair. Willow and Draco cheekily fired off the most embarrassing jinxes and curses they knew. Draco fell to the ground with enlarged ears, and Willow went tumbling head-over-heels clucking like a chicken. Professor Moody didn't seem to care that they ignored his instructions. In fact, he joined the rest of the class as they cheered on the two competitors, who had already begun to rely on the new shield charm like their reputations depended on it — which, in fact, they did.

Well, that's one way to learn a charm, Willow thought to herself.

The cheers worked their way through both students' egos, spurring them on to cast increasingly complex spells. Willow hit Draco with a curse that made flowers sprout from his nose, then he returned the favor with a hex that made her sneeze bubbles. It was beginning to get out of hand, what with both of them being so competitive, but they weren't doing anything malicious. For once, Willow wasn't angry with Draco; they were both just having fun.

Far too late, Willow realized her happiness was converting to glee. Her stomach began to seize up. Sizzling pain struck her through the ribs. It was all she could do to hide her torment. She let the smile on her face become a plaster. Discreet deep breaths reminded her body to be at peace. She repeated a calming mantra over and over in her head. She didn't realize how much it was distracting her until Draco hit her with a powerful banishing charm. It broke her shield, which sent her to her knees. Her abdomen spasmed.

"Finish her, Draco!" Pansy shrilled.

"Come on, Willow, you've got this!" Lavender screeched.

Willow could tell Draco was hamming it up for the crowd. He aimed his wand at a seemingly defeated Willow, taking his sweet old time to cast the final spell. In his moment of glory, Willow seized the opportunity to strike. Across the room, Draco's shield suddenly broke, and he went stiff as a board. His frozen body crashed into the nearest desk. Everyone turned to stare at Willow, her wand still discreetly hidden behind her knee.

"Someone might want to help him," Willow chortled.

Just then, Pansy abruptly screamed and fired off a retaliation hex. Willow had no time to react as it struck her directly in the chest. A flash of white-hot agony nearly ripped a scream from her throat.

Then, a familiar yelp of alarm sounded nearby.

Willow's eyes fluttered open to a shocking scene. Mia was trapped inside a ball of electricity, which lashed out at her every so often and caused her to shriek. Professor Moody quickly dissipated the hex with a flick of his wand, then turned to Pansy, his glass eye dangerously fixed on the Slytherin girl as well.

"Don't ever use Dark Magic in my classroom, girl," he growled.

Pansy huffed and turned away, her lip out in a pout. Moody stared at her for a long, unnerving moment, then finally turned his attention to Draco, who was still on the ground, thanks to the full-body bind curse. Willow stared at the scene from her vantage point on the floor. What just happened? Pansy had hit her with a hex — but then it hit Mia — it didn't affect her at all —

Wait. That doesn't mean...

Willow felt her powers festering madly within her. That was exactly what had happened. Her powers may have concentrated themselves within her, but that didn't mean they weren't just as protective. They'd struck out against Pansy's curse to protect her, which only caused her more pain and hurt someone else. Willow's face paled.

I have no control over when they lash out anymore. Everyone can get hurt now.

"Guerrero!"

Willow felt like throwing up as Moody wandered over to her. "Yes, Professor?"

"You're quite the powerful witch," he began, his glass eye darting around suspiciously. "Not many wizards and witches can block a hex like that. You had to have something special to do that."

Willow gulped. He knew. Soon, everyone would know. She had to stop this. "Professor —"

"It's that locket, isn't it?"

"My — What?" Willow glanced down. Recognition and relief flooded her system. "Oh! My locket! Yes, yes, my mother gave it to me a few years ago. It's supposed to be an Un —" Willow's eyes widened. "— Sorry, a curse reflector."

Moody stared at her oddly. "Take care of that, girl. That's a powerful tool to have on your side." He turned to the rest of the class. "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

At that moment, the bell rang. Willow gathered her stuff and hightailed it out of there. She skipped the Great Hall entirely and headed to the Gryffindor common room, where she quietly slipped into the secret room. Her creatures couldn't even calm her racing heart. Phoebe and Griffin especially sensed something was wrong. The baby griffin cuddled up to her, and Phoebe clung to her middle. They both gently nudged her neck where the darkness of her veins was still apparent.

"I know, I know, it's bad, I'm working on it," Willow said hurriedly. She exhaled slowly, leaning her head back against Griffin. "I won't let me die until I've finished the prophecy and secured my loved ones' lives. Promise."

Fidget chirped sadly at her as he nuzzled her cheek. Willow cracked a smile at the bowtruckle's display of affection. Leave it to her smallest creature to be the most supportive.

A buzz in her pocket alerted her to an incoming call from her name tag. Willow scrambled to answer it. Relief washed over her like a tropical waterfall when she saw Sirius's face, bright and unharmed.

"Sirius! I haven't heard from you since January! Where have you been?"

"Flitting around the English countryside, avoiding aurors, the usual," he replied. At Willow's withering gaze, he laughed. "Alright, alright, I know it's not a joke. I'm fine, though, thanks for asking. How are you?"

"I was getting there," Willow scoffed. "I'm...fine."

"You literally look like you crawled back from Hell. What happened? Whose arse do I have to kick?"

"Don't worry, I could take Pansy down with my hands tied and my eyes blindfolded," Willow chuckled. "She just hit me with a hex, that's all."

"That's not all. Give me the full story. What happened?"

Willow bit her lip. Sirius should probably know, too. "I'm going to tell you something I only told Paige, alright? Promise me you won't be mad?"

"Promise."

That promise was broken approximately two minutes later, when Sirius exploded on Willow for imploding on herself when literally everyone was warning her about it all this time. He calmed down after a bit, but he was still clearly upset.

"Willow, this is worse than the prophecy, by far. Your powers are killing you. You've got Paige and the Weasley twins to help you, but that's not nearly enough. Your life is on the line. You need real emotional counseling, from someone who's good at helping with this kind of thing."

"But I can't do that. They'd have to know about my powers and what they do, and I'm not willing to open up."

"I know, Willow, I know, but you might not have another choice." Sirius was silent for a moment. His voice shook when he next spoke. "I just...I just wish I could be there to help you. I wish I could help you like you helped me."

Willow smiled sadly. "Me too, Sirius, me too. But that wretched Peter stole it from us."

"He stole everything from me," Sirius sniffled.

Willow's heart broke for him. She forcefully swallowed the lump in her throat. "God, I wish I could hug you through this screen right now."

"I'll see you soon enough Willow," Sirius said. "I promise. You'll see me before the school year is over."

"Don't get caught before then, please," Willow laughed mirthlessly.

"I won't."

The video call ended, and Willow buried her face in Griffin's feathers.

"Harry."

"What."

"You have 36 hours. How have you not figured this out?"

Harry slumped in his chair. "Because the library is against me succeeding, apparently. Seriously, the moment this Tournament is over, I'm never stepping foot in that place ever again."

"Oh, quit being dramatic, I'm sure you'll find use for it again," Willow chided.

"I wish I had your powers. Then I could transform into a fish and breath just fine."

I wish my powers weren't currently killing me, but since when do we get what we want? Willow thought. She unobtrusively cleared her throat. "Well, you clearly can't do that, so I'm sure you'll find another way."

"In three days? I might as well throw myself off the Astronomy Tower and hope to live; I'd have better chances."

"Hey, careful how you talk, you might start sounding as hopeless as me," Willow chortled. "Anyway, I came here to distract you, not wallow in self pity together. Care for a terrible song written by yours truly?"

Harry fluttered his eyelashes. "Can't wait."

"You're such a jerk." Willow pulled out her guitar and tuned it. She opened the song with the first few chords, then began to sing.

"I told you to run but you still stayed

I told you the truth, and I tried to drive you away

But you're still here, stubborn voice in my ear

Reminding me that love's not a sin

But I can't let you in

I can't feel a thing but then you crash into my life

Numbness subsides, passions alight

Clouds part to reveal your face and there you stand aglow

Babe, I swear I see your halo

...What if I love, and then I don't leave?

What if we try this and throw away misgivings?

Darling I can promise you this, right from the start:

I won't let me break your heart..."

Willow stopped strumming as Harry stared at her with raised brows. "It's still in the works, but that's the beginning —"

"You wrote that for Paige, didn't you?" Harry said, a half-smirk mischievously lighting up his face. Willow blushed immediately.

"Yeah. There's no two ways about it. Just...yeah. I wrote that for her before the Yule Ball, when I was kinda scared to start a relationship, but then I just did it, and I don't regret a thing. I'm going to finish the song after our next date."

"Willow's a total sap. Who knew?"

Willow hit Harry with a pillow. "Stop insulting my reputation, you're ruining my ego."

"Trust me, nothing could ruin that."

Harry broke into a laughing fit as Willow gaped in shock. She whacked him with another pillow, then banished all the pillows in the common room onto his head for good measure. Harry emerged from the mountain of cushions absolutely hysterical.

"Your face — I can't even —!"

"Alright, distraction time is over, back to research for you," Willow said. "Chop chop! Gryffindor expects their Champion to at least represent! You better win, though!"

"Fine," Harry huffed. He unburied himself from the mountain of pillows, shooting a grin at Willow. "Thanks for the distraction. I needed it."

"You're welcome. Now go figure out how to kick Krum's arse."

"Will do."

Willow made her way out of the portrait hole and into the corridors of Hogwarts. Talk about the library had her thinking about the endless shelves of reading material, so she decided to pay a visit for once. Madam Pince peered over her spectacles suspiciously when the young Gryffindor placed a heavy volume about dangerous magical beasts on her reception desk, but checked her out nonetheless. Willow placed the book under one arm and, under cover of darkness, snuck out to the Forbidden Forest. She made a beeline for the Insomniac Shack, where Luna was already reading a version of the Quibbler.

"Hello, Willow," Luna said, not even looking up from the magazine. "The nargles hinted you would be coming tonight."

"Oh, that's...interesting, Luna." She peered at the girl for the longest time. "I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but why do you read that upside down? Doesn't that make it harder?"

"I do not know. I read an article written in runes once, and it made more sense upside down. I guess I always read the Quibbler upside down."

"Huh. That's the most unique fun fact I've ever heard about a person."

The girls settled down for a few hours of sheer bliss. Sweet, uninterrupted time passed as they poured over pages of interesting material. Willow learned about all the different types of dragons: their identifying marks, which ones could breath fire the farthest, how big each species was, and interesting tidbits about the way they went about hunting prey. Luna immersed herself in what appeared to be a Muggle sci-fi volume from the Ravenclaw common room's library. Willow made a mental note to check out their collection of Muggle books; she missed pleasure reading in her free time.

Eventually, the thestrals called for them, so they put down their books and devoted their affection to the magnificent creatures. Willow found that no matter how bad she felt before arriving at the Thestral Clearing, she always left in high spirits. The thestrals simply took her sadness and threw it to the wind. Their innocent, loving gestures lightened her heart and filled it with hope. The world didn't seem so bad after all when she was playing with a thestral colt so giddy from excitement that it tumbled head over heels in its rush to see her. Willow grinned from ear to ear as she patted its bony neck.

The biting cold got to the girls, so they retreated to the Insomniac Shack to warm up again. Willow tossed a blanket over Luna and herself as they huddled on the couch for body heat. They lulled into a comfortable silence.

"Something is weighing heavily on your mind," Luna said quietly.

Willow's whole body jolted in surprise. "How could you tell?"

"You gaze through the window and hold your wrists tight when you are contemplating troubling thoughts."

"...Oh."

"I hope it's not Paige, is it?"

"What? No, not at all! Paige and I are fine!" Willow said. "No, it's just...I'm in a tough spot right now, Luna. If I'm being honest, it's one of the worst spots I've been in, worse than even being on the run from the Ministry. To dig myself out is going to require something I thought impossible before."

"You thought dating Paige was impossible before," Luna reminded her. "You thought Sirius escaping the Ministry was impossible, too. Many things suddenly become possible when you are involved."

Willow's face flushed. "You're too kind to me, Luna."

"You need to hear kind words more often if you're going through something so terrible."

She's right, Cebba agreed.

To Willow's great surprise, she agreed, too.

Willow jolted awake on the morning of the Second Task. She checked her watch in a panic, then realized it was only six in the morning. She thanked Merlin that she hadn't overslept and missed it; Harry would have been so disappointed.

Harry! Willow suddenly thought. He doesn't know what he's going to do!

Sending a prayer to whoever would hear it, Willow plead for her friend to be struck by some divine knowledge in time for the Second Task. Harry had confided in her that he would have to rescue someone at the bottom of the Black Lake within an hour's time. There was no way he would hold his breath long enough. With Merpeople, grindylows, and the giant squid lurking those depths, he'd need to retain all his strength from land, too, if he was going to rescue this person and live to tell the tale.

Merlin help him. What kind of arsehole put his name in this Goblet, anyway?

Willow shook off her momentary anger. She went down to breakfast as soon as the clock struck seven. The Weasley twins were already there, selling their pranking wares and Gryffindor swag to eager buyers. Willow smiled to herself. It was nice to see the twins' work being appreciated as much as it deserved. Lee approached her just as she finished up her oatmeal.

"Come on, Willow, you know you want one," Lee enticed.

She glanced at the THAT'S OUR SEEKER! badge in his hand. "How am I to know it won't burst out with some choice words in the middle of Potions?"

"That remains to be seen," Lee said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"In that case, the fault can hardly be pinned on me."

Willow bought the badge and stowed it in her deepest robe pocket. Lee tipped his Gryffindor hat to her and strolled off to con some more students into buying his tricks. Willow sincerely hoped he'd charmed the badge to insult Snape, because she was really starting to lose patience with the increasingly touchy man lately.

After grabbing a stack of toast and wrapping it in a bundle of napkins, Willow returned to Gryffindor Tower, where she promptly woke up her lazy roommates and forced them to eat. They groggily fixed their hair and bundled up in all manner of hats, scarves, and fuzzy socks, each bearing the Gryffindor logo. As much as they detested the cold, the girls loved the Triwizard Tournament more. In fact, all of Gryffindor was positively buzzing with anticipation, the cold forgotten as they marched out onto the grounds and filled the stands by the Black Lake.

"Harry's going to win, I just know it!" Parvati squealed.

"I thought you hated him after the Yule Ball?" Lavender questioned.

"Well, now he's back in my good books, since he's about to do something heroic and all," Parvati said firmly.

"Fair point," Mia admitted.

"Has anyone seen Hermione?" Willow asked.

"No, she and Ron went to see McGonagall yesterday, and they haven't been back since," Mia reported.

"Huh. Odd." Willow shoved down the rising dread that formed in the pit of her stomach.

"Guys, look!" Fay gasped.

The girls followed her outstretched hand to see a massive grandstand situated on the shore of the Black Lake. Four lanes, each dedicated with one of the Champions' names, ran right into the water. Willow grinned to herself as her roommates came up with wild theories of what the task would entail. Mia wasn't far off when she suggested that Harry might have to fight the giant squid; if he came upon the creature, he just might have to give it a good hex to get away.

Students from all three schools flooded into the grandstands. It wasn't long before the fourth-year Gryffindor boys joined them, and soon after, the Weasley twins, Lee, and Paige were galvanizing the Gryffindor section into excessive cheers. Willow was dragged into the action, and before she knew it, she was in a jostling crowd of over-excited seventh years, trapped between their ear-splitting cheers and light-hearted insults to the other schools.

"Need a little help?" Paige asked.

"Please," Willow gasped.

Paige cheekily picked her up wedding-style and carried her back to the fourth years. Willow rolled her eyes at all the teasing she got from her roommates. Paige didn't put her down.

"You know, this is pretty comfortable. I might just keep you here."

"Good luck trying."

Willow's feet hit the floor, and within seconds, she'd flipped Paige, then scooped her up in her own arms. Paige laughed at the Weasley twins' jeers.

"You are such a top."

"And what if I am?" Willow said, smirking. "Does that make you a bottom?"

"Not in the slightest. The competition is endearing."

"Good, because you're never going to win."

Willow kissed Paige, then gently set her down. The older girl shot Willow a delightfully sinful look as she returned her own year's section. The Gryffindor Sisters practically exploded with glee. It was all Willow could do to keep them from getting overexcited. She eventually got them to calm down only to notice one of them was missing.

"Where's Sally? She was here a minute ago."

"Oh, she and Sam headed back to the castle," Lavender explained. "They both caught some nasty colds, and they didn't want to exacerbate them."

Willow furrowed her brow. "Ah, that's too bad. I hope they get better soon."

She was glad none of her roommates questioned her disbelieving tone. Moment later, she was rescued from her thoughts by three energetic third years. Ginny and Colin practically bounced up to Willow, Luna not far behind. They drug her to the front row, where Percy was acting rather subdued compared to his typical pompous attitude. He actually flinched when Willow said hello.

"Oh — didn't see you there — good to see you, Willow — " he mumbled.

"There's nothing to be worried about, Percy, cheer up!" Ginny said. "You're killing the mood!"

At Willow's confused look, Colin explained, "They've got Ron at the bottom of the Black Lake. Harry gets to rescue him! Isn't that exciting?"

Willow suddenly understood why Percy was three shades paler than usual. She cleared her throat to distract herself from the terror welling up in her chest. "Yeah, Colin, that's awesome. Can't wait."

The four took their seats. Luna's perceptive silver eyes shifted as she gazed at Willow.

"Do not worry about Ron," the Ravenclaw said quietly. "The Ministry has put many precautions in place for the safety of students involved."

Willow smiled gratefully.

The Champions took their place on the shore. For a moment, Willow wondered where on Earth Harry was, but he came running at the last second. He looked rather disheveled and half-awake, but he was there. Willow breathed a sigh of relief as he took his place on the sand. The announcer began to count down.

"I wish someone would look at me the way Ginny looks at Harry," Colin sighed.

"Oh, shush, I am not fancying the Boy Who Lived," Ginny said, though her cheeks warmed.

"Then why are you staring at him like that?"

"Because I wish I could be Champion instead; he's bound to mess it up somehow."

Willow burst out laughing. "Ouch, don't let Harry hear you say that!"

The countdown hit zero, and the Champions dove into the Lake. Harry waded in, looking rather unsure of himself. Willow wanted to tell off the Slytherins for jeering at him, but she bit her tongue instead. She blocked them out and focused on Harry, praying, pleading, begging the Almighty that he'd figured out a way that worked. The Gryffindor Champion took one more step forward, shivering violently.

Then, without warning, he threw himself in the water.

Willow let out a shout of alarm with the rest of the crowd, but it soon turned into cheers when he didn't resurface. He'd done it! He figured out a way! Willow wished she had her powers to locate him, but it wouldn't have helped ease her worries one bit. She would only be alright when Harry emerged from the water with a live Ron in tow.

Seconds turned into minutes, but the minutes dragged by. Time passed so slowly that Willow swore someone used a Time Turner and restarted the day. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, waiting in a tense anticipation for their Champion to emerge triumphant from the murky depths. When Fleur was pulled from the water early without her rescuee, Willow's panic only increased. What if that happened to Harry, too? What if they didn't get to him in time? By the look on Percy's face, he was thinking the same thing.

The hour was up, and three Champions were still in the water. Cedric suddenly threw himself on shore, Cho Chang, his girlfriend, right behind him. The Hufflepuff section roared with approval; their Champion was the first back! Willow clapped politely with the majority of the Hogwarts students. Whispers flew around like wildfire about the Champions having to rescue the one person they couldn't live without. Willow's heart warmed to know that Harry couldn't live without Ron, but it seized up again when she realized neither of them might live to see the end of this.

Krum was the next to return, and this time, Hermione was in tow. So that's where the girl had gone off to! McGonagall had taken Hermione and Ron for the Task! Willow had to be restrained from running to her Gryffindor Sister's side.

"Relax, Willow, Madam Pomfrey's got them," Colin reminded her.

Willow begrudgingly sat down. Her foot tapped incessantly. She pressed her interlocked hands to her lips. Everything felt like it was spiraling out of control. Harry still wasn't back yet — Fleur was screaming about her sister, who was still at the bottom of the Lake — Ron was still down there — no one was doing anything to help —

And then Harry launched himself onto the shore, both Ron and a little girl in tow.

"RON!" Percy shrieked, leaping to his feet.

Both Percy and Willow sprinted to the Gryffindors' sides, their friends unable to stop them. Willow heaved Harry to his feet, the Champion coughing up lake water, and got him over to Madam Pomfrey. Fleur clambered for the little girl, who was apparently her sister, if Willow was understanding her desperate French-English combination correctly. The little girl gratefully sank into Fleur's warm embrace. Ron was doing nearly the same with Percy, who had paled to such a shade of white he appeared ghostly. Willow wrapped a violently shivering Harry in four blankets.

"You saved both Ron and the girl?" she questioned.

"Well, I couldn't just leave them!" Harry protested. "I took that warning seriously!"

Willow shook her head. "Merlin's beard, you're such a Gryffindor."

Hermione and Ron fought their way to Harry's side, so Willow cleared out of the crowded space. She rejoined Colin, Ginny, and Luna in the grandstands and awaited the final verdict. To their great surprise, after Dumbledore conversed with the merpeople and reported to the judges, they decided to award Harry second place, both because he reached the prisoners first and because of his decision to wait and make sure everyone got rescued, which prompted him to bring Fleur's sister along as well. Willow screamed her lungs out with the rest of the Hogwarts students. Harry and Cedric were tied for first place!

The ensuing celebration was nothing short of historic. For the first time since Willow had arrived at Hogwarts, the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and even some Ravenclaws and Slytherins celebrated together. There was butterbeer, joyous songs, and merriment being made all over the place. The Hufflepuff common room had never had so many students in it at once. Willow and Oliver danced their fool heads off, not caring that everyone could see how terrible there were at the fun activity. When their friends from all houses joined it, it only got better.

The party was only interrupted by a quick dinner in the Great Hall. Iris swooped down and delivered a quick message for Willow, which she stored in her pocket for later. She partied until the early hours of morning, then, at long last, exhausted from all the excitement, she bid her goodbyes to her friends and collapsed in her four-poster. She opened the message at last.

Meet me on the mountainside next Hogsmeade visit. Can't wait to see you.

A hippogriff claw print accompanied the message.

"Come on, Paige, hurry up, will you?"

"It's too early for exercise," the older girl groaned.

"Don't make me drag you. I will do it!"

Paige put her hands up. "I'd rather not have snow up my back, thanks. I'm coming!"

Willow practically ran all the way to Hogsmeade. The other students were having a grand old time visiting stores, eating at the pubs, or drinking tea at Madam Puddifoot's, but Willow had her sights set beyond the tiny village. It took everything she had to walk normally through the streets. If she ran, she would most certainly arouse suspicion, especially from the older folks. She couldn't risk that for Sirius, not after everything they'd been through to keep him hidden.

Paige kept up, albeit with limited oxygen, as Willow charged up the snowy mountainside. They escaped onto their usual path. Though their previous footprints were long gone, Willow instinctively picked her way across the pass, and Paige was easily able to follow. Soon, Willow brought them to a halt.

"We can't possibly be to the top yet," Paige panted. "What are we stopping here for?"

Willow grinned as something caught her eye. "For him."

Paige turned around and finally noticed the giant black dog standing further along the path. She gaped at the sight. "That — That isn't him, is it?"

"Only one way to make sure."

The Animagus took off running. Willow ran after him, struggling to rein in the giddy surges of her emotions. She hardly cared if her powers lashed out right now, though; she was finally going to see Sirius after months of only being able to see his face through a screen. She pushed on until he disappeared into a shallow crack in the mountain. Willow slipped in after him.

"Lumos," she whispered.

The cave instantly brightened to reveal Sirius standing next to a very disgruntled Buckbeak. The hippogriff recognized Willow, and he scrambled forward to greet her. Both bowing their heads respectfully. Then Buckbeak got distracted by Paige and went to greet her, too. Willow seized the moment to rush into Sirius's outstretched arms. He laughed against her tight embrace.

"You've gotten stronger," he noted.

"You've gotten thinner," Willow shot back.

"Why, thank you, I have been trying to slim down for the ladies."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Good thing I brought you a meal and a half, then. Lunch was unbelievable today."

Sirius gratefully sat down and enjoyed the made-from-scratch lunch Willow had snuck out of the Great Hall. He gave some of the meat to Buckbeak, per usual, but Willow was satisfied with how much Sirius ate. When he was finished, Willow started a fire and burnt the scraps. Sirius almost imperceptibly inched closer to the warmth. Willow smiled to herself.

"So, is this the Paige I've been hearing so much about?" Sirius asked.

"That depends; what has she been telling you?" Paige replied smartly.

"You're definitely the one." Sirius turned to Willow and silently wowed. "How did you end up with this one, Paige?"

"Simple. I'm attracted to courageous idiots with a smart mouth, and I typically get what I want."

"Yeah, sure, we'll go with that," Willow chuckled. "Actually, she and George both asked me to the Yule Ball, and since I finally was forced to make a decision, I figured out Paige was the one I really wanted."

"Aw, how romantic," Sirius said. "I've heard all about Willow's perspective, but how about you, Paige? Has Willow been treating you like she should?"

"And then some," Paige admitted, shooting a wink at the younger Gryffindor.

Sirius's eyebrows shot up. "Ooh, do tell?"

"Oh no," Willow coughed.

"Well, she nearly passed out when she saw me walk down the stairs for the Yule Ball, but she recovered alright. She played matchmaker for all her friends and got them to dance together, then she finally danced with me properly, and it actually wasn't bad. She doesn't have two left feet anymore. Then she took me out into the gardens and — well — let's just say I've never blushed more in my life."

"Willow, you didn't!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I...did?"

"She's a damn good kisser," Paige said.

"Oh God, I can't listen to this," Willow said, wincing.

"Please go on, I love seeing her embarrassed," Sirius encouraged.

"She took me on a date the last Hogsmeade visit, and it ended with her dragging me up this God-forsaken mountain, then passionately making out with me yet again — " Sirius howled with laughter as Willow flushed a deep shade of scarlet — "and I pretty much con her into a kiss every day before she wanders off to bed at a ridiculously early hour."

Sirius was practically rolling on the ground in hysterics. Willow thought she was bound to burst a blood vessel with as much blood as she had flooding into her cheeks. Paige smirked triumphantly at Willow's self-consciousness.

"Come on, Willow, you have to admit, you're a damn good girlfriend," the older Gryffindor said. "You might as well have some pride in it."

"Yes, Willow, take some pride in it!" Sirius said. "You're the luckiest kid this side of anywhere, with Paige as your girlfriend!"

"Alright, fine, just leave me be for a second!" Willow chortled.

The younger Gryffindor was most definitely not left alone, however, as she was teased into oblivion for the next half hour. Willow couldn't deny that she enjoyed it, though. She was more than happy to sit through excessive compliments about her flirtatiousness with her girlfriend, the gifts she constantly gave her, and the absolute romance she gave Paige whenever she wanted it, as long as it cheered up Sirius. The stricken man was in such high spirits that Willow hardly dared to interrupt his fun.

They couldn't stay forever, though. The students had to get back to Hogwarts by a certain time or they were done for. Willow sadly hugged Sirius goodbye.

"I can come back every so often, right?" Willow asked.

"Only if it's safe," Sirius warned her. "I don't want you getting in trouble for me again."

"I get in trouble without you all the time, remember?" Willow chuckled half-heartedly.

"I know. Just be careful, alright?"

"I will."

After giving one last belly rub to Buckbeak, Willow and Paige checked that the coast was clear, then left the cave as discreetly as possible. They made their way down the mountain and into the village with no problems. Not even the group of old witches walking by seemed to think they were up to no good, suddenly appearing from the mountain like they did. Willow breathed a sigh of relief and made her way to the path that would take them back to Hogwarts. Paige instinctively took her hand, and they trudged through the snow with shoulders touching.

They emerged from the forested path, and at long last, Hogwarts towered before them. The girls picked their way up the hilly path back to the Entrance Hall's steps. Willow suddenly paused when she reached the courtyard, however.

"What is it?" Paige whispered.

"Is that Sam, outside the Owlery?" Willow breathed.

The girls peered through the snowy haze only to find that Sam was indeed outside the Owlery. He suspiciously peeked over his shoulder, as if making sure no one was following him, then disappeared inside. He emerged moments later with a nondescript school owl. Hastily checking for passerbys once again, he quickly tied a note to the owl's foot and sent it off. Willow and Paige exchanged a look.

What the hell was that?

Willow had a horrible feeling gnawing at the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to believe it before, but after Sally and Sam had mysteriously retreated from the student body again, then missed the Second Task, she knew for sure: the Smith twins were hiding something.

And that something was dangerous.


	72. Year 4: Chapter 11

Sam seemed to be avoid Willow the next day, but whether that was because he had been avoiding everyone or specifically her, she didn't know. What she did know is that she would have to corner to shady Gryffindor, and fast. Draco was acting increasingly subdued, which could only mean the return of the Death Eaters' reign of terror was growing even closer. Willow had to figure out what Sam was up to before Molly rose to power and stole him away to the darker side of the wizarding world.

Sally, meanwhile, was beginning to lighten up after her astonishingly quick bout with her cold. She actually spent more time hanging out with the Gryffindor Sisters of Sunday than she'd spent with them all year. Although she still had her odd habit of talking with Professor Moody, learning some extra defensive spells and the like, she remained the same bright, overbearing Gryffindor she'd always been. Willow was glad to see the positive change in her friend. It had been so long since Sally looked genuinely happy.

That Sunday evening, after dinner, Harry caught up to Willow on her way to the common room. He mumbled something about needing to talk about Snuffles. Willow grinned knowingly. They elected to head to the Owlery, where they wouldn't be overheard. They waited patiently for a Ravenclaw boy to finish sending a message to his grandfather, then entered, finding the coast completely clear.

"You talked to Sirius too, then," Willow assumed.

"I still don't know what he's thinking, coming so close to Hogsmeade, let alone Hogwarts," Harry said, shaking his head. "I'm terrified he'll get caught this time. He seems more careless than usual."

"He's desperate, that's all," Willow said.

"I guess that's understandable, after what's been coming to light," Harry grumbled.

"What do you mean?"

Harry launched into an explanation of his conversation with Sirius. Apparently, the organizer of the Triwizard Tournament, Barty Crouch, had been stricken with a horrible sickness lately. He hadn't been into the Ministry for weeks. Even Percy Weasley, his personal assistant, hadn't heard from him. Yet he'd been sneaking around Hogwarts, hardly something a person would do that was too sick to attend his own International Tournament. And Mr. Crouch had a rather dramatic past: he'd been an iron-fisted auror that paved the way for the usage of immense force, including the Unforgivable Curses, to bring in Death Eaters during the peak of Voldemort's power. Many wizards applauded his efforts, which succeeded after years of chaos and Ministry failure, so he was poised to become the next Minister of Magic. But right before he could get the job, it came out that his son was a Death Eater himself. Mr. Crouch threw his own son in Azkaban, who later died, and the grief drove his wife to her grave, too. Crouch lost everything at the height of his career. People began to question how his poor boy had gone so wrong at only nineteen years of age. They blamed it on his ambition for his career; he should have spent more time at home. So he got shoved aside into the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

Willow sat back, stunned. "That man...with that questionable background...started this Tournament from Hell? And now he's mysteriously missing in action? I'm starting to think he's behind this plot to get you into the Tournament, Harry."

"Me too," Harry admitted. "Though it might not be him acting alone. Ludo Bagman has been really making an effort to help me win, even though that's breaking the rules."

"That's not concerning at all," Willow said sarcastically.

"I know. It's all starting to come together, but we don't have all the pieces."

"I'm not sure I want to have all the pieces. If we figure it out, the person behind this just might make sure you die for the sake of their career."

"Unfortunately, I think you're right." Harry rubbed his hands together. "I've never seen Sirius this worried before. He's been stealing thrown-out copies of the Daily Prophet, and it's not looking good. The disappearance of that Ministry witch, Mr. Crouch's illness, Mad-Eye Moody keeping an eye on things...it's shaping up to be a dark picture."

"I'll keep an eye out for you, Harry," Willow promised. "Sirius and I have got your back. Lots of people do, actually. We're all doing our best to keep you safe, but you've got to be careful, too."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black," Harry snorted.

Willow rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. Just don't do anything irrelevantly stupid, like wandering into the Forbidden Forest for no good reason. Don't give me that look! I only go to certain safe place in there!"

"Yeah, sure." Harry dodged a kick to the shins. "Alright, alright, I'll try not to do anything extremely stupid."

"That's better."

Willow walked with him back to the common room. Harry ran off to catch up on homework he'd procrastinated doing, so Willow headed to the circular window, staring out at the setting sun above the Forbidden Forest. She imagined the thestrals just beginning to wake in their clearing, the foals and colts already beginning to nibble at their parents' ears. Willow wished the peaceful image would drive away the festering worry gnawing away at her insides. The news of Mr. Crouch was astonishing at best. It was downright detrimental to Harry's survival at worst. What if he was working with someone, or several someones, at that, inside the Ministry? What if they were all Death Eaters? What if they were plotting the demise of the Boy Who Lived, just in time to clear the way for the return of Voldemort? What if it all came crashing down at once, and she was powerless to stop it?

Willow sharply sucked in a breath when her powers punished her swift change in emotions. She forcefully drew in slow, controlled breaths until her mind was clear. The flare of pain faded away. Willow let out an exhausted sigh; she was so fed up with her powers hurting her at every emotional turn. She just wanted to be able to feel without having it physically hurt. In fact, she didn't want to feel at all.

What have I done to myself?

"What in the hell — ?" Willow gasped.

Owl after owl swooped down to where Hermione sat. Across the Gryffindor table, her roommates, including Willow, stared curiously. Hermione opened the first letter only to declare it complete rubbish. The second, third, fourth, and so on, however, didn't seem to be rubbish, as her face flushed a deep hue of scarlet.

"Let me see that," Willow said, taking one of the letters.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't do that — " Hermione began.

"Try me," Willow cut her off firmly.

She opened the letter, only to discover that it was the most pitiful form of hate mail she'd ever seen. Willow crunched it up and immediately set it on fire. The Friday before, Rita Skeeter had published an article in Witch Weekly about Hermione being Harry's girlfriend, then flirting with Krum, toying with both boys' hearts, and a bunch of other complete rubbish. Hermione had brushed it off like the queen she was, but she was furious that Skeeter had gotten inside information when she shouldn't have been able to access Hogwarts for it in the first place. Willow seconded her motion to find out how Skeeter was doing it, but first, she had this hate mail to attend to.

"Merlin, look at all this!" Lavender growled. "I can't believe they actually believe that vile woman!"

"All she writes is drama that her stupid quill makes up! And it isn't even good drama!" Mia added in disgust.

"Guys, it's honestly alright — " Hermione tried to cut in.

Just then, the mail pouch she was holding opened, and undiluted bubotuber pus oozed out, covering Hermione's hands. The poor girl desperately tried to scrape it off, but it was too late. Her hands swelled painfully and became covered in boils. Willow rushed around the table to wipe the rest of the pus away before it could get on anyone else. Ron and Harry suggested that Hermione go to the hospital wing, so that's exactly what she did. Willow stared sadly after her friend.

"That's it, I've had enough of this," Fay declared. "Gather up all that mail!"

The Gryffindor Sisters gladly obliged. When it was all in a pile, Sally set fire to the hideous letters, sending her roommates up in cheers. The Professors and Dumbledore looked on with carefully guarded expressions, but Willow could have sworn she saw the Headmaster and McGonagall crack a smile.

The day had to continue, unfortunately, so the Gryffindor Sisters left their plans to burn all of Rita Skeeter's articles out of the Witch Weekly's in the school for later. They headed down to the greenhouse for Herbology, where Neville, Oliver, and a very disoriented Sam were waiting for her. Willow was about to ask Sam what in Merlin's name had happened to him, but Professor Sprout began the lesson, cutting her off. She saved her questioning for later and went to work repotting some venomous plant that she neglected to remember the name of.

"Aw, it's sort of cute, isn't it?" Oliver said, gently petting one of the more agitated plants.

"They're cuter when they calm down," Neville remarked. His plant lashed out at him, but he thankfully sidestepped. "Is the way you're petting it calming it down?"

"It appears so," Oliver observed. Willow noted that the plant was, indeed, more mellow. "Try stroking the stem. There's no barbs there."

Willow followed his suggestion, and to her surprise, her previously finicky plant practically purred. She shook her head. Leave it to Oliver to love on highly venomous magical fauna and get it to cooperate. The group repotted the rest of the plants with ease after that. All except Sam, of course, who was looking rather wobbly on his feet.

"Sam? What's up with you today?" Willow asked as she placed her gloves in the wash bin. "Are you drunk or something?"

Sam smiled giddily. "I'm fine...Everything's great...These plants are cool..." He let out a small giggle as his plant tickled him.

"Did he just...giggle?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, that was definitely a giggle," Willow sighed. She put her hands on Sam's shoulders. "Look at me, Sam. Eye contact, please. I need to know if you're okay."

"Samuel Brown, reporting for duty, Sir!" Sam laughed, giving Willow a fake salute.

"At least he made eye contact?" Oliver offered.

"Alright, Sam, fess up. What potion did you take?" Willow demanded. When Sam gave her a confused look, Willow deadpanned. "Sam. You're not fooling anyone. What. Potion. Did. You. Take."

"I didn't take any potion," Sam slurred. "I just woke up really happy..."

He tipped over sideways. Willow lunged forward and righted him, but Sam was still leaning heavily on her. She suddenly recognized the particular effects of the potion. "Oh God, not Euphoria Potion."

"Who's Euphoria? She sounds lovely," Sam said.

"You've already met her." Willow turned to a dumbfounded Neville and Oliver. "Any idea who would slip this potion into his pumpkin juice last night? Because I'm past due for another detention."

"Don't do anything rash, Willow," Oliver pleaded. "I'm sure it was just another Slytherin prank. For all we know, Cypress could have been testing a component to his latest potion."

Willow wasn't so sure. Cypress always told Oliver exactly when, where, what, and how he was experimenting. He wouldn't test potions on anyone except Willow without telling them, either. When they left the greenhouse and met up with the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins at Care of Magical Creatures, Cypress confirmed that he had definitely not tested a potion on Sam, let alone brewed a Euphoria Potion in the last year. Miranda was particularly concerned by Sam's odd behaviour.

"Who wanted him to act like a fool?" she asked. "It's not making a spectacle, it's just annoying to those close to him."

"Then it wasn't a prank, because Slytherins always make sure to create spectacles out of them," Cypress said.

"So someone was just trying to annoy us and make a ditz of Sam. Bloody wonderful."

Willow's eyes widened. "Guys, therein lies the answer! Someone wasn't trying to get at us, they were trying to distract Sam! Why else would they give him a potion that impairs his ability to string two thoughts together?"

"Merlin's beard, you're right," Dean gasped.

"But who would do such a thing?" Seamus asked. Sam leaned on his shoulder, and he shoved him off. "Merlin, I don't know if I'm going to be able to stand him like this much longer."

"I'll brew the antidote during lunch, don't worry," Cypress offered. "As for your other question...it had to have been someone in the castle."

"That's not very comforting," Neville whimpered.

"Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this, Neville," Willow promised, rubbing the boy's back. "No one messes with my friends without receiving justice." Neville smiled gratefully.

Just then, Hagrid emerged from behind his hut, toting an enormous box in his arms. For a moment, the class worried that it was another skrewt hatching, but when Hagrid opened the box, multiple girls squealed. The Professor gently took a jet-black, furry little creature in his hands. Its platypus-like beak nuzzled Hagrid's ear when he brought it close to his chest. Willow felt like she knew this creature. Her father had mentioned it countless times. A nuisance animal. Noggle? No...Narfler? No...it was a—

"That's a niffler!" Willow exclaimed.

"Very good, Willow!" Hagrid cheered.

He went on the explain that nifflers were great treasure detectors, and they were mostly found in mines. They adored all things shiny. Then Hagrid pointed to his garden, where the earth had been overturned very recently. He told the class he had buried gold coins there, and that they were each to choose a niffler to find them. The person whose niffler brought back the most gold coins would win a prize from Honeydukes. Hagrid warned them as an afterthought to put away all shiny watches, jewelry, etcetera.

Cypress was one of the first to take a niffler. He stared at the furry creature as if it was the most incredible thing he'd ever seen. Willow nudged his shoulder.

"What, you think you're going to train it to take down the Ministry?" she chuckled.

"Willow, it finds shiny things. This thing could make me rich enough to buy the world, if I trained it for a while."

"Keep dreaming, Cypress."

The Slytherin stuck out his tongue at Willow. She laughed as she went to pick up her own niffler. The creature was infinitely softer than she'd expected, and nearly as friendly as it looked. Willow couldn't help to laugh that escaped her as the niffler cuddled into her bicep. She could already tell that this creature could cute its way out of any trouble it got into. Its black, mischievous eyes almost begged Willow to set it down and let it run. She couldn't wait to let it do so.

"On your mark...get set...go!" Hagrid yelled.

Chaos erupted almost immediately. The nifflers took off into the garden, digging like they had shovels for paws. Dirt flew everywhere as more than twenty nifflers scrambled to find the shiny gold coins buried in the earth. Before long, they started to find them, and then they were finding them left and right, stuffing them in their magically expandable hip pouches. Willow's niffler was doing particularly well, but so was Ron's and Lavender's. Willow didn't care if she won, though; she saw that Draco's niffler was doing terribly, and it gave her a sort of satisfying joy that she couldn't quite understand.

In the end, Ron's niffler won, so he got a slab of Honeyduke's chocolate to enjoy for at least a week...or a few days, knowing the appetite of that redhead. It had been one of the most fun Care of Magical Creatures classes to date. Willow let everyone put their nifflers back first, then went to place hers back in the bin, but it suddenly latched onto her arm for dear life. She tried to coax it into the bin to no avail. If anything, it squeezed her forearm tighter. She glanced to Hagrid for help.

"I think she's staying with ya," Hagrid said.

"Wait — you don't mean I'm keeping her, by chance?" Willow clarified.

"If a niffler gets attached ter someone, even briefly, they get awful lonely without 'em."

"Ah. So you're saying if one niffler just happens to go missing, you have no idea what happened to them. And I have no idea that it's in the castle, hanging out with my other creatures."

Hagrid shot her a wink. Willow beamed from ear to ear. She ran to catch up to her friends, who were already returning to the castle. They noticed the niffler and immediately clambered for its attention. The little creature soaked it up, appearing to enjoy the attention. By the time they got to the Great Hall, the niffler had climbed all over Willow's friends, acquainting herself with her new family. Willow hid the energetic little girl in her robe pocket as she, Cypress, Sam, Miranda, and Oliver passed through the Entrance Hall and went down the stairs, but the moment she got to the Potions classroom, the niffler was out again, scrambling all over her friends in a bliss of joy.

"She really seems to like Cypress and Oliver," Miranda noted.

"And I really like her," Cypress remarked over his shoulder as he gathered supplies for Sam's antidote. "She can bring me galleons whenever she feels like it."

"She's really fluffy," Oliver laughed, the niffler sniffing at his ear once again.

"What do you think we should name her?" Willow asked. When Oliver opened his mouth, she interrupted him. "Besides Fluffy."

"What about Gemma?" Miranda suggested. "You know, since she likes precious metals, gems, all of that. You could call her Gem for short."

"I like that," Willow said.

Miranda, Oliver, and Willow practiced calling Gemma by her name while Cypress brewed the Euphoria Potion antidote. Sam, meanwhile, meandered around the Potions classroom, seeming to forget where he was about every five seconds. He even ran into a desk. The moment Cypress declared the antidote was finished, Willow tipped Sam's head back and poured it down his throat. The poor kid blinked slowly, like he was awakening from anesthesia, then suddenly came to his senses. He glanced around the Potions classroom in a slight panic.

"How did I get here? What time is it?" he blabbered.

"Lunch is almost over. We brought you here after Care of Magical Creatures," Willow explained. "Someone slipped a Euphoria Potion into your drink last night. We don't know who. Cypress thankfully knew how to brew the antidote."

Sam nodded gratefully at Cypress. "Thank you. I've never felt more disoriented in my life."

"Not a problem. Just don't make it a habit, because that took some rare ingredients."

"Sorry about that." Sam brushed his fingers through his hair. "Why would Sally do such a thing?"

"Did you say Sally did this to you?" Miranda clarified.

Sam furrowed his brow. "Of course. Who else? She was the only one near me in the Great Hall last night. We were actually talking like we used to for once. It was kind of nice..." Sam's expression drooped. "But apparently it was a ruse just to catch me off guard."

"Why would your twin purposely give you Euphoria Potion?" Oliver asked.

"So that I couldn't stop her."

"Stop her from what?"

"I don't know, but it must have been something she knows I wouldn't approve of." Sam sat down at a desk, holding his head in his hands. "I thought we were getting better. I thought our relationship was back to normal. But now...I'm not sure if we'll ever be back to normal."

Willow shuffled uncomfortably as Oliver stepped in with some comforting words. She thanked God that her adoptive brother knew how to console people, because this was definitely one of those times where she was at a loss for words. Sally hadn't just tricked Sam; she'd tricked all of them into thinking she was coming around. Heck, the other day, she wingwomaned for Lavender and almost managed to get her a boyfriend. Sally hadn't done that in over a year.

She's getting better at lying. Her manipulation skills are improving rapidly. And her deceit is growing bigger by the day. Willow wanted to punch through a wall in her frustration. How could I not see this happening? It's my job to defend the group, and that includes defending them from themselves! I'm failing!

The bell rang, which forced the friends to split up and head to their next classes. Willow, Sam, and Oliver headed to Charms, a disquieting silence lingering between them. The idea of Sally betraying them yet again was an absolute shock. They never thought she would be capable of such a thing.

I mean, slipping a potion into her own twin's drink, just to get away with something? Willow scoffed to herself. That's the lowest of low. Sam can disagree with her behaviour, but he can't excuse her refusal to own up to what she's doing.

Sally was in her usual seat when they entered the Charms classroom, chatting away with the Gryffindor Sisters. Willow, Oliver, and Sam sat across from her, the latter practically glaring daggers. Professor Flitwick glanced between the twins while taking attendance, clearly noting the stark, literal distance between them, but marking their presence nonetheless. Willow would have marked them as physically here, but definitely not present mentally. Neither twin had anything Charms-related on their mind.

The class was practicing banishing charms once again. Pillows zoomed across the room, some hitting their targets, others taking down unaware students. Willow and Oliver finally got the hang of it about halfway through class. The siblings catch each other's eye, then inconspicuously stepped close enough to talk, but not be overheard.

"Sally's distracting herself," Oliver whispered. "She looked over at Sam once, and she appeared rather distraught. I think she's feeling the guilt already."

"At least she's still got a conscience. We can work with that," Willow remarked.

"Please tell me you're going to question her?" Oliver begged. "Sally scares me sometimes."

Willow chuckled quietly. "Sure, I can do that."

When Professor Flitwick had his back turned, Willow quickly made her way to the other side of the room. Sally banished her pillow to a nearby cabinet just as she arrived. Willow tried to speak, but Sally interrupted her.

"You're going to ask about Sam. I'm not going to talk about it," Sally declared, not even looking at her.

"Yes, you are. What the hell was all that about?" Willow demanded.

"I told you, I'm not — "

"I've had enough of you sneaking around, lying, and manipulating your own twin," Willow cut in. "I should be making you spill the whole truth from top to bottom, but I'm going to be nice. Tell me exactly why you potioned Sam's drink, now."

Sally's face darkened. "You're not going to believe me."

"Like hell I won't. I always take my friends' sides until they're proven wrong. Fire away."

Sally gulped. She finally stepped down from her practice stance to face Willow. Her hands immediately went to her pockets as she spoke. "I...I was trying to stop Sam from contacting our mum."

For the longest moment, Willow stood there looking at Sally very stupidly. When she finally regained her wits, she spluttered, "He was going to do what?"

"Sam was trying to contact our old mum, Molly. I caught him sneaking out to the Owlery a few times, and I finally snapped last night. He's torturing himself, thinking he'll ever get an honest response out of that vile woman. All he ever wanted was Molly's love, and when she wouldn't give it to him, he thought it was his fault. He's got it in his head now that if he continues demonstrating his care for her that she'll come around."

Willow rubbed her ears. "I'm sorry, did I hear you correctly, that Sam is pining for Molly's love?"

"Right on."

Willow puffed out a long breath. She put her hands on her hips. "Alright. Wow. I did not see that one coming."

"Sam probably lied to you about me, then," Sally muttered. "Covering his own sorry arse. I understand why he's doing it, and he's embarrassed to be caught, but he can't just bring down his own sister like that. I thought we were closer than that."

"Huh. I did, too." Willow shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sally, I didn't mean to accuse you so harshly. I should probably question both of you before making judgements next time."

"It's alright, we're going through a...rough patch," Sally sighed. "Thank you for talking to me, though. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. I'll see you at the Sister Scheming tonight."

"See you then!"

Willow hopped back to her original side of the room. Oliver raised his brows in question. After making sure Sam was fully distracted, she quickly explained everything Sally had told her. Oliver agreed that it was a complete mess. The poor twins were both losing it as their former mother slowly rose to power behind the scenes. It was only a matter of time before one of them cracked. Oliver suggested that they try and get Sam some help, or some form of therapy, to help him cope better. He needed to learn that Molly was not the source of familial love he was looking for, and that it was okay to wish things had ended up differently.

The bell rang a few minutes later, signaling the end of the day for the Gryffindors. They headed back to the common room as a single group. The Gryffindor Sisters had their Scheming Session, and Willow couldn't escape this time. After a little while, though, she just couldn't handle the drama, as Fay and Mia were fighting over the same boy, so she snuck out when they were busy arguing. Willow escaped to the Hufflepuff common room just as the last round of classes were ending. Oliver and Cypress were pleasantly surprised to see her waiting for them when they arrived.

"Wow, long time no see," Oliver chuckled.

"Yeah, it's been ages, hasn't it?" Willow joked.

Cypress gasped. "Girl, what in Merlin's name were you thinking, wearing those two colours together?" When Willow shot him a confused look, he exasperatedly pulled out the sleeve of Willow's shirt to compare it to her pants. "Dark green and purple? Have I taught you anything these last three years?"

"I may or may not have thrown on whatever was on top in my drawer," Willow admitted.

Cypress pinched the bridge of his nose. "We have so much work to do with your wardrobe. You just need outfits at this point. There's no need to match those..."

"Oh, give her a break!" Oliver laughed. "She's gotten better! She knows not to wear black socks with grey shoes now!"

"She didn't know that before?"

"Not all of use can have common sense, let alone a fashion sense," Willow said, shrugging. "Anyway, I'm escaping my roommates' drama, so please distract me."

"I think you brought the distraction, actually," Oliver said, giddily pointing to Gemma as she scrambled out of Willow's pocket. "Can we play with her? Please?"

"Of course!"

"YES! Gemma! Here girl!" Oliver called.

The niffler scrambled across the couch to the Hufflepuff. Oliver giggled as Gemma climbed all around his shoulders, tickling him in the process. He gave her head pats in appreciation.

"Gemma! Come!" Cypress said.

The niffler clambered over the cushions once more to return to Cypress's side. The blonde doted on the creature with all the love and affection one would give a small child. Willow burst out laughing when Gemma bopped Cypress on the nose.

"She is too cute," the Gryffindor sighed.

"She's the greatest companion a future world ruler could ask for, actually," Cypress corrected her. "She's going to make me rich someday."

"You better get started now, then," Willow suggested. "Gemma's got a long way to go if she's going to accompany you to the throne."

"Oh, don't encourage him, his ego's bigger than anything lately," Oliver chuckled.

Cypress feigned getting shot. "Ouch! Did you see that? He shot me through the heart!"

"Somebody, get a medic, please," Willow monotoned.

Cypress threw a cushion at her. "You would totally run for help if I was actually hurt. You'd grovel at Pomfrey's feet if you had to."

"I'm pretty sure I'd just heal you myself, actually. I have a habit of being the hero."

"Right, I forgot, our resident Gryffindor is here. Heart of a lion, brain of a kitten on catnip."

"Oliver! Did you hear what your boyfriend just said?"

"Yes, and I'm enjoying it," Oliver said, making himself comfortable on Cypress's lap. Gemma jumped down and curled up on his chest. "Oh. My. God. She's literally the cutest thing on Earth."

"False. You're the cutest thing on Earth," Cypress corrected him. He leaned down and gave Oliver a sweet kiss. "But she's a close second."

"Gemma sure does seem to love you guys," Willow remarked, watching as the niffler fell fast asleep.

"And I love her," Oliver said.

"You know what? I think you should keep her."

Oliver and Cypress glanced in the Gryffindor's direction. "You're serious?"

"I hardly doubt she'd leave you anyway. Look how comfortable she is." As if to prove her point, Gemma wrapped herself around Oliver's neck and sighed contentedly. "See? She loves you guys. And there's no way I'd find the time to keep her out of trouble with everything going on in my life."

"What do you think, Olive?" Cypress asked. "Ready to adopt a treasure-seeking fluffball together?"

"Why not? She's too cute to resist!" Oliver laughed.

"It's settled then. You two are now niffler dads," Willow confirmed. "Gemma's all yours."

"Yes! Gemma, you're staying with us!" Oliver cheered.

Sensing the excitement in his voice, Gemma perked up and ran circles around the couch. Cypress and Oliver laughed together as they welcomed their first pet into their life. Willow couldn't stop grinning at the sight.

They are so meant for each other.

Willow sipped on yet another cup of coffee. So far, the caffeine had not kicked in, as she'd nodded off at least a dozen times in the last hour. She had to stay up late for an Astronomy class, however, so she had no choice but to wake up. Willow longed for the little coffee shop in London that her family used to visit; she could wrap herself in the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee, drink a straight-up espresso shot or two, have a casual conversation with her uncles...

God, I need a break from life.

You think? Cebba chuckled.

Willow cracked a smile. Shut up.

Neville, Dean, and Seamus dragged her off the couch at quarter to eleven. Willow groggily followed her classmates out of the common room, through the corridors, and up the stairs of the Astronomy Tower. Professor Sinistra was there, bright-eyed and bushy tailed as ever, encouraging the students to wake up and see the stars. Willow fought sleep more than anything as she sloppily traced the constellations on her worksheet. She vaguely remembered she was supposed to be naming them, so she scribbled down the names that came to mind, even if she knew for a fact they were wrong. She just wanted to sleep. Even the stony floor she was laying on seemed inviting after 36 hours of no sleep.

"Merlin's beard, Wisp, I knew you were a morning person, but this is just pathetic," Draco chortled quietly.

"Shut it, I'm too tired to deal with you right now," Willow mumbled.

"What was that? You said you're tired enough to deal with me?" Draco smirked as Willow dropped her head to the floor. "Why are you so tired, Wisp, hm? Sneaking off with your girlfriend after curfew?"

"And snogging in dark corners, too," Willow shot back. "But that's not what you wanted to ask me."

"No, obviously. I wouldn't be talking to you unless it was important."

"I feel like such a valued friend."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Wisp, just work with me for one bloody second, would you? I need to know if anything new has turned up."

"You think I would be here if something has?" Willow groaned. "Aside from my mum's Christmas present, nothing new has happened in the last four months. But you already knew about that."

"No, I didn't know about that, actually. What was it?"

"Oh. My mum sent me a weird sort of carving. It was like a combination of a hydra, a tiger, and a runespoor. She found it in the basement and thought I should see it or something. She included a detail about my locket being able to block the Killing Curse three times, too."

Draco sat bolt upright. "You're barking mad. She didn't say that." He pointed to the diamond-encrusted locket. "This thing? A Curse-blocker?"

"That's exactly what the note said, Blondie. Don't make me go get it for proof."

"I've never heard of a family heirloom blocking Unforgivable Curses before," Draco breathed. "That's extremely powerful stuff, Willow. Old magic. Dark magic. Be careful with that." He frowned. "This carving you're talking about, though...I don't have a clue how that might be useful. It sounds like something an old nutter would make. But if the detail about your locket is anything to go by, this carving might also turn out to be extremely important."

"Maybe we should take a look at it," Willow suggested.

Draco glanced at her warily. "You're taking me into the Gryffindor common room?"

"Not exactly. Follow me."

Willow and Draco flashed their completed constellation maps to Professor Sinistra, who collected them and bade the pair goodnight. After double-checking that the rest of the Gryffindors were still hard at work, Willow motioned for Draco to hurry after her. They made it to the Gryffindor common room in record time. Draco froze when the Fat Lady revealed the portrait hole.

"What are you waiting for? An invitation? Come on!" Willow hissed.

"You just...said the password. Right in front of me."

"Yeah? So? I listen to the Slytherin password all the time."

Draco shook his head. "It's nothing. After you, Wisp."

Willow shrugged off Draco's odd behaviour and pushed forward. The Slytherin took in the Gryffindor common room's entirely different atmosphere with wide eyes. He was so starstruck by the appearance of the enemy house that he didn't even notice Willow dive into her dormitory to retrieve the token. Draco jumped violently when Willow hit the bottom of the stairs with a quiet thump!

"Bloody hell, Wisp, give me a warning!" he barked.

"It's not my fault you were staring at my common room like it was the Mona Lisa," Willow retorted.

Ignoring Draco's annoyed muttering, the Gryffindor made her way to the side of the common room, where the familiar blank part of the wall welcomed her like an old friend. Willow placed her hand on the area, and the magical door shimmered to life. Draco's jaw dropped. Smirking, Willow shoved him inside the doorframe, then shut it behind them. Draco peered curiously as she flicked on the lightswitch on the opposite wall. He yelped rather loudly when she shoved him toward the wall.

"Wisp, what the hell are you — ?"

His outburst was cut off as he passed through the wall. Willow passed through herself, revealing a very disgruntled Draco.

"What was that?" he demanded. "It's a common courtesy to at least explain what's going on before you go shoving me into magical doorways and secret rooms!"

"You're welcome. I just let you in on one of my closest-guarded secrets," Willow said. She scoffed at his dumbfounded expression. "Look around you, dumbarse!"

Draco did, and his eyes went wide as saucers. He took in the art station, the plant collection, and the few biomes spread out across the back of the massive room. Griffin and Phoebe both perked up at the sight of the new person. They crept toward Draco, cautious and curious all at once. The Slytherin slowly backed away at the sight of the baby griffin.

"T-That isn't a h-hippogriff, is it?" Draco squeaked.

"No, Blondie, he's not a hippogriff, but he's just as capable of slicing open your arm, so watch yourself." Willow couldn't deny she enjoyed the way Draco's face paled. "Oh, quit your worrying, he's not going to eat you. That's Griffin, my baby griffin, and Phoebe, my demiguise."

Phoebe shimmered in and out of visibility as Draco gazed at her. "Ah. Aren't they dangerous, too?"

"Only if you give them enough bananas." Willow ignored Draco's puzzled look. "Want to meet the rest of my creatures?"

"You have more?"

"Duh, I'm practically a hoarder."

Willow whistled, and moments later, V, Patch, Felicity, and the fire-dwelling salamander came running. Draco stood stock still as they sized him up, their beady little eyes searching for any signs of hostility. Eventually, the creatures seemed satisfied that Draco wasn't a threat, so they clambored to climb all over Willow instead. She lowered herself to the ground to make it easier on them. Draco watched open-mouthed as the jobberknoll, knarl, salamander, and jarvey attached themselves to Willow's shoulders.

"What? You've never seen someone treat magical creatures with respect?" she asked. Griffin and Phoebe nudged her for more pets.

"No, it's just...I've never seen anyone other than Hagrid treat magical creatures with anything, really," Draco admitted, watching fascinatedly as Griffin rolled onto his back for belly rubs. "It's...new."

"Well, get used to it, because this is the only safe place I have from the rest of the student body, so we'll talk about Death Eater stuff and Voldemort in here."

"DON'T say his name," Draco snapped, wincing.

Willow put her hands up. "Whatever. Come on, we'll use Dean's art table, he finally cleaned it off."

"Dean uses this room too?" Draco questioned, following her at a distance to avoid Griffin and Phoebe.

"He, Seamus, and Neville, mainly, though the rest of our year's Gryffindors know about it. My other friends visit from time to time as well. Don't give me that look, it's still a well-kept secret. Hardly anyone other than me uses it frequently, and my friends know I'll hex their mouths shut permanently if they speak about it."

Draco raised his brows. "So you treat all your friends harshly. It's a wonder they stick around."

"No, it's a wonder I keep you around." Willow placed the carving on the table, taking in Draco's reaction as he studied it. "Well? What do you think? Useless or useless?"

"Neither. In fact...this might be extremely important."

At that moment, Draco nearly vaulted three feet in the air. Griffin and Phoebe appeared on either side of him, so close their fur and feathers brushed his robes. The Slytherin held his chest like he was recovering from a heart attack.

"Keep those bloody beasts away from me!" he seethed.

"No, wait, I think they're onto something," Willow protested.

She was right. Griffin and Phoebe stepped forward, their eyes locked on the carving. They sniffed it for a few minutes, seeming to try and understand it, then they suddenly backed away, voicing their concern. The hair stood up on Phoebe's neck. Griffin's feathers were clearly ruffled. Both creatures couldn't seem to get away from the token fast enough. Willow shot a look at Draco.

"Must be important, then," Draco concluded.

"Only one way to find out," Willow said.

Taking the token in hand, Willow raised it above her head, and, amid cries from Draco to stop, she smashed it against the table. The carving shattered instantly. A sort of clatter alerted Willow to something falling out of it. She brushed aside the shards as Draco looked at her like she was the craziest witch he'd ever laid eyes on. His expression swiftly changed, however, when Willow drew three potion vials out of the mess. The strange-coloured liquids swirled and moved threateningly, almost like they had minds of their own.

"What in Merlin's name did you do?" Draco whispered.

"I...don't know," Willow admitted. "But these potion vials look pretty sweet."

"Sweet? Merlin, I need to stop associating with you. You smash potentially dangerous things against the floor and rescue dangerous beasts like it's a pastime."

"But you have to admit, it's pretty fun," Willow pointed out. She held up the potion vials to the light, peering at them from different angles. "What do you suppose these are for? They look pretty cool."

"I don't know, but..." Draco grimaced. "...Cypress might."

"Great! Let's go find him."

"What? Wisp! It's nearly midnight, the professors will be patrolling the corridors like crazy!"

"You just don't want to speak to Cypress. And you've got to go back to the Slytherin common room anyway, remember?" Willow took on a mocking tone. "Merlin, I need to stop associating with you. You're interfering with my superior brain cells."

Draco scoffed. "As if you'd ever get higher marks than me."

"Don't insult my rule-breaking abilities, and I won't insult your brainiac marks."

Willow successfully got Draco across the castle and into the dungeons. He paused before the boulder, but to Willow's surprise, he gave the password in full earshot of her, though he grumbled something about needing to ask the prefects to change it now. He quietly slipped into the boys' dormitory, then returned moments later with a very confused Cypress. His face lightened when he saw Willow.

"Ah. So this isn't another one of the prick's dumb pranks."

"I heard that," Draco said.

Cypress ignored him. "I hear you've got three potentially very interesting potions? Can I see them?"

Willow handed the potions to Cypress, who set to work examining them. After a few moments, he disappeared into his dormitory without a word, leaving Draco and Willow in a stunned silence, then returned with a small testing kit. Cypress poked and prodded and swirled and all-around messed with the potions. At long last, he sat up with a victorious smile.

"You are in possession of three very cool potions, Willow. I've labeled them for you, see — one trait for each of the creatures. One gives you the fast healing of a hydra, one gives you the strength of a tiger, and one gives you the mental agility of a runespoor. They're very powerful mixtures, probably undefined by any textbooks. They remind me of some of my more ambitious prototypes."

"Arrogant jerk," Draco scoffed quietly.

Cypress shot him a glare. "I can hardly believe you, of all people, would accuse me of arrogance."

"You literally strut around like you own the place!"

"It's called confidence, honey," Cypress corrected, flicking his hair fashionably.

"Cut it out, both of you!" Willow scolded. The boys clamped their mouths shut. "Thank you for labeling the potions, Cypress. This still doesn't explain why my mum would give them to me."

"She didn't know the potions were in there, but she had a feeling the carving was important," Cypress said. "She could tell you needed protection from something, something big enough to require potent magical defense such as these potions."

"It's a warning, then," Draco realized.

"Wow, did you figure that out all by yourself?" Cypress said sarcastically.

"A warning...about what?" Willow questioned.

"The Fawleys," Draco whispered. "They must be on the move again."

"Oh God," Cypress breathed.

"Merlin help us..." Willow trailed off. She paled a few shades. Her stomach felt rather queasy, and her head spun. Willow took several deep breaths to keep herself from spiraling out of control. "I'll definitely save these potions for emergency, then. In the meantime, I'm going to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary in the papers, especially in the area of England the Fawleys live in."

"Stay safe, Willow," Cypress said.

"I'll try. Goodnight, guys. Thank you...for your help."

For once, Draco and Cypress didn't bicker as Willow exited the Slytherin common room.

Willow did her best not to think about the Fawleys over Easter holidays. Thankfully, she was drowning in mountains of homework, so she really couldn't devote her attention anywhere else. From March through May, Willow's life became a blur of wake up, eat, drag self to class, complete homework, maybe eat again, hang out with Luna in the Thestral Clearing for a whole thirty minutes, then collapse back in bed until the next morning.

Hey, at least she didn't have to knock herself out with the Sleep Potion every night.

Willow had come to enjoy the dreamlessness effect of the Sleep Potion, but she didn't miss relying on the dang thing every time she needed to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. She wanted to at least sleep without needing help. She buried the potion deep in her wardrobe beneath the skirt that she would never wear in a million years. Now, she only relied on the Suppression Potion every once in a while, and Willow could accept needing that, because it, you know, kept her alive.

Even with her homework load as heavy as it was, Willow spent as much time as possible with the twins, Lee, and especially Paige. They'd made some good headway on her emotional release work. She could now feel rather intense happiness without seizing up in pain. That was the easiest emotion to wear with pride, though; happiness couldn't really be judged, whereas fear, anger, and sadness could. Willow knew that she didn't care about others' judgement, but she honestly judged herself worse than anyone when it came to displaying her feelings. It was hard to convince herself it was okay to wear her heart on her sleeve. She's spent so long hiding it in fear that others would dig into her past that she never learned how to deal with it.

The last week of May, Paige invited Willow to a soccer date. The younger Gryffindor could have cried with how happy she was to play soccer against another human being. She laced on her cleats so fast that she nearly tripped when she stood up. Paige put on her goalie gloves and hopped into the makeshift goal that Willow had been using since first year. The younger Gryffindor had the time of her life, running at Paige, dribbling up and down the field, showing off her fancy footskills, and taking shot after shot after shot. Paige got the workout of her life. Her abs were done about halfway through, but Willow kept shooting anyway.

"I — regret — everything," Paige panted.

"I'm giving you hot abs, now shush," Willow said.

They one v one'd for another ten minutes, then at long last, Willow had tired out. She tackled her girlfriend, and they laid in the soft grass together, a laughing, beaming, sweaty mess. Willow thought that this was the happiest she'd been all year, just laying on a soccer field, her girlfriend beneath her, both exhausted yet filled with joy. Paige was the best thing to happen in her life since she'd arrived at Hogwarts.

"You know, you've gotten a lot better since that pickup game with Dean in London," Paige remarked.

"You should have seen me in Uganda. That was one of my best performances."

Paige chuckled. "You were so flustered that whole trip. I will never forget the look on your face when your abuela asked for an invitation to our wedding."

"Stop it, you'll make me start blushing again," Willow said.

"Good thing we got your happiness to stop killing you," Paige teased. "I can fluster you as much as I want, and you can't do anything to stop me now."

"Hm, what if I, you know — " Willow leaned down and kissed Paige — "fluster you first?"

Paige grinned shyly from ear to ear. "You might win that way, yeah."

"Don't I always win?"

Paige rolled her eyes. Willow leaned in for another kiss, but at the last moment, she pulled away. Paige scoffed and tossed the younger Gryffindor off of her. "You're such a tease!"

"You gotta catch me if you want a real kiss!" Willow challenged.

The younger Gryffindor took off running. Paige was on her feet and after her in a heartbeat. Willow forgot how powerful Paige's legs were, and nearly got caught in the first few seconds to pay for it. She began to widen the distance between them after the first twenty meters, though, and she all but pulled away after fifty. Paige eventually collapsed with her hands on her knees.

"Alright, showoff, get your fast arse back here!" She put her hands above her head. "God, you're fast over a distance. I forgot you run pretty much every day."

"No days off for the athletes," Willow said, smirking. She stood over Paige's crouching form. "Why are you breathing so hard? You getting fat or something?"

Paige playfully swiped at her legs. "Says the one who ate seven rolls for breakfast."

"Yeah? And?"

Paige suddenly yanked Willow toward her by the front of her shirt, and their lips were pressed together. Willow enjoyed the taste of Paige's mouth once more. For some reason, the displays of affection never got old. Willow thought her feelings would falter by now, but she'd gotten lucky. They were holding steady. She thought she would screw up massively by now, but she somehow hadn't. For her first relationship, this was going 1000% better than she thought it would.

I thought you would mess up too, but for the record, you've pleasantly surprised me, Cebba said.

You're such an encouraging, fulfilling person to talk to, you know that? Willow said sarcastically.

I know, you just couldn't get on without me.

Willow smiled against Paige's lips. She was about to say something particularly snarky back to her mentor when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Paige saw it at the same time. Both girls parted and stood up, shielding their eyes against the setting sun to get a better view. Willow saw Ludo Bagman leading the four Champions along the path that led to the quidditch pitch. She suddenly realized that he was about to tell them about the next task. Paige glanced at her, having come to the same conclusion.

"What do you think it is?" she whispered.

"I don't know. Should we follow them and find out?" Willow asked.

"Bad idea. We don't want to get Harry and Cedric disqualified for something as dumb as us sneaking around. Let's wait here until they get back."

So that was exactly what the girls did. They waited in an anticipatory silence, watching the path like a hawk for any sign of movement. Not long afterwards, the Champions returned, heading back to the Entrance Hall with their cloaks drawn closely around them. Harry and Krum, however, broke off from the group and made their way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. They spoke to each other for a while with much shuffling of the feet and brushing of fingers through their hair. Willow and Paige exchanged intrigued expressions.

"They're probably talking about Hermione," Willow noted. "Krum's been sulking ever since Hermione ignored him during the Second Task. He probably thinks Harry's really been dating her, after Rita Skeeter's rubbish article."

"Good thing they're clearing the air. I'd hate to see an angry Krum go after Harry during the next task," Paige remarked. "We need our Champion to win, not end up on the front page for being mangled by the youngest professional Seeker in the world."

"I'm never getting that image out of my head now," Willow chortled.

Just then, Harry's hand shot out to grab hold of Krum's. They both whirled around to look at something in the Forest. Willow's hair stood on end as a figure emerged from the trees. He swayed as though drunk, or loopy, or both. He didn't look at anything in particular, even when Harry made a movement toward him. Paige's hand flew to Willow's when the figure lurched for Harry. He desperately groveled at the Chosen One's feet, but for what reason, there was no telling.

"Should we go help them?" Willow questioned.

"We might provoke that guy. We should keep our distance until we know it's safe," Paige suggested.

"But he could attack Harry and Krum at any moment!" Willow protested. "Four on one is better odds than two on one!"

Paige groaned. "If we die, I blame you."

The girls began jogging toward the boys just as Harry took off toward the castle for help. Krum watched disgustedly as the man twirled around and talked to trees. The closer Willow got, the more she could discern on the man. He appeared to have crawled out of a very dirty prison in his current state. His torn robes, glassy eyes, and wreck of hair made him look almost homeless. Willow would have felt bad for the guy if she knew whether he was friendly or not.

Paige jabbed Willow in the arm out of nowhere. "Willow, that's Mr. Crouch!"

"What?" She tried to see the old auror's face beneath the coat of dirt, but she just couldn't make the connection. "Are you sure?"

"Willow, I'm one hundred and ten percent certain. Once you know what Crouch looks like, it's hard to forget his face, and especially his eyes. That's him."

"What the heck is he doing out here? I thought he was sick!"

Just then, a flash of light struck Krum square in the back. Paige and Willow instinctively hit the ground, hiding themselves in the tall grass. Krum collapsed to the forest floor with a familiar glazed expression. He'd been hit with the stunning spell. Willow put a protective arm around Paige to keep her low as a lone figure tramped out of the trees.

"Who the hell is that?" Willow whispered.

The figure's straw-coloured hair was nearly as messy as Mr. Crouch's. His fair skin looked like it hadn't seen the sun for years. Willow only caught a glimpse of his eyes before they turned to glare at Mr. Crouch — lighter than grey, but darker than blue. Paige clapped a hand to her mouth when the man kicked Mr. Crouch into the dirt. The auror didn't put up a fight as the man dragged him away; in fact, he kept laughing hysterically to himself, not seeming to understand he was being kidnapped. Willow tried to get up and follow, but Paige yanked her back down.

"Are you crazy? That guy looks like a classic serial killer!" Paige hissed.

"I can't let him kill Mr. Crouch!"

All of a sudden, a flash of green light illuminated the Forbidden Forest. Willow stifled a yelp. Paige's face drained of all colour.

"Too late," Paige choked out.

Willow swallowed her fear. "I have to go after him now. He just killed a very high Ministry official in cold blood."

Paige snatched her wrist with an iron grip. "No! I'm not letting you run off and get yourself killed!"

"Let me go, Paige."

"I can't."

Willow stared Paige hard in the face. She'd already made up her mind; she just hoped her girlfriend would forgive her. Quick as an adder, Willow tackled Paige to the ground, then pulled her wand on her. Paige gawked at her.

"You wouldn't."

"Paige, go back to the castle. Find Professor Dumbledore and tell him what happened. Don't come after me yourself, send one of the other Professors."

"Willow, don't do this, please," Paige begged.

"I'm not asking for permission."

Paige's eyes glistened with tears. "I'm never gave it to you in the first place."

"I will use the Banishing Charm on you if I don't see you running toward the castle. Got it?"

"Willow, please — "

"Paige."

Paige's shoulders slumped. Willow stood up, shoving the older girl towards the castle as she did. When she was sure Paige was genuinely heading for the Entrance Hall, she took off in the direction the figure had gone. Willow silently weaved through the trees, her heart hammering against her ribs, all senses on high alert. She desperately wished her powers were cooperating to give her echolocation abilities. But they weren't, which meant the figure could be around any corner. Willow held her wand in a white-knuckled grip as she prowled through the trees.

She didn't find the man in the initial direction he'd gone, so she doubled back and tried heading west instead. This time, she found broken twigs, trampled undergrowth, and slide tracks in the mud, telltale signs of someone dragging a heavy object through the forest. Willow followed with extreme caution, her wand tight to her chest. She kept her eyes peeled for any sign of movement.

After five minutes, Willow could hear the unsteady footfalls of the man. Her heart sped up. She was close. Willow quickened her pace, careful not to make any unnecessary noise. The man grunted and huffed and puffed as he dragged poor Mr. Crouch through the trees. He was sure making a lot of noise for someone trying to cover up a murder. Maybe he'd gone mad.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Willow instinctively darted behind a tree. She glanced every which way, hoping against hope that she hadn't been caught. After a few moments, the man resumed his non-rhythmic pace. Willow waited a few heartbeats before following again. The man was really struggling now, what with his labored breathing and his heavy footballs. He would have to rest soon, and that was when Willow would step in, stun him, and run to Professor Dumbledore. She just had to make in until he rested. Just stay hidden a little longer...

The man unexpectedly threw Crouch's body down only seconds later. Willow ducked for cover again. This time, the man didn't stay where he was. His footsteps approached Willow's hiding place. The blood roared in her ears. She hardly dared to breathe. The man came within two meters of where she lay, covered by undergrowth. He paused for the longest moment. This was Willow's chance; it was now or never. She was just beginning to draw her wand when the man spoke.

"The Dark Lord does not reward rats," he spat.

Willow yanked out her wand, but it was too late. With a flash of bright green, Willow's world went black.


	73. Year 4: Chapter 12

Willow thought it was the end.

She was swimming in darkness for the longest time. Her mind just wouldn't cooperate, wouldn't focus on anything. She wanted to wake up, but it was like her brain was fighting to drag her back into the peaceful darkness of sleep. Willow knew she had to wake up. She had to, not just for her own safety, but for the conscience of her girlfriend, too. Paige was probably out there right now, Professor Dumbledore in tow, waiting for her to run out of the woods.

WAKE UP! Willow screamed into the abyss.

Finally, the abyss responded.

Willow gasped awake. At first, she panicked, because she couldn't see anything, then she realized it was pitch black outside. Night had fallen. The waning crescent barely shone enough light through the canopy to reach her. It was enough, though, that when she frantically looked for the murderous man and Mr. Crouch, she knew they were gone. The trail had gone cold.

Without warning, Willow's chest burned like her shirt was on fire. She desperately grasped at the source, only to cry out in shock when it burnt her hand. Willow winced as she mustered the courage to just grab the thing and tear it off. It hurt like hell, but she finally managed to get it off, and relief flooded the now-raw skin.

What the hell...?

Willow looked down, and in the dim lighting, she discerned her locket, sizzling like a hot coal on the forest floor. The diamonds glowed in the heat, haloed in a strange red-orange light. Why was her locket behaving so strangely? The man had simply hit her with a charm. There was no reason for her locket to react so strangely to a regular old stunning spell.

Wait... Willow's eyes widened. That was no stunning spell.

Willow's chest rose and fell rapidly. She fought off a panic attack like her life depended on it — which it honestly did, with her powers acting the way they were lately. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her throat felt as though it were stuffed with cotton balls. Her tongue went dry. Willow squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on the positives.

You're alive. You survived. Grace gave you a locket that saved your life. Be grateful. You can go back to Paige and tell her you're fine. That's what you've got to do now. Yeah, that's right, you've got to return to the castle and let Paige know you're alright. Calm down. You're fine.

Willow finally convinced herself that she was not in a life-threatening situation any longer. She stood up, heart rate back to normal. She proudly placed her now-cooled locket back around her neck. Taking care to find the shortest route, Willow picked her way through the grass and made it to the Entrance Hall with no problems. She would have made it past the Great Hall and to her dormitory with no problems had Professor McGonagall not spotted her at the exact moment she entered the doors.

"WILLOW LUCIA GUERRERO!" she shrieked. "Where have you been? You were reported missing two hours ago! The Ministry was ready to send in the aurors!"

Willow reddened considerably. Guilt swarmed her gut like a horde of locusts. "Professor, I didn't mean to — "

"You could have been killed! You could have been taken! Your father could have lost his last child!"

That last one stung the worst. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone after him."

"You would do well to remember that sentiment next time you have the urge to run straight into danger!" McGonagall fretted. She seized Willow by the sleeve of her robe, frantically examining her for any signs of damage. "Did he see you? Were you attacked?"

"Yes, and...yes," Willow admitted.

Professor McGonagall paled three shades. "He — He attacked you? How?"

"With a Curse, Professor."

"What kind of curse, Miss Guerrero?"

Willow couldn't bring herself to say it. She didn't have to, though. One guilty look into McGonagall's eyes had the young Gryffindor spilling her soul to her Head of House. The Professor let out a cry of horror.

"You're going to visit Professor Dumbledore, straight away! And Madam Pomfrey will be in to see you immediately!"

Willow could do nothing to resist as McGonagall escorted her to the Headmaster's Tower. The woman was practically shaking, she was so taken aback by the turn of events. Willow could not describe her guilt with English words. No amount of writing or fancy vocabulary could properly put into words how disgusting she felt. She easily could have died, and it would have been all her fault. Her dumbarse could have left her friends, her family, her girlfriend, for crying out loud, in mourning. And if she died before she completed the prophecy, they would all join her shortly. Willow choked back a horrified scream as she imagined the look on Paige's face if McGonagall delivered the news of her death.

Don't EVER do something that stupid again! Cebba yelled. If you're going to die, at least do something heroic! This would have been a waste!

I'm...sorry.

Willow gulped as the stone gargoyle turned aside to allow her and McGonagall to enter. They climbed the same worn steps that had been there last time Willow got in this much trouble. She never would have imagined she'd get in worse trouble. This time, she should have died, and it was because of her own dumb luck that she survived. She needed to be punished to ensure she didn't gamble her life away in the future. This was a lesson that had to be learned.

Willow followed McGonagall into the candlelit space before her. Professor Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, staring curiously at Willow as she entered. She could have sworn a spark of hope danced in his eyes before he turned them to Professor McGonagall.

"Has anyone notified the Ministry that we found her?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, but — "

"Professor," Dumbledore warned. "I will deal with Miss Guerrero accordingly, and Madam Pomfrey will take marvelous care of her. In the meantime, please ensure I don't have aurors breaking down my door."

McGonagall's mouth hardened into a thin line. She nodded curtly and, taking one last stern look at Willow, swept out of the office. Dumbledore didn't speak again until they were completely alone.

"Miss Guerrero," he began quietly. "It has come to my attention that you pursued Mr. Crouch's murderer after you witnessed him commit the act. A certain sixth year was very concerned for your safety, and rightfully so. You already know why what you've done was immeasurably foolish and reckless. You do not need to comfort me with apologies; you're going to make enough of them to your friends as it is."

Willow lowered her eyes. "Thank you, Professor."

"As it is," Dumbledore continued, "you witnessed the murderer the Ministry now so furiously seeks out. You have key information that could radically change the search for Barty Crouch's justice. I need you to tell me everything that you saw, beginning to end. Take care to leave nothing out."

Willow launched into her story. Just as Dumbledore requested, she left no stone unturned, painstakingly going over every detail until she was sure he could see the situation from her eyes. It was like she was on truth serum, the way the words tumbled out of her mouth. Willow only paused for a moment when she got to the final interaction between her and the murderer.

"Miss Guerrero?" Dumbledore prompted. "You were about to tell me what he said?"

Willow struggled to speak. Something was tickling the back of her mind, a tiny, intricate detail that was so easily missed, but exponentially valuable. "Sorry Professor...it's just...I think he meant something different than what he said. Right before he struck me with — with the Killing Curse, he said, 'The Dark Lord does not reward rats'. Only Death Eaters call Voldemort the Dark Lord. And...I don't know what it is, but something about the way he said rats is bothering me."

Dumbledore's eyes flashed. "Do you remember when Sirius told you, at the end of last year, about his old friend Peter Pettigrew?" Willow nodded. "He escaped in his animagus form — a rat."

Willow's throat constricted. "Oh my God, he's referring to Pettigrew."

"I would presume so. Why this murderer and Pettigrew are in competition, however, remains a mystery." Dumbledore peered above his spectacles at Willow. "This is incredibly vital information. As disappointed as I am in your behaviour, I am equally grateful for your help in this investigation, especially as it comes so close to Hogwarts." Dumbledore stood up, meandering over to his window. "Darkness is approaching even faster than we anticipated. We must prepare for when it comes. But you already know this, do you not?"

Willow was at a loss for words. "Professor...I'm — My family — "

"Whatever you do, Willow, know that your actions have consequences. The lines between what is right, what is wrong, and what must be done are blurring. The choices you make are going to affect every choice you make in the future. What you do now may decide whether you even have a choice in the future. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"One more thing, before I send you off." Dumbledore turned to face Willow once more. "There will be temptation. For a Gryffindor such as yourself, there will always be temptation: to step in, to protect, to be the hero. Know that temptation is rarely worth the sacrifice. Keep that in mind, Willow, when evil once again preys on your more altruistic qualities."

"I will, Professor."

"No points will be taken from Gryffindor for your behaviour, but you will serve detention with Professor McGonagall every other day for the next two weeks. Now go see Madam Pomfrey. She must tend to your injuries."

Willow could have sworn her heart beat a thousand miles an hour as she descended the stairs once more. Dumbledore's warning had struck a deep chord in her, one that she'd hoped would be left alone. She had to protect her friends. She couldn't not step in when she saw something wrong. If she was being uncomfortably honest, yeah, she had to be the hero, too. It was a part of her that she just couldn't let go of. So why was Dumbledore trying to warn her against her gut instincts when that was literally the only thing she couldn't deny?

Willow arrived at the hospital wing within a few minutes. Madam Pomfrey nearly busted the doors down the moment she knocked. She seized Willow's arm and drug her to the nearest bed, where she performed all manner of magical tests to ensure her health was in top condition. Pomfrey muttered something to herself about Gryffindors and their bloody heroics. Willow didn't perfectly understand her words, but she heard enough to completely agree with her. She'd done something beyond stupid; she'd gone and given herself a death wish.

"Your vitals are fine," Pomfrey declared. "You're still awfully cold, but you always seem to warm up quick...What spell did you get hit with?"

"You don't want to know," Willow chuckled.

"I must know, Willow, to ensure your full recovery from it," Pomfrey reminded her.

"Promise you won't freak out?" The older witch nodded. Willow swallowed her nerves to clear her tight throat. "It was...erm...the Killing Curse."

Madam Pomfrey's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "The Killing Curse — ! Merlin's beard, Willow, you should have died!" She began frantically searching for any signs of damage, finally landing on the small burn on her chest. "Did you get hit here? How on Earth did you survive? This shouldn't be medically possible!"

"No, I got hit on the side of the neck, actually. My locket burned me. It got super hot after it blocked the curse."

"Your mother's locket is a Curse-blocker?" Willow nodded. Pomfrey closed her eyes and let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God for your mother's foresight, Willow. She saved your life tonight."

"It can do it two more times, so she might save my life twice more, actually," Willow chuckled.

"Don't joke about such things!" Pomfrey snapped. Willow immediately shut her mouth. "Now take your shirt off. I need to make sure the area where you were hit isn't reacting poorly."

Willow's face flushed. "Do I really have to take it all the way off?"

"All the way, Willow."

The younger Gryffindor winced as she took her shirt off. She knew her face had to be approximately the colour of a tomato. Why she was so self-conscious, she didn't know, but she got so embarrassed every time she took her shirt off. Willow grimaced when a cold draft swept over her already icy skin. She hoped desperately that this examination wouldn't take long.

"Merlin..." Pomfrey gasped. "You have a scar."

"What? No way, the locket blocked the curse, it can't have — "

"I'm not making this up, Willow." Pomfrey handed her a mirror. "Take a look."

Willow's throat went dry. There was a scar. A pinkish-reddish zigzag, reflecting the wand motion of the Killing Curse. A reminder that she had narrowly escaped death, and probably wouldn't be so lucky again. A permanent mark of her stupidity — one that she shouldn't be living to tell the tale of.

"It's just like Potter's," Pomfrey murmured. "Extraordinary...take care to tell me if that bothers you, Willow."

Willow self-consciously rubbed the area with her hand. "Will do."

Pomfrey continued to check for further damage, tutting when she saw the blackness of Willow's veins around her injuries. "It's starting to linger even longer now." She pressed on Willow's abdomen. "Your stomach area is permanently damaged. The powers haven't retreated from that area, and I highly doubt they will until you externalize them once more. Your window to fix this is closing. If you're not careful, your powers will linger within all your major organs and kill you before you take your O.W.L.s."

"...Understood." Willow cursed the shakiness of her voice.

Pomfrey left her for a moment, then returned with three bottles in hand. "Here is some more Sleep Potion, just in case you run out of the other bottle, and another suppression potion. Double the dose on the latter. And this tiny pink bottle is a combination of vitamin E and an Unblemishing Potion. It might help your scar remain less visible, but magical scars are difficult to cover up or ease, let alone erase."

"Thank you. I'm assuming you want to see me again tomorrow?"

"And the day after that. No exceptions," Pomfrey added, staring Willow hard in the eyes. The younger Gryffindor nodded in promise. "Now off to bed with you. Don't visit too long with your friends; you need your rest."

Willow thanked Pomfrey once again and made her way out of the hospital wing. She clutched the three bottles tightly to her chest. What had her life become? She was relying on three potions now to just make it through the day, let alone live comfortably. At every turn, she feared reprimand from her powers, and even worse, she did nothing to change it. She simply rolled with the punches and lived in a miserable haze of her own making.

This is not living; this is surviving.

Willow stuffed the three bottles into her robe pockets, exhaling painfully. She stopped outside of the common room to collect herself. What was she doing? She was about to go in there and flat-out lie to her friends, reassuring them she was fine when everyone knew damn well she was not. She was dying, she was grieving, she was hurting, and she was tired of feeling. She refused death not because wanted to, but because she needed to, for her loved ones' sake. All she really wanted to do was lie down and find some semblance of peace.

Fidget sensed her unease. The little bowtruckle climbed out of her pocket and onto her shoulder. He whimpered against Willow's cheek, and he tried to console her with a tiny hug. A ghost of a smile touched the Gryffindor's lips. Fidget tapped the scar on her neck with clear concern in his doleful black eyes. Willow leaned against the wall, cupping the bowtruckle in her hands.

"I know. That was dumb. The worst part was, you were there for all of it, and I didn't even think about your safety. I risked everything to chase a murderer when I knew damn well the aurors would be tracking him down within the hour. What is wrong with me, Fidget?"

The bowtruckle nudged the spot where Willow's stomach was. He looked up at her and whined. He must have been sensing pain, because that was exactly where her powers were concentrating. Willow swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

"Yeah, it feels pretty bad, doesn't it? The powers that I hated so much, then took for granted, are now killing me. Figures." She had to make a conscious effort to rein in her emotions now. "Jesus, I'm never going to fix this, am I? How am I supposed to teach myself that it's okay to express all my emotions when Rion doesn't get to feel anything? Who am I to continue living and enjoying feelings and dumping them on others when I let my own brother die? When my own mother doesn't get to feel anything at all, let alone make her own life choices?" Willow bit her lip. "People don't need to deal with me, Fidget. I can't deal with me. That's where the problem lies, doesn't it? I can't learn to love my emotions when I don't even like the person I've become."

Fidget cooed sadly and cuddled against Willow. She cradled the bowtruckle as she sank down against the wall, the potion bottles clinking in her pockets. "I'm sorry, Fidget. I've failed you. I won't do something that stupid again. I might....I might not get the chance, now that I think about it." Willow gulped. "Now I have to face my friends, and Paige. This is going to have to be the apology of the century, because they all warned me not to go running into trouble, and Paige specifically told me no, but I ignored them all, and now I've scared the crap out of them. They're going to be pissed. What am I going to say?" Fidget cocked his head at Willow, not quite understanding. She sighed. "It was worth a shot."

Willow placed Fidget back in her pocket. She ran her fingers through her hair and took a few deep breaths, hoping to God it didn't look like she was in the middle of a mental crisis. She gathered all the wits she had left. Standing up, she finally faced the Fat Lady.

"Treacle Tart."

The portrait swung aside. Willow crawled through the tunnel, and the moment she emerged on the other side, a sound like an explosion went off from across the room. Neville sprinted into her arms.

"Willow! Oh my God, you're alive, we thought you were dead!"

"I'm here, Neville, don't worry. I wouldn't leave you guys that easily."

Neville's round face shone with tears as he stepped back. "We heard that you went after the guy that killed Crouch — You disappeared for hours — We thought he'd gotten you — "

"He didn't get me, Neville. You can breathe now," Willow chuckled mirthlessly.

Neville wiped the tears from his cheeks and gave Willow one more hug. "Please don't scare us like that again. We don't want to lose you."

"You won't, Neville. Only I get to lose me."

A tiny smile lit up Neville's features at the minor jest. At that moment, Dean, Seamus, Ron, and Harry joined the embrace, rambling about how glad they were to see her alive and well. Willow was able to detach herself from them after several minutes of reassuring them she was fine. Harry especially was worried after seeing what happened to Krum; he'd feared the worst for Willow, so it took multiple affirmations of her intact well-being to convince him she was okay. The guilt swarmed her gut worse than ever when Ginny and Colin came running with tears streaming down their faces. They wouldn't stop crying for a good five minutes. She let them squeeze her so hard she thought her ribs would shatter. At long last, they calmed down enough to leave her to her thoughts.

"WILLOW!"

The Gryffindor hardly turned around before her girlfriend slammed into her. Paige's eyes were puffy and red, like she'd been crying for hours, and her face was wet with tears. She sobbed into Willow's shoulder as she embraced her in a bone-crushing hug. Willow hardly dared to breathe — not that she could. She awaited judgement from one of the most important people in her life.

"You are so, so, so stupid," Paige hiccuped. "I told you not to run off like that. I told you it would go badly. You didn't listen."

"I know, Paige, I know," Willow whispered. "That was selfish of me. I'm sorry."

"I know you're sorry. You just can't help it. It's in your blood, to be the hero." Paige took a shaky breath. "But sometimes you need to listen to reason, okay? I don't want you to die just because you think you have to help and save everyone."

"I'm not about to die on you, I promise," Willow said.

"What even happened to you? You were gone for so long..."

"You're going to want to sit down for this."

Paige suggested that the twins hear this, too, so Willow guided her up the stairs to the sixth year boys' dormitory. Fred, George, and Lee sprang from their bedsides the moment she walked in the door.

"Thank God, she's alive!"

"What dimwitted plan of yours failed this time?"

"Did Dumbledore give you detention for the rest of the year?"

Willow hushed them until their barrage of questions stopped. She sat them down and proceeded to explain everything to them, from the moment she left Paige to the second she walked into the Gryffindor common room. They all screamed, even the twins, when she mentioned that she was hit with the Killing Curse. It was several minutes of chaos before she managed to get another word in. She finally got them to listen to the rest. Her audience sat there, stunned, as she finally finished.

"Merlin's beard, Willow..." Fred trailed off. "I hate to say it, but you might be even luckier than Harry, and that's saying quite a lot."

"You survived the Killing Curse...but now your powers are killing you worse than ever before," Lee summarized. "Wow. That's not much of a trade-off."

"You think?" George snorted. "This is bad. This is downright horrible. How much of that suppression potion are you taking just to keep it at bay now?"

"I decline to comment," Willow muttered.

Fred suddenly gasped. "Willow, is that — is that a scar, on your neck?"

The younger Gryffindor immediately covered it with the hem of her robe. "I refuse to comment."

"You've got a matching scar with Harry now, don't you?" Paige said quietly.

Willow froze. There was no way out of this now. "...Yeah, I do. But I don't want you making a big fuss about it. I'm going to live with this damn thing as a reminder of my own stupidity for the rest of time. The last thing I need is other people gawking at it."

"I wasn't going to — "

"No one means to stare. But they end up doing it anyway." Willow glanced at each of her friends in turn. "You have to keep this between us. If it gets out that there's another person that survived the Killing Curse, Grace's family is going to look into it, and they're going to blame her when they find out the locket saved my life. They'll kill her, all because of me."

"Our lips are sealed, Willow," George swore.

"Thank you." There was a beat of silence. Willow cast her eyes to the floor. "I'm...sorry, for scaring you all, and dumping this heavy crap on you. You of all people don't deserve it."

Willow swept out of the room without another word. Only Paige followed. The older girl remained on her tail down the stairs, through the common room, and even outside the portrait hole. Willow finally whipped around to confront her.

"I want to be alone," she snapped.

"You almost left me alone!" Paige shouted.

Willow stared at her open-mouthed. "What...? Paige — "

"I know, I know you want to be alone. But at least give me five minutes with you to remind myself that you're not dead."

Willow's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine."

The girls simply sat on the castle floor, every part of their bodies touching. Willow breathed in Paige's sweet scent. She never wanted to forget the smoothness of Paige's thigh, the curve of her hip, or the taste of her lips, not even in death. Paige held onto her like she'd fade to nothing if she let go. After less than a minute, Willow couldn't take it anymore. She kissed Paige longingly, passionately, desperately, as if this was their last day on Earth. Paige kissed back with equal desperation. Willow could taste the saltwater on her girlfriend's lips, and it filled her with indescribable regret. She connected their mouths again, and again, and again, feeling like she would never make up for her foolish actions.

"I love you," Willow breathed. "I love you so much that it physically hurts to think of the pain I put you through."

"I know."

Willow kissed Paige's mouth, her nose, her neck, her chest, her collarbone. She finally rested her forehead on her girlfriend's. "I can't describe how I feel right now. All I know is that it hurts, and I'm so, so, sorry."

"I forgive you," Paige whispered. "And I love you."

Willow desperately wanted to forgive herself.

The next few days were a blur of Sleep Potion, class, suppression potion, class, unsuccessfully avoiding Pomfrey, and more potion for her scar that didn't fade it in the least. The only excitement was not really exciting at all: Sally and Sam confronted one another about the Euphoria Potion mishap, and it blew up into a massive argument that lasted over two hours. Willow hoped to God that they could repair their relationship, and fast, because the fourth years of Gryffindor Tower were getting pretty sick and tired of the twins' constant fighting.

Paige, the Weasley twins, and Lee spent more time than usual working with Willow. She would test-run a few of their pranking products, then they would target another emotion to practice expressing. They'd moved on from happiness to fear, which was slightly more difficult, but Willow didn't mind people knowing if she was afraid. She wished she was one of those people that had no fear, but that simply wasn't her. Her courage came from mastering her fears, not suppressing them. So she practiced, and she concentrated, and she allowed herself to feel. She stopped fighting her heart that was already on her sleeve. She went as white as a ghost when she faced a boggart, then she smiled when she'd defeated it. After three days of intense practice, she conquered the second emotion at last — and not a moment too soon, because she was putting herself through the ringer lately, with everything that was going on in her life.

At the end of the week, Willow decided to attend Divination in-person for the first time in weeks. She wrung her hands nervously as she climbed the stairs to the North Tower. Oliver and Cypress stood on either side of her, smiling encouragingly. Willow reassured herself that she would be fine. What was the worst that could happen, anyway? A headache? A vision? Oh no, a big scary flash of foresight, how detrimental to her health! She found her fears ridiculous. By the time she climbed the ladder, she had convinced herself that everything would work out just fine.

As always, a headache tried to pierce her skull the moment she emerged into that heavily perfumed classroom, but Willow had planned ahead and taken a pain reliever that morning. The headache receded almost as quickly as it had arrived. Willow cautiously smiled to herself and took her seat. Cypress, Oliver, Dean, and Seamus joined her. Willow almost laughed to herself when she realized she'd essentially created a gay table in the Divination classroom.

Of course. The gays stick together, Cebba joked.

Gotta share the wealth, right? Willow teased.

Her mood light years ahead of where it used to be, Willow faced Divination with a hopeful mind. Professor Trelawney graciously welcomed her back. She made sure Willow knew to report any signs of deteriorating health to her. It warmed the young Gryffindor's heart to know the professor cared so deeply all along.

They were working with crystal balls once more. Professor Trelawney glided among her students, uttering her usual doctrine of "Broaden your minds!" and "Cast yourself into the beyond!" that usually ticked Willow off in the past. Now, Willow appreciated the bubbly resilience of the Divination professor. She put up with so much disbelief and all-around crap from her students without so much as an angry shout. It was incredible, how she could be so openly herself in a room full of skeptics. Willow almost admired her. Almost.

"What do you see here?" Oliver asked. "All I see is fog again."

"That might be a cat," Dean commented, pointing to a dark shape. "Or a rabbit."

"No, that's Gemma!" Cypress exclaimed. "Please tell me it doesn't look like anything bad happens to her? Because I haven't trained her in self-defense yet, and she still has lots of coins to get me."

"She's fine, Cypress," Oliver laughed. "It looks like she's having fun."

Cypress pretended to wipe his brow. "Thank God, that could have been detrimental to my plans."

"What's going on in your crystal ball, Willow?" Seamus questioned. "It looks like you actually have quite a bit of activity."

"I dunno..." Willow stared deeply into the glassy surface, barely discerning what looked like familiar faces. "I think it's a whole bunch of scenes passing by at once. Who knows if it actually means anything."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Dean said, pointing to a particular spot. "Isn't that the Smith twins' mum?"

Willow peered through the mist. It was, indeed, Molly Smith. She wore her usual evil smirk on her face as she whirled every which way, casting curses, hexes, and jinxes at her unlucky victims. It appeared as though she were attacking Ministry officials — and emerging triumphantly. Willow tore her eyes away from the scene. She cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"Must be a fluke thing," she muttered.

Less than a second later, Willow's vision went white.

Not a fluke thing, not a fluke thing — !

Willow gasped. The Divination classroom swirled out of sight, only to be replaced by the Fawley Manor. Willow groaned as yet another version of Grace entering the back of the mansion and the structure collapsing played out. This time, though, the vision did not end there. Her mum's broken form laid at the bottom of the giant crater, and none other than Frodi Terrell ran down to help her. The unlikely pair limped out of the structure together, where they met Sally, who tended to their wounds in much of the same manner that Pomfrey treated her patients. Willow looked onto the bizarre situation with high brows.

What the actual hell is this supposed to mean?

Before she could contemplate it any longer, the scene switched. Willow found herself in the rafters of Sarah Brown's house. Her gaze was pointed downward into the living room, where Sarah Brown was pacing like a mad woman. She talked to herself, seeming to try and instill some calm in her chaotic mind, but it didn't work. She picked up a nearby pillow and hugged it to her chest. Willow jumped with the Hufflepuff when an owl screeched loudly from the window. Sarah Brown scrambled to take the letter from the bird. She ripped it open so fast Willow feared she'd destroy it. The woman's eyes lapped up the words like a sponge. The moment she finished, she let out a horrendous scream that shattered Willow's heart. Seconds later, she Apparated away, no doubt to the source of the letter. Willow's nerves frayed. Had something happened to one of the Smith twins?

She didn't get to find out. Random images of Molly Smith flooded her mind without warning. She saw the woman hexing aurors, leading a small company of dark-robed Death Eaters, and, worst of all, cackling over Sam and Sally's trembling forms. Willow knew this was all grasping at straws and nothing solid, but it was a real warning nonetheless. The Smith twins really needed to watch each other's backs. Something was coming, and Willow had a horrible feeling that nothing would stop it.

The images blurred, then faded to nothing, and suddenly Willow was standing in the middle of the Malfoy Manor. Before her was a frantic version of Lucius Malfoy that she had never seen before. His eyes glittered with a desperate, cracked light, and his hair was in such a state that Willow doubted it would bring anything except shame to the family. Lucius rifled through various locked drawers, every once in a while retrieving an item or two. He finally shut the desk with a flick of his wand. When he made sure it was sealed shut, he threw down his quarry and set to work burying it deep under the floorboards. Willow wondered what on Earth he could possibly be so afraid of, but her train of thought was cut off by a small sound.

She turned around, and somehow, she was facing the library. She carefully entered the room, only to freeze. Draco was in his reading corner, sobbing into his mother's shoulder. Tear tracks ran down Narcissa's face as well. Willow stared agape, completely dumbfounded. She'd never seen the Slytherin Prince cry before. She probably never would. And she was glad for it — the foreign sound of Draco's sorrow was painful to hear. Willow's heart shattered to see the typically confident Slytherin so completely and utterly broken.

"Why couldn't they let him stay dead?" Draco whispered. "Why couldn't they leave things as they were?"

"Some run away in fear; others return because of it," Narcissa breathed. "All we can do is face him with the strength we possess. We will give him what he wants, and he will leave us alone."

"What if we can't give him that?" Draco said.

"It won't come to that."

"But what if it does?"

Narcissa had no answer.

The visions abruptly cleared. Willow’s mind raced so quickly while trying to process the horde of information that had been thrown at her that she didn’t notice Professor Trelawney staring at her. In fact, the whole class was staring at her. But Willow’s mind was anywhere except in the present. It was preoccupied with the terrifying visions of the future, and it was tearing her apart at the seams. Willow broke out in a cold sweat. Panic seeped into her bone marrow.

"Willow!"

The Gryffindor literally jumped. She landed on shaky legs, needing to use the table to support herself. She finally noted the many gazes angled in her direction. Her face went crimson.

"Are you alright, dear?" Professor Trelawney said softly. "You had quite the vision. Do you need to step outside?"

Willow nodded. Professor Trelawney kindly distracted the class to shift the attention off the suffering Gryffindor. Oliver and Cypress got up and helped Willow down the ladder. Once on the main floor, she collapsed against the wall, hand firmly planted against her heaving chest. The boys kneeled in front of her.

"You didn’t pass out this time, but you went into a daze," Cypress explained. "You were muttering about something; the Smiths, I think?"

"You don’t have to tell us what happened," Oliver said, gently taking her hand in his. "But please let us know what we can do to help. You look like you’ve caught the world’s worst flu virus."

Willow carefully withdrew her hand. Oliver looked rather hurt, so she quickly explained, "It’s not your fault, I’m not mad at you, I’m just making sure my powers don’t lash out at you." Her hand shot to her ribs. "They caused the vision. It’s a powerful vision, so I’m going to have a powerful reaction." Willow stifled a cry when another wave of agony gripped her. "Shit...that hurts."

Cypress immediately pulled out his wand. "Accio suppression potion!"

While he waited for the potion to arrive, Oliver pulled up Willow’s shirt to examine the damage. His usually bright green eyes paled. "It’s worse than I thought it would be."

"Wait a second...how do you guys know?" Willow coughed.

"Paige told us, knowing full well you wouldn’t."

The guilt was back instantaneously. "I’m sorry, I should have told you, that was stupid of me, you’re my brother, for God’s sake — "

"It’s okay, Willow, really," Oliver shushed. "I understand why you wouldn’t want anyone to know."

Willow thanked God for her empathetic brother for what must have been the hundredth time. They exchanged a small smile as Cypress caught the incoming suppression potion. He handed it to Willow, who gulped down a mouthful. The effect was immediate: the pain lessened, and the darkness in her veins receded. Willow sighed gratefully.

"Thank you, Cypress," she panted.

"Don’t mention it." He watched, mesmerized, as Willow’s veins cleared. "Jesus, I way underestimated how bad that would look. Are you sure you’re okay?"

"You should know by now that the answer is always no," Willow teased.

Cypress rolled his eyes. "Good thing you have a Slytherin hero for a friend."

"Damn good thing." She turned to Oliver. "It’s okay to touch me now; I don’t think they’re going to lash out anymore."

Oliver embraced her the moment the words were out of her mouth. Willow held her brother close, brushing her fingers through his hair. He eventually pulled back, though the worry still lingered in his tight face. He instinctively fit his hand into Cypress’s.

"Are you coming back to class?" Oliver asked.

"Probably not. I’m just gonna...take the day off, I suppose. We don’t have any other classes today, anyway."

"Don’t do anything I would do," Cypress chuckled.

"No promises," Willow said cheekily.

The boyfriends climbed back up the ladder together. The moment they were out of sight, Willow released her tight hold on her emotions. Worry and terror poured back into her expression. It filled up every inch of her until there was nothing left but sheer panic. Willow struggled to keep her racing heart from bursting, struggled to keep her mind from fragmenting.

I can’t do this, Willow thought.

Her feet were moving before her brain could register what she was doing. Willow was walking through the corridors, and then she was running, and then she was practically sprinting. Her robes streamed out behind her. Her breathing evened. Her heart rate steadied. Willow relished in the cool summer breeze. The panic was now gone, replaced by only a vague sense of fear. The relief was indescribable.

Willow didn’t know where she was going until she found her feet carrying her around the outskirts of Hogsmeade and up a familiar mountain path. Her pace quickened as she caught sight of the crack in the cliff face. Rocks scattered before her progress and skittered down the mountain side. She didn’t stop until she was inside the cave. Sirius was nearly scared out of his wits.

"Willow! Don’t scare me like that!" he gasped, both hands tight to his heaving chest.

Her mood plummeted instantaneously. "Sorry, I should have sent Iris ahead of me, or knocked, or done anything but burst in, really." She brushed her fingers through her hair. "Sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…"

Sirius stood up upon seeing how pale Willow’s face was. "What happened?"

"I-I saw something, in Divination. A lot of things, actually, and none of them remotely good. Sarah Brown was absolutely distraught — Molly was hurting her children — The Malfoys were panicking — Everyone was hurting — I didn’t know what to do —"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Sirius urged.

"I can’t, it’s all too much, I’m not doing anything about it — What if it all comes true?" Willow wrapped her arms tightly around her middle. "What if I can’t do anything to change it? What if Molly really does hurt the Smiths again? I don’t even know what’s happening to the Malfoys, but it had Draco hurting bad — I’ve never seen him in so much pain — I don’t want him to feel like that, ever — And I don’t want Sarah Brown to hurt — I don’t want to twins to die — " Willow was physically vibrating as she looked at Sirius. "I’m scared, Sirius. I am more scared than I've ever been in my entire life."

Sirius carefully placed one of her hands in his, then the other. "It’s okay to be scared, Willow. That doesn’t make you weak. Admitting your fears gives you strength."

"But I-I don’t feel very strong right now." Willow’s hands trembled, even with Sirius there to steady them. "Everything is wrong. My powers are killing me, Grace is starting to act like my mum again, the Fawleys are gaining strength, Mr. Crouch just got murdered, I should have died trying to follow the murderer, and now these visions — I can’t do this anymore, Sirius. I can’t do everything anymore."

"Then just do what you can," Sirius suggested. He guided her to the cave floor, where Buckbeak crawled closer to prop up the unsteady Gryffindor. "Break it down for me. Tell me everything that happened, because I’ve got a lot of catching up to do."

So Willow did exactly that. The words tumbled out of her mouth like a river breaking through a dam. At first, it was all a jumbled mess, but as she went on, her thoughts became more coherent, even flowed together. They became a story. A real story. Her story, one that she had made with her own decisions, her own actions, and her own words. She’d done the best she could with one of the crappiest situations she had ever been in, and she wasn’t even failing. She was surviving. By the end, Willow realized that she really did have control. It wasn’t about what she couldn’t do, but what she did with the hand life dealt her. She was playing the dealer's game, and she was winning. Her best was enough. All she had to do was keep going.

"How you manage to get into so much trouble within a week is beyond me," Sirius sighed, shaking his head. The colour was just beginning to return to his cheeks now; it had drained almost completely when she revealed the part about being hit with the Killing Curse. "Don’t ever go after a murderer again, you hear me? I don’t want to outlive any more of my loved ones."

"I hear you."

Sirius cracked a small smile. "To be totally honest, though, it’s cool to have two godchildren with the same scar. It’s a lightning bolt to boot, too. How cool is that?"

Willow blinked. "Wait a second, did you just call me your godchild?"

Sirius smiled shyly. "Well...your father may or may not have decided to give you a godparent, after realizing your mother wasn’t coming back. He wanted to make sure you had some sort of parental figure if something happens to him. So last summer, after meeting me and hearing about our little adventure, he named me your godfather. Unofficially, of course, considering I'm the Ministry's Most Wanted."

"Wow, my dad based his decision on which person was involved in the most danger? Smart." Willow laughed at the expression on Sirius’s face. "I’m kidding. That’s awesome, Sirius. I’m glad it’s you."

"I am, too. I only wish I could give you happiness without worry."

"It's not your fault that Fudge is a blithering idiot that listens more to his rich suck-ups than his own conscience." Willow smiled to see Sirius burst out laughing. "You're going to be a great godfather Sirius. You're already a ten times the mother Grace ever was."

Sirius bowed with flourish. "Why thank you, I take great pride in being a proper maternal figure for my godchildren."

Now it was Willow's turn to laugh. Through her hysterity, she noted the way Sirius's face lit up to see a genuine smile on her own face. Something changed in Willow then. It finally clicked. Willow realized that she had to make this work. She had a choice to be happy and a choice to be miserable; it was up to her to decide which one to be, and whichever one she chose would greatly affect the worries of those around her. She wanted to be able to give her loved ones peace of mind, and that would only come through their knowledge of her sound mental health.

In that moment, Willow made a vow, one she knew would be the most difficult vow she'd ever made, but she was more than willing to follow through. She would learn to be happy if it was the last thing she ever did. If that meant mastering her impulsiveness, great. If that meant wearing her heart on her sleeve, she'd do it. If that meant giving up her fight to blame herself for her brother's death and forcing herself to finally move on, then that was exactly what she would do. This was a promise she had to keep. She would do this for her friends, for her family, for Sirius, for Paige, and for every other person that held her spirit in their heart. She'd been worrying them long enough.

About time! Cebba cheered.

Willow's face flushed, but she didn't regret her decision. This was the only way to win back control of her powers, and this was the only way she was ever going to rest easy. The task itself wouldn't be easy; in fact, she fully expected it to be Herculean in scale. But she had the power to do it, and she was ready to put everything she had into finally allowing herself to heal.

"Are you feeling better?" Sirius asked.

Willow genuinely beamed. "Yeah, I am."

Sirius placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know you can always come talk to me about anything, right? Especially when it comes to your blood curse. You shouldn't have to go through any of this alone."

"You're right...which is why you can count on me trying to talk to you more often."

Sirius was taken aback. "You're serious?"

"No, you're Sirius, I'm Willow."

"Oh, shut it, you know what I mean!" Sirius ruffled Willow's hair. "Good for you, owning up to your situation at last. I'm glad you're trying to deal with it in an actual healthy way."

"It's about time, isn't it?" Willow chuckled.

Sirius smiled meaningfully. "It is about time, Willow."


	74. Year 4: Chapter 13

Willow wasn't expecting a short slip of paper to be dropped over her morning toast, but that's how it went Wednesday morning. She glanced to her left to see Professor McGonagall calmly walking away. Her stomach flipped. This was her detention slip, without a doubt, and judging by the way McGonagall was walking away, it wasn't great news. Willow slowly opened the piece of parchment, already wincing at the swift punishment she would receive.

Meet in the creature sanctuary at seven o'clock.

Willow blinked several times. That was it? A single line of writing? Willow read it again just to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, but it stayed exactly the same every time. She couldn't believe her luck. McGonagall must have been in a good mood. But why would they meet in the secret room? What punishment could she possibly receive in there, her only happy place in the castle?

Willow guessed she would have to wait and see. She trudged through a long, exhausting day of Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, thankfully ending it with Care of Magical Creatures, which featured nifflers once again. Willow still fell asleep on top of her literal piles of homework later that evening, waking up just in time for her detention. She groaned and groggily shuffled her feet toward the secret room. Barely remembering to check for passerbys, she slipped through the door and the light switch-controlled wall, arriving inside the sanctuary just as her watch hit 7:00. McGonagall was already there — but to Willow's great surprise, she wasn't alone.

"Oliver? How did you get detention?" Willow spluttered. "This must be some mistake, it must have been entirely something Cypress or I did — Our potion shenanigans don't involve Oliver — "

"Mr. Rivers is not in trouble, Miss Guerrero," Professor McGonagall interrupted.

"...Oh." Willow felt the embarrassment seep into her cheeks. "What is he doing here, then?"

"He will accompany me during each these sessions, homework permitting. He has kindly agreed to join me in order to help you feel more comfortable talking."

"Uh oh. I sense a therapy session coming for me," Willow chuckled.

"That's exactly what your detentions will entail, Miss Guerrero, and I assure you, it is not a joke."

Willow shot the professor a surprised look. She hadn't been expecting this at all. She needed real detention, as a punishment for her stupidity. The message needed to sink in so it wouldn't happen again.

"I can see you have doubts." Willow's heart skipped a beat. She'd forgotten how good Professor McGonagall was at analyzing her students. She turned her head so that McGonagall couldn't read her expression so easily. "There's no need to be embarrassed, Willow. You've been putting this off for a long time now. Did you know that your friends have been confiding in me about your behaviour since second year?"

Willow's head snapped in her direction. "What?"

"It's true," Oliver said quietly. He approached Willow slowly. His eyes were glittering a blurry emerald colour. "We've all been worried about you for so long, Willow. We kept Professor McGonagall informed on your well-being, just in case she needed to step in."

"You...what?" Willow was at a loss for words. All she felt was complete and utter betrayal. How could her friends do this to her? "I can't...You wouldn't...All this time...and you never told me, or even asked for my permission?"

Oliver took one of her hands and squeezed it. "You never would have given it."

The betrayal evaporated in the blink of an eye, only to be replaced by immense, soul-crushing guilt.Willow's heart broke for her friends, and especially Oliver. They'd been confiding in McGonagall all this time because she'd been worrying them to the brink of endangering their mental health. Willow's stomach was suddenly queasy.

"When it comes to a student being a danger to themself, it is imperative that a friend lets a professor know," McGonagall said softly. "That way, an adult can step in if worst comes to worst, without endangering the friend or straining their relationship. Your friends were that worried about you, Miss Guerrero."

Willow lowered herself onto a nearby bench seat. Her head was spinning. She'd never felt guilt this intense before. Three years...that's how long she'd been putting her friends in pain. Three years of hidden grief, three years of fretting, three years of constantly wondering if she was going to hurt herself. Willow folded her hands and placed them over her uneasy stomach. She should have listened to them. She should have gotten help sooner. Above all, she should have simply done the right thing, if only to spare them the pain of helplessly watching her self-destruct.

"After your close call with Mr. Crouch's murderer, we decided enough was enough," McGonagall continued. "Through these next two weeks, you will attend these therapy sessions, and if we do not find enough satisfactory progress, you will continue it over the summer with your family, so I suggest you cooperate sooner rather than later. It will only drag this out."

"Please, Willow," Oliver pleaded. He was desperately gripping both of Willow's hands now. "You know, deep down, that this is long overdue. Please do this, and not just for us. For you. We all just want to see you happy."

Willow took several deep breaths. She could do this. She'd made a promise to herself, and this was one she couldn't break. She'd chosen to be happy, so by God, she was going to learn to be happy, the rest of her chaotic life be damned. It was time to buckle down and get to work. Willow finally met Oliver's eyes.

"I'll do it. For real. You have my word." She turned her gaze to McGonagall. "You're exactly right: this is long overdue, and it's about time someone put a boot in my butt to get me moving. I'm ready."

Oliver laughed joyously, then pulled Willow into a tight hug. She squeezed him back. Professor McGonagall looked on with a warm smile lighting up her features. When the siblings finally detached from one another, she motioned for them all to sit at the empty art table. McGonagall proceeded to lay out the ground rules, which were basically requiring that Willow share at least one meaningful thing each day, and that Oliver and she could not judge the young Gryffindor for anything she said, only listen and offer advice.

"Any questions before we begin?" McGonagall asked.

Willow rubbed her hands together. "Nope, let's just dig into the emotional trauma. I'm quite ready to get rid of these nightmares."

McGonagall suggested that she start slow and build her courage before opening the floodgates. One trauma at a time, as Willow called it. She decided to start off with the easiest one, which was the prophecy hanging over her head. Oliver tapped her foot any time she clammed up, and McGonagall gently prompted her to keep going with cleverly worded questions. It was rocky, but for her first time solely talking about emotions, it wasn't bad. Willow managed to tell McGonagall about Paige being included in the prophecy, and how she was terrified she'd get her girlfriend caught up in this mess, too.

Whenever Willow really struggled to pull something out of herself, she pretended she was alone with Oliver, on the rooftop of the Guerrero mansion in the middle of a summer night, being sappy and admitting things only lack of sleep would force her spill. It actually worked, to her surprise, so she used the tactic as she got into the more troubling emotions and previous actions associated with the blood curse. The only time it failed was when she tried to talk about how badly the idea of her loved ones' deaths was affecting her. She all but forgot how to speak.

"Willow? Do you need a break?" McGonagall questioned softly. "I can get you some tea and chocolate from my office."

"No, it's just..." Willow grimaced. "I feel really, really uncomfortable talking about these particular emotions. You see...my boggart is not being good enough to save my loved ones. I defeated one a few times last year, with Professor Lupin's help, but that doesn't erase the fear. So when this prophecy concerns my literal worst fear — "

" — you get to relive that terror all over again every time you think about it," McGonagall finished. "You're so scared that you won't be able to figure this out and save your loved ones that you self-destruct in the meantime."

Willow cast her gaze to the floor. "Something like that, yeah. But if I die, my loved ones will probably die, too, because I wouldn't finish the prophecy, yet I keep running into close brushes with it at every turn." Willow swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I wanted to die for the longest time, after Orion was killed. I got over it by the time I came to Hogwarts, but I still don't care if live or die on a daily basis. If I'm being totally honest...I don't feel like I deserve to live, let alone enjoy life, while Rion was deprived of even reaching his teenage years. Now I'm being forced to not only live, but survive a prophecy, and it just — I can't do this anymore."

Willow ran her hands down her face, then looked away, feeling the moisture gather in her eyes. Oliver turned her back toward him.

"It's okay to cry, Willow," he whispered. "You don't have to be strong for anyone. You don't owe it to anyone. You've hidden your emotions for their sake for so long, it's your turn to display how you truly feel."

"I don't know how," Willow breathed. "I've been telling myself that crying won't help for so long...I don't know if I can get it out of my head."

"You didn't think you'd ever be able to go through a therapy session before," Oliver pointed out. "Look at you know, talking about your emotions like it's a piece of cake. Anything's possible now."

Willow nodded. "I'll try."

"Do you want to dive further into the topic of Orion?" McGonagall questioned. "It's okay if you're not ready yet, but since we're on the topic, it might do you good to at least scratch the surface."

Willow clenched her hands together so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "I-I can try, but no promises. I haven't even told the full story to anyone yet."

"Wait, I thought you did?" Oliver said. "You told most of us after the trial this year."

Willow's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. She cleared her expression just in time. "Sorry, I forgot about that. You're right, you and the others know everything, so nudge me if I'm leaving things out, Oliver."

"I will," Oliver promised.

Willow thanked God that no one detected anything unusual in her voice or face. She could muster the courage to cover everything except one teeny, tiny detail that would uproot everyone's perception of Willow's world. It was her best-kept secret, and she would only discuss it with her family on her worst days, usually when she's mourning over Rion again. Even then, it was only a few words. Willow thanked God for her B.S. abilities and moved on with the conversation.

She began her story with Rion and her when they were younger. They acted like twins, even though they were two years apart. They'd been inseparable; wherever Rion went, he took Willow, and vice versa. The greatest memories of Willow's life always involved Rion. Her childhood with him had been golden whereas her current life was faded gray. As incredible as her friends were, none of them could compare to the close, impossibly tight bond she'd had with her brother.

Then she got to the part where he left her. Willow took a deep breath, then quickly glossed over the memory. She purposely didn't go into many details. When she finished, McGonagall gazed at her with extreme concern.

"For a detailed story-teller, that was quite short, Willow," she said. "Are you sure you do not want to speak about it more?"

"Yes," Willow said, all too quickly. She winced at Oliver's pained expression. "I'm sorry, I just...can't, not right now."

"You've still revealed important, tough details, Willow," McGonagall reminded her. "It is extremely difficult to lose a family member, especially one so close. You have dealt with it by suppressing it, however, which has led to some rather self-destructive tendencies: nightmares, emotional instability, and risky behaviour." Willow lowered her head guiltily. McGonagall took notice of this. "Why do you allow yourself to hurt when you know it is not your fault? You blame yourself for something entirely out of your control. At nine years of age, what could you have done, except put yourself in the line of fire? You would not be here today if you did do something — and then who would finish the prophecy?"

Willow's eyes widened. She'd never thought about it that way. She wished it was her instead of Rion for so long, never realizing that if that was the case, Rion and the rest of her loved ones would die. Willow suddenly felt stupid. Idiotically, recklessly, indescribably stupid. What could she have done to change the situation? Nothing would have prevented the Fawleys from achieving their predetermined goal. They'd received instructions from their precious Dark Lord, and they would willingly follow them to the grave, if that's what it took. Willow would have been killed simply for getting in the way, and so many people would have died as a result.

"It really isn't my fault," Willow breathed. "I was...meant, in a way, to survive. So I could finish the prophecy. So I could stop the coming War. So I could defeat the very family that tore apart mine."

"Exactly, Willow," McGonagall said patiently. "You're starting to get it now. It's not your fault. None of it is. But you were chosen by this blood curse, as a challenge to prove yourself, so that you can win this War. You can only come out on the other side stronger."

"I don't like the sound of this War, but if one is coming, I'd rather it be you leading us through it, Willow," Oliver said. "You're stronger than anyone I know. And now that you're here, dealing with the things that have knocked you down, you're becoming even stronger."

Willow's heart warmed. She stared at her hands. For years, she'd looked down on them, hated them, wished these powers didn't flow through her veins. But now, she thanked them. For challenging her. For knocking her down. For running her into the ground, and kicking her for good measure. Because these powers? They were only making her stronger. She'd survived everything they'd thrown at her. She'd recovered from every emotional hit. Now? She was owning the life she'd been forced into.

And she was going to win this God-forsaken War.

"Argh, why in the hell am I taking Potions!" Sally growled. "This is such a waste of time!"

"It's kind of...required?" Willow offered.

"I give up. I'll take the troll on this exam." She shuffled her papers. "How about Transfiguration? We've got that exam tomorrow, right after Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Oh, great, Transfiguration," Sam muttered. "That's the worst subject ever invented. Even worse than Potions, if you ask me."

"For once, I agree with you," Sally said. "Nonetheless, let's get to work. There's a whole study guide we have to get through tonight."

Willow watched as the Smith twins pulled out the near hundred-pages of notes, study guides, and worksheets Professor McGonagall had given them to study from. Over the last few days, their tension had burned to ash in the face of exam season. They were tag-teaming every study session to get each other through the days. When Sally fell asleep during class, Sam took notes, and vice versa. They even brought each other snacks from the kitchens. Willow was relieved to see that their relationship was at least temporarily back to normal.

It was now ten past nine, and they were in the Ravenclaw common room, doing their traditional large-group study session. Lisa and Sue had suggested it after realizing how well it worked the year before. When Willow first entered the room, her friends had all looked up expectantly, so she caved in and told them that the therapy session had gone well. They all breathed a sigh of relief as Oliver briefly filled them in on the details. Then, they'd went straight to work, tutoring each other and filling in study guides and cramming in last-minute information that they kicked themselves for not learning earlier in the year.

Willow's hand cramped up so many times that she lost count. She hated writing all these notes, but it was helping her remember the information better. Potions was nearly impossible; the ingredients were hard enough to remember, then add in the correct order, preparation style, and brewing time, and it was a nightmare. Willow ran out of ink twice before she was done with the subject. Then she moved onto Transfiguration, and it wasn't much better. There was no such thing as smooth sailing when it came to last-minute cram sessions; it was pretty much an entire ship wreck.

By half past eleven, everyone was ready for a break. Willow laid on the floor and stared up at the ceiling. Her eyes traced the beautiful paintings high above, dancing in the light of the chandeliers. The Ravenclaw common room definitely wasn't her style, but she could still admire its pure beauty. She thought about taking a leaf out of Lisa's book and installing a bookshelf in her dormitory. Heck, she should install a few bookshelves in the common room. There were bound to be lots of Muggleborns and halfbloods — and maybe even some curious purebloods — that missed their Muggle books.

Willow heard gentle laughter to her left. She sat up to see Gemma trying to burrow between Oliver and Cypress. A smile graced her features as she watched the adorable pair interact with their new pet. Gemma crawled across Cypress's shoulders, climbed down Oliver's robes, and finally ended up on the Hufflepuff's lap, where she curled up and went to sleep. Cypress pulled Oliver into his lap, though whether it was pet Gemma or simply be closer to Oliver, Willow couldn't guess.

"She's taken to you better than me," Cypress chuckled. "I think you're the favourite."

"No, she likes you just as much, you just scared her with that explosive potion the other day," Oliver said softly.

"I think she judges my clothing style. She doesn't appreciate my Slytherin robes."

"That's because they aren't shiny."

"I think she just can't stand me being more fabulous than her," Cypress said dramatically, flicking his hair to the side.

Oliver bopped the Slytherin's nose. "I think she's more appreciative than anything, of having two cute dads."

Cypress pretended to pout. "Are you calling me cute?"

"Maybe," Oliver admitted, grinning shyly.

"I'd rather be hot, but maybe your adorableness is rubbing off on me," Cypress grumbled.

"I can deal with that," Oliver said.

He rested his head against Cypress's chest. The Slytherin smiled and kissed his head, then made himself comfortable for a nap. Willow's heart could have burst to see the couple cuddling each other to sleep. She thought she was going to have a heart attack when she saw Miranda and Lisa sleeping in a heap on a nearby couch. Sue, the Smith twins, and Willow exchanged soft smiles. The whole common room seemed warmer now.

When the clock struck one, Willow and the other regrettably awoke the couples. They thought they'd been cute before, but the adorable, sleepy embraces and whisperings of sweet nothings were practically a cuteness overload. Willow had to take a moment to wrap her mind around the fact that four of her friends had found happiness with one another. It was almost hard to believe, but they'd achieved the impossible task of maintaining a stable relationship. Willow was so high on secondhand happiness that she forgot which subject she was writing about. It took fifteen minutes to correct the notes.

The night passed by in a blur of coffee, notes, tea, study guides, more coffee, and finally, sleep, at a bright and early time of four thirty in the morning. Willow wanted to break her watch when her alarm went off at seven thirty, but the sunlight lightened her spirits. She woke up her friends and drug them down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Already, she was feeling the effects of only three hours of sleep; the grogginess was hard to shake off. She drank two cups of black coffee in quick succession, having a feeling that she was going to regret the inevitable intense caffeinated energy burst, but not caring one bit about the consequences. She had an exam to pass, and she couldn't do that if she was half-asleep.

At half-past eight, the fourth years gathered in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Professor Moody explained that their only test would be to successfully break the Imperius Curse. Feverish whispers broke out among the students, but they were quickly silenced when Moody gave them his famous searching look, as if he were staring right into their minds and picking apart their every thought.

"Form a line!" he suddenly barked.

The class scrambled into a haphazard line. While most of the students fought to be in the back, Willow and her friends pushed to the front. Defense Against the Dark Arts was practically the only subject where they had a clue. Their confidence shone through today as they proudly stepped forward and passed their exams with ease.

"Guerrero! You're up!" Moody announced.

Willow stepped forward. She pocketed her wand and, making sure Fidget was well within her pocket, she prepared herself for the incoming Curse. Professor Moody aimed his wand at her.

"On the count of three. One...two...three!"

When the spell hit, Willow was caught off guard. She felt all warm and fuzzy inside. Part of her actually wanted to do the things Moody ordered her to do: handstands, flips, and all manner of impressive athletic moves. She could show off in front of the class. They would love it; it would be a great relief from the stress of exams. She went to step up on a desk, then suddenly came to her senses.

He's catering to my narcissism! How dare he!

Willow turned back to face Professor Moody. She gritted her teeth and fought against the onslaught of encouraging words. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. The temptation was so tantalizing; she could easily do what he wanted, and she would enjoy it while she was at it. But that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to pass her damn exam! Willow concentrated on shoving that invisible connection back toward Moody. Just a little more strength — the walls were crumbling — the force was losing its grip — any minute now — !

Willow gasped. It felt like she'd been doused with an ice-cold bucket of water. Moody's tantalizing choice of words had faded away. She was free from the Curse, and just in time, because the coffee was wearing off, and leaving with it was her mental strength. She'd been sapped of most of her physical strength, too. Willow leaned against a desk to catch her breath.

All of a sudden, the classroom burst into laughter. Willow whirled around only to clap a hand to her mouth. Professor Moody was reenacting what appeared to be a famous scene from a Shakespeare play. His expression was downright furious, which only made the situation funnier, because of the dramatic, somber tone of the quote. Willow wasn't laughing, however. She was rather terrified that Moody would give her a troll for embarrassing him in front of the class.

After what seemed like a millennia of waiting, the effects of the rebounded Imperius Curse ended. Moody brushed himself off and dismissed Willow without reprimand. When she walked by him, however, his magical eye watched her go, and the moment she made eye contact, her scar was on fire. Willow stifled a yelp and slapped her hand over the still-new mark, wishing the sudden pain away.

"See me after class, Guerrero," Moody suddenly mumbled.

Willow couldn't say she was surprised. She had humiliated him, after all. But why did he wait until she was two feet away to say something? Why did seeing her after class have to be such a big secret? Willow rubbed her scar and pondered this on her way out the door. It didn't stop hurting until Moody began working with the next student, and even then, a dull ache reminded her of the weird moment. Willow shook it off as a reaction from working with a Curse and headed to the Great Hall for another cup of coffee.

She returned to the classroom just as the last student finished their exam. She waited for them to leave, then stepped inside to find Moody waiting for her at his desk. He gestured to the chair across from him.

"Have a seat."

Willow did as he asked. Her hand automatically massaged her scar, which had begun to hurt again. Moody stared at her for a long moment, his glass eye unnervingly active. Willow was about to interrupt the silence for her own sanity when the Professor finally spoke.

"Have you been having trouble with that scar?"

Willow was taken off guard. "What scar?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Guerrero. That scar on your neck. It's shaped like Potter's, isn't it?"

"...Yeah, it is. Where did you — ?"

"Pomfrey told me," Moody said, waving off her question. "You scared the banshees out of her. She wanted to make sure someone kept an eye on you." His magical eye focused on her for a moment, then flipped around once again. "So you've been having trouble with the scar lately? Does it ever hurt during the day?"

"Only at times. Usually when — " Willow paused. It would be insensitive to say usually in his classroom, so she rephrased. "Well, when I dream about the incident."

"That's not all, Guerrero. Be out with it. There's no need to hide anything from me. My feelings don't get hurt."

Willow's lips parted. "How did you know?"

"Know what? That your scar hurts whenever you step into my classroom? You rub it constantly, Guerrero. It's not hard to spot."

Willow's face flushed. "I've been working on not hiding how I feel lately. Guess that didn't pay off so well."

"Indeed it did not." Moody examined the scar for a moment. "Does it only hurt when you're in my classroom?"

"...Actually, now that I think about it, yes," Willow admitted. "But I don't know why it would. Harry's scar only hurts when Voldemort is active or near, so I'm assuming the same would happen for me, but you obviously didn't cause this. Mr. Crouch's murderer did."

"Indeed he did...that swine..."

Willow noticed how Moody's face paled slightly. For a moment, she wondered if he had been referring to the murderer or Mr. Crouch with his swine remark, but she dismissed it as folly. Even if he did hate Mr. Crouch, he wasn't alone. Loads of people likely hated the auror for his aggressive methods and disgraced family. Her scar was probably hurting because the murderer was feeling particularly vengeful, and Defense Against the Dark Arts was a blatant reminder of the Dark Magic used against her. Still, Willow's doubt lingered, so she filed it away for later.

"You should keep this between us for now, Guerrero," Moody suggested. "No sense in worrying Dumbledore only a week before term ends. If it continues to bother you, come see me."

"I will."

"Onto your next exam, then."

Willow took that as her cue to leave. The moment she left, the pain went away. She was so shocked she almost stopped short, but to prevent Moody from noticing, she charged forward. Willow's head spun. Why was her scar so insistent lately? It was getting worse as the days went by, exponentially worse, to the point that she would almost rather go into the Divination classroom and be plagued by the customary dull headache. It could only mean that the murderer was on the move; but why would Moody ask her to keep it from Dumbledore, if that was the case? Dumbledore would be able to report it as important information to the aurors!

Mad-Eye's the best auror this side of anywhere. If anyone knows what they're doing, it's him, Willow reminded herself.

She marched off to her Charms exam. The need to focus on something else helped to drive her worries out of her mind. She almost forgot what was upsetting her by the time she got to the practical piece of the exam. But for some reason, the doubt lingered, festered, and began to chip away at her subconscious, and the moment the exam ended, she was overwhelmed by a tsunami of confusion and paranoia.

Time to go to Sirius? Willow thought.

For the love of God, do something! Cebba half-shouted. I can't hear myself think with your thoughts going everywhere!

So Willow went straight to Sirius — well, not exactly straight, considering she had to get past a multitude of curious eyes, gossiping girls, and watchful professors, but since when did she do anything straight? She arrived at the cave in record time. Sirius was wandering aimlessly near the entrance, and Buckbeak was napping upside down in the back of the cave. Both perked up when they heard her footsteps echo against the rocks.

"Willow! What are you doing here? I thought you had exams!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I do, but they're done for the day. I'm here because I told you I'd come to you if I need to talk, and I really need to right now."

"You — what?" Sirius gawked at her. "Your therapy sessions with McGonagall must be working."

"They are...slowly." Willow paced around the cave. "Remember how I got attacked by Mr. Crouch's murderer, got this scar, all that?"

"Yes, yes, very dumb of you."

"Well, it's been hurting lately, similar to how Harry's does, except it only happens when I'm in Professor Moody's classroom. It gets worse and worse with each day. Professor Moody thinks I should not worry Dumbledore with it being so close to the end of term, but I'm not sure this is something I should keep from him. What if it means the murderer is close? The aurors could have a good shot at him! And as unafraid of death as I am, I'm still terrified that the murderer will track me down and finish me off when I'm least expecting it. I can't die until I finish the prophecy!"

Sirius looked genuinely alarmed. "That is strange. Dumbledore should know about this. But if Mad-Eye thinks it's best..." He trailed off, gray eyes storming. "At any rate, it's never a good sign when magical injuries flare up. Don't be quiet about it, Willow. If it continues to hurt, or something out of the ordinary happens, go to Dumbledore right away, no matter what Mad-Eye suggests. His pride may be hurt because he's not the one hunting down Crouch's murderer, and it's clouding his judgement."

"You might be right about that." Willow rubbed her scar again. It still felt foreign to her, like an unexpected scratch that she thought had healed. But it remained there, and over the past few weeks, it had set into her skin, becoming a part of her that she would not be able to leave behind. God, she wanted to leave it behind. The guilt swarmed her heart every time it crossed her mind, even though her friends had forgiven her. At this point, it was just an embarrassment.

Willow didn't know how to deal with embarrassment.

"Speaking of Mad-Eye, has Sally still been hanging around him?" Sirius asked.

Willow derailed her train of thought. "What? Oh, yeah, Sally's been around him even more because of exam season, getting help and whatnot. Now that the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam is over, though, I bet she'll focus on her other classes."

"It's an odd choice in company, but kudos to her for getting those defensive spells mastered. Did she and Sam finally patch it up?"

"It's...complicated. They're getting along as of the current moment, but that's just because of exam season. They're kind of relying on each other for tutoring and exchanging study guides."

"So they can mess up their relationship because of Molly, but God forbid anything happen to their grades. That sounds like Sarah rubbing off on them."

Willow let out a slight chuckle. "She's a good influence on them."

"She's the best of the Hufflepuff lot, that's for sure." Sirius sighed when he noticed the sun setting. "You should probably run along before night falls. McGonagall will have my hide if she find out I kept you out past dark. Send on owl to me if anything happens with Sally and Sam."

"Will do." She turned to go, but Sirius's voice stopped her.

"And Willow?"

She stopped. "Yeah?"

Sirius stepped forward and hugged her. "Don't do anything rash," he warned. "You know best of all what happens when you run into Death Eaters. Don't give them the chance."

Willow clasped Sirius's hand in promise. "I won't."

The young Gryffindor hardly got back to the castle before the Weasley twins swooped by and kidnapped her to the kitchens. Willow had no complaints, to be perfectly honest. She was starving after all the exams and pressing anxiety of the day. When the three stepped inside, the house elves greeted them graciously, with plates full of sweets already zooming in their direction. Willow thanked them profusely as she sampled red velvet cake roll, treacle tart, and apple pie. One house elf even offered her a butterbeer.

"Oh, no thank you, I shouldn't before I study for exams," Willow declined.

"How can you turn down butterbeer?" Fred said incredulously.

"You must be mad!" George teased.

"Trust me, I've lost my mind more than once today," Willow snorted. "How have your exams been going? Getting marks that would make your mum proud? Oh wait, that's the opposite of what you're trying to do."

"Freddy! Do you hear how she's insulting us?"

"I do, George, I hear her. Good thing I put a canary cream on her platter when she wasn't looking."

Willow's eyes widened. "You didn't — !"

She was cut short by an eruption of feathers all over her body. Fred and George burst out laughing. Willow rolled her eyes, though they couldn't see it beneath her fluffy covering. She waddled around, trying to maneuver her hand to grab her wand, but she ended up tripping over a table and falling flat on her face. The twins laughed and laughed until the feathers finally disappeared. Willow sprang to her feet and brushed herself off.

"I deserved that," she admitted. "Good one, guys."

"Don't thank us, Angelina suggested it," Fred explained, winking. "She thought you needed a break after everything that was happening."

"Aw, that was sweet of her." Willow didn't even know that she crossed the chaser's mind. It was heartening to know that the quidditch girls still thought of her.

"She's awful sweet on Freddy lately, that's for certain," George giggled, dodging a swift slap from his brother.

"Oh really?" Willow raised her brows at Fred. "How have things been going with her lately?"

"Brilliant! Just fine! Hey, have you seen the way they redecorated the fireplace down here?" Fred suddenly said, turning on his heel. He walked towards the other side of the room. Willow made eye contact with a smirking George.

"He's hiding something."

"Oh, he's hiding a lot of somethings." George cupped his hands around his mouth. "Dear brother! You wouldn't want me telling Willow all about your little date, would you?"

"They've been on a date?" Willow shrieked.

"You'll regret that!" Fred shouted over his shoulder.

"No, I really won't!" George excitedly turned to Willow. "They went on a date, alright. Broke several schools rules to do it — not enough, if you ask me — and went out to Hogsmeade at night. The owner of Zonko's stayed open just for them. They pranked half the village before they got caught, and even then, they got away with it. I'm pretty sure they stole half the stock of Honeyduke's on their way out."

"We took one sugar quill, George, just the one!" Fred yelled from across the room.

"And I haven't even gotten to the best part yet," George said, completely ignoring his twin. "Freddy and Angelina went out to play quidditch in the middle of the night, and had the audacity not to invite me, so Professor McGonagall caught them. But she walked away."

"No way!" Willow gasped.

"Yes way. And I still haven't gotten to — "

"That's enough, George!" Fred interrupted.

Pretending not to hear his twin, George continued," — the part where he took her back to the Tower, and being a coward as he is, tried to walk away with a simple Good night, and Angelina pulled him back and absolutely snogged him."

"Oh my God, I'm going to have a heart attack and die; Fred got him some!" Willow ran across the room, flipping Fred around to face her. "Why the bloody hell did I not hear about this until now?"

"Because I don't need the whole castle to know about my private life, thank you very much. Gossip can ruin a business, you know."

"Rubbish! You were too embarrassed to tell!"

Fred, going rather pink, retorted emphatically, "I was not!"

"I'm sorry, what were you lying?" Willow laughed when the redhead gaped at her. "Merlin's beard, this is awesome. I've been the subject of teasing since I got to Hogwarts; finally, I get to return the favor! I don't think I've ever seen you blush, Weasley!"

Fred shot a glare at George as he approached. "You're evil."

"You're just as bad."

"Well, this has been a lovely conversation," a familiar voice said behind them, "but if you don't want me to tell the whole school that Fred is a romantic, I require my girlfriend."

Willow and the twins whirled around to find Paige standing in the entrance to the kitchens. Fred instantly shoved the younger Gryffindor forward. "Paige! Thank Merlin! Take her off my hands, please! She's going to be the death of me! And take George while you're at it!"

"It's not my fault that you create the best gossip!" George retorted.

Fred clapped a hand to his heart. "I do not create gossip, you just do a grand job of spreading it!"

"Oh, you're gonna get it, Freddy!"

The twins practically tackled one another. Willow and Paige rolled their eyes as the redheads tumbled all over the kitchen floors. After realizing that the twins weren't going to quit anytime soon, the older girl took Willow by the hand, guiding her toward the door.

"Come on, I've got something to show you."

Willow followed her girlfriend out of the kitchens, through the dungeons, up the stairs, and into the second floor corridor. The place was practically abandoned at this time of day. Willow was about to question why Paige had brought her here when her foot pulled on an invisible wire. Her eyes widened.

"Oh no, wait — !"

Too late. The ceiling tiles broke, and out gushed paint of the most hideous shade of magenta Willow had ever laid eyes on. She tried to cover herself, but it didn't make one bit of difference. Her robes were soaked, her face was coated, and her hair was sopping wet. Willow spat some off her lips.

"¡Qué asco...y rosado, de todas las cosas!" Willow muttered.

She stared from Paige to herself, then back again, and all of a sudden, she burst out laughing. The older girl joined in. Both were busting a gut. It took at least five minutes for them to stop laughing, and by then, their abs were killing them. Willow gave Paige a quick hug just to get the hideous paint all over her, too.

"Oh, great, I don't know the spell to get this off!" Paige groaned.

"Don't worry, I do," Willow said. She muttered a few incantations, and the paint turned into water. "See? Now you're just wet." Paige cocked a brow at her. Willow gasped and covered Paige's mouth. "Don't you dare say something dirty. I'm not going to deal with that right now."

"Aw, but I love dirty," Paige whined. "Can you at least pretend to like it for a second?"

Willow suddenly whirled Paige around and pinned her up against the wall. The older girl gasped, causing Willow to smirk. "I don't like to talk dirty, but I never said anything about playing dirty."

Paige smiled. "Damn good thing, too."

Willow pressed her lips against Paige's. Soon, Willow was kissing her rougher, and her hands were gradually roaming downward. Paige gasped lightly when Willow's hands brushed her waist. The older girl parted their lips for a moment to shoot Willow a rather naughty look and eye the broom closet nearest them.

"Want a little more privacy?" Paige asked.

"Wouldn't mind if I do," Willow teased.

The girls slipped inside, and the moment they were alone, Willow was kissing Paige again. She backed Paige against the wall, and now her hands roamed her girlfriend's body freely. Paige sighed contentedly as Willow's hands found her chest. Her lips moved in sync with her girlfriend's. Willow's tongue brushed Paige's lips ever so briefly, and then they were snogging in a broom closet, something Willow never would have thought possible, but here they were.

Willow held Paige shoulders as she kissed her neck. The older girl sucked in a breath as Willow moved to her collarbone. Then she moved down, and down, until Paige let out a delightfully sinful moan. Willow smirked. She reconnected their lips, and Paige's body moved against hers. Willow couldn't help the slight gasp she made when Paige's hands gripped her lower hips. She was feeling something she'd never felt before, but it was faint. Was it a desire for more, perhaps?

Paige suddenly flipped Willow around, and it was her turn to be shocked. The older girl roughly kissed Willow against the wall. She nipped her lips, caressed her chest, and all-around pleasured Willow in ways she didn't know she desired. Paige smirked against her lips when Willow let out a small, almost imperceptible moan.

"I thought you were fighting to be the top," Paige teased.

"I'm putting my happiness at the forefront lately, and right now, I'm really happy with you kissing me," Willow said.

"Good thing I don't plan to stop."

They must have been in there, snogging the daylights out of each other, for a good ten minutes before they emerged, red in the face and extremely messy-haired. When they looked at one another, they absolutely guffawed. Willow brushed her fingers through her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. Paige, however, wore hers with pride, seeming to enjoy the double-takes people did as she walked by. When they arrived back at Gryffindor Tower, Fred and George waggled their eyebrows at the pair.

"I see you two had fun."

"Which broom closet?"

Willow chucked a pillow at them as she settled on a nearby couch. "The one outside the Charms classroom."

"Brilliant. I'll suggest it to Angelina for you, Freddy," George teased.

"Do that, and I won't have a twin much longer!" Fred warned.

"What a shame. I guess I'll have to move on with immense guilt," George sighed.

"No need, George, Fred is mine to off now," Angelina chuckled, suddenly appearing behind the twins. George absolutely guffawed to see his twin fall off his chair. "What, can't handle public humiliation, Fred?"

"It's not humiliating if you can take a joke," Fred said, recovering flawlessly.

"Good thing this isn't a joke, then."

Angelina snogged Fred then and there. The redhead was so shocked at first that he froze, then with a gentle prod from Angelina, he passionately kissed her back. George was laughing so hard he was wheezing. Paige and Willow couldn't feel their abs. The whole common room gawked at the sight of Fred, the carefree jokester that couldn't possibly take anything seriously, making a public display of affection. His face was so red that it nearly matched his hair. Willow had never seen Fred enjoy himself so thoroughly as he was right now.

She was rather glad her powers allowed her to feel happiness, because this was the happiest she'd felt in a very long time.


	75. Year 4: Chapter 14

Exam season had never sucked as bad as it did this year. Willow felt like she was drowning in knowledge that she simply couldn't organize because of its sheer volume. By the night before the Third Task, she wanted to curl up into a ball and forget that school ever existed. But Sally and Sam got her off the common room couch at six to go study some more. Willow begrudgingly didn't refuse.

Surprisingly enough, she was relieved to go to her therapy session at seven. It was a break from studying; anything, even talking about her feelings, was better than studying right now. Willow entered the secret room five minutes early, and her creatures bounded over to her in greeting. Griffin flapped his wings to beg for pets, even though Phoebe had already climbed on Willow's back and demanded the same thing. She gave them both the attention they deserved. V, Patch, Felicity, and the fire-dwelling salamander greeted Fidget with their typical enthusiasm. They nearly tackled the poor bowtruckle in their excitement.

"Merlin, I don't spend enough time with you guys," Willow muttered. "Good thing summer's coming up, huh? Then I can spend all the time I want with you."

Griffin bobbed his head up and down in approval. Willow ruffled the feathers on his head with a grin. Then, seeing as she stopped petting Phoebe, the demiguise gently slapped in in the face. Willow gaped at her.

"Did you seriously just slap me because you're needy?"

The demiguise turned invisible. Willow felt the pressure leave her shoulders. A few meters away, a can of paint brushes made a loud clang! as it tumbled over. The Gryffindor crossed her arms.

"Phoebe. Come back here, girl. I'm not mad at you."

Slowly, the demiguise revealed herself. Her silvery fur swished as she maneuvered her way back to Willow. When she was close enough, she held her hand out to the Gryffindor, revealing a crumpled-up piece of paper. Willow cautiously took it.

"Phoebe, what is this?" she asked. The demiguise didn't respond. After a few beats of silence, Phoebe began to unfold the paper for her. Willow glanced up at her. "You want me to look at it."

Phoebe's nod was all Willow needed. She smoothed out the piece of parchment until she could read the messy scrawl on it. Her eyes traced the words, each one another thorn in her heart. It was Sally's handwriting. This wasn't a letter, by the looks of it, but it was definitely poetry. Willow's heart ached something fierce when she was finished reading. There was no need to read between the lines; each one was a clear cry for help, a desperate call for intervention, an outcry of silent suffering.

Sally's never written poetry before. What on Earth could make her hurt so bad that she had to write this? And why would she have to throw it away?

Willow didn't get the chance to contemplate it further. Professor McGonagall and Oliver entered the room at that moment, forcing Willow to stuff the parchment in her pocket. Her mood instantly improved at the sight of the brown bag in McGonagall's hand. Chocolate was now a regular provision at their therapy sessions, seeing as they had a tendency to improve moods and settle storming minds. Willow instantly popped a dark chocolate truffle in her mouth as they settled at the table.

"Alrighty, what deep dark emotional trauma shall we go over tonight?" she teased.

"Considering you're in a rather good mood, perhaps we should try a topic you've been avoiding?" McGonagall suggested. "Your stint at the Ministry is still something you avoid."

Willow sighed. "Fine, but only because you brought me my favorite chocolates."

She launched into the story of her last week of third year. She started right from the beginning, when she received the warning during Divination about Frodi. She went through the ensuing chaos, which involved using McGonagall's fireplace, the fighting, George showing up to save them, and then the tense standoff. Willow had to grit her teeth to get through the part where she stabbed herself to secure the release of Paige and George. McGonagall's hand flew to her mouth.

"Forgive me for being so stern, Willow, but never, under any circumstances, are you to do that again. Nothing in this world is worth you taking your own life, not even a standoff against Death Eaters. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor," Willow sighed.

"Very well. Continue, please."

"Well, after that, Grace attacked Molly and Lucius, and they released Paige and George. I sent them through the floo network first, then was about to go, too, when I noticed that Grace was acting really off. I found her tossing Molly and Lucius into the dungeon. She was back to being my mum again. Whatever spell-potion-thing they have on her had temporarily worn off. She sat on the steps in me and asked if I'd gotten into Slytherin, and she — she was proud I'd gotten into Gryffindor. She was confused as to why I was so much older, like she had amnesia over the past five years. She remember me as nine."

Oliver gripped Willow's hand. She smiled softly at him. "Then Alex and his thugs attacked us. They knocked out my mum, and tried to kill me, but I managed to escape with my mum. We only got to the living room when my Aunt Margaret found us. I was too weak from blood loss, so she knocked me out, and next thing I know, I woke up in the Ministry dungeons. Fudge took me to a conference room and showed me a tape of my attack on the Fawley mansion. I know now that if was fake, but at that moment, I thought all the bloodshed was real."

"And how did that affect you, Willow?" McGonagall asked.

Willow's face paled. "I felt like I was going to throw up. I thought my powers had attacked without me knowing. I — I felt like a monster." She shook her head. "I've always felt like one, though, since my powers attacked Fred and George one time while I was angry."

"Why do you feel like a monster, Willow?"

"Because half the time, my emotions are too out-of-control to stop, and they cause my powers protect me. My powers can do awful, terrible things. They may heal, but they're even better at destroying."

"Is it your fault that you carry a blood curse?" McGonagall pointed out. "Is it your fault that you haven't gotten proper help for your emotions? Is it your fault that your powers react the way they do?" McGonagall shook her head. "You are doing the best you can with pressing circumstances. The things that you believe to make you a monster really make you powerful, Willow. Think about how incredible these powers will be when you learn to live with you emotions! They will not hurt, but protect, in the way that you want them to."

"You're not a monster, Willow. You never were," Oliver said.

The young Gryffindor cracked a smile. "I guess you're right."

She continued with the rest of her story. She got to the part where her mother was tortured in front of her, and with great difficulty, she shoved three pieces of chocolate into her mouth, then drew the words out into the open. The account was so emotional that Oliver was crying only five seconds in. Willow pushed on to talk about the occlumency failure in the dungeons later that day. The memory of being tortured and accidentally giving up Sirius nearly brought her to her knees.

"Why do you blame yourself for giving up Sirius?" McGonagall said softly.

Willow looked up in confusion. "How can I not? They got him out of my head!"

"But they tortured you for that information, brutally," McGonagall reminded her. "Just because you can handle pain does not mean you can handle magical methods of torture. They are on completely different scales. And to fight against that torture while trying to use occlumency is impossible for everyone short of Merlin. You cannot possibly blame yourself, Willow. You fought them off as long as you could."

Willow blinked slowly. Only Merlin could have won in her situation? She reevaluated the outcome and realized she had done as much as she could. She'd stopped them from getting all the information about Sirius — and it saved his life.

"I guess...it wasn't my fault?" she whispered.

"Nope," Oliver confirmed. "Still not your fault. It never was."

"Huh. That's good news."

Willow finished the story with a quick wrap-up of the events that went down after Fred, George, Lee, and Paige came to her rescue. She winced at McGonagall's and Oliver's reactions to her stupid, stupid idea of giving herself up to Molly, but continued anyway. Her heart warmed to remember the sight of every single one of her friends showing up for her defense. It was the most beautiful display of the lives she'd changed. She made sure to tell this to McGonagall, which made the professor smile proudly.

The aftermath was fairly easy to go over: Deandra and Frodi showing up, revealing that the former was not dead, and saving the inexperienced kids, then traveling through the floo network, collapsing from the infection in her stab wound, waking up chained to a bed in the hospital wing, Hermione and Harry helping her break out, and going on the run with Sirius, Deandra, and Frodi. Willow wiped the sweat off her brow when she was finished.

"That was chaotic just talking about it, I forgot how crazy that day was," she chuckled.

"You certainly went through a lot in only three days," McGonagall sighed. "And what have you learned from that experience?"

"That I'm stronger than I think. That my friends are the best people on Earth. That facing down high officials usually doesn't work. That I really shouldn't offer up my life to Death Eaters, and I should never trust Fudge. Merlin's beard, that man has issues."

Professor McGonagall raised a brow. "And?"

Willow sighed. "And that absolutely none of it was my fault."

"Do you truly believe that?"

Willow sat back for a moment. She quickly recapped the events in her head, and to her surprise, it didn't yank at her heart nearly as much as it used to. In fact, the memory had become just that: a memory, with minimal emotions attached to it. Willow's face slowly broke into a wide, relieved grin.

"Yeah. I actually do. It wasn't my fault, and I strongly believe that now."

Oliver laughed brightly and hugged her tight. Professor McGonagall gazed at her with a warm expression on her unusually happy face. Willow beamed from ear to ear. For the first time in a long time, she felt really, truly, happy. She was proud of the long way she'd come since going to these therapy sessions. Why hadn't she started these sooner? What on Earth was she thinking, ignoring her friends' pleas? Therapy was awesome! She got to finally feel half-alive again, and not tied down by mistakes that weren't even her fault in the first place!

"I believe that is enough for today," McGonagall said. "You've come a very long way since our first session. Our last one of the year will be next Monday. Well done, Willow."

"Thank you, Professor."

Professor McGonagall gave Willow one last proud smile, then left her and Oliver to themselves. The Hufflepuff immediately engulfed Willow in an enormous hug. She embraced him back so tightly that she thought she'd break his ribs. The two of them did a happy sort of jig/skip around the secret room, causing the creatures to peer at them oddly. Willow laughed like a child and ran over to her creatures, ruffling their fur one by one. They cocked their heads in confusion as she scrambled up their tree and whooped at the top of her lungs.

"I did it! I'm actually making progress!" Willow shouted.

"You're actually happy for once!" Oliver shrieked.

"I FORGOT HOW AWESOME HAPPINESS FEELS!" Willow cheered, hanging upside down in the tree.

"Oh my God, Willow, look!" Oliver gasped, pointing at her midsection. Her shirt had slid down to reveal a virtually normal sight. The dark splotches had nearly disappeared. "Your powers are healing!"

"YES, YES, YES, YES! FINALLY! I can feel again!" Willow hollered. "Dunno if that extends to sadness, but who cares? I'M FREAKING HAPPY!"

The siblings danced around the room for at least ten minutes, so high on their happiness that they hardly noticed the time passing at all. They acted like complete children, and it felt incredible. They laughed, they sang, they made up goofy moves. The elation circling Willow's heart was so powerfully genuine, she could hardly believe it was real. Because it had been so long since she felt like this. It had been years, at least five, since she'd let herself go. And it felt awesome.

Then why don't you do this all the time? Cebba pointed out. What's stopping you?

An existential crisis. But the prophecy can wait! I don't care anymore! Willow thought.

The Hufflepuff and the Gryffindor lost track of time in that beautiful moment. If life had a colour, Willow would have called it yellow, because in that moment, for once in her life, everything was bright, and cheery, and safe, and optimistic, and so, so, happy. She popped a few more chocolates in her mouth just because she could. She drew an awful photograph and giggled when she dumped a blob of paint on it. She spun in a circle with Oliver, she climbed into the rafters, and she danced with her creatures even when they didn't want to. She broke every rule holding her back, left her bindings behind, sprung herself from the prison she was keeping herself in.

And she never wanted to go back.

Willow's eyes snapped open in the middle of the night. She checked her watch to see that she'd only been asleep for three hours, and that was after she managed to settle herself down. She wondered what on Earth had woken her up at this hour, out of a dead sleep, when she heard the faint sound of a crackling fire.

Who started a fire at four in the morning?

Carefully tiptoeing through the mess that was her dormitory (exam season had torn through it like a tornado), she slipped through the door and made sure to shut it behind her. The fireplace was indeed alight with a smile fire. The dancing flames mesmerized Willow's sleepy brain. She quietly crept down the stairs, sure that she was going to run into one of the seventh years, but instead finding none other than the messy-haired resident celebrity of Gryffindor sitting in the round windowsill.

"Harry? What are you doing up?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin. His glasses fell off his face as he fell with a soft thump onto the floor. Willow cupped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. She handed Harry his glasses when he started fumbling for them, the Champion still in a rather flighty mood.

"Blimey, Willow, you're quieter than Hermione when she reads her Ancient Runes textbook."

"I don't think anyone can get into negative decibels like she can," Willow chuckled. "What's keeping you up? You're not usually one to get scared out of his wits."

"Stupid Tournament," Harry muttered. "I don't want to go through some rubbish maze and find a dumb cup. I just want this year to be over."

"Hey, no need to be all grumpy about it. You don't have to take any of these horrendous exams. They're awful this year, Harry, I'm telling you. They're out to get us this time. Consider yourself lucky."

"Considered." Harry rubbed his forehead. "I can't help but feel that something horrible is going to happen. My scar hasn't hurt this much since the end of second year. And with all that's going on around us — Mr. Crouch murdered, Bertha Jorkins missing, disappearances, rumors, disturbances — it all feels like a storm's about to break."

"Dumbledore warned me that something was coming," Willow whispered. "He warned me against myself, actually, but it's scary to think that Voldemort and his goons are coming for us, mere children, and they won't show any mercy."

Harry shivered involuntarily. "Just wonderful. It's making it difficult to focus on this Tournament, you know? I've actually prepared this time, but if something happens, I don't think any amount of defensive spells will be enough to stop him. I doubt anything will happen, though, with Dumbledore and Moody and half the Ministry around, but that only makes the Tournament seem pointless compared to what's happening in the real world."

"Maybe that is the point." Harry shot her an odd look. "Think about it. If you can put your mind to a seemingly impossible task, then succeed, despite what's happening all around you, you've proven you're stronger than the opposition. Rumors are just words. Whispers can fade away with the wind. Learning to not worry about the what if's and the what could be and focusing on the here and now; that's what this Tournament will give you, Harry. It forces you to simply do."

"There is no time to think, I'll give you that," Harry chortled. He sighed, his fingers grazing his scar once more. "I just wish my head would stop reminding me. Then I would be able to focus."

"What do you mean?"

"I had a worrying dream recently. Remember when I left Divination early, a few days back?" Willow nodded. "Well, I had a weird dream. I don't want to go into detail, but it was extremely not good. I went to Dumbledore about it. I'm not sure if what I saw was a warning, a vision, or something else, but whatever it was, it took me off guard. I'm not sure if I can deal with it coming true."

"You can deal with it, Harry."

Harry turned to look at her. "How do you know that for sure?"

"Because you have survived too much and come too far for some subconscious melodrama to take you out. You are strong, Harry, much stronger than I'll ever be. I've never lost a parent, or lived under a cupboard, or stared Voldemort in the face, or even watched my godfather's chance at redemption walk away. But you have, and you're still here, living and feeling and having a good time."

"For the most part," Harry snorted.

Willow rolled her eyes. "My point is, you're stronger than you think. You were born the product of two brave souls, and you haven't let them down. You've already proven yourself time and time again. Tomorrow, you just have to go out there and prove that you're the best wizard in Hogwarts one more time."

"But I'm not the best wizard at Hogwarts. Cedric is way better than me."

"The best wizards aren't measured by their knowledge, Harry. They're measure by their heart, and their courage to do what's right, even when everyone else is telling them it's wrong."

"But I take the easy way out all the time. I procrastinated the second task until ten minutes beforehands. I've had help with everything. How am I supposed to be as strong when I'm on my own?"

"Because you're a survivor, Harry. You have the scar to prove it."

Willow brushed her thumb over Harry's scar. He watched her carefully, a contemplative expression lightening his features. Willow didn't want to be rude, so she dropped her hand, but Harry didn't seem to be embarrassed. In fact, he brushed Willow's hair aside to reveal her own scar. For once, the guilt left her alone as Harry lightly brushed his finger over the mark.

"You're strong too, Willow. Don't forget that."

"I'm not strong. I had to go through several weeks of therapy recently just to relearn how to feel happiness."

"You may not have had my past, but you've had one heck of your own. Don't compare yourself to me. It's not a competition." Harry suddenly smirked. "But if it was, I'd win."

"Yeah right. When I get my powers to resurface, the first thing I'm doing is sending a dragon after you. The First Task was beginner's luck."

Harry scoffed. "Like you'd do any better!"

"You're right, I would have transformed into a dragon myself, taken down the Horntail, and stolen its eggs while it was passed out. Easy peasy."

"Not fair! I don't have those kinds of powers!" Harry complained.

"Cry about it."

"No thanks. According to Rita Skeeter, I do that enough as it is."

Willow and Harry burst out laughing. They only quieted down when they realized they might wake the whole of Gryffindor Tower. Willow let out a content sigh as they settled down.

"Oh, I forget how nice your sarcasm is. I wish I could talk to you more often, Harry."

"It's not your fault that you have too many crazy friends. I fill the void with talking to Sirius."

Willow suddenly gasped. "That reminds me! Did you know my dad asked Sirius to be my godfather as well?" Harry's jaw dropped. "I know, right? Why in the heck would he chose the man that ran away from the Ministry with me and has the whole of England looking for him?"

"I guess your family just thrives in chaos," Harry said, shrugging.

"It's a wonder our family name wasn't derived from the word." Willow unwillingly yawned, causing Harry to inevitably do the same. "Ugh, we need to get to sleep. You have glory to bring to Gryffindor tomorrow."

"And you have something equally important?" Harry teased.

"Yes, passing my exams. It's critical for my future as a magizoologist that I know exactly what time Uric the Oddball stormed onto Bulgar the Vulgar's territory."

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be important?"

Willow let out a small laugh. "It's always good to talk to you. Goodnight, godbrother."

"See you tomorrow morning, godsister."

Willow could have sworn the clock broke during her last exam. The seconds stretched into minutes, and minutes into hours, but when she checked her watch, hardly any time passed at all. Willow groaned and bashed her head against her desk. The things she would do to turn invisible right now so she could leave. The sunlight streaming through the classroom windows, the warm, gentle breeze, and the whisper of the leaves in the trees called to her from afar. She was so close to freedom she could taste it.

There has to be something wrong with that clock, Willow thought.

Nope. There's just no patience left in you, Cebba teased.

You're not helping! Shush!

I'm certainly helping! I make the time go faster!

Every second I argue with you takes an hour off my lifespan. Now shush, I'm going to write sappy poetry so I can laugh at it.

Cebba's distant laugh echoed in the back of Willow's mind. The poetry did the trick — the end of the exam period arrived unexpectedly fast. When the bell finally rang, a massive cheer went up through the whole school. Willow ran out of the classroom with the rest of her year. They stampeded through the corridors, their giddy excitement written all over their faces. When they passed by the Great Hall, Willow's jaw dropped to see Bill and Mrs. Weasley sitting at the Gryffindor table with Harry.

"Mrs. Weasley! Bill! What are you guys doing here?" Willow gasped.

"We came to see Harry in the Third Task!" Mrs. Weasley explained.

"Can't let him go without a proper sendoff, can we?" Bill said.

Willow suddenly noticed that the other three Champions and their parents were present as well. Her heart sank to realize Harry's parents should be here, cheering their son on to glory, but it rose right back up again to know that Mrs. Weasley considered Harry one of her own. Willow spent a few minutes catching up with the Weasleys, wished Harry luck, then headed back to her dormitory, where a rather "important" Gryffindor Sister meeting was taking place. Lavender had summoned them for it, which in Willow's mind could only mean trouble.

"Alright, girls, it's time!" Lavender exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "Today's the day I finally get Benigno!"

"Seriously? You're still after him?" Willow groaned.

"Quiet, Willow! No one asked for you opinion on my love life!" Willow rolled her eyes, which Lavender ignored. "As you know, Benigno always heads right back to the Beauxbatons carriage after dinner, so we'll pull him aside on his way. Parvati, Sally, Willow, and Hermione will distract him with academic talk, since he's oh so interested in Herbology, while Mia, Fay, and I just happen to walk by. Sally will drop the hint that I'm into him, and that he should ask me out before it's too late, while Mia and Fay make me look super cute and funny. He'll just have to ask me out, right?"

"If you say so," Hermione said, shooting Willow a helpless glance.

"PERFECT! Now, who knows how to do eyeliner properly?"

Minutes later, they were off, a giggly bunch of not-so-inconspicuous teenage girls. Willow face palmed at least three times before they even reached the Entrance Hall. They found Benigno at the Ravenclaw table, deep in conversation with a sixth year girl. They were talking about their research projects, which both involved lesser-known magical creatures, and it sounded so interesting Willow was tempted to ditch her roommates and join in. But she had to do this for them. She was a Sister; personal sacrifices were an unfortunate requirement.

Thankfully, the plan went awry when Lavender became too obvious. Willow decided to step in before her roommate could make a fool of herself in front of half the school. She kicked a nearby plate high into the air, then exploded it with a simple charm.

"FOOD FIGHT!"

The Great Hall burst into chaos. Food was thrown everywhere over light-hearted taunts. Willow produced a magical umbrella from her wand, then ran into the thick of the fight, finding Benigno taking shelter under the table. She grabbed him by the hand and yanked him to his feet.

"Run, quick!" she hissed, dragging the French boy along behind her.

"Willow! Thank Merlin, I thought I was done for!" he chuckled. "They just wouldn't leave me alone!"

"I'm rather glad to be away from my roommates for a moment. They've been downright insane lately. Have you seen Yrsa today?"

"She was at the greenhouse, last I checked, finishing up some sort of research project."

Willow led the way down the path. They searched a few of the greenhouses, finding Yrsa in the last one. She was just putting away a venomous tentacula when they walked in. The plant grabbed her wrist when she tried to wave.

"Stop it! I won't give you your favorite plant food if you don't behave, stupid!" Yrsa threatened. The plant's spiky tendrils snaked back into their respective pot. "Thank you. Tentaculas and their lack of respect...God..." She brushed her hands off on her apron, tossed it in the washbasin, then finally made her way to her friends. "Benigno, Willow! How have you been?"

"Surviving classes, escaping roommates, the usual," Willow said, shrugging.

"If you think your roommates are bad, try spending the year on a boat with a bunch of enthused imbeciles," Yrsa grumbled. "They kept me up all night. Something about encouraging Viktor before the Task."

"Thank God you have me, then," Benigno said slyly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself there, French boy. I've got your number," Yrsa teased.

Willow raised a brow. "I definitely missed something. What happened there?"

Benigno reddened. "I may or may not have challenged her to an intellectual dual...and lost."

"Miserably," Yrsa added. She poked him in the chest. "Points for effort, but you're still an idiot."

"As long as I'm still a lovable idiot, I'm alright with that," Benigno remarked, purposely messing up Yrsa's hair.

"Man, I can't believe I missed that! I would have paid real money to watch." Willow shook her head. "Anyway, it's gorgeous outside, so we should go for a walk."

"Agreed," Benigno said.

The trio had a lovely walk about the grounds. It turned out that Yrsa and Benigno had grown exponentially closer over the last several months. They found a common interest in magical flora and fauna to the point where they shared a research project. They'd become best friends in the blink of an eye, like they were always meant to find one another. Now, both the Durmstrang and the Beauxbatons students wanted to travel to South America together to research invasive species in the Amazon Rainforest. Willow congratulated them both for finding their path in the world.

"What about you, Willow? Got any cool plans after you graduate?" Yrsa asked.

"I mean, it's a while off, but I'm certain I'll become a magizoologist," Willow said confidently.

With perfect timing, Fidget peeked out of her pocket, and Ruby and Sapphire began chasing each other around her shoulders. Fidget chattered at them, evidently annoyed by the look on his tiny face, but it did nothing to curb the excitement of the miniature dragons. Willow separated the pair before they could burn a hole through her robes.

"What on Earth would make you so certain, I wonder?" Benigno teased.

Yrsa held her hand out to the Chinese Fireball, who jumped on her as if she was a long-lost friend. The strong girl laughed as the dragon sneezed. "I'm going to miss these cute creatures of yours, Willow."

"Me too," Benigno sighed, allowing Fidget to nestle on his collarbone. "I never would have discovered my love of bowtruckles without Fidget here."

"It's not like it's goodbye forever," Willow pointed out. "We're just parting ways. I'm sure I'll see you two again. Send me an owl whenever you're in England — better yet, whenever you feel like it. Just stay in touch. I want to hear all about your crazy adventures."

"Let's hope they're not too crazy. I rather like my silk robes," Benigno chuckled.

"Oh, get over it, ya big baby, you're the best tailor I've ever seen," Yrsa remarked, elbowing Benigno in the side. "You'll probably be sewing my shirt back together more often than not."

"Anything for you, you crazy Norwegian."

Maybe this Tournament wasn't so pointless after all, Willow thought.

Willow flopped into her four-poster. Whiling away the day was more exhausting than she thought it would be. She was so used to being on the go that when she had time to waste, it felt weird. She was glad her dormmates were out, because she needed a break, not necessarily from them, but...she just needed zero drama for a few seconds.

Willow, your whole life is a reality TV show, Cebba chortled.

Shut up. It's much more interesting than a bunch of insecure women fighting over a sulky man. Besides, I don't even like reality TV, and I kind of like my life.

Do you, though?

Hey, I can't complain about it being boring, can I?

Willow sat up and glanced around the dormitory. In a week's time, she would be on the train home, looking forward to another summer with her family. Maybe she could convince Paige to stay with her for a while. She would write to her friends daily, try to keep up her therapy sessions, and spoil her creatures rotten. Abuelo would love Sapphire; Chinese Fireballs were his favorite.

Maybe this year will actually end positive for once.

Fidget suddenly squeaked. Willow glanced down to see that the bowtruckle had fallen out of her pocket and landed under Sally's bed. How he'd managed to slide so far, she had no idea, but she had to rescue him nonetheless. Willow lowered herself to the floor, stretching her arm under the bed for Fidget to climb on.

"Come on, Fidget, I've got you," she soothed.

The bowtruckle shook his head. He pointed toward a pile of crumpled-up papers. Willow's smile flattened.

"Fidget, I'm not going to go snooping through Sally's things. That's private."

Fidget stomped his little feet, as if insisting that she picked up the papers. When Willow told him no, the bowtruckle forcibly pushed the papers into her lap. Then, he began to unflatten a piece of parchment, revealing a few words. Willow immediately folded it over, much to Fidget's fury.

"Look, I'm not going to betray Sally's trust, alright? She's given me no reason to — "

Willow froze. There was a word on the page that she couldn't possibly miss. Her heart stopped at the sight of it.

Ayúdame.

Help me. In Spanish.

Willow was the only one who knew Spanish in the dormitory.

Sally was asking specifically for her help.

Willow unfolded the paper, her eyes scanning the hastily written notes. Most of them had been crossed out and rewritten at least five times. It looked like Sally was in a huge hurry, but she was struggling to find the words to say, and contemplating whether to say them or not. Willow tried to string together meaning from the meaningless documents. Barty Crouch Jr alive — a paranoid man — Mr. Crouch's burial — the flask potion — a spy — the list pretty much ended there. Willow racked her brain, but came up with nothing. It was pure nonsense.

But why, then, would she ask for my help, and so mysteriously?

Willow checked her watch. It was nearly time for her last health check of the year. Pomfrey would tear the castle apart to find her if she didn't show up, so she had to go. Willow crumpled up the parchment pieces and tossed them under the bed. She placed Fidget in her pocket, patting him gently.

"Good bowtruckle, very good bowtruckle," Willow whispered.

She made her way to the hospital wing, mind swimming with chaotic trains of thought. Sally had been missing for a few hours now. Sam was looking all over the castle for her. Those notes had to have been written right before she disappeared. She could be in trouble — but she can't have left the castle, someone would have seen her. And someone can't have abducted her, not with Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall on high alert. Maybe that's just it — maybe Sally wasn't abducted at all, but she was being used as part of the Task, just like Hermione and Ron were used for the second one, and she wanted to give Willow a message to deliver to Harry.

Good try, Sally, but I'm not cheating for Harry's sake. He's got this one in the bag, anyway.

Willow arrived at the hospital wing with a minute to spare. Madam Pomfrey was already set up. She ushered Willow directly to her bed (it was nearly her own, with as many times as she'd used it this year) and got to work. Willow hoped and prayed that no one would walk in while she had her shirt off — though if it was Paige, she'd be delighted.

"You've done well, Willow," Pomfrey said. "The magical concentration levels have gone down in all areas. You seem to be halfway to reversing the damage. Your therapy has been working."

"It better have. I've never had more difficulty speaking in my life," Willow sighed.

"How has your scar been? Any issues?" Pomfrey asked, examining the pink zig-zag. "It looks more inflamed than usual."

"Actually, it's been hurting like crazy whenever I get near Professor Moody's classroom," Willow admitted. "It's alright, though. Nothing unusually painful. I'm glad you told him about it, though, because that would have been awkward to explain how I got it."

Pomfrey's forehead creased. "I didn't tell him about your scar, or how you got it."

"What? No, you must have, he said you told him so he could keep an eye on it."

"Willow, I assure you, I didn't tell him anything. The only staff who know are the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall."

Willow's mind went into overdrive. Pomfrey clearly wasn't lying; it wasn't in her nature. So how had Professor Moody discovered her secret? And why would he lie about how he knew, then tell her not to go to Dumbledore? It was so out of character for such a paranoid man to deny Willow access to more vigilance.

WAIT. 'A paranoid man' was in Sally's notes. Moody must be who she was referring to. Willow recalled the words around it: Barty Crouch Jr. alive and Mr. Crouch's burial. It seemed like Sally was connecting them through Professor Moody, but how? He'd been there during the whole incident, of course. He arrived shortly after Professor Dumbledore and the rest, according to Harry, so he couldn't have known that Willow went after the murderer.

That doesn't get me anywhere...

Something about the way Moody had ordered her to stay quiet bothered her. If Dumbledore and McGonagall didn't tell him, it was for a reason. So why would Moody not want to own up? Why would he want Willow to not give possibly vital information about the murderer? Dumbledore had told her to report to him if it ever hurt, so he could analyze what it meant. Why would Moody deny that?

If he had something to hide...

Willow recalled two more words: the flask potion — a spy. Moody always had a flask on his hip. He only drank from the flask, and nothing else. She'd figured that was a safety precaution, but what if it was a potion? And why would Sally pair that with a spy? What kind of potion would a spy use, anyway? Invisibility? Sensory enhancing?

Polyjuice. Willow was sure of it. Polyjuice potion was the ultimate potion for a spy. So Sally was hinting that Moody drank polyjuice potion. She'd spent enough time with him that she would know. That meant Moody wasn't actually Alastor Moody. So who was he?

Oh my God. Willow's heart stop. The pieces fit together faster than she could blink. Polyjuice potion — Barty Crouch Jr. — a spy — Mr. Crouch's burial — it all came together so quickly that Willow could hardly process it. Barty Crouch Jr. was alive. He was taking Polyjuice potion to act as Professor Moody and spy within the Hogwarts grounds. He'd killed his own father when he showed up. He knew about Willow's scar because he was the one who gave it to her. He tried to cover it up by telling her not to go to Dumbledore, and he pretended to look for the murderer to keep his own trail cold. But Sally had picked up on his trail from the beginning. She'd been working with him, not to master defensive spells, but to study him. She'd figured him out. Now, she'd gotten caught, and she was in mortal danger. If Sam had gone after her, he was in the middle of it, too.

"Oh my God," Willow breathed.

Her feet hit the floor running. Pomfrey shrieked for Willow to come back, but she ignored the poor woman. She sprinted through the corridors at top speed, knocking over statues, breaking vases, bulldozing students, and the like. It all faded to nothing in the face of Sally's danger. Willow's heart hammered in her ears as she skidded around a corner. She knocked over another second-year, but she didn't care. She had to get to the Gryffindor common room. She had to tell Paige.

The Fat Lady didn't even ask for a password. She swung aside to let Willow through. The young Gryffindor sprinted up the stairs, yanked open Paige's door, and slammed it behind her. The older girl sprang to her feet.

"What's up?" Paige said seriously.

"It's the Smith twins," Willow panted. "They're in danger. Sally hasn't been studying with Professor Moody this whole time, she's been studying him, and she figured out something terrible. Moody isn't Moody. He's Barty Crouch Jr., who is somehow alive and disguising himself with Polyjuice Potion. He's been spying from within Hogwarts grounds this whole time. I think Sally disappeared because Moody kidnapped her. If Sam went after her, he's in just as much danger."

Paige's eyes widened. "I'm going with you."

"No, I need you to go to Professor Dumbledore, immediately," Willow said firmly. "He needs to know so he can send help. Maybe I can distract Moody long enough to buy time for reinforcements."

"Willow, the Third Task is minutes away, I'll never get to him in time," Paige retorted.

"Paige, please, you have to do this. For me," Willow pleaded.

The older girl searched her eyes for a long moment. Then she pulled Willow into a passionate kiss, holding her like it was their last moment on Earth. A single tear rolled down Paige's cheek and lingered on Willow's lips, even after she pulled away.

"You can't die on me, you got that?" Paige breathed.

"I won't, Paige. I promise."

"Why do I have a feeling you're going to break that promise?" Paige said shakily.

"Because you miss me more when you worry," Willow chuckled, a half-smirk lighting up her face. "I love you, Paige."

"I love you too."

Willow squeezed her girlfriend's hands one last time, then she turned away, running into her dormitory. She dressed herself in all black, carefully stored her potions in her pockets, and fastened her locket tight around her neck. Then she was gone again, sprinting toward Moody's office, wand in hand. The castle was practically empty now. She didn't encounter a single soul. That was, until she passed Professor McGongall's office.

"Alohamora!"

Willow whirled around to see a shadow slip into McGonagall's office. She flattened herself against the wall. Crouching low, she soundlessly crept toward the door, listening hard. Her ears were met with the slight shifting of ashes, then powder hitting a grate. Floo powder. Someone was entering the Floo network. Willow peered around the doorframe, only to see the back of a dark robe. She couldn't recognize the person with their obscured body frame.

The flames suddenly glowed emerald. "The Fawley Manor!"

WHAT?! Willow threw caution to the wind. She stepped into the doorframe, only to see the face of her friend disappear into smoke. Willow's jaw dropped.

SAM?! Why is he traveling through the Floo network, and why is he going to the FAWLEY Manor?

Willow couldn't let him go alone. He didn't know what he was getting himself into. Willow grabbed a fistful of Floo powder and chucked it into the fireplace. The moment they turned green, she stepped on the grate and shouted, "The Fawley Manor!"

Her world erupted into a cacophony of ashes, dust, and flames. Willow concentrated on finding the right grate. When she saw that hideous dark grey, she launched herself out of the network, landing hard on polished marble flooring. Willow involuntarily groaned as she sat up, cradling her now-bruising arm.

"Willow? What are you doing here?"

Willow shot to her feet in surprise. "Sam! What are you doing here?"

Sam's face paled to an ashy grey. "You weren't supposed to come. You shouldn't have followed me."

"What do you mean? I'm getting you and Sally out of here!"

"No, you don't understand, this is not what you think it is," Sam warned. Even standing a few meters away, Willow could feel the boy trembling. "Sally's in deeper trouble than you realize."

"She left me a note. I know that she's gone after Moody."

"Moody? Why would she go after Moody?" Sam questioned, his voice pitched. "She's here because — "

"Stupefy!"

Sam suddenly flew into the wall. Willow screamed as he crashed to the ground, out cold. She rushed to Sam's side to help, but a strong kick sent her tumbling head over heels across the room. By the time she managed to get up, a dark-robed figure had half-revived him and placed him in the now emerald-green fireplace.

"Hogwarts!"

Before Sam could protest, he was whisked away by a burst of green flames. Willow shouted indignantly. The figure ignored her, instead proceeding to place a block in the Floo network. When the grate was sealed off, they turned on Willow, their wand aimed directly for her heart. She did the same.

"Show yourself!" Willow barked.

The figure's hand reached for their hood, and with a single pull, Willow's world came crashing down. Her wand clattered out of her hand.

"Sally?"

"You shouldn't have come here," Sally sobbed. Her mascara ran everywhere, and tear tracks stained her cheeks. "I knew I shouldn't have left a message for you."

"Then why did you do it, if you didn't want my help?" Willow demanded.

"Because she had to bring you here, or the consequences would have been rather...dire."

Molly Smith stepped out of the shadows.


	76. Year 4: Chapter 15

"Good job, my dear," Molly cooed, stroking Sally's hair.

Sally collapsed to her knees, sobbing her heart out. "I'm so sorry, Willow!"

"Molly? What — I thought — " Willow stammered. She furiously shook her head. "Where's Moody? I know you've been working with him! He's Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise!"

"Impressive. You figured out our little game," Molly cooed. "But, just as you always have, you've failed to see the big picture, Willow."

"What do you mean?"

"Before the school year started, I gave a little ultimatum to Sally: either help me, or her precious Sarah Brown and Sam would die. Naturally, this persuaded her to my side. The Death Eaters have reassembled over the months. The Dark Lord is rising once more, and we needed to prepare, so I sent Sally in to help our young double agent gain intelligence. Barty and she have been working on advanced spells for months, using it as a cover for their time together, and they've been passing along vital information about the Tournament the whole while."

"Why would you need information about the Tournament? It's not like you have a Slytherin legacy to root for," Willow said.

"We need the boy," Molly growled. "Harry Potter is the key to returning the Dark Lord to his full power. We knew this much, but how could we possibly steal him away with Dumbledore hovering over him like the plague? Then, we came to a glorious realization: the Tournament was our ticket inside. Our plan was concocted, put in place, and set into irreversible motion. Mr. Crouch was persuaded to restart the Tournament tradition. Barty stole Mad-Eye's identity, then easily received the not-so-coveted post of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. He slipped Potter into the Tournament. He won the boy over throughout the year with his seemingly kind, generous help. He will never suspect a thing before he lays a hand on that Cup."

"What cup?" Willow demanded. "You don't mean the Triwizard Cup?"

"The very one," Molly confirmed, grinning toothily. It had an uncanny resemblance to a hyena. "Any moment now, Harry Potter will win the Tournament with secret help from Barty, and he will be transported via portkey right to the feet of the Dark Lord."

"No," Willow breathed. Her heart seized in her chest. She had to get out of here and help Harry before it was too late. But she couldn't leave Sally, even though she'd betrayed her — could she?

"I see you're contemplating escape," Molly noted. Willow hastily cleared her expression. "Don't bother. I had Sally tempt you here for a reason. You were always the flaw in our plans, Willow. There's something special about you. Very special. Sally wouldn't speak of it, even under threat of torture — and torture itself."

Willow's eyes flickered to Sally's crumpled form. Sally had kept her powers secret, even under torture? Whose side was she on?

"We figured since she would not give up information under the threat of her life, you would give it up under the threat of hers." Molly suddenly advanced on her daughter, pressing the tip of her wand to Sally's neck. The young Gryffindor cried out in pain as her mother yanked her head back by the ponytail. Willow's eyes widened.

"STOP!" she commanded. "You don't have to do this!"

"You're right. I can stop as soon as you tell me the truth," Molly purred. "Just a few words, Willow, and Sally is free."

"Don't do it, Willow!" Sally gasped. "You can't trust her!"

"Quiet, girl!" Molly barked. "You still have a lot of groveling to do if you want your brother and Sarah to survive!"

Sally quickly shut her mouth, but there was a silent plea in her eyes. Willow knew that Sally didn't want to die. She wanted Willow to stay safe equally as much as she wanted to keep her life. As she looked into those complex, kaleidoscopic eyes, Willow's heart ripped itself to shreds. Her friend had not only betrayed her, but Harry as well. So many more lives were on the line if Voldemort ascended to power once more. But how could she choose between her family and complete strangers? Who in their right mind would sacrifice their loved ones to save those whose fates might not come to pass? No one would gamble their family on mere chance.

"The truth, Willow," Molly repeated. "That's all it takes to free your friend."

Willow gritted her teeth. This wasn't just chance. This was a real plan, happening right now, and Harry was about to unwittingly spring the trap that would give Voldemort his power back. Everyone's life was about to become hell, and it was all Sally's fault. If Voldemort caught wind of Willow being the War Child, her life, and the lives of everyone she loved, were in imminent danger. Willow couldn't risk that. Heart heavy, she met Molly's eyes with a furious storm in her own.

"Go screw yourself," she spat.

Molly's face flushed a deep purple hue. "IMBECILE! YOU WILL PUNISHED FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!" She chucked Sally aside, leaving her daughter sprawled painfully across the dark marble floor. Molly turned her wand on Willow. Her face contorted in a horrific smile. "It's no matter...Sally has already proven her usefulness, and we have other methods of persuasion."

Willow's blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"

"Mum, stop, please," Sally whimpered.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU LITTLE TRAITOR!" Molly shrieked. "You helped now, but it hardly makes up for the years you've spent betraying me! You have decades of making up to do!"

Sally cowered before her mother's rage, raising her arms in a gesture of submission. Molly's nostrils flared as she turned back to Willow. "Anyway, Sally has collected information for me about a certain family. A secret family. A lineage thought to be extinct. But they put their trust in the wrong girl — and I finally know the exact whereabouts of the Terrells."

"No!" Willow screamed. "Leave them in peace! They've done nothing to harm you!"

"They impeded my victory at the Ministry last year! You were almost mine, a slave to command, the perfect weapon to add to my collection, but they ruined it!" Molly's arms trembled in her rage. "They will be punished. Any moment now, they will be mine. I've sent the Fawleys to extract them from their miserable hiding place. They will be executed in the most fantastic fashion, and when the time comes, we will return to the Dark Lord, with you as a gift."

"You're a maniac," Willow said. "You've lost your mind. What would your husband think of enslaving a child, and offering her up to Voldemort like a piece of meat?"

"DO NOT SPEAK OF HIM!" Molly screeched. "That man left me to flounder in this cruel world. The Dark Lord saved me. He is the only reason I have the power I do. I'm stronger by his side!"

"No. You're the weakest you've ever been." To her enormous surprise, her empathy reached out to Molly. "Grief has driven you mad. You lost yourself in your heartbreak. You thought that Voldemort was a beacon of hope, but he's not. He's cruel, manipulative, and cowardly. He preys on those like you who have lost their way and intoxicates you with his greatness. He makes you believe you have the power to control your life again. But in the end, you become a shell of your former self. You lose a piece of your soul."

"Stop," Molly suddenly said. Her arm trembled. "Stop speaking. You don't know what you're talking about."

"I do. Because my own mother was stolen from me by the same man that's torturing you." Willow lowered her wand. "You can stop this, Molly. You have the power to control your own life. Voldemort has no influence over you now. If you bring him back to power, you will never escape. If you bring him back to power, you will lose your soul forever. But if you help me stop him, and reveal the Death Eaters to the aurors, you'll cleanse your soul for good. You'll finally be free. I can help you do that, Molly."

Mascara trickled down Molly's cheek. Her wand hand was shaking so violently she couldn't aim properly. Pale green — the same pale green that speckled the twins' eyes — flickered across the room. They took in Sally, bruised and bleeding on the floor; they noted Willow, reaching out with a second chance; and they finally rested on her own wand, aimed at her last chance for salvation. The indecision ripped the woman in two.

"It's okay, Molly," Willow soothed. "You can be you again. You just have to make the decision to stop."

Molly's grip tightened. "I made my decision a long time ago."

Quick as lightning, she fired a spell at the young Gryffindor. Waves of lightning crackled over Willow's body. It electrocuted her entire nervous system until all she could feel was agony. She screamed, and screamed, and screamed, until she had no air left to breathe, then she was suffocating, too weak to even draw in a breath. Her consciousness began to fade.

"You're insufferably kind, Willow," Molly tutted. She kneeled down, rolling Willow over to face her. "This world takes people like you and chews them up and spits them out like a piece of trash. But I guess that's all you'll ever be — a useless piece of rubbish."

With a sickening thwack!, Molly sent Willow tumbling into darkness.

"Get her up."

Willow inhaled sharply as her body was jerked into an upright position. Her eyes fluttered open, only to snap shut because of the harsh lighting. Willow raised a hand to her forehead to massage away the slight headache. A flowering bruise had already set deep into her skin, hurting like it had bruised her very skull. She'd forgotten how hard Molly could hit.

When she finally braved opening her eyes again, she wished she hadn't. Sally stood beside her mother, silent tears trailing down her pale, expressionless face, as members of the Fawley family busied themselves in the center of the room. Willow tried to peer around the crowd, but they were clustered so thickly together she couldn't see what they were working on. Damn. She tried getting to her feet for a different vantage point, but the moment she stood up, chains she hadn't noticed around her wrists and ankles stretched taut, and like she'd triggered something, they suddenly electrocuted her. Willow yelped and leapt back into the wall.

"Fun, aren't they?" a voice purred.

"Hey, Alex," Willow growled. "Or should I call you Arsehole? I think it suits your personality better."

The weaselly man brushed his greasy hair over his shoulder, his cold dark eyes cast down on Willow's. "I see you haven't changed."

"You have, though I can't say it's for the better. Seriously, do you ever wash your hair?"

"Don't speak to me, little girl! You're in no position to be doling out insults!" he thundered.

"Wow, sensitive much? I can dole out insults whenever I want, as long as I have the use of my tongue."

"I'd guard it carefully, then, if you don't want to lose it," Alex threatened lowly.

Willow rolled her eyes. "M'kay. Uh-huh. Yeah. Got it. Now, can you get to the part where you explain your evil plan, dramatically cackle over a sickening idea, and take advantage of a kid who barely knows enough spells for her O.W.L.s, so I can kick your arse anyway?"

"As amusing as that would be, I'd rather let you see the plan for yourself."

Alex stepped aside just as the rest of the Fawleys finished their work. They returned to their stoic guard-like positions on the wall, revealing a horrible scene. Frodi and Deandra had been captured. The Fawleys had pacified them with many stunning spells, then tied them to a pair of hideous statues with magical rope. Their bodies were pinned in a kneeling position. With no wands, no loopholes, and no help, they would be unable to escape. Willow glared at Alex.

"What are you doing with them?" she snarled.

"They're here to be executed, of course!" Alex chuckled darkly. "It's the Fawley family's most ancient ritual, aside from that other thing that I honestly forget about."

"That other ritual was the Hogwarts send-off ritual, pendejo!" Willow roared. "It was the most genuine thing this family has ever done! We used to be good, we used to be kind, and we certainly never would have lied about our involvement with Death Eaters, let alone join them!"

"Well, people change," Alex sighed carelessly.

Willow watched as the ritual began. The Fawleys joined hands, and then began to hum a deep, dark, foreboding tone. The eldest in the room, Grandpa Fawley, sang the lyrics of an old Latin song that had nearly been forgotten by the rest of the world. Willow's heart pounded as she recognized the words. Her mother had briefly taught them to her when she was little, but it had been enough to scar her for life. That song was the main reason she'd vowed never to be a part of the Fawley family. Willow desperately struggled against her chains again, only to get zapped.

"Quiet, Willow, or I'll silence you myself," Alex hissed.

Willow didn't say a word, but she continued to search for something, anything, that would get her out of these chains. The ritual would not last much longer; if she didn't do something, and fast, the Terrells would die, and Paige would have no family left. Willow fought and fought and fought, but it only resulted in her body being pumped full of dangerous voltage levels. She looked for her mother only to discover she was missing. The Fawleys had removed their weak link, destroying Willow's ability to get outside help.

Come on, Willow, think! she yelled at herself. You always have some witty comeback for everything! Now you need an actual comeback! Something big — something impossible to avoid — THAT'S IT!

Just as the ritual song hit its final chords, Willow stood up and shouted, "I demand the prisoners' last rites!"

The Fawleys turned to Willow in quick succession, fury written all over their faces. Sally snapped out of her stupor to gape at her friend. Molly marched over to Willow, downright furious.

"You're interrupting proceedings! You cannot do this!" she thundered.

"Actually, as a daughter of the Fawley family, she has every right to invoke the prisoners' last rites," Grandpa Fawley explained, though his tone was laced with bitterness. "Willow may speak to the prisoners and ask them to say their final words and wishes as she sees fit. Keep her chains on, but deactivate them."

Alex aggressively counter-jinxed the chains, nostrils flaring. Willow rubbed her sore wrists as the electricity finally dissipated. She ran to Deandra's side, only to find the woman barely conscious. She brushed the hair out of her face and shook her shoulders until she was more awake.

"Willow...?" Deandra whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"I was caught in the Fawleys' plan. So were you. They used Sally to get to us," Willow explained. "They're about to execute you, but I stopped the ritual to give you prisoners' rites — basically your last words. Do you have your wand?"

"No, and neither do you, I'm assuming."

"You're right about that, unfortunately." Willow bit her lip. "Deandra...there's a way I can save one of you, but there's no way to save both of you. I can't stop them without my wand. My powers are blocked right now."

"Are you sure you can't get them externalized?"

Willow shook her head. "I've been working on it for months, but I'm only halfway there. It would take a miracle for them to come out now. And even if I had them, revealing them to the Fawleys would be a terrible idea. I'd to have imprison, or God forbid, kill, every single person in this room. We're stuck."

"What's the option, then?" Deandra said quietly.

"I have a necklace that blocks that Killing Curse. It's only got two more shots, then it's toast. I could try to use it for both of you, but the ritual happens simultaneously. There's pretty mucho zero chance I could save you both in time."

Deandra smiled sadly at Willow. "It's up to you to make a decision, then. Neither of us will hold it against you, whichever one you choose. Do what you think is best."

Willow's lip trembled. "I can't do that. This is madness. I shouldn't have to choose between deaths. I don't want either one of you to die."

"It's not about what you want anymore, Willow. In this war, you have to make the choices that give you the best chance of success. Every single one of us good people would willingly lay down our lives if it meant saving thousands more. We have to make sacrifices. We have to do things we'd rather not do. But it's for the good of all people, and that is what makes it worth it."

Willow squeezed her eyes shut. She took a few deep breaths, then unobtrusively placed her hands on either side of Deandra's head, as if she were completing the last rites ritual. The locket hidden between her thumb and pointer finger just so happened to slip onto Deandra's neck and disappear beneath her collar. Willow squeezed Deandra's hand one last time and moved onto Frodi, who had been watching the whole thing with a twinkle in his eyes.

"You heard that whole thing, didn't you?" Willow said quietly.

"I did. But I am not afraid," Frodi breathed. "Death is an old friend that I've been waiting to greet for some time now. My daughter waits for me on the other side."

Willow lowered her head. "I just wish there was a way to save you. I wish both of you could be alive, and that Paige could have her mother, and her father, and the whole rest of her family."

"What is meant to be is meant to be. We cannot change the past. We can only hope for the future. You are the future, Willow. You are the ray of hope through this storm of darkness. Do not let your light burn out. The world needs you."

Willow took Frodi's hands in her own and squeezed them. "I won't let them down. That's a promise."

The older man smiled at her for the very last time. Willow's heart ached to turn her back on him. She made her way across the room, head hanging low in defeat. Alex jinxed the chains once, and electricity kept her in line once more. It wouldn't have made much of a difference, anyway. The guilt crawled through Willow's insides like a wild animal, wreaking havoc on her organs and turning her stomach into a queasy mess. The anger, sadness, and frustration of the moment was reaching its climax. Her powers slowly crept into her veins. Willow doubted she would be able to rein them in much longer.

"With the ending of your lives, peace may finally grace our family," Grandpa Fawley announced. 

Two of the Fawleys raised their wands at once. Willow's heart convulsed in agony. The tears threatened to flow from her eyes. She fought against her chains again, refusing to quiet down when Alex ordered her to. She only stopped when her body gave into the electricity. Sally rushed to her side, but Willow threw her aside, opting to rise on her own. Her hope was dwindling. The reality of what was about to happen tore her apart. She felt herself breaking at the seams, splintering into a thousand unmatched pieces. Willow clawed at the wall, desperately trying to find something, anything, that could stop the next moment from happening.

Then Frodi made eye contact with her, and she found the meaning swimming within them. Do not let your light burn out. Those words echoed in Willow's mind, over and over and over, until she grasped their meaning with an iron fist. Frodi was right. This blood curse was not just a curse; it was more than that. It had given her abilities no other witch or wizard would ever achieve. It gave her a reason to fight, a reason to survive, and a reason not to die. It made her a beacon of hope to an otherwise hopeless society.

And soon, that society would need her more than ever.

Frodi's sad smile had been seared into her mind. It would remain as a permanent reminder, a sort of mental scar, to spur her on in her mission to save the wizarding world. When she was knocked down, his gentle strength would raise her up. When she hurt, his kind words would heal her. When she failed miserably and lost all hope, his conviction would remind her exactly who she was, and she would rise again.

Frodi would never truly die. He would be a part of Willow for the rest of her life, and she would never forget him.

She had to make him proud.

Willow gritted her teeth. She steeled her mind. She tensed her muscles, preparing to act. Frodi may have been about to die, but Deandra was not. Willow couldn't let her life slip away, too. It was time to take back control of the situation. The moment the spells were fired, Deandra would be knocked out, making her vulnerable. Willow had to grab her and Frodi and get them out of there before it was too late.

"On my mark," Alex commanded. Willow's arm unobtrusively snaked around Sally's waist. "One...two...three."

"Avada Kedavra!"

Green jets of light rocketed into the Terrell's bodies. Willow's mouth dropped open in horror as the light left Frodi's eyes. His body sagged against the ropes, lifeless. The gruesome scene irreversibly scarred itself into Willow's brain. But panic did not infiltrate her mind, for as the other spell hit Deandra, it rebounded and struck Alex instead. He crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Willow looked away, feeling rather sick.

"ALEX!" someone roared.

The Fawley family erupted into chaos. Willow wasted no time in grabbing Sally's wand and issuing the counter-jinx to her chains. In the next moment, a simple charm had the chains clattering to the ground. Hazel-green eyes immediately glanced in Willow's direction, but instead of sounding the alarm, Sally snatched her by the hand and yanked her to her feet.

"LET'S GO!" she shouted over the din.

Willow launched herself at Deandra. The older woman was out cold. Willow used Sally's wand to cut through the ropes, then tossed it to Sally for her to do the same with Frodi's. The girls quickly drug the victims to the door, but that was all the farther they made it before a curse exploded over their heads.

"They're getting away! STOP THEM!" Grandpa Fawley ordered.

The Fawleys had formed a sort of semi-circle around the doorway and aimed their wands at her. Willow instinctively threw up a shield charm, and not a moment too soon, because the Fawleys simultaneously fired all manners of hexes, jinxes, and curses her way in the next instant. Sally dove behind Willow for cover. It took all the Gryffindor had to keep the shield charm up. The sheer force of so many spells hitting her at once was pushing her backward. With one well-placed curse, Willow's shield broke, and she tumbled head-over-heels.

"KILL THEM!" Molly shrieked maniacally. "KILL THEM NOW!"

"WATCH OUT!" Willow yelped.

She pushed Sally out of the way just in time to avoid the Killing Curse. Then, Willow conjured a powerful wind that temporarily knocked the Fawleys off their feet. In their moment of panic, Willow grabbed Sally, Deandra, and Frodi, and shoved them behind a massive couch. She threw her body protectively over top of them just as an Unforgivable Curse hit the lamp behind her. Many more battered the surrounding furniture. Willow curled into a ball to protect her head from the debris flying everywhere. She need to get out of here, now, or she'd certainly be killed. Willow desperately searched her mind for an idea.

Then she heard the clink of her potion bottles in her pocket.

Time to break out the emergency potions? Willow thought.

I think this constitutes a DIRE emergency! Cebba yelled.

Willow uncorked the potions and downed them in quick succession. She let out a strangled yell with the power that suddenly flooded her body. Her blood lit on fire, the pressure in her head nearly crushed her skull, and her muscles spasmed like she was lifting a car. Willow felt like she'd just taken the biggest adrenaline shot in the world. She focused on reining in her senses.

Trust your instincts! You have four times the mental agility now! Cebba urged.

Instincts! Got it!

Try not to die!

What do you think I'm doing?!

Willow called upon her new strength. She planted both feet against the couched and shoved as hard as she could. The couched flew across the room. It slammed into a whole row of Fawleys. Willow grabbed the nearest table and chucked it, accidentally falling backward with the force of her throw. Her muscles were at least three times as strong as normal, if not four or five. Willow used it with again and again and again, until she ran out of furniture.

"Time to go!" Willow announced.

Picking up both Deandra and Frodi, Willow slung them over her shoulders like they were featherweights. She let her new instincts take over, diving out of the way of a few rogue spells. Sally stuck close to her for cover. They made it to the hallway, then the sunroom, before the Fawleys caught up to them. Sally was struck by a stunning spell, and Willow by an unknown Dark hex that sliced open her thigh. She yowled in pain, dropping the Terrells in the process. But seconds later, the cut was closing up at an incredibly fast rate. The hydra potion was working flawlessly.

"Willow! Look out!" Sally shouted.

Willow flattened herself against the floor. A jinx flew straight over her head, missing her by a hair. Willow retaliated with a rapid succession of disarming spells. Then, she levitated all the furniture in the room, and she was kicking it at the Fawleys with incredible strength. Couches, chairs, and tables smashed into the evil family with furious speed. Willow left a loveseat hovering as cover, then tossed the Terrells over her shoulders once more.

"Sally, let's go! Take the door on your right!" she shouted.

Sally practically busted the door down in her haste. Willow was on her tail. They took off toward the forest. Willow's enhanced strength launched her forward with every step. She was running at impossible speeds, probably faster than the world record for a human. Her instincts incited her to carry Sally, too, and soon Willow was sprinting for the treeline with three people on her back. She ducked and shimmied and jumped to avoid the spells fired from afar. The potion had practically taken over for her. She didn't think at all; she just acted.

Willow finally reached the treeline. She dropped her passengers to the ground, taking in the situation. The Fawleys were running after her like a mob of insane. It was only a matter of time before they apparated. Willow raised Sally's wand high in the air.

"Accio wands!"

Willow hoped to God she'd gotten the charm right. In the meantime, she put up a shield charm, and tended to Deandra. The woman was just coming to. Willow sped up the process with a reviving charm. Deandra's eyes flew wide. She sat bolt upright, desperately yanking the locket off of her.

"That's bloody hot!" she complained. "Did it burn me?"

"No, but you've got a wonderful scar on your collarbone," Willow admitted. Deandra instantly tried to look for it, but the Gryffindor slapped her hand away. "Admire it later. The Fawleys are about to descend on us. Are you well enough to stop them?"

"I'm still breathing, aren't I?" Deandra peered into the fading sunlight. "They're nearly here. Where's my wand?"

As if on cue, three expertly crafted pieces of wood zoomed into Willow's hand. She tossed Deandra hers, took her own, and set Sally's and Frodi's aside. Willow felt her magic realign itself with her own wand. Sally's core wasn't quite the same, especially after betraying her friends. Willow breathed in the power of her own dragon heartstring core.

"Let's give these fools a piece of our mind, shall we?" she said.

The Fawleys suddenly apparated all around them. Deandra and Willow went back to back, combining to create a vortex of Earth and wind. They sent it ripping through the Fawley lines, tossing aside everyone in its path. Five of the twenty were knocked unconscious. Willow separated from Deandra to block a hex, then curved her back to avoid yet another. Her instincts took over at that point. She bobbed and weaved, did backflips she didn't even know she was capable of, and threw her body at her enemies with animalistic aggression. For every curse, she fired one back. For every blow, there was retaliation. Willow obtained cuts and bruises all over her body, but the potion barely let her feel them before they disappeared.

"Willow, to me!" Deandra commanded. She obeyed and stood shoulder to shoulder with her in the space of two seconds. "We have to end this, now. Make the tidal wave with me."

Willow nodded. She took in a deep breath. In sync, the witches conjured water from their surroundings. They moved their wands in parallel motion, gathering more and more water all the while. The Fawleys furiously fired off more spells, but they ricocheted off the growing wall of water. It grew higher and higher until it arched over the family, three stories tall. It surrounded the Fawleys, corralling them closer together, until they were driven into a tight circle, trapped within the walls of water. Willow waited for Deandra's mark.

"NOW!"

The witches released the water. The wave crashed over the Fawleys heads, devastating their defenses. They kicked and fought and choked and fell, until every single one of them was unconscious. Then Deandra slammed their bodies into the ground for good measure. The Fawleys were defeated once again. Deandra and Willow leaned into one another for support.

"Good work, Willow," Deandra panted. "You've gotten exponentially more powerful in the last year."

"I'm on potions, actually," Willow explained. "They're going to ware off any second."

"Either way, you saved my life," Deandra said. "For that, I cannot thank you enough."

Willow's shoulders slumped. "But...I couldn't save Frodi."

"That is not your fault." When Willow didn't respond, Deandra gently touched her shoulder. "Come, Willow. We need to give him a proper burial."

Even with Deandra's reassurance, Willow could not convince herself that Frodi's death was not her failure. She watched with a heavy heart as Deandra made her way to her father's side. She rested her hand on his chest for the longest time, as if feeling for a heartbeat. Then she let her head fall forward, and her eyes close, and the tears fall trembling down to her chin. Deandra silently closed her father's starry eyes for the last time.

"I will never forget the sacrifices you made for me, Dad," she whispered.

Willow helped Deandra dig a grave deeper into the forest, in a peaceful but wild place where the proper Fawleys would never dare venture. They planted flowers as his headstone. White bell flowers and black poplar seedlings heralded their meanings of gratitude and courage in their planting above the grave of such a generous, brave man. Frodi was buried with his wand at his side. Willow sat back and let Deandra put the finishing touches on the grave. Her whole body was in agony. As the potions wore off, her body ached, her powers attacked, and her mind tortured her. Replays of Frodi's death and memories of his sad smile haunted the young Gryffindor. Willow found she couldn't watch anymore and turned away.

That's when she saw Sally standing there.

Rage boiled over faster than ever before. Willow let out a furious roar and tackled her former friend to the ground. She punched her over and over and over and over. Sally screamed for help. She sobbed, and she cried out in pain. Willow could hardly hear any of it. Waves of pure rage held Willow in their dangerous grasp. She couldn't have escaped even if she wanted to. But she didn't want to. She was more pissed than she'd ever been in her life, and Sally was the cause of all of it.

"YOU MURDERER! YOU LYING, CHEATING, THIEVING, CONNIVING, PIECE OF SHIT! YOU SOLD US OUT! YOU BETRAYED YOUR FRIENDS! YOU HELPED THE ENEMIES! YOU ARE THE REASON FRODI DIED!"

"Willow, stop!" Deandra commanded.

"NO! SHE NEEDS TO PAY!"

Deandra blasted Willow with a spell. The young Gryffindor retaliated with an unexpected bout of hexes. Deandra flew backwards, giving Willow the time she needed to attack Sally once more. Her friend was a blubbering mess of tears, bruises, and blood, but Willow hardly cared. She wasn't through with her grief yet. Sally had committed the ultimate act of betrayal. In Willow's eyes, she should be dead.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Without warning, Willow's body ceased to function. Her limbs froze, and her muscles untensed. She crashed to the ground in a motionless heap. Sally scrambled away from her as Deandra seized Willow by the collar of her shirt and slammed her against a tree.

"Hasn't there been enough death today?" she shouted. "My own father is dead, but you don't see me going on a rampage, do you? That's enough."

Deandra let Willow fall into the mud. The Gryffindor absolutely seethed, but she knew she was in the wrong. She surrendered herself as Deandra undid the curse. Willow slowly sat up and wiped the mud off her face.

"Willow's right," Sally whimpered, taking both Willow and Deandra by surprise. "I'm the reason Frodi is dead. I had a choice. I could have called my mother's bluff. But I didn't. I let things get out of hand. I did everything they asked like a spineless little slave, and now Voldemort is going to rise to power, all because I couldn't say no." Sally turned to face Willow. "You have a choice now. The prophecy had those lines in it about a betrayer, right? Once arrived at the house that once knew no lie, a great challenge awaits her of whether the betrayer will die. Your mother told me about the history of the Fawley Manor. I know it used to be honorable, the pinnacle of truth and justice. And I'm the betrayer. It's up to you whether I should die."

Willow's eyes widened. Sally was right. The prophecy had fallen right into her lap without her knowing. It had passed her by, and she'd never noticed it, even when it was right under her nose. Frodi's death, Sam's anguish, Voldemort's return...it was all Sally's fault. She'd caved under pressure without putting up a fight.

"If Voldemort returns, it would be almost entirely your fault," Willow said bitterly. Sally buried her head in her hands. "At least own up to it. Look at me!" Sally's bloodshot eyes met Willow's. "You're weak. You failed your family, you failed your friends, and you might fail the entire world. You deserve a massive punishment."

"Just get on with it, then," Sally said. "Kill me already! I deserve it!"

Willow stood up. She aimed her wand at her friend. The rage coursing through her veins was unlike anything she'd ever felt. It was pure fire. It was pure anger. It was the most powerful force she'd ever fallen victim to. Willow wanted to kill Sally. Deandra had lost her father because of her, and Paige had lost her grandfather. Willow would have to break the news to her girlfriend because of Sally. It was only fair if Sally died; an eye for an eye. Willow inhaled deeply and prepared to strike.

But then she dropped her wand.

"I'm not stooping to your level," Willow spat venomously, chucking her wand in Sally's face.

"We need to get going," Deandra urged. Willow couldn't tell whether the stoic woman was pissed off or relieved that she hadn't killed Sally. "The Death Eaters are gathering soon for Voldemort's return. We need to stop them before they kill Harry and revive their Lord."

"We'll take the robes from the Fawleys to disguise ourselves," Willow suggested. "They won't know what hit them."

"Good plan." Deandra glared coldly at Sally's broken form. "We should leave the rat here. She can't get anybody else killed from the forest. Maybe she can go crawling back to her precious mother."

"No," Willow said firmly. "She's going to fix this, right now. She's going to take us to this meeting place, help us save Harry, and get us out of there alive. I'll let Sarah Brown and Sam deal with her once we return."

Deandra frowned. "Fine. But one misstep, and I'm taking her out."

"Be my guest."

Willow roughly yanked Sally to her feet. When the girl trembled in place, Deandra shoved her forward. Sally squeaked fearfully and ran a good distance ahead of them. Willow could hardly believe this shell of a girl was once her close friend. She understood why Sally would cave to her mother's demands, but to go as far as she did...Willow would have died ten times over before she let someone else get hurt. Sally had stood by and watched someone get murdered.

That was as unforgivable as the Curse itself.

Sally was silent the whole way back to the Fawley Manor. Willow guided them through the halls, eventually locating the room she needed. Her mother may have shown her around when she was little, but she remembered a whole lot. Willow rifled through the drawers of Aunt Margaret's study, finally coming across the box she needed. She triumphantly held up three potion vials.

"Polyjuice Potion. My aunt was quite fond of it," Willow said.

"You aunt is...quite odd," Deandra remarked.

"That's the understatement of the century. Maybe the millennia." Willow shuffled through the storage closet, finally retrieving three robes. She tossed one to each of her accomplices. "Put these on. We'll take a hair from three of my relatives."

When the robes were on, the three marched back onto the depressing grassy areas surrounding the Fawley Manor. Willow plucked a strand of hair from the three quietest Fawleys. Deandra carefully placed one each in the Polyjuice Potions, then handed them to the girls. Willow raised hers as if it were a toast.

"Bottoms up."

The three downed their potions. Willow wanted to cough, but she bit her tongue instead. The acrid taste dissipated as her body transformed into her Aunt Crystal. When the transformation was complete, she turned to find Deandra and Sally had successfully copied the appearances of Grandma Fawley and an older cousin of Willow's. She handed them each a mask from the women they were impersonating.

"All Death Eaters have their unique mask. Get used to wearing it. And test out your voices at some point before we go. I'm pretty sure Death Eaters don't have voice cracks."

All of a sudden, a painful stinging sensation burned through her forearm. Willow instinctively pulled up her sleeve to examine it, only to find the Dark Mark tattooed there. Her stomach convulsed. She wanted to be sick. Willow covered the hideous sight, though her inclination to vomit didn't exactly leave.

"Remind me to get a tattoo when we get back to Hogwarts," Willow said, gripping her stomach. "On both forearms. And they need to be in direct protest to Death Eaters. I don't want there to be any room for the Dark Mark if my mother comes for me."

"I'll gladly do it for you, if you want," Deandra offered. "Just make sure we don't die before then, and we're all set."

Willow half-smiled. It was quickly wiped from her face as she looked to Sally. "How do we know when it's time?"

"The Dark Mark shifts and burns most often when a Death Eater is being called. Unfortunately, there's no way to get there before we're called, which means that...Voldemort will have risen by the time we get there."

Willow clenched her teeth. She repressed her instinct to punch Sally in the mouth, along with the fear clambering in her gut. "We'll just have to deal with it, then. Harry has no choice, and therefore we have no choice. If we don't help him tonight, he will most certainly die. I'm not going to watch another person die tonight."

"Agreed," Deandra said firmly.

At that moment, the Dark Mark shimmered. It began to burn uncontrollably, like a force pulling her toward something from beneath the skin. Willow sucked in a quick breath. Sally and Deandra winced as well. It was time, then. Willow motioned for the three to put on their masks. When they were completely disguised, they held out their forearms as one.

"Maintain our cover, find Harry, get him out of there, and get ourselves out. That's our mission," Willow reminded them. Deandra and Sally nodded. "On the count of three. One...two...three!"

They touched their Dark Marks, and with a whirl of air, they were gone.


	77. Year 4: Chapter 16

Willow thought she had prepared herself for this moment.

She was gravely, horrendously mistaken.

They landed in a graveyard, dark and misty now that night had fallen. They'd found themselves in a perfect circle around a particular gravestone containing the name Tom Riddle. Willow's heart gave a jolt as she recalled the name from the Chamber of Secrets incident; this was Voldemort's father. Harry was tied so tightly against the gravestone that he couldn't move. Scarlet dripped down his arm, and his body drooped, as though the energy had been siphoned out of him.

Hang on, Harry, we've got you, Willow thought.

Her eyes roved the graveyard from beneath her mask. She took in headstone after ornate headstone, and the small Muggle town beyond the hill. In the dark, the place was eerie, like a scene from a Halloween movie, except ten times worse. And with Voldemort there, his body shrouded in dark robes, it automatically increased the terror exponentially. His presence alone demanded fear.

A strange glittering caught Willow's eyes. They flickered beyond Tom Riddle's grave, only to see the Triwizard Cup tossed haphazardly on the ground. Willow would have ignored it if it weren't for the body laying next to it.

Oh my God... Cebba breathed.

It took everything Willow had not to throw up. Cedric Diggory laid spread-eagle on the dark grass, gray eyes completely glassed over. An expression of slight surprise still remained on his face. He was completely still, something previously never possible for the antsy quidditch captain. He looked so alive, so life-like, that Willow thought he would get up any moment now and walk away. But he would never move again. He was gone. Willow felt a silent tear trickle beneath her mask.

Her mind was ripped away from the excruciating sight by movement from the Death Eaters. One by one, they crawled forward on their knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. They whispered "Master" and "My Lord" like he was a benevolent god. Willow bit back a long string of profanities as she copied their movements. Voldemort was no god. He was a pathetic, lonely, worthless man that brought only fear and suffering to the world. Willow disgustedly stood up as fast as she could.

That's when she saw his face for the very first time.

His skin was so pale and thin it might as well have been paper. Dark, almost blue veins crisscrossed his neck. His mouth and nose were merely thin lines among an otherwise featureless face. His eyes, however — Willow would never forget those eyes. Piercing and extremely cat-like, slits of deep crimson carved through the onlooker's soul. Willow felt like she'd been stabbed in the stomach and spilled her guts without saying a word. Voldemort seemed to find her fear funny.

"What is the matter, Crystal? Have you missed seeing your Master's face?"

"Indeed, my Lord," Willow said, carefully lacing reverence into her tone. "I am honoured to be graced with your presence."

Voldemort's mouth twitched upward. "I am glad to see it still brings comfort to the ever-faithful Fawley family."

Willow let out a tiny sigh of relief as Voldemort moved on to the next Death Eater. To her left, Deandra and Sally removed their hands from their wand pockets. Willow thanked God she hadn't said anything stupid, and even if she did, that she had two socially perceptive females to save her. She would most certainly need their help before long.

Voldemort continued to prowl among the Death Eaters. An unfortunate man called Avery flung himself forward and groveled at his master's feet. To Willow's horror, Voldemort used the Crutiatus Curse on him. Avery's screams pierced her eardrums. She knew exactly what he was going through. The Torture Curse was not for the faint of heart. She'd endured it fairly well, but to hear someone else suffering from it, even a low-life Death Eater...it tugged at her soul with a power she simply couldn't explain. Cruel would be an understatement for Voldemort's behaviour; he was enjoying the fear in his followers' eyes, and he lapped up their screams of pain like sweets from Honeydukes.

He's sick, Willow thought, wanting to be sick herself all over again.

At length, Voldemort released the Curse from Avery. The man trembled violently as he rose to his feet. Voldemort didn't notice, or more likely didn't care, because he went right back to strutting through the circle like nothing obviously evil had occurred. Willow felt Sally stiffen next to her when Voldemort noticed the absence of a few Fawleys and Molly Smith. She prepared to disarm her friend, but before she even had the chance to act, the Dark Lord moved on. Willow let out a sigh of relief as Sally relaxed.

Voldemort finally reached a man that had been rolling around on the ground for some time. Willow wanted to scream when she recognized him as Peter Pettigrew, or more accurately, Wormtail, the traitor that betrayed Sirius and got him locked away in Azkaban for twelve years. She was secretly glad that he was whimpering in agony over some painful wound. It only made her feel better when she saw that he'd lost a hand. James Potter had died because of him. Sirius was nearly driven mad by dementors because of his treachery. Wormtail deserved all the torture the world could throw at him for what he did to his friends.

It was self-induced anyway.

But to the great surprise of even the true Death Eaters, Voldemort rewarded Wormtail for his sacrifice. He magically crafted him a metal hand that acted just like his natural one. He tested it out, and he was shocked to discover he had at least twice the strength in the enhanced extremity. Wormtail practically groveled at Voldemort's feet in thanks. Another wave of nausea threatened Willow once more.

Voldemort carried on among his followers, inciting the names of Lucius Malfoy, Macnair, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, and the Lestranges. The latter had remained faithful to him even under arrest from the Ministry of Magic. They'd been sent to Azkaban as convicted Death Eaters. Voldemort praised them as the most devoted Death Eaters of all. He spoke of their beautiful reward when he freed them from their foul cages and stole their dementors as allies. Willow had to dig her nails into her palms to restrain them from lashing out.

Then her mood changed entirely. Voldemort began to speak of a certain faithful servant at Hogwarts. Willow's heart quickened, realizing that Barty Jr. was still on the loose, well-disguised as Mad-Eye Moody. Not a soul suspected him. Had Paige gotten to Dumbledore in time? She certainly had to have found him by now. It had been an hour since she'd left her side. Willow's inside twisted and seized with the anxiety of not knowing what happened to her girlfriend, let alone the rest of the staff. If Barty Jr. took them by surprise...there was no telling the extent of the damage that could be done.

No more what-ifs. You're scaring me now, Cebba complained.

At least you're not the one face-to-face with the most dangerous murderer in wizarding world history! Willow hissed.

Just then, Lucius asked his master how he had survived. Willow listened with rapt attention as Voldemort explained himself. When Harry's mother had died for him, she gave him an ancient magical protection. Voldemort could not touch Harry. Therefore, the Killing Curse rebounded and shattered him to atoms instead. He had taken precautions against death, however, to the extent that his spirit remained trapped in the living world, almost constantly in excruciating pain, but still alive. He bound himself to Professor Quirrel one day in a cave in Albania. His goal was the Sorcerer's Stone, and consequently immortality, but The Boy Who Lived foiled his plans once again. The Chamber of Secrets incident brought him no further success other than scarring a twelve-year-old little girl. Willow's blood boiled at the memory of Ginny's near-death experience.

Voldemort continued on with more recent events, involving Wormtail's escape nearly a year before. He'd crawled his way back to his master and cared for him. He managed to give him a semi-functional body for a time. Voldemort traveled for a time, pondering ways to get to Harry, who would be essential in returning himself to his real body. Luckily for him, Wormtail ran into one of the biggest Ministry gossipers on the planet, Bertha Jorkins. He kidnapped her and allowed Voldemort to torture information out of her. He learned of the Triwizard Tournament, and knew this was his chance. Then a faithful servant returned to him out of the blue — Willow knew this must have been Barty Jr. — and volunteered to infiltrate Hogwarts from the inside. This servant in disguise put Harry's name in the Goblet, ensured his victory in the Tournament, and charmed the Cup into the portkey that brought him to his doom. From there, the potion had all the ingredients it needed to return Voldemort to his body: bone of the father, unknowingly given; hand of the servant, willingly given; and blood of the enemy, forcibly taken. Now, Voldemort was back, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.

Willow's heart hammered against her ribs. Voldemort's pet snake, Nagini, slithered between the Death Eater ranks, pausing every once in a while to examine one. The snake now turned her beady, remorseless eyes toward the young Gryffindor. Willow could have sworn is saw right through her disguise. But Nagini continued to slither away, leaving Willow to spiral on her own.

Voldemort suddenly turned to Harry. All eyes were drawn to the bleeding and broken boy tied against the statue. With a flick of his wand, Voldemort sent the Crutiatus Curse crashing through the boy. Harry screamed like he had never screamed before. It tore through Willow's head like a sharp knife through skin. She couldn't stand hearing him in so much pain. She wondered if it was possible for the Crutiatus Curse to torment the bystander just as much as the recipient. The pure agony of standing there, forced into doing nothing, was more than Willow could tolerate.

She was about to do a very Gryffindor thing when Voldemort finally released the Curse. Harry sagged against his bindings, utterly exhausted. Willow had never seen him so helpless. The Boy Who Lived looked more like The Boy About to Die. Voldemort laughed evilly, inciting his followers to do the same. Willow's whole body vibrated in a righteous fury. How dare he laugh at Harry, after everything he'd been through? How dare he blame this innocent boy for his downfall? How dare he take advantage of a boy who had just witnessed a death and the rebirth of the very murderer of his parents?

Willow thought it couldn't get much worse.

But the universe had a funny way of proving her wrong.

Voldemort challenged Harry to a duel.

Wormtail untied Harry at Voldemort's bidding. The boy stood across from The Dark Lord, his wand held tightly in a shaky hand. He forced Harry to bow to him. Then he sent the Crutiatus Curse crashing through the boy.

Willow closed her eyes to avoid the sight. She dug her nails into her arm until they drew blood. The screaming went on forever. When it finally stopped, Willow braved a look, only to find a pale, sweaty Harry stumbling into a Death Eater, appearing as though he'd come back from the dead. The robed figure shoved him back into the circle, where Voldemort taunted him.

When Harry wouldn't respond, he cast the Imperius Curse on him. Harry looked as though he were about to follow Voldemort's orders, then a confused expression crossed his face, and he suddenly shouted back at Voldemort. The Dark Lord was appalled. He tried to use the Crutiatus Curse on Harry once more, but the boy rolled out of the way and darted behind Tom Riddle's headstone. Willow silently cheered Harry on. The Death Eaters may have laughed at Voldemort's taunts, but Willow knew Harry used them as fuel. He wouldn't roll over and play dead. He would stand up and fight.

He was a true Gryffindor.

So Harry stepped out from the behind the stone.

He faced Voldemort.

And their spells collided.

The green and red lights sparked and sizzled mid-air. Neither opponent was making progress. But something was strange. A golden bead of light began dancing back and forth between the wands. It was creeping toward Harry...then back...then forth...and then it reached all the way to Voldemort's wand.

All of a sudden, a giant shimmery dome enveloped the opponents. The Death Eaters swarmed the outsides like a pack of hungry jackals. Voldemort called them off, but they still ran around in a panic, trying desperately to get to their master. Deandra grabbed the girls by their sleeves to pull them along.

"We must act concerned, or they'll suspect us," she hissed.

Willow and Sally followed the older woman back and forth around the circle. They traced the footsteps of others and repeated the outcries of fellow Death Eaters. It seemed to do the trick, though Willow had a feeling they were all so focused on their precious master that they couldn't think about anything else. She had to admit she was entranced as well, if not for different reasons. Priori Incantatem was a rare spell her father had told her about a long time ago. It was hard telling what had induced it, but it was a wonder to witness.

Every recent spell Voldemort's wand had cast was spilled out in backward order. Scream after scream echoed strangely from within the dome. Then bodies began to appear. One by one, Voldemort's victims pulled themselves out of his wand and into the dome. They paraded around him, yelling insults, distractions, and personal taunts. Willow couldn't help but gape at the extraordinary sight.

Then, out of nowhere, two very recognizable people stood beside Harry. They touched him on the shoulder, encouraging him to hold on. Their bright, proud grins were unmistakable. Though words became too quiet to hear, Willow knew what they were saying. Her eyes misted up.

Harry's parents finally got to say goodbye.

"Willow! He's not going to be able to hold that much longer!" Sally said urgently.

Willow realized with a jolt that she was right. Harry's arms trembled so violently that it was a wonder his wand didn't fly out of his hand. Willow prepared her own wand, signaling for Sally and Deandra to do the same.

"I don't know who's going to come out on top after this spell, but either way, we have to get Harry back to that Portkey at all cost!" she shouted over the noise. "Don't hold back! Throw everything you've got at 'em! Muere con honor!"

"What was that last part?" Sally asked.

"You don't want to know," Willow admitted, smirking.

All of a sudden, the connection between Voldemort's and Harry's wands broke. The dome collapsed in on itself. For a moment, all the spirits lingered, converging on Voldemort like a golden barrier. In that split second of distraction, Harry seized his chance. Willow screamed for him to run as fast as he could.

"STUN HIM!" Voldemort roared.

"NOW!" Willow commanded.

She, Deandra, and Sally unleashed a hellstorm on the Death Eaters. They fell to deadly aims, had spells deflected, and tumbled head-over-heels in their haste to find cover. Deandra must have stunned fifteen of them in the space of ten seconds. Voldemort, having gone after Harry, had no idea what was going on behind his back. Willow paused for just a moment to turn and look. Harry darted from behind an angel statue, then kneeled down by Cedric's side. Voldemort was closing in — the Cup was too far away — he wasn't going to drag Cedric to it in time — Willow prepared her wand — she took aim — Harry did the same — but now the Cup was zooming toward him — and in a flash, he and Cedric disappeared.

Harry had escaped.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Voldemort screeched in frustration.

"YES!" Willow shouted. Harry was safe! They'd done it! She'd never felt this good in her life —

"TRAITORS!"

A spell shattered the headstone next to Willow's feet. She leapt behind a statue of an archangel.

"Good feelings gone, good feelings gone — !"

Deandra and Sally quickly joined her. They were under attack. An intense storm of Dark Magic threatened to destroy their only cover. Pieces of crafted stone pelted their heads. Willow scrambled to find a way to survive. Deandra couldn't apparate with both Sally and her as passengers. Voldemort was far too powerful to take on. Willow's blood curse was still internalized. They had no portkey, no Floo network, no nothing. They were trapped.

"SEIZE THEM!" Voldemort screeched. "I WANT THEM ALIVE!"

"Willow, we have to get out of here, now!" Deandra said.

She ducked as another spell shattered their gravestone. "You take Sally and apparate away! Come back for me later!"

"No! We're leaving together!" Deandra protested.

"There's no time!" Willow fired a random stunning spell around the stone, only for it to miss. "One of us has to get out of here and warn the wizarding world that Voldemort's back!"

"You two go, then, I'll stay!" Sally shouted. "They want me to join them anyway! I'll be alright!"

"As much as I hate the girl, I'm not leaving her to the wolves," Deandra muttered.

"THERE THEY ARE!" someone shrieked.

The three glanced to their right to see a group of Death Eaters heading straight for them. Deandra cast a shield charm just in time to avoid being obliterated by a powerful stunning spell. She seized both Sally and Willow by their sleeves and ran with them. Willow turned and shot down a few Death Eaters with well-placed jinxes, but it wasn't enough. The miniature army of Death Eaters was on their tail now. Any moment they'd be taken, and it would be over.

"Deandra, go," Willow urged. "They'll kill you in a heartbeat. They want Sally and I alive."

"I won't leave you kids for those monsters to torture," Deandra growled.

"Don't sacrifice yourself for us when you're all Paige has left," Willow pleaded.

Deandra's mouth formed a hard line. She said nothing.

All of a sudden, a dark shape materialized before them. They skidded to a stop just as the shadow took the form of Lord Voldemort. Willow tried to disarm him, but the wizard had already cast his own disarming spell, and his was much stronger. The result was Willow flying backwards across the graveyard. She slammed into a headstone with a resounding thud! that vibrated her skull. She tried to get up, but it resulted in her falling to her knees.

"Bind her," Voldemort ordered.

A nearby Death Eater did the job. Within seconds, Willow's hands and feet were tied together. The Death Eater tossed her into a small clearing, where an equally restrained Deandra and Sally were kneeling. Voldemort prowled among them, his lips twitching in agitation.

"You are false," he said silkily. "A dirty blemish on my coronation day."

"Shove the crown up your arse," Deandra snapped. "You're no king. You're a filthy commoner with no qualms about murder."

Voldemort swiftly punished her with a kick to the sternum. Deandra keeled over, hacking up a lung. But she didn't give the Dark Lord the satisfaction of her pain. She looked him right in the eyes without an ounce of fear.

"You dare use that vile tongue around your Lord?" Voldemort questioned. "What kind of hero do you think you are? You will not stop me. You will achieve nothing. In the end, you will die just a lonely, ugly, disrespectful woman, and it will not bother me."

"Huh. So you, too, recognize the ugliness of the Fawley family. That's comforting," Deandra chortled.

"THERE THEY ARE!"

Willow whipped around along with the rest of the Death Eaters. She forgot how to breathe for a moment. The Fawleys had arrived, and they were livid. Not only were the ones from the ritual here, but Grace, along with several others, had joined them for the occasion as well. The three people they'd impersonated were missing their masks.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise," Voldemort remarked. "What is the purpose of this late arrival?"

"IT'S THEM! THEY ATTACKED US, AND THEY TOOK OUR CLOTHES!" Grandpa Fawley raged.

"I see," Voldemort whispered. He turned back to face Willow, Deandra, and Sally, his red slit eyes searching their very souls. "Polyjuice Potion. I should have seen through their disguises. But no matter...all will be revealed in time."

As if he knew their time was up, the Polyjuice Potion wore off. Willow grimaced as her body shrank down to its normal size. Her hips slimmed, her face smoothed, and her muscles hardened. Deandra and Sally returned to their own appearances as well. Voldemort beckoned to Grace, and she quickly arrived at his side.

"Remove their masks. Identify them," he ordered.

Grace stepped forward. Even with her face hidden, Willow could tell that her mother was trembling. The sight of Voldemort was affecting her just the same as the others; they were terrified. None of them had found their master in his absence. They hadn't even tried. The fact that Voldemort was so unstable didn't help. The question wasn't if he'd punish them, but when.

Grace removed Sally's mask. "Sally Smith," she said evenly.

"Molly's daughter?" Voldemort questioned. "I thought she knew better than to betray us. But she has been so faithful this year. Her punishment will be less severe. She is young...she will learn eventually."

Grace moved to Willow. She blanched when she recognized her own daughter. "W-Willow...Guerrero."

"Ah, not surprising," Voldemort tutted. "Wormtail has told me much of her Gryffindor attitude, of all the trouble she has caused her family. We will break her before long. She will learn fidelity."

"I won't learn anything," Willow growled. "In fact, you'll learn not to mess with me."

Voldemort's eyes flashed. "Really? You think your miniscule power can even compare to my greatness? I am the protector, the Sheppard of the faithful. I am the Heralder of a new era. You will learn from me! CRUCIO!"

It was pain like Willow had never experienced in her life.

Knives stabbed at her eyes. Fire seared her skin. Swords skewered her organs. Every single cell in her body exploded and stitched itself back together again. Her bones were shattering. Her joints were being pulled apart. Her nails were being ripped off. Willow screamed and screamed and screamed until her vocal chords gave out. Then she opened her mouth in silent, unimaginable, apocalyptic agony. She wanted to die. She couldn't stand one more second of this. She begged and pleaded to God to take her soul.

And then it stopped.

Willow's vision went bright white. She sat up, and her vision cleared to reveal a surprising scene. Deandra had used wandless magic on Voldemort. The Dark Lord was keeled over, fighting against a surge of lightning the sprouted directly from Deandra's hands. The Death Eaters scrambled in a panic to save him with a counter-jinx. One finally up and hit Deandra over the back of the head. She lost her concentration, and the lightning ceased. Voldemort stormed to her within seconds.

"You dare attack Lord Voldemort?" he demanded. "You? A lowly, downtrodden, piece of rubbish? I WILL CRUSH YOU!"

"I AM DEANDRA TERRELL!" Deandra exploded. Her face was so red, Willow thought she'd pop a blood vessel. "I am the descendant of Merlin! And as long as there is life in my body, my purpose is to defend the wizarding world from false gods like YOU!"

Voldemort's face purpled. "YOU ARE NOTHING! I WILL DESTROY YOU!"

He used the Crutiatus Curse once again. But this time, it did not strike his victim down. Deandra responded with the Imperius Curse. The jets of light collided in a brilliant flash, and then dissipated like smoke. Voldemort screamed in rage. He cast the Curse again, and again, and again, but each time, Deandra countered him. Her wandless magic was so powerful that even Voldemort could not destroy her.

"END HER!" he screeched.

A Death Eater snuck up behind Deandra and cracked her over the head. Her magic suddenly stopped. She flopped to the ground, unconscious. Voldemort kicked her in the ribs for good measure.

"Let this be a lesson to all who defy me," he seethed, "that even the greatest among you are powerless to defeat the Dark Lord!"

He leveled his wand at the woman. Willow saw it coming before it even came. She leapt in front of Deandra just as Voldemort drew in a preemptive breath to speak. His eyes bulged at the interruption.

"Out of the way, girl, unless you want the same fate!" he threatened.

"Go ahead, coward! Strike down a child while she's defenseless!" Willow taunted. "What a heroine you are! Do you take pleasure in striking down opponents weaker than you? Or are you just afraid to pick on someone better than you?"

"YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR TREACHERY!"

"Go ahead! Kill me! Dumbledore will come after you." Willow's eyes burned like a raging wildfire. "He will come after you with the whole Ministry, like a rain that never stops, and when he finally gets you — and he will — he will demolish you, bone by bone, atom by atom, until you are nothing but a meaningless, powerless dust, floating around the world in exile forever."

Voldemort's nose slits flared. "You are the most mouthy, disrespectful, confrontational Gryffindor I've ever met in my life!" He whirled around, his cloak spreading out behind him menacingly. "GRACE! Teach your daughter a lesson. If she wants confrontation, then give her something to confront! You will duel each other — TO THE DEATH!"

Grace's face went slack. "My Lord — she is only fifteen — "

"SILENCE! Untie her, Wormtail, and give her her wand."

Wormtail stepped forward and released Willow's bonds. He handed her back her wand. For a split second, she contemplated running, but the thought was fleeting. She had nowhere to go, no way to leave. She was going to have to duel her mother, or else. Willow positioned herself directly across from Grace.

"You know the niceties of dueling, don't you, Willow?" Voldemort said mockingly. "Bow to your opponent. Go on. BOW!"

Willow begrudgingly did so. Grace reciprocated the movement, though her arm trembled as she did so.

"Good. Very good. Now, aim you wands."

The opponents leveled their weapons at one another. With her mask and hood now removed, Grace was visibly upset. Her face paled. Her lips quivered. She was hardly keeping herself together.

"On the count of three, you will begin. Three...two....one...DUEL!"

Willow fired off the first spell. Grace stumbled backward, only to be hit with the jelly-legs jinx. She wobbled on shaky joints. Willow ran across the clearing and swept Grace's legs out from under her. The woman slammed into the ground flat on her back. The air rushed out of her lungs. Willow hovered over her, contemplating which spell would cause less damage.

In her moment of hesitance, Grace capitalized. She struck Willow with a banishing spell. The young Gryffindor went flying ten feet in the air, then slammed into the ground, only a few feet away from Molly Smith. The vile woman glowered coldly at Willow. Her frown told Willow that she was hardly restraining herself from snapping the Gryffindor's neck then and there. The thought put a little pep into Willow's step. She scrambled away from the edge of the Death Eater circle and rose to her feet. Grace did the same across the clearing. They stared one another down in a long moment of silence.

"FIGHT!" Voldemort screamed.

Galvanized into action, Grace fired a stunning spell at her daughter. Willow leapt out of the way. She retaliated with a disarming spell mid-air. Grace was caught off guard. She flew head-over-heels into the nearest gravestone, her wand soaring high into the air. Willow jumped up and caught it. She pointed both weapons at her mother, who sat helpless before her own daughter.

"Finish her!" Voldemort urged. "Finish her now!"

Willow wanted to. She mentally tallied up all the horrible things her mum had ever done. Betrayal. Murder. Lying. Thievery. Pain. Suffering. The list went on and on and on...but none of it called for her death. No one gets to decide when it's someone's time to die. Willow suddenly withdrew both wands.

"I refuse."

"YOU WILL FINISH HER NOW! IMPERIO!"

Willow gasped. The warm waterfall sensation trickled over her head. It spread through her entire body until she felt warm and fuzzy inside. The pain left her bruises. The torment in her mind disappeared. She was free from the agony of the moment. It felt amazing...

Kill her!

Willow aimed her wand at the woman in front of her. Grace. Her mother. The word suddenly meant nothing to her. No feelings of loyalty or heartache. It was a biological connection that really wasn't a connection at all. It was just a word.

KILL HER!

Without warning, a sort of awareness tickled the back of Willow's mind. This was wrong. She wasn't free of pain. Someone was forcing her to forget it. And she was in the middle of a horrendous act. She was about to murder someone. Her own mother. She would never murder someone!

I said KILL HER!

NO!

DO IT! DO IT NOW!

NEVER!

Willow's arm trembled. Voldemort pushed it toward Grace, and Willow pulled it away. It shook violently in its indecision, caught between two powerful forces. Willow fought, and breathed, and remembered. Then, with a sudden, almighty lurch, she launched Voldemort out of her mind.

"I WILL NEVER KILL FOR YOU!" Willow screeched.

The circle of Death Eaters stared in complete shock. Voldemort gaped at her. Willow realized the weight of what she'd just done. She'd resisted the Imperius Curse...from Lord Voldemort himself. Willow distracted herself from all the stares by helping Grace to her feet. She handed back her wand.

"I. Am not. A murder." Willow looked point-blank into her mother's eyes. "And I will stop this family tradition of treachery."

Something in Grace shifted. Pieces of her old life rose to the surface. Willow could physically see her mother returning to her. She was fighting to escape the walls her family had trapped her in. She fought, and fought, and fought, and finally, she was winning. Grace concealed her conflicted face with her hood and mask and stepped back into the Death Eater circle.

"Who...who are you?" Voldemort asked.

"I am Willow Guerrero, daughter of Grace and Carlos. And you have no power over me."

"You are a powerful young witch. More powerful than even young Bellatrix was." Voldemort prowled around her, growing closer with each circle of her body. "You are hiding something, and I will know what it is."

Voldemort suddenly pressed his hand to Willow's forehead, and her vision went white. He was invading her mind. Willow felt him blasting through her walls like they were made of water. He found her younger years, the happy days, the life that was only a brief dream. Voldemort chuckled darkly.

"Ah, such a happy childhood," he purred. "So different from my own...yet darkness was yet to come..."

Willow struggled against him as he plowed further into her memories. There were so many of her and Rion — playing together in the fields; romping through the house; building snowmen armies to defend their snow forts; camping under the skylight in the library; decorating the walls; getting into trouble with watercolors; reenacting plays; singing songs; practicing soccer; running through the house; so many more. Voldemort saw them grow up together, and learn the same lessons, and excel at the same sports, and love each other like siblings should.

"How touching," he mused. "Let's find where it all came crashing down, shall we?"

"Get out," Willow growled.

She pushed harder against him. Voldemort was a week before the accident, then six days, then five. Willow gritted her teeth. Four days...three days...Willow dug her nails into Voldemort's wrist...two days...he was going to find it....she was going to relive it all over again...one...

COME ON, WILLOW! Cebba cheered. YOU CAN DO THIS! GET HIM OUT! HE HAS NO RIGHT!

With a sudden wave of strength, Willow grabbed hold of Voldemort's presence and threw him as hard as she could. He was back to the edge of her memory, back through the gates, back out of her head, and the gates slammed shut. Voldemort stumbled backward in real life, and Willow did the same, panting hard.

"You dare defy me? I WILL RUIN YOU!" Voldemort shrieked maniacally.

He tried to enter again. He made it through the gates. But this time, Willow was ready. Cebba roared with encouragement from within. She lit a fire under Willow that was absolutely inextinguishable. For every push, there was another. For every strike, there was retaliation. For every attempt to force his way through, there was Willow, forcing him back even harder, until he was stopped altogether. Voldemort released his hold on Willow and screamed in frustration.

"You are hiding something! I know it! YOU WILL TELL ME, NOW!"

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Willow roared.

"FINE!"

Voldemort stormed over to Sally. Before Willow could understand what was going on, he grabbed Sally by the wrist, yanked her upright, and held his wand to her throat. Willow surged forward to stop him, but Voldemort stopped her with a clear threat.

"One step closer, and she dies!"

Willow clenched her fists. She let out a yell of frustration and backed down. Voldemort smiled gleefully, a maniacal gleam in his red slit eyes.

"That's it. Very good, Willow. Now, you're going to tell me exactly what you're hiding, right now, or Sally dies. Make no mistake: if you lie, if you cheat, if you deceive me in any way, I will not hesitate to end her. So be out with it. Now!"

"Don't do it, Willow!" Sally warned. "You can't tell him!"

"Silencio!" Voldemort shouted. Sally's voice suddenly disappeared. Voldemort looked back to Willow triumphantly. "The clock is ticking, Willow. You have ten seconds to tell me everything."

Willow looked to Sally, her heart tearing itself to shreds. She made eye contact with her friend, and time stopped moving, like the universe paused to stand still. In a moment that stretched out for eternity, Willow and Sally said a thousand things without whispering a word. Sally was sorry. She was so sorry for everything that she'd done. She was frustrated, trapped, and so alone for so long, and just when Willow gave her hope again, she was seconds away from living or dying. She was ready do die. Her eyes said it all. She was willing to sacrifice everything to keep Willow's secret, and after everything that she had done, all the lives she'd sentenced to an irreversible fate, she was willing to pay the ultimate price to make up for it.

But Willow had forgiven her. Sally was young. She was fourteen when her mother yanked her into the darkness. Fourteen. What could she have done? She was powerless to change her fate. She had to do what she did to survive. Yes, she'd betrayed her friends, and the Terrells, but her brother and adoptive mother were safe. She protected her family at all cost.

Willow had to do the same.

"Time's up!" Voldemort declared.

"Stop," Willow said. "I'll...tell you everything."

Sally deflated in Voldemort's arms. Willow took a deep breath, knowing that every word she was about to say would change the wizarding world forever.

"Well? I'm waiting," Voldemort said impatiently.

Willow met his eyes with an icy, furious, glare. "I'm the War Child."

Pandemonium erupted among the Death Eaters. Even Voldemort was taken aback. Willow held fast to her strong stance, her eyes never wavering from Voldemort's. His face had gone a deep purple-red.

"You're — You're lying," Voldemort spluttered. "I had the War Child killed six years ago!"

"You made a mistake," Willow said evenly. "I know you thought it was Rion. The Fawleys thought so, too. That's why they took Grace. They broke into my house, they stunned my father, and they forced my mother to confront him. She refused to kill her own child. Why would anyone kill their child? It's cruel, and wrong, but they made her do it anyway. They placed her under the Imperius Curse, and they forced her to kill my brother."

Grace had silent tears trickling beneath her mask. Sally stared at Willow, appalled. She hadn't told anyone who killed her brother, and up until this point, it had been Willow's best-kept secret of all time. But the secret was out now. There was no taking it back.

And Willow was livid.

So she spoke the truth.

"My mother lost her mind after that," Willow spat. "They put her under spells to keep her crazy. Her own family brainwashed her to the point where she almost forgot who she was. But she didn't know that she'd made a mistake. The War Child has always been a boy — but this time, it wasn't. When the War Child turns eleven, they receive their powers. I received those powers. I dealt with the blood curse. It was me that's been the War Child this whole time. All this animagus crap? It was a lie. I've been toying with you all these years. My power comes from the blood curse, and I will use it to destroy you."

Grace was crying hysterically now. One of the Fawleys stunned her so she would shut up. Voldemort's face contorted, slowly deepening, and darkening, and purpling, until his rage burst through the surface in an almighty roar.

"You have FAILED!" he screamed at the Fawleys. "One of the only threats to my reign is ALIVE because YOU COULDN'T KILL IT! She's had years to practice and master her powers, and it's all YOUR FAULT!"

Voldemort's livid gaze found Molly Smith. He was practically foaming at the mouth as he raged at her. "This is your fault too! I told you to guide them! You said you would take care of it! You said you knew the signs like no one else!"

"My Lord — I prostrate myself before you — I take responsibility for this as a very personal failure — "

"You will take responsibility for this," Voldemort said dangerously. "You will know the pain of your mistake. YOU WILL FEEL THE WEIGHT OF YOUR FAILURE!" Voldemort pressed his wand to Sally's forehead. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The light left her eyes.

She crashed to the ground.

And Willow's world exploded.


	78. Year 4: Chapter 17

Willow's powers reacted. They tore through her system, demolished her internal organs, burned her bones to ash, and turned her brain to mush. She was undone in the space of a second. Her life as she knew it collapsed. She was nothing but pure pain.

And then she was reborn.

With a horrendous, gut-wrenching, world-altering scream, Willow's powers ripped themselves out of her body. The ground shook. Death Eaters shrieked. Vines suffocated, thorns infiltrated, and trees grew at her feet. She felled them just as she felled the Fawleys. She crushed them with her grief. She tore at them with her rage. She destroyed them with her sorrow.

The War Child was back.

"KILL HER!" Voldemort roared.

Willow transformed into a dragon. She rained fire on the Death Eaters. Her tail threw spikes at their flesh. She struck at them with talons as long as they were tall, and she chased them deep into the night. Voldemort threw curses and jinxes and hexes, but none could take her down. She flicked him with her tail, and the greatest threat to the wizarding world flew across his father's grave, helpless, bruised, and bloody. The Death Eaters cried out his name and returned to his side.

Willow took the opportunity to wake Deandra. She shape-shifted back into herself, and used the Reviving Spell to wake up Deandra. The woman scrambled to her feet in a panic. She aimed her wand every which way. Then she caught sight of Sally. She fell to her knees by the girl's side, her trembling hand brushing a strand of hair out of her young face. Willow placed a calming hand on Deandra's shoulder.

"We have to go," she urged.

Deandra nodded. Willow grew a tall oak tree in record time. She placed a hand on both Sally and Deandra, then walked through the trunk, concentrating hard on home. She suddenly walked out of the oak tree in her greenhouse. Deandra looked around, disoriented.

"Where are we?"

"The Guerrero Mansion. Home," Willow said.

Footsteps clambered through the halls, then Carlos appeared in the doorway. His usually brown face was a milky white. When he saw his daughter, he rushed forward and scooped her up in his arms.

"Willow, how are you here? I heard terrible things — Dumbledore sent me an owl — I didn't know what was happening — I thought you were dead — "

"I'm fine," Willow said tightly. "But Sally...she...she..."

The words got lodged in her throat. Carlos cupped a hand to his mouth at the sight of Sally's unseeing eyes. Tears trickled down his cheek as the other four Guerreros burst into the greenhouse. Their expressions contorted with horror.

"Ay dios mio," Abuela whispered. She kneeled down beside Sally. "She was so young."

"We don't have much time," Deandra announced. "Voldemort's back. He will be here any second. He knows Willow is the War Child."

"No," Carlos breathed. "How?"

"He made me duel Grace. When I wouldn't kill her, he tried to force me to, but I resisted his Imperius Curse. Then he got suspicious of my power, and he invaded my mind, but I shut him out. He threatened Sally's life if I didn't tell him, but he...he..." Willow cupped a hand over her mouth. "He killed her anyway."

"He'll be after us," Tío Cisco said. "He could be here at any second."

"You have to go," Abuelo urged Deandra. "Take the girls and go. He'll kill you and Willow if you stay."

"But he'll kill you too!" Willow protested. "He'll kill every Guerrero that stands in his path!"

"No he won't," Tío Leonel promised. "He needs us to get to you. If you leave, he'll have no choice but to resort to hurting us to draw you in. Don't let him."

"But — "

A thump sounded from the living room. Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel darted after it. Abuelo and Abuela were right behind him. Abuela nodded to Deandra once before she left, and the Terrell apparated away immediately. That left Willow with only her dad and hardly any time to say goodbye. Carlos turned back to his daughter with tears in his eyes. He cupped her face in his hands like she was his whole world.

"You have to go. Whatever happens, don't come back for us. You know I will always love you, right?"

"Pero — No puedo perderte — "

"You won't lose me. I'll always be with you, no matter what."

Carlos hugged her tight, and Willow embraced him, wondering if this was the last time she'd ever hug her father. He stood up, leaving one last, lingering, smile for her to adore.

"Te amo para siempre, mi hija."

"I love you too," Willow croaked.

Voices erupted in argument outside the greenhouse. It sounded like the Guerreros were attempting to stop the Death Eaters from entering the greenhouse, but they were failing. There was no time to escape. Carlos shoved Willow behind a bush just as Voldemort and his gang burst through the greenhouse doors. Their gazes immediately snapped toward the Latino wizard.

"Carlos!" Aunt Margaret exclaimed. "It's been so long, Honey! How have you been?"

"Good, up until now," Carlos remarked. He then caught sight of Grace, standing shyly behind her sister. The colour slowly drained from Carlos's face while he clenched his jaw. "Hello, Grace."

"Carlos..." Grace murmured, awestruck. Her eyebrows knit together as if in deep thought. "I haven't seen you in ages. Where have you been?"

"Her potion's wearing off. Get her out of here," Grandpa Fawley snapped.

"No," Voldemort ordered. The Fawleys stared at him, stunned. "She will need to get acquainted with him once more if they are to work together."

"My Lord, what do you intend?" Crystal asked.

Voldemort took a few agonizingly slow steps towards Carlos. He circled him ever so quietly, like a predator prowling among his prey. He eyed Carlos's stature, the wand gripped tightly in his hand, the unwavering fire in his eyes. Red clashed with auburn in a spectacular explosion of hatred. The fire of Hell met the fire of righteousness. In the end, Voldemort brushed Carlos's shoulder, and he looked away.

"Carlos and Grace are the reason the War Child exists," he began. "They brought a threat into this world. For their transgressions, they must be punished. But punishment will come after. For now, they must make up for their crimes impeding our glorious future." Voldemort beckoned to Grace, who obediently ran to his side. He made Fawley and Guerrero stand face to face. "You must learn to work together if you are ever to succeed. Your daughter is almost an equal threat to Harry Potter. She must be taken out. You have until the end of her fifth year to kill her, or there will be severe consequences for the rest of the Guerreros."

"Over my dead body," Carlos growled.

He made to attack Voldemort, but the Dark Lord simply whistled, and his Death Eaters held their wands to the other four Guerrero's throats. Carlos backed down begrudgingly. Grace looked away. Voldemort chuckled deep in his throat.

"Such spark," he mused. "You will make a fine follower once I break you. Wormtail, if you would?"

Wormtail used the Disarming Charm, and Carlos was relieved of his wand. He fought against the Death Eater anyway as he restrained him, but his courage was to no avail, because a regular arm versus a metal arm was simply an impossible match. Only Cebba's screaming orders to stay put kept Willow from busting out and attacking. The fact that Grace simply stood there and watched did nothing to help. Willow couldn't believe her mother would let this happen. The woman that loved and supported Carlos with all her heart was now a shell of her former self: heartless, cold, and empty. Her eyes held nothing but confusion as she looked onto the sinister process unfolding before her.

"Let the ritual begin," Voldemort announced.

The Death Eaters circled Carlos. His brothers and parents fought to get closer to him, but there were too many arms holding them back. Lucius quieted them with the Silencing Charm. Willow wanted to wipe the smirk off his face in the worst way. But she couldn't give herself up. If she let them have her, God knows what they'd do with her. It would most certainly be worse than death — and her family would have to suffer through the consequences.

"By the power invested in me, your merciful, benevolent Lord, I now declare you a faithful follower," Voldemort said. He drew up Carlos's sleeve. Placing the tip of his wand on his forearm, he whispered the words, "Morsmordre Imprimatur."

And so fell the House of Guerrero.

Carlos screamed like he was being boiled alive. Saltwater streamed down his face. Willow knew it wasn't from the pain. Carlos would never give Voldemort that satisfaction. He was being torn apart on the inside. The one vow he'd made, the one promise he'd always kept, the one virtue no one could ever steal from him, had been ripped from his soul with two simple words.

Carlos Guerrero vowed never be a Death Eater.

But now, it was a part of him he could never leave behind.

Voldemort stepped back to admire his work. An angry red skull was etched into Carlos's forearm. The Dark Mark. With a single touch, Voldemort activated the tattoo, and it burned jet-black into Carlos's skin. He let out another yell. Voldemort had branded Carlos as one of his own. He couldn't ignore his master now even if he wanted to.

"Stand up, Carlos," Voldemort snapped.

Carlos refused. Instead, he looked Voldemort right in the eyes. His face burned a brilliant, furious scarlet. "Hazme, cabrón."

As serious as the moment was, Willow almost laughed. Voldemort's face contorted into a hideous expression. Bright splotches of purple and red covered his twitching features. He didn't know what Carlos had said, because he clearly didn't comprehend Spanish, but he knew for a fact that Carlos had insulted him. Grace understood, however, and she had to bite her lip as well.

"What did he say to me?" Voldemort said icily.

"...He said, 'Make me, bitch,'" Grace translated.

Carlos beamed sarcastically from ear to ear. "Looks like you've got a lot of breaking to do, Lord Pendejo."

Voldemort seized Carlos by the throat. He didn't even flinch as the Dark Lord choked the life out of him. Voldemort yelled in frustration and threw him aside. He used the Crutiatus Curse instead.

That got a reaction.

Willow covered her ears, but the screams still pierced her eardrums. Tears were squeezed from her eyes as she shut them tight. The torture went on for what felt like hours, but in reality, it was only a few minutes — not that it made it much better. Willow braved a glance when silence settled among the Death Eaters. Carlos laid on the floor, sweat dripping down his clammy skin. Voldemort yanked him to his feet.

"You will learn respect, Carlos," he hissed. "For every act of disobedience, I will torture one of your family members. I will not grant them their wishes if they beg for death. Do you understand the severity of your actions now?"

Carlos glared at him. "Crystal. Clear."

"Good. Now bow to me."

Carlos hesitated for a few tense moments. Lucius pressed his wand into Abuela's throat. Though her eyes dared him to do it, Carlos couldn't let any harm fall to his family, especially not his mother.

Willow's father closed his eyes. He lowered his head.

And he bowed.

Voldemort grinned toothily. "There. Isn't that better? You will make a fine addition to my followers," he said patronizingly, gently patting Carlos's head. "You will learn, in time."

With that, Voldemort disapparated in a puff of smoke, taking Carlos with him. The rest of the Death Eaters followed. Then Willow was alone.

Completely and utterly alone.

Abuelo, Abuela, Tío Cisco, Tío Leonel...they were gone. Prisoners. Subject to the whim of a maniac. Carlos was forced to do his bidding. And now, he was with Grace, his estranged wife, the root of all his trauma in life — and the murderer of their son. It didn't matter that she'd been forced to do it. She was the one who fired the spell. She was the one who had torn this family apart. And now it was beyond repair.

Willow crawled out of the bushes. She walked across the greenhouse in a numb stupor. Her feet carried her through the halls, beyond the kitchen, past the living room and the sitting room, and finally to her father's bedroom. The walls were the same light brown they'd always been. Pictures of his wife and kids twinkled in the moonlight streaming through the window. His bed was made, and his clothes picked up. Neat, tidy, organized. Fan on low, bathroom door open, alarm clock on the nightstand. Everything was the way she remembered it.

But now Carlos was gone.

And he was good as dead.

Willow laid on her father's bed. His pillow still smelled of him. Dark roast coffee, his favourite, always his companion. It covered his clothing in its heavenly scent.

It was already beginning to fade.

Willow gripped Carlos's pillow close to her chest. She willed her emotions to go away. But they were free now. Her powers had returned to the surface, and her emotions were free to roam. Her heartache, her sadness, her anger, and her frustration; she felt it all.

A single tear dripped off her nose and plunked onto the bed.

Her father's empty bed.

Willow wiped her face and took a deep breath. She sat up slowly, her whole body aching like the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders. In a way, it was. She had to defeat her prophecy and help Harry defeat Voldemort, and in the process, find a way to save both of her parents. It felt like an insurmountable, impossible task.

But she wasn't about to back down.

Willow straightened her back. She rose to her feet. She strode purposefully out of that room, out of that empty, cursed house, out of her old life. She'd been living like she was afraid to let go for so long. She pretended that everything was fine, and life would work out like a goddamn fairy tale. Well, life wasn't a fairy tale, and it had been ripped away from her. She'd had her chance to live.

Now, it was time to fight.

Willow ran right through that oak tree. She gritted her teeth and focused harder than she'd ever focused before. The world imploded around her, then reformed. She launched herself off the ground. Scales sprouted from her skin; claws emerged from her nails; wings spread out behind her. The Chinese Fireball let out an almighty roar. It echoed over the treetops, bounced off of the mountains, ascended into the heavens and descended into Hell. Willow hoped the whole world could hear her.

This was war. Her war.

The time of the War Child had come.

The Forbidden Forest became a blur beneath her wings. Willow flew, and flew, and flew, God knows how many kilometers. She passed Daisy's ridge, and soon Hagrid's hut came into view. Willow's form began to flicker. The exhaustion and stress of the past 24 hours ate into her very bone marrow. But she persevered. She made it to Hogwarts. She touched down near the Entrance Hall. She shape-shifted back into herself, stumbled up those stairs, and made it to Dumbledore's office. Her lungs burned. Her legs ached. Her head felt ready to burst. But she gave the password, marched up the staircase, and took a few, final steps into the Headmaster's office.

Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape were all there. They whirled around at the sound of her footsteps. Then they caught sight of Willow, bedraggled, keeled over, and hardly conscious, and they were at her side in a heartbeat.

"Miss Guerrero! Where have you been?" McGonagall shrilled.

"Never mind me, please tell me Paige got to you in time?" Willow panted.

"Mr. Crouch has been apprehended," Dumbledore explained. Willow sighed with relief. It was short-lived, however, because in the next breath, Dumbledore said, "But that's not what you came here to tell me."

"No. Voldemort's back. I saw him, with my own eyes, and he attacked Harry. Is he alright?"

"He is being attended to by Madam Pomfrey at the current moment," Snape explained.

"Good, good." Willow's arm shot out when faintness threatened to topple her over. "There's more. The Fawleys killed Frodi Terrell. I stopped them from killing Deandra. She helped me get Sally out of there, and we impersonated Death Eaters at the graveyard. We stopped Voldemort and the rest from killing Harry, but they captured Sally. They coerced me into telling them I was the War Child so they wouldn't kill Sally. But — they — " Willow's voice caught in her throat. "They killed her anyway."

McGonagall let out a yelp. Willow winced at the reaction. Her head swam. Dumbledore and Snape both had to support her now. She was fading fast. She had to tell them everything before she passed out.

"Deandra and I managed to escape with Sally's body, to my father's house. We warned them they were coming, but there was nothing they could do. Deandra disapparated with Sally, and I meant to tree-travel, but I got caught and was forced to hide. They took my family captive. They forced my father to become a Death Eater. He and my mother are now charged with killing me before the end of next year."

McGonagall covered her mouth in horror. Dumbledore and Snape exchanged a peculiar glance. Willow could have sworn they said something about "It's time," but her hearing was going in and out so irregularly that she couldn't recite a word they said. The next thing she knew, she was being half-carried, half-dragged through the corridors. Then Madam Pomfrey was there, and she was suddenly in a bed. Then Paige's face came into view. Tears streaked down her face as she placed a trembling hand on Willow's cheek.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered.

"I would never die on you," Willow breathed.

Darkness swallowed her like an old friend.

Willow wasn't out long. She awoke to the sound of shuffling feet. For a moment, she forgot where she was, and she sat bolt upright in a panic, wand gripping tightly in her hand. A handful of people milled about the room. She almost fired off a stunning spell before she recognized these people as her friends.

"She's awake," Paige announced.

Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione whirled around. They surrounded her in half a second, asking so many questions so quickly that they all blended together in her ears. Paige angrily shushed them and covered Willow's ears. The young girl gratefully smiled at her girlfriend. Together, they managed to get Willow into an upright position.

"What have I missed?" she asked.

"Not much. Harry's finally gone off to sleep," Ron remarked, pointing to the next bed over, where his friend was clocked out. "Sleeping Potion should keep him out for a while longer."

"Dumbledore warned us not to ask him what happened," Hermione added. Her brows knit in worry. "I don't want to upset him, but I really want to know what he went through. He looks terrible."

Memories of Voldemort's ascent flashed before Willow's mind. She felt the blood drain from her face. Upon seeing her girlfriend pale, Paige brushed her thumb across Willow's cheek, gazing deeply into her troubled eyes.

"You were there, weren't you?" she whispered.

Willow nodded. "I was."

"Do you...feel up to telling us?" Bill questioned carefully.

"Bill! Don't trouble the poor girl, she's been through enough as it is!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. She adjusted Willow's pillows and smoothed her shirt unnecessarily. Willow had never seen the woman look as weary as she did today. Worry lines carved deep into her face, and the usual twinkle to her eyes had all but disappeared. "Just because you're curious doesn't mean she owes you an explanation!"

Willow swallowed hard. "Actually...I might be up to sharing."

Just then, angry voices resounded through the corridor. It was utter pandemonium. Willow started when she recognized one voice as Cornelius Fudge. She exchanged a concerned glance with Paige. They silently communicated the need to leave. Already three steps ahead of her girlfriend, Paige whispered a few words to the Weasleys and Hermione, and they nodded, as if agreeing to some sort of covert espionage mission. Ron and Hermione mouthed "Good luck!" to Willow and returned to Harry's bedside. Bill and Mrs. Weasley took up protective positions in front of Willow, obscuring her from view of the hospital wing entrance. Paige gently helped Willow to her feet.

"Let's go."

They made it all the way to the doors, and just as Fudge busted them down, they slipped out. He took no notice of the girls. In fact, he was so focused on Harry, Willow doubted he would notice Voldemort himself tapping on his shoulder. Paige took the opportunity to blend in with the shadows. They escaped down the corridor, the shouting sealed in by the slamming of the hospital wing doors.

"Gryffindor common room?" Paige suggested.

"No, Ravenclaw common room," Willow countered. "That's where they gather when I go missing."

So up Ravenclaw Tower they went, with Paige half-carrying Willow every step of the way. The exhaustion still weighed her down, but not nearly as bad as before. She found her footing about halfway up the Tower. They reached the bronze eagle knocker, and it asked yet another one of its easy-yet-complicated riddles. Paige shouted out random answers to no avail. She was about to kick the door down when it suddenly swung open.

"Guys, she's back!"

A whole gaggle of teenagers swarmed the door. They plucked Willow right out of Paige's hands and carried her into the common room. She was set down near the open window, where the cool night air tickled her face. It woke her up enough that she was finally aware of her surroundings. Paige sat next to her, practically dragging the younger girl onto her lap. Cypress, Oliver, Miranda, Lisa, Sue, and Sam kneeled before her, a thousand questions spoken in their anticipatory silence. Finally, someone vocalized a their most burning question.

"Where's Sally?"

Willow's face instantly burned. She made eye contact with Sam. His eyebrows pulled down on his expression, desperately clinging on to that last sliver of hope that was holding him together.

"You know, don't you?" Willow breathed.

Sam's eyes welled with tears. "She's gone."

The friends gaped. They didn't have a clue what to say. Most of them were in too much shock to think straight, anyway. Sally had been alive a short 24 hours ago. She was just beginning to pull herself back together. But in reality, she was on her deathbed, and she knew it. She knew it, and she hadn't told anyone, and now she was gone, leaving her friends to pick up the pieces.

"Please...just tell me what happened," Sam croaked. "I need to know how she died.

Paige brushed Willow's hair aside. "Are you up for reliving it?" she asked softly.

Willow nodded. "They deserve to know."

She took a deep breath, and she began the tale that would be her undoing. "I found a note under Sally's bed. She'd left a collection of words and phrases as a sort of warning. I put the pieces together, and I thought she was warning me about Professor Moody really being Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise. She was right, of course. She'd been spying on him all year. Now, she'd gone after him, and she was in trouble, so I went after her. Sam showed up in McGonagall's office just before I could leave, so I followed him to the Fawley Manor. That's when Sally attacked him, sent him back to Hogwarts, and blocked the floo network.

"Molly Smith was there. She told me everything. She'd blackmailed Sally before the year even started. She threatened to kill Sam and Sarah Brown if she didn't comply, so naturally, she did what Molly asked. She passed inside information on the Tournament to her mother. Barty Jr. was assigned her partner in crime. The two of them made sure that Harry got into the Tournament and kept winning all year long. They transfigured the Triwizard Cup into a portkey, and they made sure it would take him to a graveyard, where Voldemort was to be reborn using Harry's own blood."

Everyone's face had gone slack. Willow ignored their horror and continued. "Meanwhile, Sally had also been coerced into finding Deandra and Frodi's location and passing it along to the Death Eaters. The Fawleys found them, tracked them down, and apprehended them. They planned to execute them as a pre-celebration of Voldemort's rebirth. I was taken to the site where they would be executed, but I invoked the Final Rites of the Prisoner, and I managed to give Deandra my necklace. The Killing Curse rebounded on Alex. But Frodi...he..."

Memories of the old man's smile swam before Willow's eyes. She saw his peace, his bliss, and then his glassy, dead eyes. She remembered his grave beyond the Fawley Manor. Worst of all, she remembered how helpless she was to stop it.

"He died," Paige whispered. A tear trailed down her cheek. "My grandfather is dead. The only family I have left is Deandra."

"I'm so sorry," Willow breathed. "There was nothing I could do."

Paige didn't say a word. She simply stared into space, the grief slamming into her like a brick wall. The rest of Willow's friends were stunned into silence. She wiped the tears from her face and sniffled.

"He didn't deserve it," Willow remarked. "He didn't deserve it at all. Deandra and I buried him properly, but he deserved so, so much more than that. There should have been a whole funeral procession, miles long, with thousands of words and songs and memories to send him on his way. But instead, the Fawleys condemned him to an early death, and a hurried, meaningless burial." Willow shook her head, chuckling mirthlessly. "God damn them. I've already lost enough because of them. Now they're taking even more."

Willow paused to collect herself. She drew in a shaky breath. "Anyway, after we buried Frodi, we took my aunt's Polyjuice Potion and impersonated a few of my relatives. We went to the graveyard when called. We saw everything." A chill shot down Willow's back. "Cedric was dead. Harry was bleeding and tied against a statue. And...Voldemort was back. He looks just as terrifying as his reputation. Red eyes. Slit nose. Ghost white. No hair. He's the most intimidating man I've ever seen. He bullied Harry, taunted him about his dead parents, used the Crutiatus Curse on him. Then he dueled him. Some sort of Reverse Spell effect happened, and it gave Harry enough time to make a run for it. Deandra, Sally, and I threw off the aims of the Death Eaters, and it was just enough for Harry to escape with Cedric's body.

"But then we were in trouble. We tried to fight them off, but there were simply too many of them. We were captured. Voldemort made my mother identify us. When she got to me, Voldemort insulted me, so I gave it right back, and he...used the Crutiatus Curse on me." Willow blanched as her friends yelped in horror. "I've felt its pain before, but this...this was a whole other level of torture. I thought I was going to pass out, but it kept me awake, if only to inflict more pain. I wanted to die. I wanted to die so bad, if only to end the pain.

"But then Deandra saved me. She used wandless magic to fight Voldemort off. He tried to use the Torture Curse on her, many times, but she blocked his every move. The only way they stopped her way by physically knocking her unconscious. She was so powerful, I think she actually scared Voldemort, almost as much as Dumbledore. He tried to kill her while she was down, but I jumped in front of her. For that, he ordered me to duel my mother. I defeated her. He wanted me to finish her off, though, and I wouldn't, so he used the Imperius Curse on me. But I broke it."

Sue gasped. "You broke the Imperius Curse from You-Know-Who?"

Willow nodded. "I did. But that made him furious. He invaded my mind, trying to find out the source of my power, and I shut him out with my occlumency — and a little encouragement from Cebba. Then he was really pissed. So he grabbed Sally, threatening to kill her if I didn't tell him what I was. So I — I told him. I told him everything about me being the War Child. The funny part was, he didn't believe me at first."

"Why wouldn't he believe you?" Oliver asked.

Willow forgot how to speak. The secret she'd been holding down so long was finally bursting forth. The dam had broken, the shackles had shattered, and the walls were torn down at their base. The words bubbled up, deep inside her soul, and moved up, and up, and up, until they formed in her throat, and then they were on the tip of her tongue. At long, long, last, she laid her secret out for all to see.

"My mother murdered my brother."

There were shrieks of horror, looks of utter disbelief, and all-around chaotic reflexes. Paige snapped out of her stupor to stare at Willow.

"What? I thought you said — "

"I know what I said before," Willow interrupted. She winced at the hurt expressions aimed in her direction. "I told you my brother was killed, but I didn't tell you who killed him." Willow sighed. "The Fawleys ordered my mother to kill Rion because they thought he was the War Child. Only boys had been the War Child up until this point. So Grace was forced to kill her own son, by means of the Imperius Curse when she refused, and I lost my brother. The Fawleys thought they'd succeeded. But they were wrong. When I turned eleven, I received this bloody curse. My brother died for nothing."

"Willow..." Sam trailed off.

"I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It's painful to talk about." Willow waved off their empathetic glances and settled back into her story. "Voldemort believed me after I explained all of this. He was absolutely pissed. He thought he only had to deal with Harry, but now, with me as the second greatest threat to his dominion, he would have to do double duty. In his rage, he blamed Molly Smith. He'd appointed her to guide the Fawleys in their destruction of the War Child. He claimed that she would feel the pain of losing a child for her failure. So he took his wand, he pointed it at Sally, and he — he — " Willow cupped her hand over her mouth. "He killed Sally. Point-blank. Just because he was mad."

Screams of horror tore through the throats of her friends. Sam buried his head in his hands. Oliver sobbed into Cypress's shoulder. Not a soul was left dry-eyed. They'd lost a friend to a maniac murderer — and there was not a valid reason in the world for her death. It was all for nothing.

Willow felt the need to finish her story before she broke down completely. So she pressed on. "I lost my mind after that. I was in so much pain, so much rage, and feeling it all so clearly, that my powers broke free. They externalized. And they wreaked havoc on everyone and everything around me. I beat and bashed all the Death Eaters to an extent I didn't know I was capable of. Even Voldemort was tossed aside.

"Once I had them temporarily subdued, Deandra apparated with Sally's body and I tree-travelled to my dad's mansion. We warned them that Voldemort would come for them, and just in time, because I hardly said goodbye before the Death Eaters were busting down my front door. Deandra apparated away with Sally. I was about to tree-travel away, but there wasn't enough time. My dad hid me as Voldemort came for him. He — He forced my dad to become a Death Eater. He used his brothers and parents as leverage. If he misbehaves, Voldemort will torture them. And now — " Willow's voice broke. "Now my dad and my mum have been ordered to kill me by the end of next year, or Voldemort will kill the rest of the Guerreros."

Her friends stared at her, open-mouthed. They didn't know what to say. But what was there to say? Willow's life had been ripped from under her feet in a single day. She simply had to roll with the punches and figure it out, even if saying that was much easier than doing so. The immense pain the day had brought rolled over her body like a maverick wave. Now, sitting here, explaining all of it to her friends, it only made the losses more real.

Sue excused herself from the room to collect her thoughts. Miranda and Lisa moved to a more private part of the common room to get a grip on themselves. Oliver couldn't stop crying. Cypress hugged his knees to his chest, tear tracks staining his face. Paige was lost in thought, hardly able to cry, and hardly able to breathe. Then there was Sam, who had curled up into a fetal position on the floor, blocking the world out with his hands over his ears. He'd lost his twin tonight. His other half. The only true family he had left.

That was a part of him he would never get back.

Willow crawled onto the floor with Sam. She gently pulled her friend into a seated position. Sam couldn't bring himself to look at Willow. He was a mess. So without saying a word, Willow drew her arms around her friend, and she let him cry. Sam leaned into her chest and sobbed. And sobbed. And sobbed. There was nothing that would relieve the pain of this moment. There was no potion, no balm, no perfect solution that would patch up the loss. Sally was gone. No magic could bring back the dead. She was completely and utterly gone.

"I should have seen it coming," Willow said. "I should have known better than to bring her along. She was the easiest target, being Molly's disgraced daughter. I should have left her at that stupid Fawley mansion."

"It's not your fault, Willow," Sam rasped. "It's Molly's fault, and it's Voldemort's, too. You didn't force her into the Death Eater ranks. You didn't threaten her family. You definitely didn't cast the Killing Curse. It's not your fault. I forgave you already, so please, for the love of God, forgive yourself. We don't need any more sadness around here."

Willow kissed his forehead, another tear cascading down her cheek. "Thank you, Sam."

Oliver and Cypress made their way to Sam, so Willow left the boys to have some alone time. She sunk down next to Paige once more. The older girl was still spaced out, looking rather worse for wear. Willow gently shook her.

"Paige? Are you alright?"

"You were there. When Frodi died," Paige said quietly. "What did he say to you?"

"He...He said he was not afraid," Willow admitted. "He was at peace with his destiny."

"That wasn't his destiny," Paige hissed, balling her hands into fists. "You just let him die, didn't you?"

Willow was taken aback. "What? No, I had to make a choice! I saved Deandra — "

" — and let them murder my grandfather. You didn't even try to find a way to save him, did you? You were just content to let them take his life and get away with it."

"Paige, what are you talking about? You know me better than that!" Willow protested. "I did try to save Frodi! I thought of all the ways I could save them both, and it came down to me having to make a choice, because I only had one Curse-Blocking locket! There was no other way!"

"Yes there was!" Paige stood up, her arms trembling in her rage. "You're the War Child, aren't you? You had your powers!"

"They were killing me at the time!" Willow's friends looked up from their grieving to see what the commotion was about. The Gryffindor's face reddened. "Paige — please — I can explain this more later — "

"No! You're going to own up to it right now!" Paige thundered. "You could have used your powers, but they were too busy killing you, huh? Well, whose fault is that?" Willow winced like she'd been slapped across the face. "I tried telling you again, and again, and again that you needed help. You needed therapy, serious therapy, Willow, but you ignored me, your own girlfriend! Then what do you do but suppress them until they internalize and start killing you from the inside! Oh, but now you go to therapy, only after McGonagall forces you to, and by then, it's too late! My grandfather is dead, all because you were too much of a coward to face your own goddamn emotions!"

"Hey, Willow's had a very traumatic past!" Oliver piped up. "It's her pain, so it's her decision when to confront it!"

"Shut your mouth, Oliver, this is between Willow and I," Paige snapped.

"HEY!" Willow shouted. She got in between Oliver and Paige and shoved her girlfriend back. "Your problem is with me, remember? So take it out on me, not everyone else!"

"You know what? I'm sick and tired of this back-and-forth crisis bullshit," Paige spat. "I've been trying to help you for years, and all you do is push me away. So I'm done."

Willow's heart jolted. "Wait, what?"

"We're through, Willow. Over with. Done. I'm leaving with Deandra in the morning." Upon seeing Willow's appalled look, Paige turned away with disgust. "I'm not your girlfriend anymore. You can con someone else into breaking their heart."

With that, Paige left the Ravenclaw common room. Willow stared after her in disbelief. Her friends slowly surrounded her, offering whispers of condolences, but Willow hardly heard them. Paige...broke up with her? Willow sank to the floor, putting her head in her hands. Her breathing came in rapid gasps now. Panic set into her brain until it was all she knew. Paige had broken up with her. It was her fault. She could have saved Frodi, but she didn't, because she'd been selfish with her emotions, and now she was paying the price.

"Willow, it's not your fault," Sam reminded her. "She's just gone mad with grief."

"But she's right," Willow whimpered. "I could have done better — I put off therapy for so long — I could have saved him — "

"You couldn't have saved him, Willow. You can't change the past," Miranda said.

The young Gryffindor's world became a vortex of pain, frustration, and rage. She was spiraling out of control. She could feel her powers lurking, ready to strike out when the presumed danger presented itself. She only panicked more at the thought of hurting her friends. Their voices blended together in an almighty roar of sound — They were attacking her — Voldemort was coming to get her — 

"Willow, listen to me," Cypress suddenly interrupted. He squeezed one of Willow's hands. "Focus on the sound of my voice. You're in the Ravenclaw common room. It's half past twelve in the morning. Your friends are here. You're safe."

Willow focused on Cypress's voice. She understood. The mad vortex dissipated to nothing, and her friends were calmly standing before her once more. Willow hastily wiped the sweat off her brow. She already knew she'd had another panic attack. It was the first time in a long time. But it made sense...her girlfriend had left her over something terrible. She blamed her for it. Willow had just forgiven herself for Frodi's death, but now...those doubts would remain for a long, long time.

Her heart was broken.

"I think we should take her to the hospital wing," Sue suggested. "She needs to sleep."

"But — the Minister's there — " Willow protested.

"He won't be there by now," Lisa reassured her. "Even if he is, Madam Pomfrey won't let him touch you."

The corner of Willow's mouth twitched upward. She imagined Pomfrey beating Cornelius Fudge over the head with a broom, driving him out like a stray cat. She wouldn't put it past the strong woman to do some damage to those who threatened her patients. She was ultimate mother hen. For the first time in her life, Willow almost felt good about going to the hospital wing.

The Minister of Magic was indeed gone by the time they arrived. Madam Pomfrey let out an exclamation of joy upon seeing her missing patient. She bustled about to reorganize Willow's potions as her friends were ordered to place her in bed. Willow laid back with a slight groan. She hadn't realized how much her body hurt until that moment.

"Straight back to your dormitories, all of you," Pomfrey ordered the others. "I know you want to stay, but she desperately needs some rest. You can visit her when she's up for it."

Willow waved goodbye to her faithful friends. They disappeared down the corridor and shut the door behind them, leaving just Willow, Pomfrey, Harry, and the real Professor Moody in the bay. Willow was glad to see Mad-Eye alive and on the mend. She couldn't wait to meet the real Moody, now that the Barty Jr. situation was rectified.

Pomfrey sat her up to do a quick examination. "Any damage I should be aware of?"

"Not physically, anyway," Willow snorted. At a severe look from Pomfrey, she cleared her throat. "But there's something you should know. My powers externalized."

"Finally!" Pomfrey cheered. "You won't have to be worrying about that nasty Suppression Potion anymore, Willow!"

"Yeah...great..."

Pomfrey finished her examination after a few minutes. She laid Willow bad down and ordered her to drink a Sleeping Potion. She then returned to her office to finally get some sleep herself. Willow's heart went out to the poor woman. She decided to follow her orders explicitly, just this once. She'd been through enough trouble tonight to last her five years.

Willow tipped the bottle back and downed half of it. She was out in two seconds.


	79. Year 4: Chapter 18

Do not let your light burn out. The world needs you.

I'm the War Child.

You can con someone else into breaking their heart.

AVADA KEDAVRA!

"NO!" Willow shrieked.

She sat bolt upright, forgetting for a moment that she was in the hospital wing. Her clammy hands held her sheets in a death grip. Cold sweat poured down her forehead. Voldemort was here — He was going to kill Sally — Her father was in danger —

Then she remembered.

Voldemort was back. Sally was dead. Carlos was a Death Eater.

Nothing in the world could change that now.

Willow flopped back into her bed defeatedly. She slammed her head into the pillow, not caring that it hurt. Her whole body felt like she'd been run over by a fleet of trucks. No amount of soccer games, quidditch practice, or dueling would ever come close to how awful she felt right now. Her mental state had manifested in her body. For once, her powers weren't the ones killing her — but this was worse. Ten times worse.

"Willow?"

Willow startled so violently that she fell out of bed. Her knee struck the floor painfully, drawing an unwillingly yelp of pain from her lips. Willow scrambled for her wand before realizing there was no immediate threat. Her cheeks flamed as she slowly peeked above the bed frame. Harry's emerald green eyes stared back.

"Um...sorry," Harry apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Willow waved him off as climbed back into bed. "You're fine. I'm just..." She vaguely gestured with her hands. "Feelings."

"Feelings," Harry echoed. He slowly sat up, wincing when he moved his leg. "I think I understand the phrase 'Run over by a truck' now."

"Physically, or emotionally? Because I'm feeling both right now," Willow chuckled mirthlessly.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked. "Hermione mentioned something about you being at — that place."

"I was. I kind of...attacked the Death Eaters. When they, you know, tried to kill you. And stuff."

"'And stuff'?" Harry chortled. "That can mean a million different things coming from you, Willow."

"A thank-you would be nice," Willow teased.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Thank you. Now, what in the hell did you do?"

Willow's chest tightened. "Uh...how to even begin...um..." She cleared her throat. "Let's just say you went through your ordeal, I went through mine. I'll tell you about it over the next few days? Weeks? Months? Who knows."

"...You lost someone."

Willow's head snapped up. Harry was staring at her with a kind of understanding that surpassed the extreme of despair. He knew. He had seen the light leave someone's eyes. A person only understands that kind of horror, that kind of helpless grief, if they've experienced it themself.

"You saw Cedric die," Willow whispered.

Harry looked away. "Yeah."

Willow heard the crack in his voice. It sliced open her own fragile heart. She took a deep breath before admitting, "I saw two people die yesterday."

"Who?"

"Paige's grandfather, then Sally."

Harry tensed up. "You lost a close friend. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked — "

"No, Harry, you're fine." Willow reached out to gently touch his shoulder. "Please look at me." Harry finally turned to face her, clearly trying not to cry. "It's not going to make it any better if you pretend it didn't happen."

Harry looked away for a single moment. His lip trembled. "I don't like people seeing me like this."

"I only see you, Harry," Willow said, her voice faltering. "And I feel your pain."

Harry stared at her for the longest time. Willow held his gaze. Their eyes spoke a thousand words, the silence a symphony of their shared pain. Then they broke, and the flood could not be stopped. Willow found herself next to Harry. They held onto each other like anchors among the raging tide. They pulled one another toward the surface, kept each other from sinking to far. Together, they could not drown, but only wish for a breath of fresh air. They were trapped in their grief together.

"The Minister doesn't even believe me," Harry sniffled. "He thinks Dumbledore's creating a hoax to seize power. He's claiming Cedric died as an accident. He was murdered!"

"The world will never know Sally and Frodi even died!" Willow cried.

"We're alone," Harry whispered. "We are completely and utterly alone."

"It always feels like that," Willow admitted. Her whole body shook with the memory of her father's screams. "But we're not alone. Dumbledore believes us. He's already taking action. I don't know what he's doing, but at least we can trust him."

"And Sirius. Sirius will always be there for us. He was here, you know."

"He was?"

Harry nodded. "He stayed by my side until the Minister came storming in. Dumbledore revealed him to Mrs. Weasley and Snape, but they trust him because Dumbledore trusts him. I think Sirius was sent to get Mr. Lupin."

"Lupin?" Willow gasped. "We'll get to see him again?"

"Yeah. And anyone else that believes in Dumbledore instead of the Minister. He sent Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to gather as many people as they could," Harry explained.

"See, Harry?" Willow said. Her heart warmed despite the sheet of ice encasing the rest of her shivering body. "We're not alone. We never will be. Even if everyone else in this world turns on us, I'd never turn my back on you."

Harry genuinely smiled, almost looking happy. "Thank you, Willow."

Willow leaned back and averted his eyes to the ceiling. She half-laughed. "You know it would ruin my reputation if anyone caught me crying."

"Careful around me, Rita Skeeter might write an article about us," Harry joked.

"Seriously, remind me to burn down her office."

"I'd rather join you, actually."

The corner of Willow's mouth twitched upward.

The god-siblings managed to pull themselves together over the course of the next half hour. Willow imagined her sorrow burning up in the bright, fiery orange sun that was rising over the horizon. Yesterday had passed. The horror could be left behind. She would recall it, carry it with her, and probably try to throw it away for a long time. But she would never forget. She wouldn't let herself, even if she wanted to. It was a collection of defining moments, however dark and full of pain. They reminded her that she had a lot of work to do: a prophecy to defeat, a family to piece back together, a war to stop. Sally and Frodi hadn't died in vain. They died believing in her.

Now, she had to make them proud.

Madam Pomfrey came to check on them around seven in the morning. She declared they had sustained no lasting injuries, but still wanted to keep them in the hospital wing for "other reasons." Willow knew that was code for "just in case they had a mental health breakdown and caused a crisis." She didn't mind being in the hospital wing, for once. She just wanted to be alone with Harry, the only other person in the universe that would understand her pain and respect her for being silent.

Though she supposed there was one other person who deserved her audience. Sam had lost Sally, too, and it was worse for him than it was for Willow. Sally wasn't just his sister — she was his twin, his other half, his partner in crime, and for a while there, his family. She had protected him from their mother's abuse. She'd helped him through his first few months at Hogwarts after escaping Molly's grasp. She had loved him like no one else knew how, but now she was gone, and in that space, there was a vacuum of lost love that no one could ever fill. Sam was more alone than Willow would ever be.

So she asked Pomfrey to go for a walk with him. The healer hesitated at first, but upon seeing Willow's desperation, she let her go. She found Sam holed up in his dormitory, staring aimlessly out the window. He barely moved when he heard Willow walk in.

"I know you mean well, Neville, but I just want to be alone," Sam sighed.

"Clearly," Willow noted.

Sam turned around in surprise. "Willow? What are you doing here? I thought you were in the hospital wing?"

"I got permission to leave for a bit." She sat down next to him, noting the dark circles under his eyes. "You didn't sleep much last night, did you?" Sam shook his head. "I'll give you some of my Sleep Potion tonight. It gives you dreamless sleep. You need it."

A ghost of a smile grace Sam's lips. "Thanks."

Willow stood up, offering a hand to him. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

"Where?"

"Anywhere. The castle. The greenhouses. The Forbidden Forest. What are they going to do, punish us?"

Sam took her hand, and together, they made their way out of the dormitory and into the corridors of the castle. They walked in silence for many minutes. Willow guided her friend through the Great Hall, the kitchens, and the library. Then they emerged into a courtyard, and they opted to take a few laps around the castle. They passed very few people, though every person noticed them, and every person looked at them with wonder. Willow should have known rumors would fly sooner rather than later. She was a favourite topic of gossip.

Eventually, Willow had enough of the staring and the whispering, so she took a sharp right and headed for the Forbidden Forest. Sam didn't ask where they were going, but a fraction of curiosity worked its way through his distraught expression. Willow almost smiled as she picked her way along the familiar path. At length, they came upon a clearing, and a familiar face greeted them.

"Hello, Willow," Luna said. "Hello, Sam."

Sam peered curiously at the blonde Ravenclaw. "What is she doing here? I thought she just read in the Ravenclaw common room all day."

"Luna and I started coming here in the beginning of this year," Willow explained. "I was having trouble with nightmares, and she simply has a strange sleep schedule. We both enjoyed the thestrals so much, we decided to make this our safe place, and I helped build the Insomniac Shack over there," Willow said, pointing to the wooden structure on the edge of the clearing. "We have a lot of Muggle books in there."

Sam listened to her words as he took in the Thestral Clearing. The creatures for which it was named roamed about the area. Babies romped and played in small groups on the ground, while the adults frolicked through the canopy. A particularly friendly mare trotted over to them, nudging the small bag Luna wore on her hip. She retrieved a piece of meat from it and tossed it in the air. Sam looked stars-struck as the mare leapt into the air and caught it, beating her magnificent wings to remain airborne.

"You can see them, too," Luna observed.

Sam nodded, eyes still glued to the flying thestral. "They're magnificent."

"Who was it?" Luna asked softly.

Sam finally turned to look at her. "My father."

"I lost my mother." Luna gently took Sam's hand and guided him to one of the baby thestrals. Willow followed loosely behind. "Losing a parent is most difficult. But one learns how to live with it over time."

She handed a small chunk of beef to Sam, gesturing toward the creature in front of him. He offered it up, and one of the babies took it from him, gratefully flapping his wings. Sam genuinely smiled. He turned to Luna, who was watching him with a small grin of her own.

"It's okay to be sad," Luna said, "because eventually, you will learn to be happy again."

"Thank you, Luna," Sam said.

The Ravenclaw simply touched his shoulder in silent understanding, then went back to feeding the thestrals.

After some time admiring the creatures, Willow and Sam said goodbye to Luna, then made their way back to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Sam aimed to head back toward the castle, but Willow caught him at the last second. She shook her head and pointed to the path behind Hagrid's hut. Sam stared at her quizzically, then shrugged and followed her anyway. Willow led him deep into the Forest. Her powers sensed Sam's nerves spiking the further they walked. He'd never been this far into the trees. At long last, they emerged into a clearing, one that Willow hadn't been to in ages.

"Are those...wiggentrees?" Sam questioned.

"Special ones," Willow replied.

"Whoa," Sam breathed. His eyes traced the glowing roots beneath their feet. "Why is everything...uh, glowy?"

"There's some special properties in the soil that make the trees glow this way," Willow explained. "Unicorns frequent this site. I think they shed their horns here, and God knows what that does to the chemistry of the earth, but it makes it the trees beautiful."

"How did you know this was here?"

"Hagrid asked me to do some gamekeeper duties when he got thrown in Azkaban. I followed this trail one day and found this place." Willow's face fell. Snatches of starlight and laughter and warm smiles flashed before her eyes. Her heart sank into the deepest recesses of her stomach. "I was with Paige the last time I was here."

Sam searched her eyes with his own pity-filled ones. "It's not your fault, you know. She's the one who messed up."

"I know it's not my fault! What do you think I am, stupid?" Willow suddenly snapped.

Sam's eyebrows shot up in sync with his hands. "Whoa, easy, I wasn't insulting you!"

Willow sighed angrily and kicked a tree root. "Sorry, I know you weren't, it's just — " She balled up her fists. She dug her nails into her palms until she could contain the rage. "I shouldn't be angry. You lost your twin, for God's sake! I should be letting you relieve your anger."

"Willow, it's not a competition. There's no 'Shittiest Life' award. We both have every right in the goddamn world to be angry!" Sam said, his voice raising in volume. "I mean, I've done nothing but obey my parents, live right by moral standards, and try my best at school. I loved my family even when my mother started abusing me. Hell, I tried to forgive that raging lunatic this year! And how does the world repay me? By taking away the only fucking family I had left!" Sam picked up a fallen tree branch and chucked it as hard as he could. He let out a frustrated yell as it splintered against one of the wiggentrees. "I'm a good person! I work hard, I play nice, I do all the right things, and the world still shit on me! What more could you want? YOU'VE TAKEN EVERYTHING I HAD LEFT!"

Sam's anger rubbed off on Willow. She let out a hellacious roar and punched the nearest tree. Her powers reacted violently. The tree toppled over, and the surrounding trees slammed into the ground as well. The Earth cracked beneath her feet. Waves of power pulsated from where she stood. Ivy grew from the cracks in the Earth and choked the life out of everything in its path. Any nearby animal fled for its life. Even Sam looked slightly afraid. Willow couldn't have cared less.

"I totally agree, Sam!" she shouted over the chaos. "This world has shit on me more than once! First it took Rion! Then it took my mother's sanity! Then it forced a deadly blood curse upon me! It took my family, forced my father into slavery, ruined my godfather's life, and now killed my best friend! Just when I thought it would let me have one goddamn second to breathe, everything came crashing down! I can't have one millisecond of peace before it's ripped away! I lost Sally, and my dad, and my grandparents, and my uncles, and Frodi, and Paige, all in one FUCKING night!"

Willow transformed into a dragon without even thinking. She launched volley after volley of fire into the sky, then tore the treetops to shreds. Leaves scattered the forest floor like grey-green ashes. Bushes burned, flowers withered, and tree trunks split in half. Willow destroyed, and mauled, and mutilated, until her powers gave out on her in one fell swoop. She crashed to the ground, all the adrenaline drained out of her. She punched the ground with bloodied knuckles.

"I thought I was invincible. I thought my emotions could be ignored. Then they betrayed me. They tried to kill me, and I still ignored them, because I was too much of a coward to face my fears. I was too much of a coward to face myself."

An angry tear rolled down her cheek, then dripped onto the leaf-littered forest floor.

"It shouldn't take the death of a friend to learn how to feel again."

Sam kneeled down beside her. He placed a shaky hand on her shoulder. "We only know how much something means to us when it's gone."

Willow turned to look at Sam with her lips trembling. "But I only remembered how to live when Sally died."

Then she broke down and cried until evening.

Neither Willow nor Sam had returned to the Gryffindor common room. They both opted to sleep in the hospital wing instead, where they could be far removed from the pitying stares of their classmates. It wasn't their friends' fault; it was a hard situation to deal with from the outside. How could one comfort a soul who'd lost their other half? How could a person say anything truly meaningful in the face of a loved one's death? Willow and Sam had silently agreed not to put their friends through that awkwardness, so they simply stayed away.

The next morning was Sally's funeral. Dumbledore came to collect Willow, Sam, and Harry from the hospital wing. Professor McGonagall soon joined them with the rest of Sally's friends. They made their way in a silent, subdued procession to a scarce location on the Black Lake. There, Sally's casket had been laid on the ground, beneath the shade of the very tree Willow had found her and Sam under three and half years ago. Images of Sally's bruised and bloody form swam before Willow's eyes. The frightened, half-dead girl she'd found all those years ago had blossomed into the caring, outgoing, overbearing sister she'd never had. But then she betrayed her. Sally betrayed all of them. Every single person gathered around her casket was now in danger because of her.

She'd paid for that transgression with her life.

Someone might as well have stabbed Willow through the heart, because that's exactly how she felt. Sally wasn't finished yet. She hadn't completed her mission. Willow knew she didn't want to betray her friends, but she had to. Sally had been biding her time for the perfect moment to strike back. All she cared about was keeping her family safe. She was good all along — but she never got the chance to show it.

"This fine morning," Dumbledore began, "we mourn the loss of a troubled yet beautiful soul." He brushed his hands across the casket, and flowers materialized on the wood. Sam set his bouquet of flowers on it, too. "Sally had so much life ahead of her. She had a brilliant mind, a kind nature, and a determined drive. She was a diamond among gems. She had her head on right and her eyes on the horizon. She never left a doubt in her wake.

"But her time has been abruptly cut short. She died fighting. She died a warrior. She died proving Voldemort wrong. He could not break her, nor could he shake her from her beliefs. Though Sally was enslaved by the dark, she broke her chains with the light, and she is free in death. Her spirit wanders our world now, heartening even the most cowardly to resist their oppressors."

Dumbledore looked among the students. Most were crying. Some were full-on sobbing. But when he made eye contact with Willow, he found no tears. She had no tears left to cry. She was empty. So Dumbledore kept his gaze steady at Willow, as if he were speaking directly to her.

"Sally has not died in vain," he emphasized. "She left us in the middle of the greatest mission of all: defeating the darkness inside our own hearts. Sally refused to let her destiny drag down the friends who stood by her. She reminds us, even in death, that there is still good in this world worth fighting for. Now, as her friends, acquaintances, teachers — family — we must carry on her mission."

Dumbledore raised his wand. McGonagall followed his lead. Then Willow, and Sam, and Sue. One by one, the rest of the students lifted their wands to the sky, united in their cause. Looking around, Willow's heart lightened. Sally really hadn't died in vain. With her death, she had brought this family together like never before. They had one mission: to end Voldemort's rein of terror on the wizarding world.

The sun cleared the horizon, casting a bright crimson glow on the faces of those present. In a way, it reminded Willow of blood. Sally's blood. The first blood directly on Voldemort's hands since his rebirth. Then it became a righteous light. For a split second, as Dumbledore buried Sally's casket, Willow imagined Voldemort falling. The bullet was in the chamber. The pistol was cocked. His red eyes were staring down the barrel. All she had to do was pull the trigger. Voldemort was at the mercy of her now.

Then the vision was gone, and reality came crashing back in.

Willow lowered her head in respect as Sam tossed the first handful of dirt on his twin's casket. Then every person took their turn, until they had all said one last goodbye to their dear, beloved friend. At length, Dumbledore magically replaced the dirt, and positioned her headstone properly at the root of the tree. It read "Rest In Peace, Sally Brown, 1980-1995".

For some reason, Willow couldn't let that go. It just wasn't enough after everything she'd been through. She deserved a monument in her honour, stretching high up into the sky, detailed with every adventure she'd been on, and every moment of her roller coaster life. So Willow got down on her knees, and she sketched two simple, yet commanding, words into the headstone: "Remember me." She stepped back to let Sam judge it.

"She wouldn't have it any other way," he whispered.

Then he buried his face in Willow's shoulder and sobbed.

After a few parting words from Dumbledore and McGonagall, the group dispersed. Some went back to the castle, others stayed to pay their respects, and a few, including Willow, Sam, and Harry, wandered around the Black Lake to clear their heads. They couldn't bring themselves to speak. Each was trapped inside their own mind, grief closing their lips every time they went to open them. Willow fell further and further into a pit of despair that she'd dug herself. She didn't want out. Or maybe she did. She didn't know. All she really wanted was to curl up in a ball and wait for death to take her. At least that way she could see Sally and Frodi again.

The sun rose high enough to shine on the Black Lake now. The air was becoming sultry, and the wind hot. The trio silently agreed to sit under the shade of a large oak tree. Willow stared out across the water, wondering if she'd ever find happiness again. She'd just learned to be happy, but then the world came crashing over her head. She felt concussed. Loopy. Strangely content to not feel at all.

"She's really gone, isn't she?" Sam whispered.

Willow put her arm around him, her voice going hoarse. "...She's really gone, Sam."

"I never got to say goodbye. Or make up with her. Or tell her that she was right about Molly." Sam buried his face in his knees. "I'll have to live the rest of my life without her."

Harry and Willow embraced their sobbing friend as the grief ran its coarse. They waited until he'd managed to piece himself back together to take him back up to the castle. On their way, Willow noticed the clouds clearing the sky, as if mocking them with a perfect day. She wanted to throw something at the universe until it stormed tremendously.

Every time something good happens to me, I touch it and it crumbles to to dust. For once in my life, can I hold onto a happy moment, for more than five seconds, and not have it ripped out from under my feet? Please?

The universe didn't answer.

Harry, Willow, and Sam became inseparable that week. They spent their nights on the couch in the common room, they traveled to the Great Hall when no one else was eating, and they talked about light-hearted topics to take their mind off their grief. It was like a mini survivor's guilt club, only worse, because they had no good way to deal with their guilt aside from drown in it. They avoided other students like the plague. Even when they were forced to attend classes, they kept to themselves in the back of the room, staring hollowly at the wall and half-listening to the professors. Dumbledore had warned the student body to leave them alone, so the most trouble they ran into were pitying stares.

Willow was sick of it by Tuesday. On Wednesday, she couldn't stand it anymore. She told the boys she'd be back and left Gryffindor Tower for the evening. Her feet carried her beyond the Great Hall and into the kitchens. The house elves greeted her ceremoniously. Unlike the other students, they did not give her pitying side-glances, or mumbled apologies. They simply treated her with the same kindness and respect they'd treat her with any day. Willow gratefully took them up on their offers of treacle tarts and leftover dinner rolls.

"Willow? Is that you?"

She stood up so fast she nearly toppled over. "Merlin's beard, Fred!"

The redhead put his hands up, along with George and Lee. "Sorry, you surprised us!"

Willow place a calming hand over her heaving chest, slight laughter making its way between her pants. "You were surprised? I nearly had a heart attack!"

"Good to see you're still dull as ever," Lee chuckled.

"Good to see you're still insensitive as ever," Willow retorted, cracking a smile.

"I see you finally decided to eat," Fred noted.

"Yeah, well, that happens when you don't have an appetite for several days."

"So you're feeling better, then?"

"No, I still feel like someone split my skull open, and I'd like to destroy a manor or two, but other than that, I'm fine."

"Well, that's a shame. I guess that means you don't want to pull off the last prank of the year with us," George teased. Willow's head snapped in his direction. "Or maybe you're feeling a lot better than you think?"

"When, where, what, and how?"

George explained his brilliant plan. Once Willow was on board, they darted off to Gryffindor Tower to gather supplies. Then they were back in the dungeons, at the entrance to the Slytherin common room. They waited in the shadows for one of the students to give the password. Eventually, a clueless third year practically shouted it for all the castle to hear. Willow repeated it once the coast was clear, and they were in.

"Showtime," Fred declared.

On the count of three, the four Gryffindors tossed their fireworks, then ran for their lives. Miniature explosions startled the students in the Slytherin common room. They screamed and ran for cover, not knowing that it was too late. Willow snuck a glance over her shoulder to see the whole common room suddenly become enveloped by low-hanging clouds. A rain light rain showered the students and flooded the space within seconds. Then the clouds rearranged themselves to spell POTTER RULES.

"WISP!" an angry voice shouted.

"Run faster, Lee!" Willow urged.

"I'm — not — an athlete!" the rather pudgy boy panted.

Willow rolled her eyes. They scrambled up the stairs, through the corridors, and into the safety of the Gryffindor common room. They tumbled into the sixth year boys' dormitory in a heap of exhausted teenagers. Then, as if they'd set off another firework, they exploded into contagious laughter that only increased with time. Willow felt strangely light. She hadn't laughed in what felt like years.

"Oh, that had to be one of the best ones yet!" Lee chuckled.

"Did you see how mad Malfoy got?" Fred chortled. "He looked liable to attack us!"

"He probably would have attacked me if he got the chance!" Willow wheezed.

"But he didn't! We got him this time, didn't we, Freddy?" George said.

"Serves the little prick right, after all the hatred he's spread towards Harry this year! If you ask me, we should have dumped a whole sack of Puddle Pods right over his head!"

"Blimey, Fred, why didn't we think of that?" Lee said.

"Probably because we ran out of Puddle Pods after the last prank on the Ravenclaws."

"Oh. That would do it."

"This is why you leave the planning to the organized genius, Freddy," George sighed dramatically.

"Organized genius?" Willow snorted. George feigned injury to his pride. Willow struggled to contain her laughter. "I'm sorry, it's just — I never thought I'd hear those words next to your name, let alone simultaneously."

"Now, just because you're suffering doesn't mean you have to make me suffer!"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over your arrogance," Willow teased.

"Freddy! Do you hear the way she's talking about me?"

"What was that, dear brother? I can't hear you over the sound of your incessant whining!" Fred fired back.

George gawked at his friends. "And I thought I had trustworthy people in my life!"

"Ah, don't worry about it, George, you can always betray them some other time," Lee said. "You know, dump a Puddle Pod on them when they're not looking, jinx their robes bright magenta — "

"Okay, that's enough ideas!" Fred interrupted anxiously.

"Oh, I'd rather he keep going," George said, smirking suspiciously.

Willow laughed until she couldn't breathe as the three boys wrestled over ideas to prank one another. Eventually, they settled into what passed for normal conversation among themselves. They teased each other into oblivion over their exam grades — Willow was the only one to receive more than one perfect exam — and tossed around concepts for pranking prototypes. It almost felt like everything was back to normal.

But Willow's heart had a way of reminding her of reality. It ached terribly when dinner approached. The twins and Lee begged her to go to the Great Hall with them. They promised to keep the stares off of her, even offering to make fools of themselves just to take the attention away. But Willow refused.

"As long as you're...sure," Fred said unconvincingly.

"I'm sorry, I really want to, it's just..." Willow's voice broke. A lump formed in her throat. "The last time I was in the Great Hall, I ate breakfast with Paige."

The boys winced simultaneously. Any mention of their pranking friend was now a painful memory. Paige had left with Deandra, just as she'd said, the morning after Willow returned. She didn't even say goodbye; not to the twins, not to Lee, not to anyone. She just...left. It was understandable, considering the grief she was battling, but it still hurt.

"I'm sorry about what happened between you two," Lee said gently. "You had a really good thing going. You, of all people, Willow, did not deserve that. She shouldn't have turned her back on you. It's not your fault."

"I know," Willow whispered.

To her surprise, the boys trapped her in a group hug. Willow thought it would unsettle her, or even cause her to panic. But she didn't. Instead, she melted into their tight embrace, wishing she could stay this way forever. The school pranksters and her, just living in the moment, supporting one another, and making sure to knock each other's egos down a few pegs. But life had to move on. Willow had to move on. So when they released their hold on her, the sadness didn't return. She just felt...better.

Maybe I am getting better.

To Willow's surprise, a rare visit from Iris kicked off her Thursday morning. She untied the small letter from the tawny owl's leg and unrolled it. Her eyes scanned the page. Then her heart sank into oblivion. There was no signature, and the handwriting was extremely hurried, but there was no doubt it was from Carlos. No one else she knew wrote in Spanish.

Willow cupped a hand to her mouth. Each word tore at her heart with renewed vigor until it was nothing but mutilated strings. She had nothing holding her together anymore. Willow abruptly stood up and left the Great Hall, leaving a few friends' concerned stares behind. She headed to the bathroom. Thankfully, no one was there. So she paced up and down the length of the floor, running her fingers through her hair, muttering nonsense, cursing Voldemort, and kicking stall doors.

"Willow?"

"Go away, Oliver, I'm in the middle of something," Willow snapped.

"Bull. You never spend more time than necessary in the bathroom," Cypress called out. "You got a letter. Who was it from?"

"No one. And you can't come in anyway, you're not a girl!"

"Gemma is, though."

With a tiny skittering of claws on stone tiles, the little niffler came zooming around the corner. Gemma caught sight of Willow and immediately changed her trajectory. She made a beeline for the Gryffindor. Willow begrudgingly ceased her pacing to let the niffler climb onto her lap. Gemma wriggled happily in the young Gryffindor's arms.

"Fine. You get pets. Happy now?" Willow said.

"Are you?"

Willow glanced up to see Cypress and Oliver standing in the doorway. She sighed and motioned for them to come in. They sat on either side of her, causing Gemma some indecision. She eventually settled in Willow's lap for a short nap.

"Traitor," Cypress remarked.

"She has good taste," Willow retorted.

"Willow, please don't change the subject," Oliver pleaded. "What did that letter say?"

Her chest tightened. Finally giving in, she handed over the letter to her brother. Cypress kneeled behind his boyfriend so he could read it, too, but both gave up after five seconds of trying to decipher the foreign language. They looked pleadingly to Willow. She told herself not to give into those puppy eyes, but no matter how hard she tried, they always seemed to win. She exasperatedly translated.

"It's from my dad. He wrote, 'Willow, don't worry about me. We're all fine. Voldemort's forcing me to train in the Dark Arts, but as long as I behave, the family is safe. I think there's a chance I can get through to Grace, but it's slim.

"'You have to keep going. You can't worry about us. We'll manage. Listen to Dumbledore, find somewhere safe, and stay there until next school year. You need to finish the prophecy and break this blood curse once and for all, then go save the world. The wizarding world needs you now more than ever. I know you'll make us proud. I love you forever.' He didn't sign it, but I know it's from him."

"God, Willow," Cypress breathed. "How are you holding up with all of this?"

"I wasn't holding up before. Now I'm just roadkill."

"Don't avoid the question." Willow wouldn't meet his eyes. Cypress stiffened. "No. I know that look. What are you planning?"

"Nothing, it's nothing."

"Rubbish! You're planning to turn yourself in, aren't you?"

Willow's eyes widened. "How — ?"

"You're going to hand yourself over?!" Oliver squeaked.

"Oliver, please, you have to understand — " Willow began.

"Stop. Stop right there," Cypress interrupted, pointing commandingly at the Gryffindor. She shut her mouth. "You've done enough self-sacrificing crap over the years. You almost handed yourself over to Molly, for God's sake! Do you have any idea the pain you can endure if you turn yourself in? Voldemort could easily just kill your family, then you, and take over the world. You can't make yourself vulnerable to him like that!"

"What else am I supposed to do?" Willow retorted. "Wait and see if some sunshine and rainbows fairytale ending comes to save me? No! My family is at the mercy of an unstable serial killer! Any moment now, they could be slaughtered, and I'm doing nothing to stop it!"

"Willow, your family's in danger either way," Oliver protested. "Whether you turn yourself in or not, Voldemort will never let them go. He's only keeping them alive to bait you in."

"But that means I'd have to go on the run instead," Willow explained. "I can't go back home. You'd have to go on the run with me, Oliver. I can't put you through that. You never asked for this."

"I never asked for my parents to die, either," Oliver said. "I never asked for abusive grandparents. And you certainly never asked to take care of me. But that's how it worked out, didn't it?" Oliver took Willow's hands in his own. "I'm with you until the end, Willow. You're my sister now. The moment I stepped onto your front porch is the moment I committed to your family. No matter what happens, I'll be by your side. You don't have to put me through anything. I'm coming whether you ask me to or not."

Willow's mouth opened and closed, unable to emit any intelligible sounds. At last, she gathered her wits. "You're sure?"

Oliver grinned. "Positive."

"Then I'm coming with you," Cypress said. "Wherever you go, I'll follow. You'll need a potions master at some point."

"But what about your family?" Willow asked. "Aren't your mum and dad going to be upset?"

"They've got a safe house. For all I know, Dumbledore has already owled them a warning."

"I can't ask you to — "

"You're not asking me anything. I'm telling you."

Willow smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Cypress."

They walked out of the bathroom together. Despite their effort to remain inconspicuous, a certain redhead darted over to them the moment the left the doorframe. The air rushed out of Willow's lungs as Ginny Weasley slammed into her.

"Please don't run away," Ginny mumbled against her chest. "You can come live with us. Mum would love to have you. We've got plenty of room, now that Bill and Charlie have moved out. You could share my room if we need to!"

Willow hugged her, stunned. "Ginny, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine on my own. I can't put your family in danger by staying with you. You know that, right?"

Ginny stepped back, angrily wiping her face. She balled up her first like she was ready to fight. "I don't care about the danger! You're my friend, and friends don't leave friends to Death Eaters!"

Willow genuinely smiled. "I appreciate it, Ginny, I really do. As much as I'd love to see you take down Molly Smith, I think it's best we avoid that if at all possible."

"But I want to fight!"

"So do I. All I want to do is fight. But we can't always go rushing head-on into a situation, can we?" Willow sighed. "We're Gryffindors at heart. Facing challenges with our fists and our fury is what we know best. Right now, though, we have to be smart. We can't win every fight. There's people out there who would gladly end our lives just to continue their own. We have to be patient, watchful, and persistent. We need to practice our skills so that when the time finally arrives that we must fight, we're ready."

Ginny crossed her arms, shooting Willow an accusatory pout. "You don't believe a word of that, do you?"

"Of course not. I'm pretty much repeating what Sirius and Dumbledore have said to me. But I know it's what they'd want us to do, so for once in my life, I'm going to listen to wizards much older and much wiser than me and keep my head about me. Promise me you'll do the same?"

Ginny sighed. "I guess..."

Willow affectionately ruffled the redhead's hair. "That's the spirit. Stay safe until I see you again, you fiery little fighter."

"I'll try."

The Farewell Feast the night before they left was excruciating. Normally a cause for celebration, it was now a somber funeral for Cedric Diggory. Willow didn't touch a bit of food. Neither did Sam or Harry. They all held each other's hands until it was over. And to make matters worse, when they returned to Gryffindor Tower, Willow had to comfort her inconsolably sobbing roommates, who were making one hell of a scene in the middle of the common room. She'd never been more embarrassed in her life. Thankfully, they settled down after a half hour and went right to sleep.

Willow was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted by the end of the night. Even after a dreamless sleep, she woke up feeling like she'd been crushed between two massive boulders. Sam and Harry looked about the same. They went down to breakfast, braving the stares of other students together. Shortly after Willow finished pretending to eat, McGonagall tapped her on the shoulder.

"The Headmaster requests your presence before you leave," she said, a sad slimmer in her eyes.

Willow nodded. She followed Professor McGonagall to the corner of the Great Hall, where Oliver and Dumbledore were waiting for her. McGonagall left them to speak privately between the three of them. Dumbledore fixed Willow with a knowing gaze.

"You received a letter from your father recently," he said, more as a statement rather than a question.

Willow furrowed her brows. "How did you...? You know what, I'm not going to ask. You're probably going to screen every letter I receive from him. Brilliant. Carry on."

"As you know, Carlos is in the hands of Voldemort. He is right. You cannot return home. The Guerrero Manor will be crawling with Death Eaters in the blink of an eye. For all we know, they could be using it as a base of operations. Instead of going there, you will be going to a secure location. You are to get off the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross Station, find a black dog — you know the one — and follow him to a portkey. It will take you where you need to go. I've already arranged for your magical creatures to be taken care of."

"Thank you, Professor," Willow said breathlessly. "That means a lot to me."

"Everything is being looked after, I can reassure you," Dumbledore promised. "I am reforming the Order of the Phoenix. Once we are reunited, we will choose an even more secure location, and you will be transferred there with your furry friend. No matter where you are, you will be safe and taken care of."

"Dumbledore, Sir?" Oliver said shyly. The Headmaster turned to the young Hufflepuff. "M-My boyfriend, Cypress, would like to come with me."

"I figured he would. He will follow the same instructions as you two, then. His parents have already been contacted about their proximity to the danger of Lord Voldemort. They've arrived at their safehouse, where they will stay under security of experienced aurors, and as soon as the Order is assembled, they will be transferred to the safehouse along with you three."

"What about the rest of my friends and their families?" Willow asked.

"Their parents have been contacted as well. Aurors have been assigned to each Muggle family, and the wizarding families have been approved for secure relocation if necessary. Sarah and Sam Brown are being moved to a high-security location. They are all safe."

Willow breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't thank you enough, Professor."

"I should be thanking you, Miss Guerrero, and you too, Mr. Rivers," Dumbledore countered. "You two are sacrificing everything and uprooting your entire lives. I thank you for your courage, and I pray you will keep your nerve as the days darken ahead."

"I will do my best, Professor," Willow promised.

"Off to the Station, then. Until we meet again, stay close to one another, and keep each other safe."

"We will."

They parted ways. The house elves had already taken their luggage to the train. All they had to do now was leave. As they joined the stream of students exiting the castle, Willow noticed tear tracks down Oliver's face. She fitted his hand into her own and wiped away his tears.

"Don't waste your tears on Voldemort's doings," she whispered. "He's taken our family, but he can't take our hearts."

Oliver sniffled and nodded. "You're right. It's just...it's hard, losing the family I only found a few short years ago."

"You haven't lost me. You haven't lost Cypress, or Miranda, or Lisa, or any of our friends. We're all a family now, bound close through our mission. Together, we've got to make Voldemort pay for what he did to us."

Oliver's lip trembled. "Do you think anything will ever go back to normal?"

"In time, Oliver, if only we hold fast to our faith in the light."

"You sound like a preacher," Oliver chuckled weakly.

Willow smiled sadly. "You have to burn bright to give others your light."

Oliver squeezed her hand appreciatively.

They found the rest of their friends at Hogsmeade Station. They took the largest compartment and crammed themselves into it. Everyone was silent most of the way home. Cypress and Oliver held each other close, as did Miranda and Lisa. Willow's heart spasmed when she went to do the same with Paige and realized she was not there. But she did not let it sadden her. The time had come for her to accept her heartbreak and move on. Paige had acted on her grief. If this was how she had to deal with it, then so be it. Willow simply had to respect her decision to leave.

The time had come for change. Whether they liked it or not, change was coming fast, and with it, the storm. Voldemort's ascent to power was on the horizon. It was a threat that would be constantly looming over their heads. Though the rest of the wizarding world would deny it, they knew the truth. So now it was their duty to act. They would look, they would listen, and they would learn all they could. Voldemort could take their life, but not their spirit. The light could not fully be extinguished by the dark.

So Voldemort could come. And he would. He could try to kill them. He could hurt them, he could bleed them, he could torture them into insanity. But he could never destroy them. For every person he killed, two more would rise up in their place. And they would fight, right to the burning end, even if all was lost and the world thrown into despair, because even if Voldemort took every last person they loved, they would have nothing left to lose and everything to gain by taking the darkness down.

The War Child's war had come.

And she had a lot of avenging to do.


End file.
